I recently bought 4 bottles of hand soap from a store that I was at and they were a dollar each. The bottle was nice and fair quantity and they had pretty pictures of the fragrances lavender, coconut, jasmine and orange. When I got home the first time I used one of them I realized why they were a dollar. They didn’t lather up; the consistency was goopy and clearly this was a low-quality item. It would take me months to use them all and every time I washed my hands I would get mad that I bought 4 bottles! I finally threw them out.

We all do not drive the cheapest car or go on the cheapest vacations. We know we get what we pay for but how much difference is there?

• Shrimp Dinner Fast Food $6.49 vs Sit Down Restaurant $17.59
• Coffee at Gas Station $1.50 vs Specialty Shop $3.00
• Gym Shoes $10.00 vs $50.00
• Face Cream $4.99 vs $31.99
• Hotel price $89.00 vs $158.00
• Diamond Ring 1 ct $750.00 vs $2,300.00
• Paint my house $1,700.00 vs $3,800.00

Why would you pay more if something can be found cheaper?

• Quality
• Look
• Design
• Service
• Customer Service
• Warranty
• Guarantee
• Value

The decisions we make affect our life and we consider value everyday so many times we don’t even realize. I have learned to question when something seems too good to be true when that price is low.

I know why I am willing to pay more. If you decide to apply this concept to everything in your life, it’s a small leap to apply it to your work environment, as well. Make sure that when you get a low price on a bid from a company, you are looking at more than just the immediate bottom line. Quality, service, and reliability count more in the long run than a quick savings right now. Don’t get stuck with the low-quality hand soap! I know I won’t again.

-Ingrid Main / ELITeXPO Account Executive