Any business looking to give both its products and its reputation as a whole the very best chance of long-term success should consider professional printing an absolute must. These days, the very best digital labels that come courtesy of the pros simply cannot be compared like for like with those that can be knocked up at home using standard home or office printing supplies. What’s more, the difference between the two is one that the product’s respective target audience is bound to pick up on, which means that for the same of giving the right first impression each and every time, there’s really no room for second best.
Of course, knowing you need to partner up with the best and actually finding the best printing service for the job are two very different things. These days, it’s pretty easy for anyone with a computer, a printer and a simple website to set up shop as a printing house, despite the fact that the equipment they use may not in fact even be up to par with that you already have at the office.
So, with this in mind, how can you go about ensuring that only those most suitable for the job are selected?
Real Business of Back Bedroom Operation?
Well, before anything else it’s wise to take a look into whether it is indeed a business you’re dealing with or some back-bedroom outfit run by an amateur. It sounds tricky, but there’s actually a very easy way of establishing this which is to look at the contact details listed by the provider. If there’s a real business name, a full business address and various other contact details on offer, chances are it’s a real business. If by contrast there’s nothing but a person’s name, a standard residential address, a single mobile telephone number or nothing more than a Gmail address, these aren’t realistic signs of a real business. Of course, if in doubt it’s as simple as giving them a call and asking them a few questions – the truth will be apparent pretty immediately.
Direct Dealing or Middleman?
In a very similar vein to the above, you need to make sure you deal directly with the printing company itself as opposed to a middleman that simply takes orders and passes them on. The reason here being that here is quite simply nothing at all to gain from dealing with middlemen, aside from inflated prices and poorer service. When you deal with a middleman, you’ll find yourself paying not only for the printing services, but also the services of the middleman to boot. What’s more, if you have any questions to ask, then they will have to be relayed through the middleman to the company itself and then same again in reverse – inconvenient to say the least. You should be able to ascertain the truth via their website, but if not, feel free to ask.
Experienced or Newcomer?
A simple one to take into account now – is the service you’re looking at one that’s been around for some time, or is it only just getting going? Now, it’s unfair and unproductive to assume that all newcomers to the industry are not worth dealing with – even the very best have to start somewhere. But at the same time, if there’s really no room for taking chances and you need to guarantee the results will be great ahead of time, you need to side with a printing service that has been doing what it does for years – the longer, the better.
Guaranteed Services or Sold as Seen?
Speaking of guarantees, there’s a very big difference between a provider that claims to offer the best service package and prices in the business, and a service provider that backs the job-lot with full guarantees. From the quality of the printing output to the prices you’ll pay and right through to the overall satisfaction you have with everything in total, you should be looking for those that are willing to put their money where their mouths are.
Solid Reputation or Zero Feedback?
Last but not least, the only fully impartial advice you can expect to get when looking into any third-party service provider is that which has been offered by real-life clients and customers with no ties to the business itself whatsoever. As such, prior to going ahead with a contract of any kind it’s a good idea to look into as much feedback as you can get your hands on in order to see how they measure up in the real world. There should be plenty to see on their own primary site, but if there’s none on offer, a search engine will direct you toward all you need to know.
