The Kinko's Threat

So what's an in-plant to do to compete with these super-cheap copies? Slash its own prices? It's tempting. But inevitably it's a losing tactic.

"I would suggest resisting the pressure to get into a price war with them," remarks Crist, of Michigan State University. "Winning on price may cause some short-term impact on business, but we are finding customers are not willing to give up the quality and service they get from their university printing operation to save a few bucks. This was validated in recent focus group sessions we conducted with current customers and prospective customers. They expect and value quality and service. A good price, in most instances, won't offset poor quality and service very long."