When I was a young girl my maternal grandmother gave me a piece of advice I have not only remembered, but also implemented throughout my life. My grandparents traveled frequently both domestically and internationally. They would bring back wonderful treasures for us and teach us about the culture and history of the area they visited as well as the meaning behind the priceless gifts they gave us.
Some of those treasures included a necklace watch from Switzerland, dainty, sparkling in lavender hue and sheen. On the perimeter of the watch were some of the arts I regularly participated in, dance, theater, and music. On another occasion, they gave us Maori sticks from Hawaii, used in the Polynesian culture as instruments for rhythm and entertainment. Whenever they traveled to England, they would bring the girls beautiful bone china teacup and saucer sets.
I loved all of my grandparents. They were so generous, successful, talented and kind to us. They taught us a variety of valuable teachings supplementing my parents’ depth of teaching and parenting. All were frugal, fun and wise. I admired them for working hard and respecting their assets as they saved and built a strong and secure financial foundation.
On one occasion, my maternal grandparents returned from England and came to our home to visit and give us our gifts. I was so excited. Once the gift-giving concluded, everyone graciously thanked them and excitedly took their gifts to play with or display.
I had received a beautiful Royal Doulton bone china teacup and saucer set with a rich floral pattern, in deep, Rembrandt-toned colors trimmed in gold. It was the most exquisite set I had ever seen and I was mesmerized. My grandmother took me aside, explaining the quality and value of bone china. She carefully turned the cup and saucer upside down to show me the imprint “bone china” on the bottom of both items. The conversation continued as she explained so beautifully the meaning and value of the gift.
As she concluded, she said to me, “Marcia, always choose quality over cost.” She further explained that by choosing quality didn’t mean choosing the most expensive, but rather, quality endures and eliminates frequent repurchasing, saving money overall. Also, if an item was less expensive, didn’t mean it was cheap. She was encouraging me to take time to examine my purchases closely and not just throw my money away because I had a few dollars to spend. She advised me to be wise, and it would save me money in the long run. I have followed her advice, and she is absolutely right. I apply it especially to big ticket items or items that I need to last or have sentimental meaning. I have also applied “choose quality” to my personal life.
However, everyone sees it differently. Some want a short stop to shop and get it done, others take time to scrutinize. When shopping online, you can’t feel the fabric or try on the shoes to not only see if they fit, but are the quality shoes providing longevity but not comfort? Do the less expensive shoes wear out sooner, or do you love them so much and want them to last, you are not as likely to wear them as often, and beat them up knowing they are not the quality that would endure? How important is quality or repeated purchasing at lower cost to you? Which do you choose quality or cost? What purchases are you willing to invest more in? What purchases are good choices for keeping costs down?
In a changing world of purchasing, and company production outsourced overseas to preserve cost, without regard to quality, where is the customer in all of this now? Is it possible to find quality at a reasonable cost? Regulations for the most part protect us, but they are changing, too. Recalls are so frequent; we don’t even pay attention anymore. Quality begins in the values of organizations. Are they choosing quality or cost for the customer, and is it possible to have both? Does the customer even care about quality anymore, or is it all about accessibility, popularity or whatever is most available online? Organizations are listening to what we need and want in an effort to address the trends of social conversation and expectation. What they are hearing or ignoring?
What do you choose? We often hear, “they just don’t make them like they used to anymore.” What makes products and organizations so much different now than before? It may come down to whether they choose quality over cost. I also know loving grandmothers give quality advice that is priceless and endures forever.
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