OK, I get it. Price matters. We’re all working on a budget. Except maybe the Kardashians. But even if you COULD be a Kardashian, would you want to? Anyway, the point is, price DOES matter. But what you GET for the price, also matters.
The reality is, there are some VERY important, very key things that never make it into text of the Scope of Work. Things that service contractors automatically include, that others, simply don’t. And those items can be the difference between a successful install and an epic disaster that haunts you for years.
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Here’s the thing…an Install Contractor’s mission is to GET. THE. JOB. However they can, as often as they can. And they’re REALLY good at it. They’ve figured out all the tricks. The shortcuts. The language and exclusions and protections that they can include in their quote, to allow them to give the absolute lowest price to meet the minimum requirements to get your equipment in place. They’ve worked it out so they walk away with a respectable profit and you have no recourse if something is not quite right with your install. They walk away, never to be seen or heard from again. And you’re left not quite happy. But you got the lowest price. Upfront anyway. Fixing what’s wrong may cost you more in the end.
And then there’s the Service Contractor. They’re the one who knows your existing system inside and out. So when they put together that price for a replacement, they worry about how this new system will interact with the existing conditions you have. They know the weird ductwork and the wonky controls system that you have. They know the exact demands of the local inspectors, and they know about that one tenant, up on the third floor, in the corner office, who’s never happy no matter what temperature their office is. They know all this. And they worry about making sure that you are not only happy, but THRILLED with the new equipment you just installed, because they GET how big of an investment that this was for you and how important it is to your business that it actually solves the problem you needed to solve. They know that you need to please your boss, and that Crabby Patty on the third floor. And they REALLY want to get it RIGHT when all is said and done. So they stress and worry about getting it right, not just about GETTING the JOB. And maybe that means that they figured a few more hours into their quote to make sure they GET it right. So maybe they are just a little more expensive than that other guy. Or maybe they are significantly more expensive.
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But to your SERVICE contractor, it’s more important that they get it right than get the job. Because they wouldn’t WANT the job, if it meant that they had to cut corners or give anything less than the best. So obviously, you have a budget you need to meet, I get it and I empathize. I do. But consider WHY that other guy is so much less expensive. Will THAT guy be there when the sh– hits the fan? When the equipment arrives and it’s dented, or has a defect? If so, then go for it! You have my blessing. Go with that mythical wonder of a contractor! And give me his number, because I want to know what the secret is. Seriously. I want that magic.
Now I realize that this must sound a little self-serving, given that I am primarily a Service Contractor. But self-serving or not, it’s the truth. See, the difference between an Install Contractor and me, is that I have to look you in the eye the day AFTER the install and hopefully every day after that, for years and years. So if I did something a little shady or something is not quite right about my install, I have to answer for it. Every day, for years. So if I want to keep your trust, which I’ve worked so hard to earn in the first place, I can’t get away with cutting corners, or doing the minimum. I have no interest in that nonsense. It’s not my mission to win this one bid. It’s my mission to win YOU. It’s not just about being the low bidder. My mission is to bring you quality and reliability and awesomeness at a fair price that we both can live with for a long time.
So the difference is, if it doesn’t get done right the first time, I don’t leave. I stay until it’s right. I stay until you’re happy. Because I want to stay for the long haul. I think that makes me worth a few extra dollars. Don’t you?
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