We say it all the time, and for the most part it’s true: “Price is not value.” However, there are sometimes exceptions to this and I wanted to highlight one favorable experience I had this weekend.
I recently purchased a new set of tires for my car and as such I figured it would be a good time to do an alignment. I mainly wanted to see how out of whack my suspension was and primarily wanted to do it so my tires wear evenly and squarely.
I like supporting local businesses, and figured was a good opportunity to do so. I asked a nearby shop if they knew of a place that does alignments. You know, working that ‘word of mouth’ aspect from a trustworthy source.
They directed me to a local shop in Gilbert where they didn’t have any availability to do an alignment. The manager quoted me $70 and seemed disinterested to move any other jobs around to get me in and out. Not exactly rockstar service, but when it comes down to it – he didn’t need my business. He had a day’s full of jobs in queue with four mechanics on staff.
Thinking back to a reputable brand that even my dad recommends is Pep Boys. Their brand promise is to beat any price for service work by 5% – but I think this is mostly intended for tires, but I decided to try my luck.
I called the nearest Pep Boys shop and asked for a quote on an alignment and they initially quoted me the same price as the local shop. Okay, not bad, I’m willing to pay that since it appears to be the going rate for alignments. But I asked about their 5% price guarantee and the manager went above and beyond and just asked how much I was quoted – verbally – and beat it by $25. Way better than 5%… and he was super friendly about it.
As expected, he overrode the price in their CRM and put it through for what he quoted and the service work was top-notch.
This experience has shown that when pricing is so close to a brand, it pays off. I will probably come back for more work in the future and I am more compelled to stay loyal to this national franchise.
Could it have been they were starving for work? Possibly. Could it have been that alignments are overpriced at $70 to begin with? Maybe. Could it be adapting to the needs of a prospect to wow them to come back for more? I think so.
Anyhow, pricing CAN BE value if a business stands behind it and it supports their brand. Price is not always value – convenience is also valuable. Getting my car in and out quickly is a blessing, too. This experience makes the case for when pricing can be valuable.
