Once upon a time there were relatively few places that a business, organization or individual could go to buy printing. General commercial printers, as we were known back then, had large, noisy printing presses best suited to areas zoned for manufacturing and away from retail centers.
Technology changed that in the 1970's when small, clean presses and photo plate makers gave birth to the quick print segment of the printing industry. Quick printers could operate in a 2000 square foot retail storefront, readily visible from the street.
Another shift in technology added copiers, then digital output devices that eliminated the need for chemicals to process press plates and run the presses. Now printing could be done in an environment less like factory and more like an office.
Digital technology also enabled printers to expand their offerings beyond offset printing to include high speed digital printing (color and black and white), large format graphics, posters, banners, signs and even mailing services- a complete range of services needed by businesses and organizations to communicate, market and sell.
Competitors arise
As each technological change was adopted by the printing industry, it also gave rise to a new set of competitors. Quick printers challenged general commercial printers by being more visible and by offering faster turnaround, lower minimum quantities, and better pricing in low quantities.
Copier technology enabled fast and economical reproduction of multi-page originals in limited quantities. An early commercial application was academic course packs- a collection of reading materials for college classes consisting of excerpts from published books and other materials assigned by the professor, to be used by a small number of students enrolled in the class.
Through a process called supplier convergence, copier technology also gave rise to printing becoming available in highly-visible retail locations of large, nationwide chain stores. Mega office supply stores and retail shipping franchises are the best known examples.
Before the Internet made it so easy to find sellers of goods and services, customers purchased printing primarily from local vendors. Now the power of Internet search engines, coupled with new, digital-based productivity enhancements for preparing jobs for print, has given rise to online printing companies that specialize in a limited menu of printed products such as business cards, post cards, brochures and flyers.
Today's choices for buying printing
When your business or organization needs printing today, you have a wide range of choices. You can buy from a locally owned and operated business like PaperGraphics or a "big box" mega store, or an online printer. Which should you choose?
The answer depends in part on what you need and how soon you need it. Both mega stores and online printers are organized around a standard menu of items as well as the specifications for those items. If you want business cards printed on something other than white paper or a brochure in a non-standard size, this might not be available at a mega store or online printer.
Getting the printing from the online printer's production facility to you requires time and costs for shipping as well as a small element of risk that the job will be lost or damaged in transit.
Self-serve vs. customer service
One of the primary differences between us and a mega store or online printer is our Customer Service.
We consider this position to be central to the successful completion of any printing project. The customer service representatives at PaperGraphics will listen closely, write up the job accurately, and offer alternatives and options as appropriate. This requires excellent communication skills and a natural tendency to be detail-oriented.
Because these qualities are so important, we use pre-employment tests to determine how closely a candidate's skills and natural way of doing things fits with the CSR job requirements. We have a written job description that clearly explains the duties and responsibilities of the position. We conduct an annual performance review that includes eight areas of evaluation. We provide tools and continuous training for technical skills.
But the most important thing about our CSRs is their personal accountability and their access to their supervisor. Their personal accountability means they have the ability and have been given the authority to take action, if needed. They may offer suggestions or alternatives that you may not be aware of. They will speak up if what you have asked for will increase costs or production time. They will resolve problems on the spot. If the need arises, they have immediate access to their supervisor who offers another level of knowledge and authority.
The importance of relationship
One of the reasons we invest so much in our Customer Service Representatives is that we believe in relationships as a fundamental business value. We've worked hard to develop our professionalism and technical expertise and nothing pleases us more that to share both with our customers.
Here's the promise we make: when you do business with PaperGraphics you will benefit from the expertise we've acquired from helping organizations like yours for 40 Years! You get an assigned Customer Service Rrepresentative who becomes part of your team; the added convenience of 24/7 online ordering at www.papergraphicsltd.com; and the benefit of having an organized, well-run vendor/partner who thinks about your company from the perspective of a stakeholder in your company.
So who are you gonna call?
We recognize that you may occasionally use a mega store or an online printer. We may be closed when your need arises, or you may think that the job is too small to "bother" us with. What we hope is that despite those times, you think of us as your primary printer, and call us first.
We are staffed and equipped to provide a wide range of printing and printing-related services; some of which you may not be aware of because you've never needed them. That's one of the reasons we ask you to call us first-because we may be the best choice, you don't know about.
At PaperGraphics Printing we can teach you how to make more money through our ManagedMarketing program where we can handle all of your printing needs but also teach your staff how to prepare, invite and close the sale with your prospects. In fact, we are the only printer in this market that is certified to do so.
If your organization or business needs to increase sales we can help. Call us at 254-773-7391 to set up a no obligation, consultation where we assess your current situation and offer a plan of attack that works for your budget.
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