A question of quality

We have all been there. We have all gone shopping at one time or another and found something that we think is great value for money only to get home and find that it was not the bargain you thought it was. Everybody has also experienced poor service where you feel wronged as the paying customer who is meant to have rights and to generally feel ‘looked after’ by the service provider. It is no different in the satellite industry. It is a business. People buy a product and expect to buy the customer service and support along with it. It is all very well to have the customer believe they have made a ‘bargain’ purchase and to drop prices considerably, but to create brand loyalty and to retain a faithful customer base they need to know that what they have bought is of high quality and that a support network is in place should it be required, especially in a highly technical industry like satellite communications.

The current economic crisis is a testing time for all and, as a result, customers will be putting a great deal more thought into where their money is spent. Budgets are constrained and therefore everyone is looking for a good deal. However, if a price seems to good to be true, it probably is. However, by increasing the quality of a product as well as lowering its price, a company is ensuring return customers. It makes good business sense.

A must for satellite systems and service companies is a solid customer support centre. Any self respecting organisation will ensure that a team is in place 24 hours a day seven days a week to make sure that any problems experienced by those using their product or services are dealt with. Lifecycle support is also an offering that helps companies to enable their customers to get the most out of their purchase.

The satellite industry is not one that is renowned as being low-cost. It is placed very much at the opposite end of the scale. It is true that prices of hardware and services have fallen, but surely it is right that the satellite industry remains synonymous with quality. Dropping prices to encourage sales is all very well but it is important that the quality of the product and the service that goes with it is maintained at a high level. This way, the reputation of a company is secured and it really does become value for money. This will never fail to attract the customer and, more importantly, will mean that they will come back in the future. Customers will soon see through a product of dubious quality and they will tell others. Yes, everybody is looking for a bargain - but without a compromise on quality.

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