How to choose a reliable and trusted company for your next construction investment

December 15, 2018

When choosing a company to provide a product you will use for years to come, you must choose wisely. The investment in a new product will hopefully become an important part of your operation. So before you choose, you’re going to need a solid verification of the quality of the product and the integrity of the company offering the product. What criteria can you use to determine these qualities?

Below you’ll find some tips for investigating and determining whether or not a company may be a good match for your needs or if they’re even a trustworthy business. Once you make the investment, a good working relationship and partnership with a reliable company will be an invaluable asset for you. You definitely don’t want to get saddled with a company that doesn’t return phone calls, has crummy customer service and warranties, or undependable parts and products.

Here are seven ways to tell what kind of company you’re dealing with.

How does their website look?

This first place to look at is the company’s website. A well designed and regularly updated website is a key indicator of a company’s health and commitment to quality. A great company will provide you with great photos and descriptions of the product so you can make informed choices. They will also be willing to easily provide adequate documentation regarding the products performance and customer experiences using the product. If you see little proof the product works in a real-world environment, that’s a red flag. A product that performs well will always have video documentation and lots of it.

Can they help you after you drop the money?

You will want a company that services what they sell. Once you’ve bought the product, will you be able to easily buy replacement parts or get parts serviced as needed? Check to see if the company has the resources to maintain adequate parts inventories and if they have an adequate service department. Your sales representative should be knowledgeable about all aspects of the products usage. Great companies train the sales force well to support the customer.

Do they offer a good manual?

Another thing you’ll want to determine is if the company offers a good manual for the product. Products that are more complex demand a thorough explanation to shorten the learning curve. Many companies now offer tutorials on Youtube. These are a tremendous asset. If a company offers no manual and no video tutorials consider looking elsewhere.

Does the amount of staff match the amount of product they offer?

Ask yourself how many products this company offers. If they represent a lot of products, are they equipped and staffed to properly support all products? If not, they may have a really hard time helping you when you need it.

If relevant, make sure the company offers engineering specifications

If the products you are purchasing will be used on projects that are scrutinized by engineers, such as manhole repair, inquire if the company offers an engineering specification that has been widely used.

Do they have good testimonials, case studies, or customers you can contact for a reference?

Don’t take the word of the company. Find out what other customers have to say about the products and their experience with the company. If you can, call customers that have used to products and see if they are pleased with the products and support.

How is their marketing material and the company’s overall condition?

Looks aren’t everything but they do reveal a wealth of information about a company. Examine the overall look of a company’s marketing material, website, and print ads. Observe the condition of the facility they operate from. Check the fit and finish of the products they sell. These factors tell a lot about a company.

If you are a municipal engineer searching for equipment and methods to facilitate manhole repair, consider the above as you make your decisions.

Manhole repair is an emerging market that grows daily due to faster, safer methods. Get involved and grow your business. As you began your journey into this great market pick a company that can support you best.

Mr. Manhole is a small company dedicated entirely to servicing the needs of manhole repair specialists. We operate much like a franchise in the way we support our customers. We’re dedicated to the success of our customers and realize that by helping you achieve your goals we all succeed.

All of our products are manufactured to a level that we would be proud to use ourselves and our team strives to provide great documentation and tutorials for our customers. We maintain a replacement part inventory that is more than sufficient so that we can provide product when you need it. And, all of our methods are fully engineered and the specifications are available free of charge. Excellence is our goal and commitment so you can purchase with confidence.