“We all have Brand Loyalty… but when was the last time you stopped to ask the question, “Why”?”
Top 4 Excuses For Not Switching Air Compressor Brands
People don’t like change. We’re creatures of habit and creatures of comfort. Whether we’re at work or at home, we like things a certain way and have certain biases and loyalties to particular products and companies. Some people prefer Bud Light while others swear by Miller Lite. Some have been driving Fords for years and some refuse anything but Chevy. Brand Loyalty is a part of our everyday lives and sometimes our loyalties are good, but other times we develop commitments that aren’t so good. Even in the latter case we still know better, and yet we often make excuses for our bad loyalties because we all like the path of least resistance. Unfortunately in some cases, our brand loyalty can cost us quite a bit of money! Many customers have come to us after years of being loyal to a service company/brand that was no longer holding up their end of the deal. When was the last time you stopped to ask the question, “Why”? Why am I committed to my compressor brand? Why am I committed to my service company? Now let me be clear, we’re not saying brand loyalty is always bad, in fact being loyal is something that is greatly lacking in our day. But there are times when we seriously need to reevaluate those areas where our loyalties may be hurting us. Here are the four most popular reasons why it takes some customers longer than others to reevaluate their existing compressed air service company.
1) “Why switch, It’s not my money”
In nearly every manufacturing facility, the person responsible for monitoring the air compressor is not directly impacted by the cost. Plant managers and maintenance supervisors have a massive amount of responsibility for the day to day operations of their facilities. While in a perfect world, business owners and stakeholders want these positions to be mindful of the bottom line, but in the minds of plant managers, as long as the facility is producing, the brand of air compressor or compressor service company simply doesn’t matter.
Unfortunately, this “go with the flow” attitude could end up costing your company a lot of money, especially if the compressor equipment is inefficient you could lose thousands in energy costs alone, not to mention the outrageously expensive service contract you may have been sold by the manufacturer to maintenance your machines.
Pro Tip: Plant managers – if you can prove that you’re able to save the company money, you may find yourself getting a pretty nice raise 😉
2) “I don’t trust a sales pitch”
It doesn’t matter whether you’re being sold an air compressor or an airplane, no one enjoys a sales pitch. Throughout our lives, we have been taught to be skeptical of sales pitches and to always look out for “the catch”. For many, hearing someone discuss ways to save money or improve their current air system raises questions. If it costs less does that mean the quality of service is cheaper? If the quality of service is better does that mean the price will eventually increase? Rather than taking the time to learn more about other options, maintenance managers say they’re happy with their current providers and move on with their day.
This mindset isn’t so bad when you’re dealing with smaller non-essential products or services that have very little impact on your bottom line, but when you’re dealing with expensive industrial equipment you simply cannot take this approach. Studies have shown that industrial plants waste roughly 30 percent on compressed air, which means in some cases the costs could be upwards of $30,000! You must do your due diligence in researching the best equipment and service option for your company.
Pro Tip: Most of the larger manufacturers have decent CAGI performance verifications, but the data doesn’t always translate well into real-life scenarios, nor can they show you how reliable a compressor really is. Most compressors don’t run in absolutely pristine perfect environments, which means they may look good on paper (during tests) but don’t actually stack up in real-world applications. You simply cannot rely on data sheets and efficiency alone to determine the reliability, quality, and support you will get once the sale is done.
3) “Been using these guys for this long, why stop?”
It’s easy for people to get comfortable with their surroundings, whether it be on the job or off. In manufacturing facilities responsible for generating millions of dollars a year, it can be very easy to get comfortable with the service providers you use. For many companies, the same brand of compressor might have been used for decades, why change? It doesn’t matter if that brand has dropped in quality or has become more expensive to maintain, or the company rips you off with insane service contracts. The name on the side of that compressor and the name on the side of the service van that comes in every quarter has been looped into the daily grind for years.
Now is a good time to stop and ask that question… Why? Why am I committed to my compressor brand, and why am I committed to my service company? Has the machine been reliable? Does my service provider have my best interest in mind? Do they respond the same day when I have a service need, or do I wait for days or weeks to get service? You may be surprised to find out there’s a better choice only a phone call away.
Pro Tip: Don’t just get your information from the company you have a particular loyalty with. It’s good to hear competing information. If you’re reading this article then you’re probably already following this tip!
4) “I’m not happy with my service provider but I’m locked into a contract…”
Plenty of Plant Managers and Maintenance Managers are not happy with their current air compressor service provider. Unfortunately, this isn’t enough to propel a switch, as many feel pressured to their existing service contracts. These blanket, long-term service agreements are structured as an insurance policy against “any and all break downs” that may happen with their air compressors. Even with subpar service and unplanned repairs, the peace of mind that Maintenance Managers receive from these costly service contracts allows for factory stores to continue taking advantage of customers.
Certain factory direct air system service providers love locking customers into long term service contracts. The idea here is to give the impression of being “locked-in” instills fear in the customer not to go anywhere else for service if they are unhappy. The truth is that these factory service contracts are astronomically overpriced. So over-priced that you could potentially buy a new compressor in only a few short years with the money you paid for your yearly service contract! Let that sink in for a minute.
“We’ll lock in your parts cost for the whole term of your contract”. This sounds great but what the fine print doesn’t explain is that you’re getting ripped off from the start, so this illusion of savings is completely irrelevant.
Pro Tip: Add up the cost of your yearly service contract over the next 5 years, then look at the cost of a new machine. Determine how many years it would take to buy a new machine. If it’s 3 years or less then you should stop and ask the question, why would I need such an expensive service contract to cover repairs if my machine isn’t good enough to last 3 years? Maybe my equipment isn’t as good as my sales rep said it was!
Pro Pro Tip: There’s a compressor brand that actually has a lifetime air-end warranty, and they don’t require an outrageous, unrealistic service regimen to maintain that lifetime warranty… You’re welcome! 😎