When you’re in the market to buy new equipment it is important to become an educated consumer. Your new piece of equipment will likely be the heart of your business and you want to make sure it is within your budget and meets your standards in quality. Here’s a list of questionsyou may want to bring up before you make your final decision:
1) How long have you been in business? Make sure the company that you’re about to do business with has been around long enough to establish themselves as a trustworthy company. You don’t want to buy equipment from a company who just popped up overnight.
2) What sets you apart from competitors? This is a great question to help you understand what priorities the company has. Do they focus on price, quality or something else?
3) What is your typical lead time on equipment? Do you have a job that needs to be started ASAP? You had better make sure you can receive your equipment when you need it.
4) What is your warranty? Find out what exactly is covered on their warranty. Parts, labor, electric? How long?
5) Where are your machines made? Some consumers care about this, while others don’t. If you do, then ask.
6) Does your company sell direct? Many equipment manufacturers distribute their product through a network of selected distributors. While you can buy direct from the manufacturer a majority of the time, don’t be surprised if you are referred to someone closer to your area.
7) Does your company sell internationally? Are you outside of the country that your equipment manufacturer is in? You had better make sure that they can ship to you. This is also true of remote areas.
8) What do I do if I need service? You don’t anticipate it but you should make sure that the company will assist you, should you need it. This is often another reason why manufacturers will work with area distributors- so that they can be closer in order to service equipment.
11) Do you have videos or images of the machines? YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn- the social media options are endless and most companies have an abundance of pictures and videos on their website and these sites. Try searching for the company on YouTube or just ask them to send you links.