The Professional Choice

A companion overview to the popular "Ask Mr. Handyman" radio program airing on Christian Talk Radio, KCRO 660AM Saturdays @ 9:30AM.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Better Quality Means Higher Price

Here is a quote that sheds some light on quality verses price from a previous century. There were some wise ole' folks back then!

"It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot - it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run. And if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better."
John Ruskin - 1819 - 1900
English Author, Architect, and Economist

I can relate with Mr. Ruskin's point. I just returned from a business trip where I purchased some beauty products for my wife. I bought them at a kiosk in a mall and paid a higher price than I would have in any other situation. I have read comments from online posters that these folks (beauty product vendors) are ripping people off because the products could be purchased online for far less (about 50% lower costs online). These online vendors do not have the overhead of a mall kiosk, a staff of sales persons, nor sample products to demonstrate on potential customers, nor theft issues. Is there any wonder that their sales price is greater than a warehouse environment at an online vendor? Potential customers get to sample the products at the mall kiosk and receive wonderful customer service each time more products are needed.

I think we all have been accustomed to a Wal-Mart World where we think the cheapest price is the best but it is rarely the greatest overall value. There are many "handymen" in the Omaha area that will work for food (on the table) but when it comes to customer service, warranty, and professionalism, they cannot compare to a reputable company like Mr. Handyman. Do you think they will be straightforward about the guy they send to your home if he has been a convicted felon (we perform background checks on all employees). Buyer Beware! Will they have insurance to cover YOUR LOSS if a mishap took place? Ask for proof or hire the professional choice, Mr. Handyman.

I'd rather pay a higher price to get that kind of protection than pay a cheaper price and get wiped out. If you can grasp the financial hardship an unlicensed, uninsured serviceman can cause you if some type of calamity should occur, what about the emotional and physical devastation your family will endure if you found out too late that the individual was a convicted child molestor. What would saving $20 per hour feel like to you then?

Like Mr. Ruskin stated, it is best to pay more as long as you know the value added overcomes the added risk of the lower price. It costs the professional company more to lessen the overall risk to you but it is only a few dollars compared to thousands of dollars potential loss and quite possibly loss of life to you and your family. In the end....pay more but make sure you get more. You'll be much happier and safer.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Sell your Home & all the Maintenance & Repairs along with it!

An overwhelming trend in today's society is for a couple to purchase a home and live there well into their retirement years. A home is a major expense even if the mortgage had been paid-off many years ago. The annual property taxes, preventative maintenance, utilities, yard and exterior clearing and repairs may put the cost of staying in your home outside of your fixed income. Many choose to purchase the priority items (prescription drugs, health care, and food) and let the home deteriorate.

A 'seasoned' couple (or singles, for that matter) can sell their home and move into a roomy apartment or condo (where maintenance & repairs are tasked to someone else) and live very comfortable, both financially and physically, without any unforeseen major expenditures for home repairs or the annual maintenance costs that keep the house in great shape. On another note, let’s face it, most repairmen, contractors and auto mechanics do not have a great reputation in giving the elderly great value for the services they provide sometimes taking them for a huge sum because of the situation they find themselves in.

Many are choosing to move to the downtown Omaha area where the shops, nightlife and nostalgia are unparalleled. On a recent drive one evening to the Civic Auditorium for a hockey night with the girls, I witnessed many elderly couples walking around downtown catching the nightlife and enjoying life in general. They were laughing and cutting-up even in the brisk wind!

One such apartment complex is the Orpheum Tower Apartments in beautiful downtown Omaha. It has 16 stories packed with numerous floor plans to accommodate a wide variety of potential apartment dwellers. Availability is limited as they average a 97% occupancy rate throughout most of the year. Their website is http://www.orpheumtowerapts.com/ .



Ask for a little sweetie named Sara. If she doesn't have availability at the Orpheum there are other properties in the downtown area she can help you discover.