Implementation / Business Impacts:

Postal Plus faced a single challenge in giving their business a boost: implement a solution that would give them the most bang for their buck. They wanted to put into place a machine that offered the most working capabilities at a reasonable cost (many wide-format printers are prices at $100,000).

“The challenge of it all was how to offer services in our store that would keep more of our customers in-house,” said Postal Plus owner, Amanda Ahlers. “We have a lot of customers who regularly ship with us actually go to a different store to have their wide format printing needs initiated. After completing their prints, they would then literally walk out of that store and drive down here to ship the print out with us. So what we were trying to achieve, was the idea of keeping all of their business needs under one roof which is a win-win for both parties.”

Ahlers was considering three different vendors before deciding on GRP to outfit them with a wide format printing unit.

“Postal Plus was looking for the most cost effective solution that provided the applications they desired — which included copying, scanning and printing in B&W and Color — but this depended on the price-point of a system that would satisfy all these requirements,” said Hoogland. “They also had to evaluate their R.O.I. after factoring-in the cost of their system and consumables such as paper and ink.”
Ahlers appreciated Hoogland’s cut and dry approach. She liked the fact that Duke was local and could appreciate the business benefits of working with somebody who could quickly drive to the site of an issue in order to provide reassurance and resolve any problems quickly and in a personal manner.

“GRP was a much better deal when it came to getting the most for your money,” Ahlers said. “Sometimes companies give you 15 page contracts that are cumbersome to look through while you’re trying to weed through the fine print attempting to figure out what’s included with your purchase and what your added fees are.”

“Duke gave me a one page document that just summed the whole thing up. It was cut and dry — simple… no fine print. It was what it was. At the end of our 5 year lease we can purchase the machine for $1. So essentially it’s more like I’m actually making payments on the machine where as in a typical lease you pay all this money and the machine leaves in the end. I felt this was the best and most beneficial deal all around for the company.”

Along with offering the best solution at the best price, GRP also pride themselves on their customer service, and what they contribute to the success of an implemented campaign in that regard.

“As part of the solution, Postal Plus was receiving delivery, installation, training and a product warranty that were very competitive. We gave them the assurance that GRP would be there through the initial process as well as the long term, to help them with any issues, as well as to service their equipment and provide them the consumables they need,” said Hoogland.

“GRP was ahead of schedule throughout the entirety of this transaction,” Ahlers said. “They came in, set it all up, trained me… couldn’t have been easier. GRP would certainly be the first phone call I make if I need anything else related to copying and printing.”

“I was actually very nervous and very scared about this due to the fact that I didn’t really have any knowledge in this realm of printing. You don’t really know what you’re looking for — what you’re not looking for... After speaking with Duke, he put it all into a perspective I could understand, which I really appreciated. He made me feel comfortable purchasing a piece of equipment that would work for me and handle all of my needs.”

“I can honestly tell you that I had made my decision to go with GRP after my first discussion with Duke. They were honest, they were professional — it was very simple, and very stress-free. It wasn’t a long drawn out process. It was just, ‘here, sign this paper and everything else will fall into place.’”

Outlook:

To date, Postal Plus is very excited about the acquisition of their HP Designjet T2300 eMFP unit. They have been presented with the opportunity to break into the market which includes architects, engineers, construction companies, design-houses and public utilities companies. They have allowed their customers the prospect of not having to drive to two separate locations to handle their wide format needs, and the means to ship the prints off upon completion of the print job is a sentiment that has been welcomed warmly.

“GRP is fantastic,” Ahlers said. “They’re very professional, and great to deal with. I would highly recommend them to anybody. When you deal with your average copier salesman, they’re fantastic when you’re ready to purchase a new machine. They come and talk to you — they would wine and dine you if they could. However as soon as you buy the machine and they get their commission check, they seem to disappear. With Duke and the folks at GRP, if you I call them a month from now and say, ‘I have a question, can you help me?’ — they’re completely receptive to it. It’s a warm feeling in comparison to a large company where their business matters are generally automated. There’s no personal feel in that. With GRP you’re treated as if you’re a part of their family, and I hope to keep the relationship going for a long time to come.”