Prompt Laser Printer Repairs Pay Dividends in Rescued Productivity
The common saying that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is definitely true when it comes to repair issues with the types of large, professional printers that are in common use in small- and medium-sized businesses. One example of this principal in practice would be control panel issues with the 8500 models of Xerox Phaser printers. Owners and managers of businesses with these printers frequently put off repairing them because there are certain work-arounds that can keep the printers functioning for quite some time. In the long run, however, these tactics will usually cost the business more money.
The problem
With this line of printers, the computerized control panel display often experiences problems. In a majority of cases, the defect manifests itself as a blank screen. At times the text may be displayed upside-down or may be scrambled so that it makes no sense. Sometimes it simply appears that certain characters are missing – as if pixels have burned out.
The supposed solution
Experiences with Windows computers and other electronics have tended to teach the modern worker that a reboot can frequently work wonders. It is, therefore, almost natural for workers to simply try turning a printer off and on again when the control panel is behaving so strangely. In the case of these printers, the strategy even appears to work; usually the display will come up in a normal state and the machine will function normally for one to two days.
Inevitably, however, the problem will recur. This is where many workers make a serious mistake. Rather than calling for printer services from a qualified technician, they simply begin turning off the machine every few days in order to restore the display to a normal state.
The real solution
Businesses that are using such a workaround will usually continue it until the display goes out completely. At that point, the repair is likely to take some time because nothing can be done until a replacement control panel can be ordered and installed. During this time, the printer will be completely non-functional due to the lack of any control panel whatsoever. Had the business called for repair when the panel first began exhibiting erratic behavior, the machine could have potentially remained in use in the interim.
Putting off repair problems is not a real solution. In most cases, it is far better to seek professional assistance for a laser printer as soon as a problem is apparent.
