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For Mary Gouge, Saint John’s University’s Duplicating/Mail Center Manager, operating and purchasing copiers is definitely not new to her. A 23 year SJU employee, Mary has been involved in assisting their departments with copier/printer decisions for the University for the past 15 years. Mary explained, “When we’re looking at upgrading a unit, I like to be hands-on. If I can operate the copier without someone showing me how, I feel it’s a good copier. I look the units over well to see how they are built and make sure they are user friendly.”
Saint John’s University has 23+ copier/printers from Marco located throughout various departments on campus. They most recently upgraded their Duplicating Center with a new networked, high-volume Konica 7085 and a Konica 8020 color imager. Service issues and ongoing machine problems led the University to look to Marco for a replacement for the Center. Greg Gau, Marco Account Representative, worked with Mary to review their volume and copy/print needs. Mary explained, “We were not receiving the service we needed to keep our Duplicating Center running smoothly, so I called Greg. Marco had us up and running with the new 7085 within a week!”
Bringing a color unit on campus has made color copying/printing more convenient for their students and staff. They were previously using the College of Saint Benedict’s color imager. In response to many requests from students and staff to bring color on-campus, Saint John’s staff worked with Marco to assess their color volume, needs, and cost effectiveness. “Because the cost of color has decreased, we felt it was affordable for us to have a color unit on campus,” said Mary. “I think color has been cost effective for us. Steve Gau (Marco’s Color Specialist) came out to train our staff and work through some connectivity issues with us.”
In working with copier vendors throughout the years, one of Mary’s requirements is not only quality equipment, but definitely service. “I’ve been doing this for a long time,” explained Mary. “One of the biggest things I look for in a vendor is good communication. When I have a question or issue, I need an answer now, not two days from now. Greg is accessible and always returns my phone calls the same day or next day to take care of any questions or problems I have.”
The University generally keeps their units four to seven years or longer, based on the department’s volume and needs. When a department is looking at upgrading, Mary and her assistant, Kathy Scegura, meet with each area to discuss their copy/print needs, whether or not they would like the unit networked, and options like scan to email.
Mary explained, “Greg will set up a demo machine in the department and let them use it for awhile to make sure it meets their needs before they make a purchase. For example, they can try new features such as scan to email to see how it increases their productivity.”
Why Marco? Mary replied, “We’ve done business with Marco for years, and we know they stand behind what they sell. I can’t speak highly enough about Greg–he’s excellent! We wouldn’t continue doing business with Marco if they weren’t taking good care of us.”
Of course, a strong, long-term partnership doesn’t happen without resolving some issues along the way. “We know they’ll make it right!” added Mary.
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