Value versus Price

Is price always or ever the most important thing?
There are many instances in the marketplace when we are faced with the choice between price and value. We believe that value is getting the most for your time and money. It can mean many things to different people and we must all define for ourselves what it is. For us it has always meant peace of mind, excellent service combined with a quality product, convenience, a pleasant atmosphere. All this must be combined with a sense that the provider cared, had our best interest at heart, will still be in business and willing to accept responsibility for any problems that might arise later.
Peace of mind
Most importantly this means trust. There are really two components of trust, being able to believe that what you are told is the truth and having faith that your service is being performed competently and safely.
The first component comes down to the personal relationship between yourself and your service writer. This does not mean someone who just gives you the answers you want to hear. It means someone who wants to do the best thing for you. They will listen to your needs, ask you pertinent questions (sometimes hard or uncomfortable to answer), convey to you the cost and expected time frame needed to address those concerns and make suggestions to you that may impact the safety of your vehicle and/or the proper maintenance to keep it operating correctly for the long term. The truth is that the average consumer does not know enough about their vehicles to make these decisions and choices without expert and trustworthy advice.
The second component comes down the experience, training and ethics of the technicians working on your vehicle. Do they have professional certifications? Have they received professional education? Do they attend continuing education classes? Have they made the investment in their careers necessary to be in the top echelon of a very difficult profession? It is not unusual for an automotive technician to have $40,000 invested in just their hand tool collection. This type of highly trained professional demands a lucrative salary. Think you can get one of them to work for you at the cheapest price?
Service and Convenience
These two kind of go together. They are a combination of location and the company concern for how important your time and or schedule is, as well as how critical the well being of your vehicle, as one of your largest investments, is to you.
Quality product
This goes to a couple of things, none of which can be found when shopping for price. Some consumers are focused on the need for using "original equipment" parts. The fact is that there often is no such thing. As one example there are a number of different manufacturers of the brake pads on a certain line of German car. The vehicle manufacturer changes suppliers from year to year, sometimes in midyear. The brake pad supplier may no longer have a contract with the vehicle manufacturer a few years latter and the “original equipment manufacturer” is now a completely different company. So what is my point? You need to be able to depend on your service provider to determine the best product for your vehicle. Think they can do that if they have to compete on price?
Atmosphere
Probably not the most important item on this list, but still important to many people. Given the choice, it is much more pleasant to spend your time in a clean, neat environment, dealing with pleasant people.
The Provider
At this point we need to look at the business itself. Is it important the management and the business itself show some longevity? When you purchase a service or product, who warranties it? In any kind of service business it is the provider. Therefore it is vital that the provider you choose shows some likelihood of being in business in the future. Some shops open and close on a semi-regular basis. One owner fails, another shows up to try and then they fail or move away. A solid business is not transient or short lived. Look for a business that has proven itself over the long haul and which you can feel has some likelihood of staying in business for the future.
The bottom line
Price alone should never be the deciding factor in any transaction with a service related business. There is just too much at stake. This does not mean that the most expensive is the best. You just have to find the best value.