It is a natural assumption to think that all barcode verifiers are the same. They all perform the same basic function. The same thing can be said for a car, a dentist, or a restaurant–they are obviously not all the same.  You want a car that’s reliable, easy to use, and keeps you safe. You want a dentist who diagnoses, resolves, and prevents problems. You want a restaurant that is consistent, friendly, and trustworthy. Ultimately, you want value for your money.

Buy Initial Value

You want these same attributes in a barcode verifier. And perhaps a few more attributes as well.

A most basic requirement is reliability and competence. Like a car, you want a verifier that’s reliable and protects you. ISO compliance is a basic requirement in a barcode verifier, but not all verifiers have this certification. If you don’t ask, the sales rep probably won’t tell you—or you’ll get a complicated answer to your simple question. Beware!

A verifier should inform you about any issues with your barcodes that fall short of optimal standards. That doesn’t mean you want perfection. You don’t need perfection. You need information to see and solve a situation before it becomes a problem. A verifier that reports trending (not all of them do) shows you a gradually deteriorating parameter. Knowing that gives you the opportunity to fix it before it becomes a problem.. That’s value!

Not everyone is an engineer. Look for a verifier with a friendly and intuitive user interface. Ease of use shouldn’t sacrifice competence. A smart interface can automate many verifier settings. You don’t want to manually configure everything.

Buy Ongoing Value

You found the right barcode verifier—congratulations. You are not done yet. Just like your car, your dentist, and your favorite restaurant, you’re going to live with that verifier for a long time. Now, find the right distributor.

Here are some important questions to help yo find the right one:

 

  • What is their response time?
  • How long is the warranty? What does it cover?
  • What maintenance is recommended?
  • Can you do it yourself, or does it require sending your verifier back to the factory?
  • How long does that take? How much does it cost?
  • Can you get a rental unit while your verifier is away?

Ask the sales rep about support, if you need help with installation and calibration, or if you have a problem or a technical question.

If they are just a sales organization, they don’t want to hear from you after the sale, but they may not say so plainly. Listen carefully.

Buy Trust

The answers to these questions are important. Listen carefully. Equally important is the credibility of those answers. Do they inspire confidence? Do you trust them? Will you get the same answer when you have a critical question—or an emergency? Trust shouldn’t cost more, but it’s invaluable.

Full disclosure: we sell barcode verifiers and can help you get the right one. But maybe you don’t really need one yet. Or maybe ever. We are also a barcode quality and compliance testing service. You can get a verification report from us for as little as $25 (linear barcode) in about an hour.

Got questions? We can help. Contact us here.

 

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3db Barcode Testimonial

Our company (an advanced software company) recently worked with Barcode Test to source a barcode verifier.  Not long ago, we were awarded a contract requiring products to be marked with IUIDs in accordance with MIL-STD-130.  For that standard, marking labels must pass a verification test that evaluates many variables (contrast, size, clarity, syntax, modularity, and more).  After a thorough search, we reduced our options to a select few.

In our search for a verifier, the Axicon line caught our attention.  Barcode Test is our regional reseller for this product.   From the beginning, they were very prompt with their responses.  We ended up having a quick call with John Nachtrieb to go over our needs.  John was extremely easy to work with and provided a lot of great information.  He was very knowledgeable on the matter and was quick to offer up a demo unit (free of charge).

Upon receiving the demo verifier and testing it, a few questions arose.  John joined a call with us and answered all our questions.  Ultimately, the Axicon verifier wasn’t the best fit for us, so we shipped the demo back.  John was completely understanding.  A few weeks later, Barcode Test reached back out with another possible verifier for us to try.  While they didn’t sell that brand, they just wanted to help us find the best option that met our needs. They even offered to send us the unit that they have in-house to see if it worked to our liking. 

Barcode Test is truly a great company to work with.  Their service and willingness to help the customer are far beyond what you typically get from other companies.  They are experts in barcode quality assurance and seem willing to help in any way they can (even if that means not getting a sale and recommending another option that better fits the customer’s needs).  If anyone is in the market for barcode verification/scanning services or products, I would highly recommend giving Barcode Test a call.

Regards,

Production Manager