March 14, 2005
Its Just Better
Bad salespeople frustrate me. Let me explain. My wife is working to get our daughter a play structure for our backyard for her upcoming birthday. So uninformed Dad here didn’t realize that these backyard play structures are expensive. I thought you could just get some metal piece of crap from Wal-Mart and everything is good. Nope. Today’s kids have these fancy redwood sets with rock walls, slides, playhouses, and anything else you might want. So the shopping begins.
There are 2 main brands that we are considering: Rainbow and Backyard Adventures. We are space confined in our backyard so we can’t get anything massive. Kim has been working on this thing for a week non-stop. I have never seen her study anything this hard — even in college. You can basically build anything you want out of these sets. The limiters became money and size. So Kim ran all the numbers over and over and came up with a set she liked. Yesterday, we drove to the Rainbow store to buy it. I wanted to be done with this project.
So they generate a quote for the set we want and it turns out to be about 35% higher in cost than the alternative vendors set. I wasn’t happy because I liked the look of this set a bit better. I wanted the project done so I didn’t care. Get it if you want it. But Kim the number cruncher says she can’t do it. So I started asking questions like I was buying a car. So in stride out the door:
Me: Is that your BEST price?
Salesperson: Yes.
Me: You are losing a sale then. We don’t see why you are so much more expensive.
Salesperson: Our construction is better.
Me: Ok, why?
Salesperson: We use 4x4s and 5x7s.
Me: They do too. Says here in their book.
Salesperson: Well, I haven’t really seen their products in the last few years.
Me: So there is no difference then?
Salesperson: Do they have metal joints?
Me: Yes.
Salesperson: See, ours are all wood with bolt construction.
Me: That is the difference? I don’t think that is a big difference.
Salesperson: We have been in business for 20 years. Our is just better.
Me: Bye. Thanks.
Salesperson: You guys look like you have done your homework and you know what you want. Thanks.
Ok, I am not a mechanical engineer but when you start telling me that bolts through wood are better than these dual patented compression clamps that the other company has, I know you are blowing smoke. Oh, and their swing section is all held together by metal plates but she was focusing on how the clubhouse does not use metal and how great that is. And then she started saying your wood is better than their wood? Ok, maybe there is a minor advantage but I can’t see the big difference when they are both redwood.
Maybe I should have stuck with my metal swing set plan — except that I have bad memories of my sister on that play set. Good embarrassing story! So my sister and I are playing on the set in our backyard as kids. My memory is foggy on this but somehow Natalee is on the ladder and she slips and falls. She lands on the top step of the stairs — saddling the top step. She starts crying. Must have hurt. After going inside and being checked out by Mom, we find out that she is ripped her “woo hoo” and she has to go and get stitches. We affectionately called her “Stitch Crotch” for many years after. Ah, memories.
