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Does value matter?

In this age of impersonal, lowest-price-at-any-cost sales, does quality really matter? Or is it really just about price?

Let’s look at two different approaches. If you are responsible for a fleet of service vehicles, be it your own service truck, i.e. a fleet of one, or a huge fleet of 500 vehicles of different types, you are likely interested in keeping your fleet working reliably, with as few headaches as possible and, of course, at the lowest cost. But, how do you balance these priorities? The first approach, which I’ll say right now is by far the easiest, is to determine your needs, get some quotes, and pick the lowest price. Easy, simple and quick. After all, that is how the government does things, so it must be best way, right? Well, maybe not…

Alternatively, and much harder, is to figure out what you need and then find the “best” solution. What does “best” mean. Well obviously this answer varies from customer to customer and over time. But let’s agree on some working definitions:

* Value is defined as worth or importance; the adequate or satisfactory return on or recompense for something. Things have value, or are of value, or are valued.
* Price is defined as cost of something bought or sold; to state or fix the exact price that a customer or consumer must pay for something. Things have a price but that may or may not have value.

Nortruck has always taken the approach that quality is a more important attribute than price We believe that the more our market understands this and the reasons behind it, the more customers will make the logical choice and select Nortruck as their canopy supplier. For the purposes of this article, I will use the term “canopy” interchangeably with “topper”. Both refer to an aluminum structure you put on the back of a light/medium-duty truck to store materials and tools safely and securely.

The Value of Quality

While there are many reasons that canopies are chosen based on cost, there aren't many good ones. In most cases the canopy costs are a small fraction of the cost of the equipment and material (in the case of a loss from damage, leaks, etc), or more importantly, the value of the service work being performed. A single trip back to the shop because your crew doesn’t have a needed part or tool, or a theft of your tools because a flimsy canopy didn’t provide enough security, could outweigh the difference in price between the Nortruck canopy you wanted and the cheaper model you ended up with. But the most telling value is the sheer longevity of a Nortruck product compared to almost everything else. Our customers typically experience 12 to 15 years of life from a Nortruck topper, which usually translates to outlasting two, three or sometimes four trucks. And it looks great and performs well throughout its lifespan.

This means that instead of replacing a low-quality canopy every year or two, you can pay for quality once and use it for years to come. Oh, and because each canopy is built to your exact specifications, you won’t need to compromise with someone else’s idea and an “off the shelf” product.

So, we ask the question… Is it just price that drives your purchase decision or does quality matter? If it’s the latter, you need to talk to Nortruck. Start by visiting our website at www.nortruck.com or send an e-mail to sales@nortruck.com or call us at 1-866-450-5355. Join the hundreds of companies across Canada and the US that put quality first, and choose Nortruck.

Conclusion

Price should not be ignored, but the wise consumer will analyze the quality indicators first and then compare price. It is very possible that two suppliers will rate similarly on quality, and it would then only be right to select the less expensive option. However, when the choice is presented between a low-cost versus a high-quality canopy, the choice should be obvious.

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