EDIT Interview psijun22_PSI_mar15 25/05/2022 18:12 Page 2
INTERVIEW
The cost of quality vs price This interview follows on from a news item we covered a month or so ago in which a survey was undertaken to find out where installation companies placed the most importance when it comes to kit, on quality or price s an installer you’ll know that when it comes to pitching for business, price is often the overriding factor in the decision to go ahead with the contract. The security sector has always been like that. People want a good deal, and while we all know someone who routinely opts for the cheapest choice only to realise fairly quickly that quality and value for money only really come at a price, security is a grudge purchase. So the cost of technology plays a major part in the success of any installation. BFT Automation recently carried out a survey to find out what installers think about the subject, and while we know that customers will always want to pay less for technology, the report found that tradespeople value quality and reliability over price when it comes to specifying which products to use. For those who don’t know BFT is a manufacturer and distributor of entrance automation technology, including swing and sliding gate operators, automatic barriers and bollards. In a survey of automation installers, more than two-thirds of respondents cited the quality of a product as the most important priority when choosing equipment, with factors related to
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price cited by less than 10%. The company originally undertook the research as a way to get back in touch with installers after the lockdown. Speaking at the publishing of the data, Matthew Batson, a Director at BFT said: “Given the rising costs of many of the materials that tradespeople rely on, we might have expected to see price as a driving factor in their choice of equipment – especially when serving costconscious customers. But our research shows that installers value quality and reliability above all other priorities.” He went on to say: “It stands to reason that it’s worth investing in products that will last, and it’s encouraging that installers recognise the value in turning to products that will do a job well, as part of an overall reflection of their work. After all, if an installer has to revisit a job for repairs, it could reflect badly on them and their service they offer, despite the hard work they put into making a good impression on their customers.” To find out more about the results of the survey and to discover whether they came as a surprise, we spoke further to Matthew Batson for a PSI podcast. Here is an extract of that episode:
Matthew Batson of BFT Automation
“Our research shows that installers value quality and reliability above all other priorities”
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