Elite clients tend to remain Elite clients for a long time, and we’re proud of that. But we only want clients to stay with us because they want to, not because they have to — and certainly not because a clause in a contract forced them to stay longer than they’d like.

That’s what happens when a leasing company puts an “evergreen clause” in a contract.

What Is an Evergreen Clause?

Evergreen clauses say that a client must notify the leasing company of termination within a certain window — and if the client fails to do so, the agreement automatically renews for a specific period of time. Often, that’s an entire year.

And the notification window can fall far in advance of the lease agreement’s end — sometimes as much as five months.

This puts a lot of pressure on a client to monitor the fine points of a contract, and that’s not exactly the basis for a positive business relationship.

Why Elite Doesn’t Use Them

This is why Elite Imaging Systems does not, and never will, include evergreen clauses in its contracts. Vice President of Sales Mike Tomlinson explains why.

“We don’t have any of that verbiage in our lease agreements, and the reason is that I think it’s usury,” Tomlinson said. “I think it’s holding the client hostage. If they don’t give the notification in time, they get a response back that says, ‘Sorry, you’re outside the window.’ And the client’s kind of stuck.”

That’s not right.

Our Approach: Simple and Fair

Elite’s philosophy is simple: any client that wants to make a change should be free to do so. Of course, both sides need to honor the terms of an agreement, but Elite isn’t interested in tricking clients into additional years they didn’t choose.

“What we have is just a month-to-month agreement,” Tomlinson explained. “Just let us know a month in advance so we can close out the agreement.”

Simple as that. But here’s the ironic thing: as easy as it is to close out a leasing agreement with Elite Imaging Systems, very few companies actually do it. Maybe that’s because Elite is happy to earn clients’ continued business every day — which is exactly how it should work.

Lease Without the Fine-Print Traps

Want a copier lease that’s straightforward from day one? Request a free quote from Elite Imaging Systems.