Didn’t expect to stumble onto a post about printing problems on a printing blog, did you? Would you buy a car without researching what could go (horribly) wrong with that model’s engine? Or buy a house without a proper home inspection to tell you whether you have termites or your foundation’s faulty? Of course not. So why would you buy printing services without knowing what you’re getting into?
Should You Flip a Coin? How to Decide Between Printing Companies
There are literally thousands of professional printing companies out there. How do you decide which one’s going to be right for your next commercial printing project?
We are!
Just kidding. Okay, not really. But the reason I can say with complete and total confidence that we can handle anything you want to throw our way is because we’ve spent years checking out the competition and picking out what makes a good printing services provider and what can and will send our customers screaming in the opposite direction. So when you’re combing the Yellow Pages or surfing the web, be prepared to ask a few questions.
1) How much experience do your employees have?
You’ll notice I didn’t tell you to ask how long they’ve been in business. There’s a reason for that! Anyone can learn to work a printer with the right training. It takes an experienced, trained professional to spot trouble before it can ruin your job. A company that’s been in business less than a year but has employees with 5-10 years of experience under their belts will do a better job for you than a printing services provider that’s been in business for decades but whose employees haven’t even marked their one year anniversary.
2) Have you done jobs similar to mine in the past?
Any print shop with a printer and some paper can make you a business card, but not everyone can print you a t-shirt. Or help you design your trade show booth. Or give you the resources to revamp your website. Make sure you’ve got the right printers for your job.
3) Is your equipment up-to-date?
How much do you know about digital printing? How about variable printing? Do you know anything at all about the new printing services available on the market?
Don’t have a clue? It’s okay. No one expects you too. But whoever’s providing your commercial printing services better know, and they better know how to make that technology work for your company. If their printers haven’t been updated in the last decade, you’re missing out.
Different strokes for different folks. Which printing services can make YOU this happy?
4) How much personal interaction can I expect from your employees?
Do you ever get the feeling that living in the age of technology has turned us all into numbers? I returned a call to a sales rep the other day who completely forgot who I was. He had to look up my phone number to remember he’d called me not five minutes earlier!
When you’re deciding between printing services, don’t pick one that makes you feel like a number. Your print jobs mean something to you. Even an envelope says something about you and your company, and you want a printer that’s going to respect that. The best way to determine how a company feels about its customers is to find out how much time they’re willing to spend face-to-face.
If they want you to email your PDF and send you on your way without so much as a “How are you today?”, it’s time to kick them to the curb. Period.