So you didn’t win the lottery…life as you know it will remain unchanged. The credit card bill from Christmas and the stress of New Year’s resolutions will stick around a little longer. On the bright side, you don’t have to worry about how to spend a billion dollars. Everyone daydreams about what they would do if they won that ridiculous amount of cash: buying a new house, paying off debt, donating to a charity…the list goes on. Since you can’t spend all that money, have you thought about how to save some money this year?
Unfortunately, when it comes to equipment maintenance, coupons won’t help you. After you decide to buy a new piece of electronic equipment, do you shop around and compare service option pricing? Like car repairs or roof replacements, you normally would get a few different quotes to compare who has the best service at the best price. Why not do the same with your equipment maintenance service agreements? If you buy service agreements on your electronic equipment, here are some helpful tips to make sure you are getting the service you need.
Shop Around
In most cases, you have options to choose from! Shop around between an agreement with the original equipment manufacturers (OEM), equipment maintenance management program (EMMP), or possibly self-insurance, which is risky but still an option to weigh. Your needs will help determine the best service option for you.
Priorities
Do you need full coverage, preventative maintenance (PM), or labor and parts only? Know what you need to keep your equipment in proper working condition. Did your equipment break down at crucial times and you had only PM coverage? Maybe you should have a full service contract on that particular machine. Decide wht your priorities are and go from there.
Compare Prices
Once you decide what type of coverage you prefer, get your equipment quoted. While you can’t take an online price to the store and get that discount by price matching, you can gather multiple quotes from providers and compare the differences. Once you have the quotes, compare them to your budget and see what option best fits your company.
Purchase It
Once you have done the research and shopped around for the best fit, purchase your coverage. Keep in mind that just because one quote has a higher price, doesn’t mean you are getting platinum service coverage. You may be paying for a brand name or services you don’t need. Don’t let pricing or fancy words influence your decision.
Remember, weigh your options! Make sure the coverage you want is written into the agreement. It’s important to ask questions if you don’t understand a line item on a quote or need something added that wasn’t originally included before signing the agreement.
Want more information? Feel free to contact me at: shelley.schuster@theremigroup.com.
