Do you get what you pay for?
I have been asking myself lately, “Do you get what you pay for?”. So let me ask you, when is something a good deal and when is it just too good to be true?
I recently needed to have a tree stump removed from my front lawn. So, I opened Superpages and looked for landscaping companies that would do the task. I called several with varying results.
The first company I called was inexpensive but seemed mainly concerned that I pay them in cash. Not about how big the job might be or my turn around time. Just pay me in cash was the big selling point with this company.
The next company I called seemed backlogged and their price was higher than Mr. Pay Cash company’s pricing. The receptionist seemed hurried and couldn’t seem to tell me when or how my more expensive tree removal option could be exercised.
The last company I called had a reasonable price, somewhere between the expensive and the cheap option and seemed friendly enough. So I decided to go with them.
But this all had me thinking, do you really just get what you pay for? If I had gone with Mr. Pay Cash would the job be as good as the job as the next company to come down the pike or are steep discounts an indication that something is not quite right with a company?
I haven’t decided the answer yet. Sometimes a good deal is just a good deal. But sometimes it is worth paying a bit more for reliable service. A hard judgment call to make really.
So what would you chose? Is money savings the first and only step in purchasing goods? And if so, does the same thing apply when buying services?
When I asked my friends about this most said in this economy they would go with cost savings. But I don’t know if that applies everywhere. I never hear my friends actually saying, “You know I chose my doctor because she was the cheapest I could find”.
So what process do you use to make these judgment calls? And is it the same process for everything from ground beef to your doctor?
Meg Eynon, Vice President
The Payroll Factory®
