Shop Talk: The Meaning of Value

There’s an old adage in the business world that says, “I do work that is good, fast, and cheap. Choose any two.” Another one says, “You get what you pay for.”

Though somewhat tongue-in-cheek, both are true in their own way.

While we all want quality products and top-notch service at a low price, to find all three is incredibly rare. And if you do find this rare pearl, don’t get used to it, because once the word gets out (and it will), as the business works to keep up with a growing demand, either quality or service will suffer, or the company will increase prices in order to add capacity and maintain quality.

Every business defines value by employing some type of strategy to balance quality, service and price.

Some businesses thrive by maintaining the lowest price point in the industry. For decades, big box stores have done this incredibly well, building a virtual empire and taking an enormous share of their respective markets. However, those rock-bottom prices come with a cost. To turn a profit under such a model, a business has to keep overhead at a minimum. Sometimes that means product quality suffers, but most often, it means customer service takes a back seat if it’s present at all. Ask yourself, when was the last time you received exceptional service from a big box store? In many cases, if you can even find someone willing to help you, that person lacks the training and expertise necessary to provide any type of solid advice. And if something goes wrong, good luck finding anyone who can do anything more sophisticated than offering a refund. If you’re like me, you’ll find this incredibly frustrating, but in cases where price is the primary concern, you grudgingly put up with it. In situations where you really do need solid service, though, it becomes necessary to turn to a competitor with a different strategy.

This brings us to the type of company that focuses primarily on service. A lot of “mom and pop” businesses that compete with big boxes fall into this category. In most cases, they’ll offer the exact same product as the big box, but at a higher price point. Here, however, you’ll often receive personal, knowledgeable service from an industry expert who knows his or her product backward and forward. This type of business will go to great lengths to ensure the job is done right the first time, and in rare cases where this doesn’t happen, they will provide the necessary support to ensure that corrections are made as quickly and hassle-free as possible.

When a top-of-the-line product is of utmost importance, though, a good boutique shop will provide a premium product and premium service, though it also comes with a premium price. Boutique shops often do very well catering to clients willing and able to pay for top-end deliverables.

In short, value means different things to different people at different times.

At DWR Communications, my definition of value is client satisfaction attained by a high level of quality at a reasonable price.

While I am not a boutique shop, I take a great deal of pride in my work, so my primary focus is on quality. If a client is not satisfied with my work, I don’t feel like I’ve done my job. As a result, I will work with a client on a draft until it is exactly what he or she wants. Usually, this is achievable through one or two rounds of revisions. Occasionally, though, it takes a bit more effort, and I’m happy to do what it takes to ensure that every client is confident that the finished product will meet his or her exact specifications.

Providing this level of quality and service does take a little bit of time, however.

I’m often asked if I can rush a project to completion within one or two days. Occasionally I can, if it’s a slow day and the project is fairly simple. Usually, though, I’m working on a tight production schedule, and when I get that call at 11:00 asking if I can complete a project before the end of the day, in a lot of cases, the answer is no.

Most of the time, I plan my work day at the end of the previous work day, and I have to prioritize. If I’ve promised a draft to a client on a given date, barring some type of major catastrophe, the draft will be completed as promised. As a result, sometimes I am unable to simply drop what I’m doing and focus on a rush order.

That said, if you have a rush order, don’t hesitate to call me. I’ll always be honest with you. If I can squeeze your project in, I will. Also, in many cases, I find that if a client can be a little bit flexible on the timeline, we can come up with a workable game plan that meets both of our needs. At any rate, I always encourage you to call. The worst that can happen is that I won’t have any availability on a particular day, but I’ll be up front about what I’m able or unable to do, and I’m pretty friendly to boot!

I also want to say a few words about price.

I’m not an entry-level writer. I have spent a great deal of time and money pursuing education and honing my craft, and the copywriting you receive from me will be reflective of this. Therefore, while I strive to be competitive on price, there will be times when I am not the cheapest option available.

As mentioned earlier, value is in the eye of the beholder. If budget is your primary concern, by all means, please call me. Quite often, when a client is willing, we can work out an arrangement that meets his or her budgetary requirements without sacrificing quality.

However, I’m not in the business of price matching, and I can’t realistically compete on price with the $29.99 resumes or the $25.00 article/blog posts I sometimes see advertised online. While I can’t speak to the quality of every one of these low-priced services, I can tell you that if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. I can’t count the number of websites and blogs I see brimming with grammatical errors and typos, and I can’t tell you how many times people have paid me to fix or completely redo content purchased from a copywriter offering an extremely low price point.

When you hire DWR Communications to do your copywriting, you will receive content that is well-written and grammatically correct. That’s my personal promise to each and every client. You can also rest assured that I will always provide honest answers and impeccable product support, on time and at a reasonable price.

Why accept anything less?

Call or e-mail DWR Communications today to discuss your copywriting project or just to ask a question.

I look forward to talking with you!

– David