POLL When choosing equipment what is most important

[WANTYNU]

A little research question.

When choosing emergency equipment what is most important to you.

If more than one answer applies just post the order.

Thanks,

Be Safe,

WANTYNU

[spenac]

Since I am answering first anything free?

Quality is most important.

Price sadly always comes into question, but I will pay more if I am confident it is worth the extra change.

Satisfaction. If I buy something I have never bought before I like the option of returning it no questions asked.

[dahlio]

Definitely Quality. You don't want your stuff breaking on you when you need it. All the other things are nice, but if you have a quality product, it should last you longer then if you were to pick the cheap one. As spenac said, it's nice to have the option to return it, but quality is the most important.

[Chief1C]

Cost is always a factor.. But I want quality, with a good reputation, durable, and well known. Not that I won't try something new, but I like to see a warranty or guarantee from the manufacturer too.

[spenac]

Cost is always a factor.. But I want quality, with a good reputation, durable, and well known. Not that I won't try something new, but I like to see a warranty or guarantee from the manufacturer too.

But I hate when I have to pay shipping to get warranty repair. It's like my cheap $5 watch. Lifetime warranty. Just send it back with $12 for return S&H and they will repair or replace it free. :? I'll just go buy another watch, much cheaper.

[Scaramedic]

Personal Equipment:

Reputation: I tend to pick equipment I have heard good things about. Like why I bought a Littman, I had heard good things from Docs when I was doing Paramedic school rounds.

Ease: How easy is it to get. I just recently bought another pair of boots. I searched the net to find good prices, but in the end I went to local sporting goods store and bought them. It was just easier to try them on and buy them here then order on line.

Price: I am willing to pay more for equipment I know will last.

Company Equipment.

When I used to buy company equipment my priorities included:

Local capability for service and repair: It's great to buy a product cheap, but it's a real pain in the ass if you have to ship it for service and repair.

Ease of use and training: Buying a new product with a high learning curve can be a real problem when your training a large group.

State and local regs: Some equipment must be verified for use by your regulatory agencies. For example a suction unit must reach a certain mm/Hg before it is allowed to go on the streets.

Extendibility/Available upgrades: Can the equipment be upgraded for changing treatment modalities or technology. A prime example of this is the new AHA algorithms and old AED's that cannot be reprogrammed. Also included is this is price of upgrades, does a new module cost more than the piece of equipment itself?

[WANTYNU]

Definitely Quality. You don't want your stuff breaking on you when you need it. All the other things are nice, but if you have a quality product, it should last you longer then if you were to pick the cheap one. As spenac said, it's nice to have the option to return it, but quality is the most important.

Quality is most important.

Price sadly always comes into question, but I will pay more if I am confident it is worth the extra change.

Satisfaction. If I buy something I have never bought before I like the option of returning it no questions asked.

So are you and spenac saying beyond quality (which in my experience is next to impossible to tell without using a product), when buying indirectly, the next on the list that would influence you to take a chance is a company backing guarantee?

Does that mean failure guarantee (if it breaks it is fixed or replaced) only or must it also include a satisfaction guarantee (money back for any reason) as well?

I’ve been told a money back guarantee makes the produce look cheaper.

Be Safe,

WANTYNU

[dahlio]

So are you and spenac saying beyond quality (which in my experience is next to impossible to tell without using a product), when buying indirectly, the next on the list that would influence you to take a chance is a company backing guarantee?

Does that mean failure guarantee (if it breaks it is fixed or replaced) only or must it also include a satisfaction guarantee (money back for any reason) as well?

I’ve been told a money back guarantee makes the produce look cheaper.

Be Safe,

WANTYNU

When buying something new, yes, it probably is the second most important feature. Sorry I didn't clarify before.

[Dustdevil]

Quality stands out for me too, but I think "quality" means different things to different people, as well as to different types of products. It seems that what some call "quality" here, I would be more inclined to just call durability. There are a lot of products out there that are as durable as a 1949 Cadillac engine block, but I would still say are of poor quality. They may not break, but they are poorly made nonetheless. Roughly manufactured and finished, roughly operating instead of a smooth action (which is sometimes the unfortunate by-product of durability), aesthetically ugly. Obviously just not a lot of care and precision used in the manufacturing or assembly process. Like when you buy something that has to be assembled, but the holes don't line up and you end up drilling holes and buying bolts just to make it work. I call that poor quality, even if it is as solid as a rock.

Beyond quality, I am mostly a pragmatist. Whatever works best is what I tend to like, with price being only a secondary concern. I am willing to pay for quality and function if it makes the product better suited to my needs.

It is important to not confuse function with multi-function. I am not usually likely to choose a product just because it is multi-functional. I would only do that if there was no tool specially suited for the other function that I had easy access to. I'm all for technology and the like, but I stop short of being a gadget freak. I just want one tool that does one job in the best possible manner.

I am only slightly willing to pay for aesthetics. I am a slave to fashion, but not so much that I'll buy the platinum badge from Galls when the chrome one works just as well, and few would ever know the difference.

Guarantees... yeah, they do give me a little sense of security, I suppose. But I don't attach a lot of faith or importance to them. Especially in store-bought items, where they are likely to replace something for me, regardless of the manufacturers guarantee. And I agree, few people ever exercise their guarantee rights anyhow. They just write it off as a loss and a lesson learned, and buy something else next time. I never really thought about them being a subliminal sign of low quality before. I'll have to think about that one, but I suppose there is some merit to that theory. There is very little in marketing that has not been thoroughly studied and determined. Because of that, it amazes me that so many businessmen and companies seem totally ignorant of the basic concepts of marketing.

[AnthonyM83]

As far as the guarantee issue, I think with smaller items it might the case, since few people ever get around to it. But with more expensive products (like in the thousands), I think people will remember that and go through the effort or sending it back. Then, again, even for cheap items, the manufacturer might genuinely believe it's a quality item, but knows he'll increase his sails even more if he adds in the guarantee. That'll help him convince the buyers were finance is more of an issue.