What is most important Price or Quality for your landscape lighting project?

What is most important Price or Quality for your landscape lighting project?

By Mike Gambino

Quite often as a landscape lighting design and build contractor I am confronted during a conversation when meeting a prospect and they state they are “looking for the best deal” but the real question is are you comparing apples to apples?

On a few occasions we have encountered during a design consult and cost quotation appointment being told that multiple contractors would be  viewing the property to present or prepare a proposal to present at another time.

Who Wins?

Nobody Wins

Often the best price wins the job. meaning the lowest price is the determining factor of who gets awarded the project.

Placed aside is the discussion of quality, craftsmanship an experience.

Quality is described in different ways by almost everyone.  In the landscape lighting world we consider creative aesthetically pleasing designs, lighting equipment that is durable, easy to maintain,  performs and lasts as well as many other items to be more important than saving a few dollars.

Craftsmanship is a deep love for the origins and processes of the profession of the landscape lighting process.  Few artisans of the landscape lighting world are around and practicing.  With popularity of DIY, cheap consumer quality big box  pre boxed plug and play kit lights and several non specialized trades offering services as a sideline the landscape lighting artisan craftsman have become fewer and fewer.

Experience in the landscape lighting industry is often overlooked as the “new” provider is often the lowest price as they are just trying to get by and possibly do not know or realize the cost of maintaining the business for the long haul.  The lower priced “new” lighter possibly and as history tells us most new businesses do not last more than three (3) years.  If this is the case who are you going to call next year if there is an issue with today’s low priced project? Who will take care of you and your system?

As they say “Quality, Quantity or Price” pick two because you cannot have all three.

We ask our customers one simple question “What does an Exceptional landscape lighting experience looklike to you?” This allows the prospect to step back and think of the important factors in their next project.

Some of the answers we have received for our question of” What does an Exceptional landscape lighting experience look to you?” are:

  • Suits our wants and needs
  • Provides safety, security and beauty
  • lower operational and maintenance costs
  • No major disruption or damage to existing landscaping
  • stands the test of time and lasts
  • perfection and craftsmen working

As you can see by the list an exceptional experience for a customer has very little to do with the price of the project when they are comparing apples to apples.

On your next project what are you looking for and “What does an Exceptional landscape lighting experience look like to you?

If you are looking for an exceptional crafted landscape lighting project please fill out our lighting inquiry form to view and discuss your project.

This landscape lighting blog is published by Mike Gambino of Gambino landscape lighting inc. all rights reserved. Mike is a professional landscape lighting system designer/ builder and has been designing, installing and maintaining landscape lighting systems for more than 30 years. Mike resides in the Los Angeles area with his wife and 2 sons. To visit his website go to www.Gambinolighting.com . To inquire about hiring Mike please click here .

Blog articles may be published with permission on other websites without editing or removing links.

 

 

 

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