Prices

[Cheryl Holmes]

Hey Guys I was just wondering about prices, I am having to replace my tube and #3 mirror and the prices I was quoted on items seems about right but the service call price is unreal, from what I am told I just have to open the back and remove 2 screws and the tube is replace.....Here is what I was quoted

Tube 1050.00 25 watt air cooled co2 laser quick change artridge.
Shipping 85.00
Lens 130.
Service Call 400.00

Any opionons on this and is the tube easy to relace along with the mirrow
I Have a Hermes-Vanguard laser 2001

Any help would be greatly appreciated
Cheryl

[Dan Hintz]

I don't know your particular system, but if you're comfortable aligning mirrors (and know the process for your particular system), I'd do it myself.

[Joe Pelonio]

I don't know your machine either, but have replaced two tubes on mine with instructions from Epilog. Hopefully your vendor will supply you with some and also help by phone if needed.

[Cheryl Holmes]

Thanks for your help, the mirrors are already aligned, and they told me they could walk me through it if I need help they say only 2 screws hold the tuble in place, after you open the back. So I think I will skip the 400.00 service call............thanks for your help

[Nancy Laird]

Cheryl, sounds like you have a Universal machine. It doesn't have to be "aligned" like the Epilog after you put a new tube in it, if I remember correctly. It's a matter of opening the back, putting the tube in place, and buttoning it up, turn it on, and let 'er rip.

[Mike Null]

Cheryl

I agree with Nancy. If it was made by Universal the tube is an easy replacement job. (15 minutes my first time)

You might give Universal a call and ask them about the price but it doesn't sound too bad.

[Lee DeRaud]

Service Call 400.00Includes round-trip airfare from Phoenix?!?:eek:

[Cheryl Holmes]

Thanks Guys for all your help, I think the price for the tube is reasonable, but like you said Nancy I just need to open the back unscrew a couple screws and replace put the machine back together and it ready to roll..The last time I had the machince service belts etc. it was a 65.00 service call, and now it has jumped up to 400.00 and he said he is giving me a discount of 100.00 because it is normally 500.00. Does anyone think that is really a steep price for a service call????

[Mike Null]

Cheryl

It's a 15 minute job. Virtually everything on a laser is serviceable by you with the help of tech support.

[Martin Boekers]

If they are local which I assume, since they did an earlier call for $65 (actually to get anyone to come to a shop for $65 is probably a bargin in itself.;))

If they are not local, a service tech may have already been close on the first job and cut you a deal since he was already in town. That is possible.

Most of the manufactures don't have someone local, so the bulk is probably travel expense.

Some times, again, if the distributer you purchased your machine is close they may work with you on pricing.

As others have said the lasers (American made, not familiar with service on foreign ones) have been engineered for the end user to do most all the maintainence.

Good luck with your instalation!

Marty

[Chuck Stone]

Does anyone think that is really a steep price for a service call????

I know it hurts but no, that's not really steep. If you figure the cost of
hiring and training a tech, put him in a company car with insurance, benefits
and then warranty the service call, $65 won't even cover the cost of the
company doing the paperwork on it.

[Bill Cunningham]

You can have a Lawyer come to your house for less than that.. :( I don't agree... $400 for a 15 min. 'service' call is nuts.. You 'are' being serviced.. Ask any farmer what that means... $400 means Awwww heck I don't want to do this job, that price ought to scare her away!

[Chuck Stone]

The cost of service calls has to factor in the 90%+ that get their service
over the phone for "free", too. And unless the tech is local and has several
service calls in the same area on the same day, $65 is a loss. I'm sure it
is all averaged out over the cost of running the department. Service dept.'s
for companies of this type don't normally operate as a profit center, they're
usually a cost center for the sales department.

A 15 minute service call is misleading. I'm sure the travel time is more
than that. And usually the customer and the company are both unhappy
with the charges. (unless it is a service contractor, and you'll never see
them billing for 15 minutes, they have to survive on service calls and be
profitable.)

[Dan Hintz]

If the rep is local (within 30 miles), $400 for a 15 minute call is highway robbery. If they're not local (particularly if a flight is involved), $400 can be a real bargain, but it's within reason when you factor in travel time, hotel, cost of vehicle, meals, etc.

[Bill Cunningham]

A few years ago, (3 or 4) I had a problem with a printing press. A.B.Dick charged a 100 bucks an hour for a service call. The rep for the company that actually sold the machine, didn't know how to fix it, so they would use A.B.Dick, and double their hourly rate. So in fact, they were making more profit than the company actually doing the repairs.. I told them to stuff it, and repaired the machine myself. I had the equipment and knowhow, just not the time.. For that kind of money, I 'made' the time.. That's probably what this rep is doing. Hiring a repair guy, and doubling the price..

[Ed Hutton]

I know it hurts but no, that's not really steep. If you figure the cost of
hiring and training a tech, put him in a company car with insurance, benefits
and then warranty the service call, $65 won't even cover the cost of the
company doing the paperwork on it.

Several years ago in a major computer company we did a really detailed audit on the cost of a phone service incident. We calculated a cost of filing and tracking a routine average service ticket of $60. Yep basically sixty bucks for phone calls and paperwork.

That didn't include anyone coming to your place of business. Just phone receptionist time, first tier support guy time, database record entry time, incident close out, and phone follow up.

A difficult call and repeated phone follow ups, sending a man on site, pulling some inventory, shipping, simple repair, field test, billing, etc. It cost well over a hundred dollars, and that if there was no significant travel.

People used to freak on minor cosmetic repairs. Put a new bezel door cover on a machine, get a bill for a $4 part and a $100 service call. The company was making virtual nothing on that deal.

Most companies today work hard to make the equipment as user serviceable as possible. It is just plain more cost effective.

A crude hack at a service call cost (no travel) is take the guys labor rate and double it to get the company's breakeven point. If you have someone working on the job getting paid $25 an hour by a big company, and they bill him out at $50 an hour they about break even. His salary is often the smallest part of all their costs.

Still $400 bucks for a local guy to swap out a user replaceable part seems awful steep. But if he's flying in or driving a long way for the job, they're probably losing money.

Ed