Everyone loves a great deal and everyone loves finding a super low price online. However, the "best price online" is often times not the BEST deal.
If a customer is looking for a book then the lowest price is a no brainer. Need a certain pair of shoes? Well then they either fit and are comfortable or they don't and you send them back.
In the Fountain and Pond business, things can be a little more complicated. Many of the products offered require both seller and buyer to have a little knowledge about the items and how they work together. Please take a moment to view the two examples below and you will have a better understanding of what I mean.
Example #1
A customer is looking to install a backyard fish pond themselves. They buy the pond liner from one company, the pump from another and the skimmer, filter, tubing all from different companies - all at the lowest price. It all sounds good when they order it but when they go to install this equipment, they find that none of the components are compatible with each other. They end up with an ill fitting system rigged together that does not effectively maintain their aquatic system. We call these "Frankenstein kits" and customer often end up plagued with algae, dead fish, and a putrid stinking cesspool of waste in their yard. Now did they really get the best deal? Did the $40 they saved on $1500 worth of product justify the thousands of dollars in extra maintenance and hundreds of man hours they will have to spend in order to run their pond year after year while fighting a system not meant to operate together?
Example #2
A customer needing a specialty pump for their hydroponics system must understand and choose between an oil filled direct drive pump or a low head magnetic hybrid. The total dynamic head pressure of their system must be known to select the correct pump and GPH flow for their system. Do they know which of those type pumps will meet the specific needs of their application? We do! If they are unable to set up the system, will that low price seller on Amazon or Ebay be able to guide them through the installation process? Will they be able to offer assistance with an exchange and suggest a pump more appropriate to their individual setup? Will that seller working off a drop ship only program direct from the manufacturer and who has never had a product in their hands be able to troubleshoot their pump if it fails or guide them through the warranty replacement process or give them maintenance advice on how to prevent failure to begin with?
Please understand that as a consumer myself I don't want to pay too much for any of my purchases. But even more important than saving $10 on a $200 item is the peace of mind I receive when I work with a customer service agent or salesperson and know the product I am purchasing will meet my needs and is sold by a company knowledgeable in their field. Someone who can answer my questions before and after the sale.
All across the web we see an ever downward spiraling of prices. Sometimes this is a good thing. Other times this trend leaves low price leaders like Amazon prime and lowballing drop shippers pulling market share from companies providing much needed customer support. This system, and this trend, is unsustainable for many types of consumer products. It puts an undue burden on the consumer by requiring them to know detailed information about items outside their scope of knowledge. It results in an ever increasing sense of frustration, disappointment and returns on orders received that fail to meet customers needs.
At Graystone Creations, we will always provide customers with the best possible customer service as well as products at a fair price. It is my greatest wish that my team will be able to assist you with your pond or water feature project when you are ready to begin. I ask only that buyers understand the "LOWEST PRICE ONLINE" is seldom "THE BEST DEAL ONLINE"
John Olson-CEO
Graystone Industries, Inc. dba Graystone Creations