Recently, the kitchen tap at home starting leaking. Clearly all that dripping water was a waste, and not at all environmentally friendly. As I’m a little handy around the house I started replacing the current one (builder installed). So being a little handy I started sourcing out faucets to replace the current one the builder installed. Low and behold a deal at the hardware store for around $80.00 a nice shiny pull out faucet. “Wow” I thought and it’s like $50.00 less then the next closet faucet but not a recognized brand. So my wife Melanie reminded me about what I preach in my business “Remember Carlo, you get what you pay for”. I should have listened! Instead of spending a little more money for a quality device (after all it will be used on a daily basis) that would have lasted many years I opted to save money. After all, it looked nice, packaged well and when I opened the box it still looked good. Once I attempted installation that was when things changed. Extension pipes were not included, which required another trip to the hardware store. The faucet was missing an important nut. After 2 hours I was still unable to install this faucet. Ok, now I realized Melanie was right. I opted for a lesser price on something that looked the same but was clearly not the same. Cheap assembly, lead to difficult installation and because other parts were not included, it was costing me time to run around. The extras were all adding up! I did some more research online and read reviews and blogs about this product learned many others had the same installation difficulties and the reviews were poor. After a short visit to another hardware store I picked up another faucet by a large brand company with roots in the industry. Yes, it cost me twice as much but what a difference. I learned that not all faucets are built the same. This one felt smooth and easy, installation was completed in under 20 minutes, included extension pipes, and all miscellaneous hardware.
Our automotive industry has the same issues as the plumbing fixtures industry. Yes the box might look the same, the part is to function the same but when it comes down to it, there is always something missing or different when the price changes. The globalization of our business has brought in a flood of “offshore” parts which may not meet manufacturer expectations for quality and longevity. I call it “fit, form, function” issues. Suspension, brake and ignition parts can be at times 50% costlier for premium quality components that have lifetime warranties in some cases, exceed OEM specification or have corrected OEM faults and install perfectly with ease. Economy parts may have pieces missing, parts traditionally may not last as long and in same cases fail within a short period of time. In the short term the cost of the repair is the major benefit, the budget (if any) is still in tact and the car is up and running again. OR is it? What if the part fails again, where will it fail, and who will warranty an economy part? Who will ensure your safety when that part fails at the wrong place and time? If the part fails and damages other components what is the true cost then? What is your time worth to deal with these problems?
In the end, I was reminded that it’s always better to purchase a quality part, which has a reputable warranty and will endure the test of time. Like dad always said “You get what you paid for Carlo”
Carlo Sabucco
