When it comes to investing in a new post frame building kit package, there are really only three major areas to cover – quality, service and price.
Everyone wants to feel they have gotten a good value when they make a major investment, whether it is a vehicle, a house or a new pole building.
Can we all agree, “value” is most important?
Anyone can provide a product at a lower price – by sacrificing quality and/or service.
As a potential purchaser, when you tell me:
“I don’t care about service, delivery or quality. Price is all that is important.” How would you feel if my response was: “Okay then we’ll provide you a great price with poor service, inferior quality and it will arrive months late? And those pieces we shorted you? You’ll have to pay us extra for them.”
Give you a warm, fuzzy feeling?
I think not.
Let’s all face reality together, we all care and care a lot about things other than just a cheap price.
There is a certain Midwest based supplier of pole building kit packages who almost always seems to have a really great price. I’ve spoken with more than a few people who purchased one of their kit packages – only to find out there is seemingly no one in store who can help them out when they get “stuck” due to poor instructions or inadequate plans. Almost universally they voice concerns about the lack of quality in what they were delivered, and how they had to buy more materials to complete their building.
How bad are they? Bad enough so several post frame builders I highly respect refuse to assemble their building kits!
Personally I have even wandered innocently (as innocently as I can anyhow) into a couple of their locations. When I posed what I felt would be ‘softball’ questions to their ‘expert’ staff – I got nothing back but ‘deer in the headlights’ looks!
There also is something about the disclaimer on this competitor’s quotes, one an average potential buyer might want to read twice:
“You may buy all the materials or any part at low cash and carry prices. Because of the wide variation in codes, xxxxxxx (insert store name) cannot guarantee the material list will meet your code requirements. These post frame buildings are suggested designs and material lists only. Some items may vary from those pictured. We do not guarantee the completeness or prices of these buildings. Labor, concrete flooring, some finish materials and delivery are not included. Some special order truss sizes may be jobsite delivered. Delivery is extra. This post frame may have been altered from the plan’s original design.”
When I hear, “Your price is too high”, my response is, “Compared to what?”
Compared to what pole barn prices were five years ago? Compared to a price someone gave you in a phone call, or was read on Craigslist or EBay? Or compared to another potential supplier who left out several features, or doors, or didn’t even quote the same size?
My lovely bride (of twenty years now) and I used to visit Ecuador every winter, where vendors selling things expect to haggle over price, so they ALL universally jack their prices up. They are all playing this same game and do it well. Once you have reached a price and have paid, they are vamoosed (hmm, great price, questionable quality, no service).
America’s post frame building industry is very competitive. Profit margins are small, and costs of materials and their transportation are pretty much similar. As best I know, no one owns a magical forest of free lumber or a super-secret inventory of low cost steel, so if you see a price too good to be true, chances are it is.
Granted, every once in a while Hansen Pole Buildings does have the best price, but given our provided features, and our high level of quality and service, it is a fairly rare occurrence. If someone else has a lower price, especially WAY lower, be a skeptic – there is a reason, one perhaps not obvious at first glance. If you don’t know how to compare quotes on pole barn prices…we’ll do it for you – fairly and for free. If another provider actually offers a better value, we will be first to tell you to “go buy it now!”
