If you have a fleet of three or more copiers, a pilot program is the smartest way to switch dealers. Instead of swapping out every machine at once and praying the new dealer is solid, you pilot one or two machines for 90 to 180 days. If the dealer delivers, you roll out the rest. If they fail the pilot, you walk with no penalty on the rest of the fleet.
Here is how to structure a pilot program that actually protects you.
Pilot vs. Trial: What Is the Difference?
A trial is for a single machine. A pilot is for a multi machine, multi location, or multi department evaluation.
A trial is usually free and lasts 30 to 90 days. A pilot is a real lease with real payments, but on a short term (six months or less) with a clear path to either expand or exit.
A pilot makes sense if you have a fleet of three or more copiers and you are thinking about consolidating to a single dealer.
How a Pilot Lease Works
You lease one or two copiers from the new dealer on a six month term, at the same price the dealer would offer on a 60 month lease. The dealer takes a small loss on those six months in exchange for the chance to win the bigger fleet contract.
During the pilot, you measure service response times, uptime, supply replenishment speed, billing accuracy, and overall ease of working with the dealer.
At the end of the pilot, you have three options. Sign the long term lease for the full fleet. Extend the pilot for another three to six months. Or walk and return the equipment.
When Pilots Make Sense
Pilots are most useful in these scenarios:
You have a multi location operation and want to consolidate dealers. Pilot in one office, then roll out.
You are switching dealers after years with the same vendor. Pilot one machine to make sure the new dealer is not a downgrade.
You are evaluating a managed print services package versus straight lease and service. Pilot the MPS approach in one department.
You are testing a new brand. Switching from Canon to Kyocera (or vice versa) across a 10 machine fleet is risky. Pilot two machines first.
How to Pitch a Pilot to a Dealer
Most dealers will not volunteer pilot pricing. They want a long term lease on day one. But if you have real fleet volume to offer, they will play ball.
Sample pitch: “We have eight copiers across three offices coming up for lease renewal in the next 12 months. We are considering you for the full fleet, but we want to pilot two machines with you for six months first. The pilot would be at standard 60 month lease pricing, with the option to roll into a full fleet lease at month four. Can you structure that?”
A motivated dealer will say yes. A dealer who says no does not want your business badly enough to earn it.
What to Put in the Pilot Agreement
Spell everything out before installation. Specifically:
The pilot term (typically six months). The pilot pricing (same as 60 month rate). The metrics you will measure (uptime, service response time, billing accuracy, supply replenishment). The threshold for “passing” the pilot (often 95% uptime, four hour service response, zero billing errors). What happens if the dealer fails the pilot (equipment removed at dealer’s expense, no further obligation).
Also include the conversion terms: if you do roll into the long term lease, what is the price, term, and SLA? Get all of it in writing before the pilot starts.
Measuring the Pilot Honestly
Pick three to five metrics and track them weekly. Suggestions:
Uptime percentage. Number of unplanned service calls. Average response time to service calls. Billing accuracy (zero errors per invoice). Supply replenishment turnaround (toner shipped within 24 hours).
Put a number on each metric and a passing threshold. At the end of the pilot, the dealer either hit the thresholds or did not. No fuzz.
What to Do at the End of the Pilot
Three options:
Pass: roll the full fleet onto the dealer. Get a written commitment to the same SLA going forward.
Mixed: extend the pilot for another three to six months. Use the time to fix specific issues with the dealer.
Fail: return the equipment at the dealer’s expense and start over with another dealer. Do not roll out the full fleet to a dealer who failed the pilot.
What Most Guides Miss
Most pilot programs fail because the buyer does not commit to measuring the dealer fairly. The pilot becomes an excuse to delay the decision, not a real test.
Avoid this by writing down your three to five metrics, your thresholds, and your decision date before installation. Hand the criteria to the dealer too. They should know exactly what they need to deliver. Surprise audits do not help anyone.
One more thing nobody talks about: leasing companies do not love pilots because the lease is too short to make their normal margin. Ask the dealer in advance whether the pilot will be financed through their normal leasing company or carried on the dealer’s own books. If it is on the dealer’s books, you have less risk and they have less leverage. If it is through a leasing company, make sure the master lease for the pilot has a clean exit at month six.
For more on the bigger fleet decision, see copier lease vs. buy. For the pricing benchmarks you will use to evaluate the pilot dealer, see the copier lease pricing guide.
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