The Delicate Balance Between Price and Quality

There is a delicate balance between price and quality.  The goal of every consumer is to get the most bang for the buck when making a purchase.  However, there is a point where a deal is too good to be true.  All products are not made the same and paying more money for a longer-lasting product often ends up being the best value.  

Setting a Budget

Before setting a budget, it is important to know what the desired product is going to be used for.  A corporate headquarters has a different purpose than a satellite office.  A marquis building like a corporate center is built to represent a business.  In contrast a satellite office is meant to be functional, efficient, and practical.  These general guidelines can be extremely helpful when setting a budget for your office furniture.  When someone thinks of executive offices, they often think of high end, stylish, and over the top. Spaces like this should have a higher budget so they can live up to expectations.  However, fancy style and design do not contribute to productivity as well and practical and functional. A large executive chair is comfortable and stylish but something smaller and nimbler might be a better choice for everyday use.  Additionally, there are limits to any companies’ expenses.  Knowing when to save and when to spend can have a dramatic impact on a company’s success.  For this reason, it is important to consider the budget before making any decision.

Quality Control

An item’s price can be influenced by style and décor, but it can also be influenced by quality.  Two identical chairs sit next to each other.  One cost $150 while the other cost $300.  There can be only two reasons for this.  Either the chairs are the same and someone is trying to rip you off, or there is a distinct difference in the workmanship and the materials used in the chair’s construction.  The question is how do you know which? If you are shopping in a brick-and-mortar store, odds are you will sit on both chairs.  You will inspect the materials and the quality of work and determine if there is a great enough difference to justify the additional cost.  You might decide that the more expensive chair will last 3 times longer than the cheap one making the added cost worthwhile.  You might also decide that the more expensive chair is better but not worth the added costs.  This process is easy in person but can be nearly impossible for online shopping.  However, there are ways to boost consumer confidence when comparing products online.

Doing the Work

The best way to ensure you are making quality purchasing decisions when shopping sight unseen products online is to be diligent and take time to do proper research.  Any reputable webpage should supply plenty of information on their products and if you find you still have questions there should be a straightforward way to ask.  If you have questions, look for a contact email or live chat function.  Serious businesses encourage potential customers to make contact and respond within a reasonable amount of time.  Additionally, there are countless websites that rate products and manufacturers.   Before spending big, spend some time researching what other consumers have said about their purchases and the overall buying experience.  Finally, do not be afraid to ask about where and how a product is manufactured.   Companies who make and sell quality products should be proud of what they do and often researching a brand name can tell you everything you really need to know. 

When shopping it is important to be intentional with your money.  You do not want to overpay, and you do not want to go too cheap.  It is important to be considerate and to think about a product’s daily use and what it may represent.  Do not be afraid to ask questions before you buy it and make sure to do your research.  If you have any questions about how to purchase the best office furniture for your purpose, feel free to email us at sales@furniturewholesalers.com.  We are always happy to help.