For Electro Imaging Systems (EIS), adapting their service model was an easy choice. Based in Livermore, California, the dealership began in 1994 as a “copier company.” But as owner Qasim Tarin states, they have evolved as the industry has evolved, expanding into more of a management and technology service company to meet their customers’ growing needs.
EIS’s primary hardware partners are Ricoh and Xerox, and on the document management side they offer Psigen and M-files. They provide MPS, Managed IT and even cloud-based services. Their seven technicians service over 2,200 devices throughout the San Francisco Bay area. Over the last two years the company has doubled its revenue to about $6.5 million. They also established the EIS Foundation, which provides $5,000-$10,000 in grants to organizations that support youth and their families, with special emphasis toward underserved and at-risk populations.
Eric Mooney, President
Notably, this is the second straight year that EIS has been recognized as a Platinum Level Service Provider by ENX Magazine and BEI.
Eric Mooney, President, thinks that keeping up with technology is one of the toughest challenges any dealership faces today. He notes that twenty years ago a device might undergo an update after four or five years, but today they’re seeing changes in equipment and software in as little as six months. For technicians, he says, this can be a struggle.
“We have a lot of tenured technicians,” says Mooney. “They’re keeping up, but the initial push was really tough for them.”
For Service Manager Rick Cottrell, the rotation of key operators among their customers is another challenge. Key operators are the individuals selected by the customer as a single point of contact for the equipment. Cottrell says that they do in-depth training with the key operators because one-on-one communication between the technician and the key operator is absolutely critical to ensure the proper operation of the equipment.
Whether it’s keeping up with ever-changing technology or training customers, for EIS, service is their front line. Mooney insists that it is the service department that really maintains the business relationships.
“In order for us to sell more into our current business we need to have a great service relationship,” he explains. “Our service technicians have a better relationship than our sales reps some times and a wider relationship with a bunch of people. They let our sales people know what’s going on. For example, if a customer is opening up new locations. Often, they have their finger on the pulse better than the sales people do.”
Qasim Tarin, CEO
Cottrell recalls that the first thing they realized after BEI Services conducted their analysis was the potential savings in their service calls. He says they recognized almost $30,000 a month in potential savings.
“That really got our attention,” he says. “When we took it on our goal was to get our savings within a manageable area as well as bring the cost of operations down. We’re right about $14,000, so we cut it in half. When you think $14,000 per month for 12 months since March 2011, that’s a big chunk of change.”
When it comes to the reporting features, whether it’s the FCE or the tech stats, EIS is impressed that BEI can drill it down to a specific piece of equipment.
“We always tell the technicians it’s one of three things,” explains Cottrell. “It’s either the customer, the machine or the technician. With BEI we can rule out two of the three. That makes it easier for us to pinpoint the issue.”
EIS utilizes the parts reporting feature to help generate the top parts to ensure that the technicians are keeping track of their stock. By doing this, says Cottrell, they were able to get the FCE up, and hold for parts and call backs down.
Rick Cottrell (center – 4th from left) and his team
Mooney adds that the snapshot feature may not detect a change in the way they do business in the field for two or three months, but in a six-month period they can see a full trend and appraise its effectiveness.
“If that change makes an effect, we can fine tune that change to make an even bigger effect,” he says.
According to Mooney, the information that BEI provides allows them to put the right people in the right place at the right time. He says that if there is a technician who has a 100 percent FCE on a specific model, and another one who isn’t quite as proficient, they team them up to get as much training done as possible.
“That helps them in the long run,” he says. “One of the things that we’re really focusing on right now is cross training across the board.
Sometimes new practices and programs are greeted with suspicion. Cottrell says that when they introduced the BEI Services program to their service team, they showed them what the potential savings would be and brought them in as partners. By doing this, he says, the service team became part of the solution, not the problem. 
“When we did that and explained to them what the purpose was, and what they were going to get out of it as a benefit once we hit certain benchmarks, they were all on it,” he says. “They ask me every day, ‘Where are we at? What have we done?’ It’s more of a team concept and a team effort to get where we want to go.”
EIS sends surveys upon completion of the first call, and Mooney says they’re getting very good results and positive feedback from their customers. He says it has reached a point where customers request certain technicians by name.
“It lets you know that you’re doing the right thing for the customer,” he says.
EIS has made a significant improvement in FCE since using BEI. For Cottrell, the goal is simple. “I want to be number one,” he stated. “Granted it may be bragging rights, but it lets us know that we’re doing everything we need to do to get where we’re going.”
Electro Imaging SystemsAbout Dealership:
Owner/President: Qasim Tarin, CEO;
Eric Mooney, President
Service Manager: Rick Cottrell
Number of Techs: 7
Number of Devices Serviced: 2,200
Why they’re a Platinum Award Winner
First Call Effectiveness: 59%
Hold for Part Rate: 17%
Ranking: 14th overall of the 200 dealers
