Another year in books..almost

It seems like only yesterday I was writing my "year end" blog, and now we're down to the final 2 1/2 weeks of 2010. WOW. I can't believe how fast this year flew by. It's been a great year filled with new technology, awesome tradeshows and a lot of new customers for the NJ office of TyrrellTech and we're going to ride that wave right into 2011.

NEW FACES..SAME GREAT SERVICE!

So within the past month, we've added a familiar face to the NJ office in Steve Rife. I have had the pleasure of knowing Steve for quite some time now and I truly feel he'll make a solid addition to the TyrrellTech team. He understands the meaning of quality support and truly explaining to the customer what this business is really all about. It's not just about taking someone's credit card and giving them a printer and saying "ok good luck". It's that same philosophy that everyone in the TyrrellTech offices tries to follow and Steve has shown me he is no different.

USSC SIGN SHOW! WHAT A GREAT SHOW..

Each year, I do my best to attend the USSC show in two ways; as an Exhibitor and as an Attendee (somewhat). For as much fun as it is to walk the show, I always try to find some time to walk the show and see what's new. Last year, I was able to spend more time than expected walking the aisles as the "economy" reared it's ugly head and took its toll on the attendance list.

However, this year was completely different! Business is back! We had great success at the USSC and bought nearly every machine out of Roland's booth! Roland and TyrrellTech offered some really great deals on equipment and people were ready to buy. Not to mention, one of the best parts about the show is to be able to meet your customers in person and really get to know them and explain to them why we stand out above the competition.

We can sit here and write about it, blog about, talk to we're blue in the face about it but the numbers certainly don't lie. People who attended this show we're really into what we had to offer. We met many people who had been "burned" and "left out in the cold" by the competition that would sell them equipment for "such a great deal" and then fail to provide them with the top quality support they deserve. If it sounds like a song and dance, here's an example for you. We had a group of guys spend $1500 MORE on the price of a machine than the competition..WHY? Because he LIKED us and the way we do business. He admired the fact that we got on a realistic level with him and explained how business is a two way street. You put a fair commission in a sales rep and you'll be in solid hands and we'll do whatever it takes to keep you up and running. He wasn't too fond of the pathetic "we really want your business" and "here's my cost and here's what I'll sell it to you for" attitude. The customer UNDERSTOOD that this business is built on relationships.

I personally had a great time at the USSC show and I look forward to working closely with all the new customers we met at the show and showing them why we are the best at what we do.

FORUM MADNESS!

There's a LOT of forums out there that offer some pretty solid advice, but in my own personal opinion and let me state that again..In MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION, I think sometimes those same forums can really be taken too far when it comes to knowing when to draw the line on advice.

For example, I'll see guys on these sites that will share knowledge that honestly, isn't something they should have possession of, such as service manuals and a whole lot more. These are things that only Roland Dealers should have knowledge of and if you are under warranty, you shouldn't even WANT to be doing this type of work yourself. Why would you NOT want your dealer and service tech to take care of the problem? It's a question that is NEVER answered on these sites. Does the Dealer not know what they are doing? Is it because you got such a "great deal" that now that sales rep is too busy trying to sell another machine?

Here's a good example. Recently, we had a customer contact us in an emergency because he was having "issues" with his print head. After overnighting the parts and making special arrangements to get out to the customer the following day, we ended up uncovering that because the customer had used 3rd party inks in the machine, he was hesitant to contact his dealer because he didnt want them to know he had switched over to 3rd party. So he went on Sign Forums (I'm not saying which one) and got advice on "how to fix the problem, and decided to make the attempt. He ended up blowing a board and ruining a head, and in the end it cost him over $3400 all because of a bad ink cartridge. Yup. A bad ink cartridge, but thanks to these know it all forums, he did more harm than good.

Bottom line, opinions are like noses, everyone has them, but not everyone has the proper training. Get the right advice from the right people and save yourself a lot of time and a lot of headaches!

IN CLOSING 2010

All and all this has been a fantastic year! Our supplies sales in NJ has more than doubled, and we have taken on so many new accounts and worked with so many fantastic people. I would like to personally thank all the people that have supported us throughout the year and I wish you all the best this Holiday Season and Have a Happy New Year!

See you in 2011!!!