Capitol Office Solutions

Background

Capitol Office Solutions (Capitol), a Global Imaging Solutions company, is an independent copier and printer dealer with four branches in the Washington D.C./Baltimore area. Of the more than 26 years that Capitol has been in business, they have offered each customer a tailored, efficient copying and printing solution that ensures a more productive, economical, and updated working environment. In addition to offering customers specific printing solutions and quality customer service, Capitol’s goals include maintaining their status as the area’s leader of print solutions, while continuously increasing their sales volume.

Equipped with a personal approach to customer service and a highly trained technical support staff, Capitol recognizes the importance of having a competitive edge in the growing market of print services. Consequently, Capitol employs a proactive approach to equipment upkeep as one of their key responsibilities. Capitol promises their customers 3-hour response time, and a minimum of a 95% operational uptime, annually, for all managed equipment. Such guarantees in today’s highly competitive office product market reflect an additional benefit to choosing Capitol as a print solution provider. Capitol’s nononsense and customer-focused approach is validated through their 8,000+ satisfied customers.

Challenge

Capitol’s sales representatives engage customers as print consultants. They leverage print audits to gauge customers’ print environments, whereby quickly & easily identifying inefficiencies. Unfortunately, the auditing software they were using was too time consuming and often produced erroneous results. Additionally, their customers’ IT staff would often objective to its intrusiveness. The cumbersome tool and process was a sales-hindrance, especially for Capitol’s network support specialist, Tiffany Wise.

Tiffany supports sales reps throughout the entire sales process with emphasis on print audit management for the mid- to high-end accounts. Due to the software deficiencies her time quickly became unproductive. As the demand for print assessments increased, her time was being spread too thin. As a result, Capitol’s previous auditing software was more of an impediment, than a solution.

Solution and Results

FMAudit Viewer USB solution was a perfect fit to assist Capitol to meet the company’s objectives in delivering personal & quality service, while increasing the company’s sales volume. Tiffany incorporated the tool into their support offerings in early 2005. With her guidance, sales reps easily and quickly obtained a “snapshot” of their customers’ print usage, which enabled them to “right-size” the customer and prescribe an efficient and cost effective print solution.

Capitalizing on the early measurable success, Tiffany presented a plan to deliver the solution throughout all of Capitol’s branch offices. “Upper management was very excited and on board with the Viewer USB solution, especially with its ease of use,” stated Tiffany. Today, Capitol has issued multiple keys to all sales managers and most sales representatives.

Tiffany explained, “The technological-factor [with the USB Key] actually added to the sales process. It is so simple, even employees with limited technical experience could use it.”

Tiffany quickly added, “We’re actually working hard to accelerate its usage, because we know that as more companies get wind of this tool, the less of an advantage we’ll have.”

Capitol gained supplementary success in their market with a huge competitive edge. “The [USB Key] devices allow us to have something that sets us above all the rest,” Tiffany explains. “It helps you be a true account manager, rather than a typical sales rep. It facilitates stronger customer relationships through consistent and high quality communication on a periodic basis.”

In fact, in addition to Viewer USB helping manage current accounts appropriately; it also helps land new accounts. The USB Key “lends a lot more credibility to our own sales force,” says Tiffany, by “empowering sales reps within their own accounts, without always having to depend on someone like me.” The USB Key “streamlines” the process, according to Ms. Wise.

She further stated, “Most people want to hear that you do really care about their account and that you want to create a well-informed proposal; that you’re doing what’s best for them, and not you. It really makes us look like the hero.”