10 Tips for Improving Customer Experience and Growing Your Business
Creating great experiences for customers should be a top goal for every business. If you can offer an amazing experience, you can create repeat customers, increase sales and more effectively market your business in a number of different ways. Here are some tips from members of the online small business community for creating great customer experiences and growing your business in other ways.
- Optimize Your Website’s User Experience and Boost SEO
- Search engines don’t just look at keywords when determining how to rank websites. They also want to call attention to sites that provide great user experiences. So by optimizing the user experience of your website, you can also boost your SEO. In this LeapGo post, Jason Corgiat offers seven ways to optimize that experience.
Click here to discover the other 9 Tips from SmallBizTrends.com
ABOUT ADVANTAGE
Advantage Laser Products has been proudly supporting the needs of accounting and finance professionals for over 30 years. We offer pre-printed checks & envelopes and check printing supplies, such as MICR toner, check stock paper, MICR fonts and check printing software.
We understand that managing a company’s finances isn’t always easy. You can rely on Advantage to always stand by you and help you find smart solutions.
- consultative, personalized support
- fast turn-around
- affordable, quality products
We are proud to deliver consistent customer satisfaction. Customers rave about the excellent customer service and report that Advantage goes above and beyond what is expected.
Ordering Checks from Your Bank or Accounting Software Vendor? Think Again!
Interview with John Miller, ADVANTAGE LASER PRODUCTS
October 24, 2017
Introduction
Buying checks from your bank can be very expensive. In fact, checks purchased from your bank can be 2 to 3 times more expensive than checks purchased from a reputable third-party vendor.
In this exclusive interview, John Miller of Advantage Laser Products provides insights into why people should consider ordering checks from reputable third-party vendors rather than their banks or accounting software companies.
Q1: BANK VS. VENDOR – Why shop around for business checks? Isn’t my bank the only place that can issue business checks for my bank accounts?
JOHN: No, banks are not the only place where businesses can order checks. This is a huge misconception, and the banks know it and charge you an arm and a leg simply for the privilege of ordering through the bank. You have other options and can get the same or higher quality checks much faster, often with better service, and for a fraction of the cost. For example, Advantage delivers checks with all of the EXACT same paper quality, colors and security features, but routinely for less than half the bank price.
Our customers regularly tell us they can’t believe how much money they saved. If you have numerous bank accounts, and/or many employees or vendors that you pay by check, you can save thousands of dollars every year. You can often get business checks in one day, and you get a lot more hands-on customer support from a specialty check provider like Advantage.
Larger companies often choose to buy blank check paper and print their own checks, including their bank account number and their address, which is even more cost effective. We walk these customers through the process of printing their own checks, answer their questions and help them get up to speed.
Q2: ARE VENDORS SECURE? – Is it safe to order checks from anyone other than my bank or my software vendor? And are there standards and requirements I need to be aware of?
JOHN: Absolutely. There are many reputable check suppliers in the market that can provide you checks that meet the industry standards. It’s just like dealing with any other business or vendor: you need to check the business’s reputation and history. It’s important that the company has a long Better Business Bureau track record of delivering reliable service and of being compliant with all industry regulations.
Advantage is celebrating 30 years in business. We have a strong reputation: we are members of local Chambers of Commerce and we have thousands of great customer reviews. We also comply with all of our industry regulations, including MICR printing standards and Check 21 requirements, to ensure that banks will accept your checks.
You may ask if your supplier keeps sensitive information online. At Advantage, we don’t keep customer information online or in the Cloud after your order is placed. This means that you can’t place a reorder on our website, but the setup is designed to protect your financial information. Note that most other check vendors will let you reorder online, which means your checking account information is likely stored in the Cloud. In a time when hackers are aggressively seeking sensitive information, your information could be at risk. We don’t take that risk. We take our customers’ security very seriously, even if it means a less convenient reordering process.
Q3: HOW TO AVOID FRAUD – How do I protect myself from check fraud?
JOHN: The most important thing is to write checks only to people and vendors that you know and trust. This is one way to avoid someone taking your check and producing counterfeits. What I’ve learned, having been in the business so long, is that bad things can happen at check cashing places, so writing checks to people who don’t have checking accounts tends to carry more risk. Most companies want to avoid any risk associated with check fraud.
Another way to avoid fraud is to sign up for programs like Positive Pay, offered by most banks. Programs like this are the only way to guarantee against check fraud. Basically, Positive Pay provides the bank with a way to ensure that only the amounts and check numbers you authorize are paid by the bank, so the bank can reject checks you didn’t issue. You can literally catch the check counterfeiter in the act. Advantage offers software and support service for a small fee that makes Positive Pay onboarding and support seamless with your bank.
Many check vendors, including banks, advertise premium checks with “enhanced security features,” such as checks with those little holograms on them. We offer those as well, because some customers ask for this feature, but the hologram does not protect businesses from counterfeiters. All the counterfeiter needs is your checking account information, regardless of what paper it’s printed on. Some companies like the fancy paper, and we agree the holograms are cool; but if you are adding them for safety, save your money, sign up for Positive Pay and use basic checks. We can answer any questions you have.
Q4: HOW TO ORDER – What information will I need to provide to order checks from a third-party vendor, like Advantage Laser Products?
JOHN: The process is pretty simple. Typically, all of the information that you need is already on the check that you are re-ordering. This includes your company name, bank name, city, and state. You also need to know what software you are running to generate checks. After entering all of that information on our website, you can select the color options you want and then the number of checks, and Advantage will take care of the rest.
Q5: DOES CUSTOMER SERVICE MATTER? – Does customer service matter when ordering checks or check supplies? Aren’t paper checks just a commodity these days?
JOHN: I think customer service does matter, and our customers certainly tell us it’s important. Check payments are a critical part of the financial management for most companies. There are many parts of the process that can be confusing, from deciding whether to order pre-printed checks or print your own, to limiting risk with Positive Pay. It’s important to have a knowledgeable resource to answer key questions.
I can’t help but talk about our business because we are so passionate about offering great customer service. At Advantage, we believe everyone’s time is valuable. If a customer calls Advantage and doesn’t have any of their check info, we can pull it up immediately. We have invested in customer support technology to make the process a breeze.
And, because Advantage is a small, agile company, when people place an incorrect order, we do everything we can to correct it without a charge. Try that at your bank. We also support many local non-profits, and we don’t mind being asked for donations—that’s one of the most rewarding experiences of being a small business.
We also pride ourselves on our quick turnaround. When orders come in on Monday, they will be shipped no later than Wednesday. We guarantee a 48-hour turnaround. You can also pay a little extra to expedite your order and have it ship out the same day. What is crazy is that even with the rush processing fee of $50, you will be paying less than what the bank charges for their typical two-week turnaround. We simply offer a different level of service.
HP LaserJet M607, M608, M609 First Look Video
HP has released the new LaserJet M607, M608 and M609 series. Andres has made up an introductory video to show you some of the new features. This is a great line of printers!
Tips & Tricks – When Businesses Should Print Their Own Checks
Interview with John Miller, ADVANTAGE
Managing a company’s finances isn’t always easy. As a veteran with Advantage Laser Products (ALP), he knows the challenges you face. For more than 30 years, the Advantage Team has helped accounting and finance professionals and their teams overcome those challenges.
In this exclusive interview, John provides his insight into the advantages and disadvantages of printing your own business checks.
Question 1: When does it make sense for a business to print their own checks?
John: “There is no one-size-fits-all solution. I try to answer each customer’s questions based on my experience working with thousands of business customers. Sometimes it just doesn’t make sense for customers to print their own checks. You might be better off with a payroll service or a good bookkeeper, or it may make more sense financially to order pre-printed checks.
Here are a few questions to consider:
- How many checking accounts do you have?
- How many checks do you write per week in each?
- How often do your checking accounts turn over? (Do you have to open new accounts all the time?)
- How many people in your organization will be printing checks for these accounts?
- And are these people at the same location?
The decision to print your own checks depends on your answers to these questions. We advise clients daily about these decisions. It’s exciting to help guide them through this process.”
Question 2: What equipment does a company need to print their own business checks?
John: “If your check printing volume isn’t very high, and you have check printing software, I recommend a suitable printer, depending on your budget and needs. Printers range from $199 and up.
If you’re printing 1,000 checks a week, the HP Laserjet M602 ($920) can print 500 checks in just 10 minutes. Of course, there is a range of printers to consider, but it’s important to choose one designed for check printing.”
Question 3: What other technology do you recommend to make the check printing process easier?
John: “We also sell machines that fold, insert, and seal checks into envelopes. You can also print checks on z-fold pressure-seal form. Once you print the checks, you put them in a pressure sealer and stick a stamp or metered postage on each sealed check.”
Question 4: What are some best practices of companies who print their own checks?
John: “We recommend that they use that printer solely for printing checks, because printing checks requires a special magnetic toner called MICR toner. We manufacture high-quality MICR toner cartridges and provide our customers with a satisfaction guarantee.
What not everyone knows is that MICR toner is not all the same quality, and using bad quality MICR toner can cause serious problems during the check printing process. I also recommend that every company has few printers in case one goes down. Missing a payroll date is a no-no for most employers. No excuses.”
Question 5: Does Advantage help companies set up the check printing process?
John: “Absolutely. If you have issues with quality and need to know how to fix your printer, we perform free document testing. We don’t require any service contract. That is just a free benefit of being our customer.
When we sell software, we provide one-on-one support. We will personally walk you through how to set up accounts properly and print checks consistently.”
Question 6: Is there special software needed to print?
John: “Yes, and we do offer a variety of software options. We want our customers to be completely satisfied so we’re happy for them to try it out first. To check this out go to advlaser.com, and look for the GC Former software.”
This interview with John Miller is brought to you by Advantage Laser Products (ALP). Since 1987, ALP has specialized in check printing supplies, including MICR toner, blank check paper, laser printers and more. ALP also provides high-quality products and exceptional customer service every day.
We’re ready to offer you the excellent service and high-quality products you deserve. Contact us at 800-722-2804 today!
Get free printers from HP – Join HP PurchasEdge
Join HP PurchaseEdge
There’s a program from HP that few people use, but many could benefit from, it’s called PurchasEdge. HP PurchasEdge is designed for businesses that buy more than $2,000 of HP consumables (inkjet and toner cartridges) in a year. With PurchasEdge, you get 1 point for every $4 USD of HP inkjet and toner cartridges you buy. Once you accumulate some points you can purchase HP laser printers, inkjet printers, ScanJet scanners with your points. I’ve worked it out and it represents a 2-3% additional savings normally. However last year HP had a sale and you could buy any printer for only 1/5 of the points it normally took. For example during the HP sale last summer, the HP LaserJet Pro M402n normally cost 3,250 points was on sale for only 650 points. The smart move is to join PurchasEdge, accumulate points and look for a points sale like HP had last year.
The best thing about the PurchasEdge program is that we do all the work. Once you sign up for PurchasEdge, all you need to do is give us your 6 digit PurchasEdge number and we’ll submit the invoices to HP. It’s very easy.
Note you can only accumulate PurchaseEdge points for Genuine HP toner cartridges, Advantage Brand and New HP MICR Toner Cartridges are not eligible.
To get started, enroll in PurchasEdge today: http://www.purchasedge.com/join/549688
Here’s a video on PurchasEdge signup, it’s easy…
Once you are registered, you’ll need to email us your 6 digit HP PurchasEdge Account number. HP usually emails your account number the day after you register. We need your account number to submit your invoices. That’s it, we’ll handle the rest.
New Product – HP CF237A / CF237X New MICR Toner Cartridge
HP LaserJet M607n
We’ve just released MICR Toner cartridges for the HP LaserJet M607, M608 and M609 series laser printers. There are three different yields for the CF237 series of cartridges, CF237A (11K), CF237X (25k) and CF237Y (41K). At this point we are making New MICR toner cartridges for the CF237A and CF237X models.
HP CF237A MICR Toner Cartridge 11,000 page yield – $277, 2.52 cents per page
HP CF237X MICR Toner Cartridge 25,000 page yield – $459, 1.84 cents per page
For the moment, we are not manufacturing a CF237Y MICR toner cartridge. If this is something you are interested in, please let us know.
This new series of printers replaces the HP LaserJet M604, M605 and M606 series of printers. The printers are slightly faster than their predecessor at 55ppm, 65ppm and 75ppm respectively. Our prediction is these will be a reliable workgroup printer. In the months to come, we will have HP MICR Laser Printers for all of the new models: M607, M607 and M609.
As with their predecessor, we highly recommend the M608 and M609 series over the M607 series as the M607 can only accept the standard yield CF237A MICR toner cartridge. The cost savings of using the CF237X high yeild MICR toner cartridge with it’s lower cost per page will easily pay for itself over the life of the printer. Plus you get a faster printer out of the deal.
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New HP LaserJet P607, P608, P609 Series Includes Radical Design Change
We just received the new HP LaserJet M608N printer. This is a radical internal redesign from the previous few generations of Enterprise Level HP LaserJet printers. The M608 and it’s sisters the M607 and M609 will be replacing the M604, M605, M606 models as the go-to networked work-group monochrome printer in the HP lineup. This new line of printers now has three toner cartridges to choose from: CF237A (11,000 pgs), CF237X (25,000 pgs) and the CF237Y (41,000 pgs). As with previous generations, the lowest printer in the line, the M607 will not accept the two higher yield toner cartridges. The ability to accept the larger toner cartridges makes the operating costs much lower for the M608 and M609 series.
We are working on MICR Toner cartridges for the new series of toner cartridges. We don’t have an ETA of when the CF237A and CF237X MICR toner cartridges will be available. Stay tuned for more information…
Here are some pictures of the new P608n.
