Tech Broadcast

I sat down to review this broadcast this morning as I was on vacation last Friday and didn't watch live. The thing was so very mind-numbing that I couldn't take it anymore and started forwarding through to see if it answered one simple question.

Did they ever get around to answering what the actual policy is for an out-of-warranty copier. Is it still true that FMG will do whatever they please regardless of posted policies, or will only order a single printer/copier for their FMG and hope that only one fails during the year, otherwise, they will pay upwards of $500 to fix an out-of-warranty copier? And hope that gets us through another few years?

Advance to 1:46:45. It should be under warranty or under a service contract. But it didn't sound like a definitive "must" and the FMG has discretion in what is done as they are in charge of the budget.

There was a question about drum replacement, and they said that cost should be paid by the local unit, not the FM.

They also said something like, "In a perfect world, printers and copiers would be replaced at the end of the warranty period. The FM also has the option to purchase a new warranty or service contract, but that decision is up to him."

They looked rather sheepish when someone asked about printers in the FHC. "No, the Family History Department has chosen to take a different direction." That is why all the FHCs use Lexmark printers, rather than Xerox or HP.

For the Xerox M20 in our stake clerk's office, the FM paid for replacement of the rollers and the fuser, while the stake paid for the drum unit and toner. I think the logical line is that the stake/ward pays for user-replaceable parts.

drepouille wrote:I think the logical line is that the stake/ward pays for user-replaceable parts.

That was my understanding. And I agree with that line of logic. But, on some models the drum is not user-replaceable. Needless to say, those are the expensive ones to change.

russellhltn wrote:That was my understanding. And I agree with that line of logic. But, on some models the drum is not user-replaceable. Needless to say, those are the expensive ones to change.

I was told to log a ticket for the drum, but that toner was the responsibility of the local units.

I have also told my FMG that I'm going to start ordering non-vendor 3rd party toner - because, if he gets to save money by not paying for a service warranty or extending the life of the copier, then the local units should get to save money in that kind of way as well. (of course, this only applies to the copiers in my stake that are out-of-warranty - all 7 of them)

I noticed that the reason the church doesn't recommend 3rd party toner is contractual. Although from a practical standpoint, I'm sure 3rd party ranges from excellent to garbage - and they don't want to get into a situation of evaluating every vendor's offering.

russellhltn wrote:I noticed that the reason the church doesn't recommend 3rd party toner is contractual. Although from a practical standpoint, I'm sure 3rd party ranges from excellent to garbage - and they don't want to get into a situation of evaluating every vendor's offering.

I'd never suggest to anyone to do anything that isn't contractual while a copier is being maintained by a warranty. We would follow the rules of a warranty. I am, however, less interested in a copier that is old and deteriorating, spitting out black gunk on members on Sundays, one that is inefficient in its use of toner requiring members to replace it more often that a newer, efficient machine. I've witnessed a member replace the toner in a machine one day, and the next day, a different member replaced the toner again because the error message showed up again. A ticket was logged and because the system isn't under warranty, nothing could be done, because, technically, members should know. I get that, but don't think that a volunteer organization such as ours is quite setup for that.

Even an Agent Ward that is watching closely can have multiple people in there, clerks, bishopric members, librarians, and members from other wards.

I just wish there was a plain and simple policy, or rule, so EVERYONE can know it, follow it, and ease their life just a little bit.

Instead we manage by Whim

johnshaw wrote:I'd never suggest to anyone to do anything that isn't contractual while a copier is being maintained by a warranty.

Or under service contract.