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  • Writer's pictureJamie Leeper

Facility Maintenance: The high cost of spending less

Updated: Mar 25, 2019


Lowest cost provider

Most people have experienced that literal fork in the road, where one direction will take you to a decent, reputable hotel chain for $100/night, and the other will take you to a $59/night alternative, that is not as decent, nor as reputable. But it will do, right? Yeah, let me know how that works out for you! The price-quality continuum is present in every business transaction, and you need to make sure you understand the consequences of selecting the cheapest option.


Stop wasting money working with companies that nickel and dime you
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Pay Now or Pay Later

As someone who has indeed experienced the nightmare of selecting the cheapest option available, let me give you some pointers: 1. Don't plan to shower. Just accept the fact now that you will not want to get in there, and pack your dry shampoo. 2. A hoodie makes a perfect pillowcase. You will inevitably find something icky on the one provided, and as we don't typically pack bedding sets in with our clothes and toiletries, you will need to use what you have on hand. 3. EARPLUGS. That's all.

Cost vs. Value

The last time I stayed at a motel with DEPLORABLE conditions, I did complain. Because, while we aren't breaking the bank to stay there, we should at least be able to count on our water being clear, right? After I explained to the lady all of the terrible things we experienced in our room, she very generously gave me a gift certificate for a free night. Umm..... ? So I guess the last piece of advice is, don't bother complaining.

Price - Quality Continuum

When you are on a road trip, and it's late and you just want to sleep and get on the road again, it's easy to tell yourself that you don't need anything nice - just a bed and a shower. But as I stated above, you really can't always count on those things in the lower end chains, so maybe if you are having an inner discussion about whether to spend the extra $40, ask yourself how much you would pay for a GOOD shower (that actually makes you feel clean) and a GOOD night's sleep, where you don't lie awake most of the night imagining bugs crawling on you.

You Get What you Pay For

The same can be said for a number of different things. Recently, I found a toy that I thought my son would love. It was a Melissa and Doug cleaning set, with a little mop, broom, and dustpan. I saw it at a garage sale, but it was gone before I could get my hands on it. When I got home, I looked it up online and saw that the price was far too high, especially considering how much it was being sold for at the garage sale! I just couldn't do it. So my husband went to Walmart and got a less expensive set, but it will have the same effect, right? Wrong. Upon playing with it once, all of the pieces fell apart, so now instead of a super cool mop to use while "helping" mommy clean, my kids have a less cool baton to hit each other with. Now that our second child is into cleaning, wouldn't it be nice if we had a nice, sturdy play set for him? In my opinion, it would have been worth it.

If you pay peanuts...

When you are looking for a service provider, the same reasoning and logic can be applied. If you need to take your car in for service, would you rather pay $150 now and have a guarantee that the problem will be fixed or would you prefer to pay $75, and risk needing more repairs, requiring you to take more time off work and eventually paying far more than $150? The answer is obvious to me. And this is why people generally try to go to a car service provider that they trust, one that they can build a relationship with, and one that they know will take care of them.

Try before you buy

So if you are in search of a Nationwide Facility Maintenance company, don't be scared away by a higher upfront cost. Remember what you are getting with that higher initial cost - better quality and more peace of mind that the job will be done, and it will be done well. With Royal Services, you get all of that and more, including a partnership in which you can place your trust and confidence. And remember, the price tag that you initially see does not always reflect what your total cost will be. Rather than evaluating service providers by the arbitrary hourly rate they put in a cell on a spreadsheet, implement a pilot program and see what happens when the rubber meets the road. This will give you the opportunity to evaluate performance, communication, problem solving capabilities and service, prior to signing an official agreement. Most companies will typically offer a 60 to 90 day pilot program, unless they have something to hide... If this is the case then they have just made your selection process one step simpler.

As the incredible Warren Buffet says, "Price is what you pay, value is what you get".

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