User Tips
User tips was developed to inform users of the various things they might experience
while using a copier, fax and laser printer on a daily basis. If you have a personal
experience or idea that you feel other users would benefit from please contact
us.
Protecting your equipment like computers, Copiers, Fax Machines and Laser Printers
is a very important thing to do. You can't protect your equipment by just turning
it off. Unplugging it will protect it, but that is very inconvenient. Until the
1989 earthquake Millennium Imaging Solutions did not require customers to have
their equipment connected to a surge suppressor. This was a very costly mistake
by MIS and its customers. A lot of main boards were blown because there was no
way of stopping the surge of electricity when the power returned.
You can protect your equipment from the not so common lightning strike or from
the much more common surge, spike, sag or brownout through the power lines or
telephone lines by installing a surge protector that really protects.
A surge is a burst of more energy than you need that causes a sudden change in
voltage. Examples of this are refrigerators, dishwashers or air conditioners going
on and off, or a power station coming on or going off line. Other situations which
cause these fluctuations can be storms, accidents involving power poles, falling
trees, and loose connections.
You often won't know that a voltage disturbance has occurred. There isn't necessarily
any sign. They happen quickly and quietly. You probably won't see a flash of light
or flickering bulbs. Although you don't notice it...your equipment does. It will
either burn out completely all at once or absorb the shock until one too many
hits finally wears it down.
Surge suppressors shut down power to your equipment when voltage levels get too
high. A good surge protector will have a warranty of up to $50,000.
If you spill toner on your clothes or carpet do not worry. It can be cleaned
fairly easily. Do the following steps:
- First remove any excess toner with a vacuum.(as long as the spill is no bigger
than a half dollar). Do not wipe off, as it will set the toner. After you have
vacuumed the toner take your clothes to the Dry Cleaners.
- If the spilled toner on your carpet does not vacuum completely call you local
carpet cleaning company to find out what they recommend to get the remaining toner
out of your carpet.
- If the spill is bigger than a half dollar you will need a special vacuum that
a copier/fax technician carries. This would require a service call which is not
covered by your contract and will be charged accordingly.
Recycling cartridges is very good for the environment and can also save companies
$ 100's of dollars per year. Most of the cartridges we send out have AUTHORIZED RETURN LABELS packed inside each toner cartridge that we can recycle. This label is good for
multiple cartridges. We recommend that you save the cartridge boxes. When you
collect 3-4 cartridges simply tape them together or place them in a box to give to your
UPS driver for pick-up. If UPS does not come to your place of business on a daily basis, call the Supply Dept.
and have them issue a CALL TAG for your empty cartridges.
If you are interested in using Remanufactured Cartridges, see the supply page
for pricing and availability. If you do not see your cartridge on our Supply Page
contact us for the cartridge you need. We recycle cartridges for Muratec, Dex, Gestetner, HP, Ricoh, Xerox, IBM and Canon. Most of these companies listed recycle all or part of the cartridges that are
returned as a part of their own recycling programs. Almost all HP cartridges contain
recycled or reused parts. This will not void your warranty/contract on you current
office equipment. If your office equipment dealership tells you that it will void
the contract, mention to them that they are in violation of the Anti-Trust Laws pertaining to the use of third party parts or services.
The SAVE 2% program was designed to save customers time and money when ordering supplies
for their office equipment. Simply fax your order on a Supply Reorder Form, P.O., Fax Cover Sheet or Email using our website supply order form. If the order is received by 3:00 p.m. we
will ship it that day, unless we are out of stock. Make sure that you have Company Name, Contact, Ship to Address, Machine Model #, Supply Type and, Quantity on your order. We normally ship a Supply Reorder Form with every catalog or
order that leaves our warehouse, if you have not received one please call our
Supply Dept. The order forms can also be used for Supply Contracts and Cost Per Copy agreements.
We offer annual service agreements for copiers, faxes, and laser printers eliminating
monthly meter readings and monthly invoice processing.
Buyer's beware, this is another scam that has been developed by crooks to make
a quick buck. They will call your receptionist or the person that is in charge
of ordering supplies and will say something to this effect, "Hi this is Jeff from MIS company and we are calling to let you know that the
toner for your copier is about to go up in price, if you place the order now we
can give you the same low price…". What they don't tell you is that toner they just sold is most likely going
to cost your company 3-4 times as much as you would normally pay. A customer recently
ordered a toner and was charged $ 350. Our price would have been $45.
Things to ask or avoid when a Toner Pirate calls:
- Never give out Equipment information, unless you know the person or Company.
- Ask for Company Name, Name and Telephone number. Most of the time they will hang
up.
- Ask if you can call them back.
What to do if you place an order with a Toner Pirate:
- Call your current office supply company to confirm that this was not them calling.
Also know the names of the people at that company.
- When the package arrives refuse it.
- Ask the delivery person for the company name and shipping number
- Contact the local Better business bureau of where that company is located and
lodge a complaint.
It is very important to always have at least 1 Toner and 1 Developer on hand with your copier. We recommend 2 of each. You never want to order just
one item. Eventually you will have to buy another, so why not save the extra money
on shipping and order an extra one for the shelf. Supplies should be ordered in
case quantities. If you use the Supply Reorder forms and fax or Email your order, the extra 2% savings will pay for your shipping.
Why Should I Buy a Case of Toner and 2 Developers
Supplies on hand enable technicians to repair the systems without having to reschedule
due to lack of supplies.
Can a Technician Bring us Supplies?
No. Technicians do not carry supplies in their vehicles.
Why Don't Technicians Carry Extra Supplies?
Toner is made of plastic. If the interior of a car gets very hot it is possible
that the toner or developer will melt or spoil. We service approximately 50 different
copiers all requiring it's own unique toner.
How Often Should we Order Supplies?
As little as possible. When ordering supplies purchase enough toner to last 4-6
months. Remember every time you order you incur shipping costs.
