Service Contracts can be a hidden expense or a great money saver. You just have to know a few numbers before you determine what you want.

Copier service contracts can be supplies-inclusive or without supplies. That's the first breakdown you'll want from a copier broker or manufacturer. Especially with color copier leases, this can be a radical difference in price.

Start with your monthly volume, looking at both black-and-white and color copies to figure out exactly how many copies you're making each month. If this number fluctuates substantially, you will likely want to keep your supplies separate, in order to avoid costly minimums or raising your average cost per copy simply through inactivity.

In addition, you'll want to know the cost of the supplies on the open market for the maching you are using as well as the average yields. That will let you do a ballpark estimate on the cost for toner on the specific copier model you are leasing.

In reality, the service contract can often be the most lucrative portion of a deal for a broker trying to get you to sign a copier lease. Your job is to slow them down and take a hard look at the numbers above first. If you are a heavy user with a high-volume copier, than an annual service contract may represent a great option. But even then, you can still entertain quotes from third party service providers or look into self-service.

If you're looking at service contracts and copier leases, please consider talking to the Graphic Savings Group.