You Get What You Pay For

Zip Code
CAPTCHA

My wife & I recently had the “pleasure” of trying to find our 12 year old daughter a catcher’s mitt for her fast-pitch softball league; which on the surface may sound like an easy enough task to accomplish, until you factor in the “genetic disorder” she inherited from me: Being left-handed. For the 10% or so of you reading this that also suffer from this malady, you already recognize the challenge of our task; but for all of you righty’s reading this & not understanding the problem, let me just remind you of how lucky you really are.

As 90%+ of the world is right-handed, items geared towards the “10-percenters” are few & far between; sporting goods stores – even those that claim to be specific sport “specialists” - don’t stock them; they’re happy to special order our glove of choice for us, but just like ordering clothes without first trying them on, this rarely works out as hoped. Nonetheless, with nowhere to go to first try on gloves, we were forced to do the online shopping thing to find a “34-inch left-handed throw (right-handed catch) girls/women’s fast-pitch softball catcher’s mitt” (and yes; you need to include all of those words in the search bar, or else…). We were able to find numerous options online; but as we had no intention of spending $100-$300 for a “stinkin’ piece of leather”, our choices were even more limited than previously explained.

After way too many hours spent searching way too many online retailers, we found what we thought was “the deal of the century”: A name-brand glove from a well-known online specialty retailer, both with numerous positive reviews; the glove “normally” sold for about $100.00, but was “clearance-priced” (“1 in stock”, so they claimed) for the ridiculously-low price of $27.88. Standard shipping was included, but they estimated a 2-4 week delivery time with that “free-of-charge” shipping; and as the softball season would be half over by that time, we opted to pay an additional $14.99 for “2-day delivery, guaranteed”. So, despite this extra charge bringing the total investment up to almost $43.00, this was still $20-$40 less than the next-closest comparable options we found, and we placed the order – and it never got any better than this.

The 2-day “guaranteed” delivery date came, and went, so we tried contacting the retailer to find out what happened (and request our $14.99 shipping charge be refunded, as they failed to deliver on that “promise”); our “Contact Us” email went unanswered, so after another day, called the 800 number prominently displayed at the top of their home page – and it rang, and rang, and… there wasn’t even a voicemail/menu prompt; just more ringing. Several days full of more ignored emails & unanswered phone calls went by; and when my wife finally got someone to answer the phone – on a Sunday afternoon, mind you – they were full of apologies: for the “ongoing technical issues” they claimed to be experiencing that prevented them from answering the phone calls or responding to the emails; for the glove “being in the box ready for shipping” but their “daily outgoing truck only being able to take “so many” boxes per day”; and so on. Nevertheless, they made all-new “promises” that they would take “every step necessary” to get the package out on tomorrow’s (Monday’s) truck, and “assured us” that we would have the glove by Wednesday the latest (as well as receive our shipping charge refund). But just as you might suspect, Wednesday came & went with no delivery; and more emails & phone calls went unanswered. We still needed the glove, and still wanted that $27.88 “deal of the century”; but then remembered the old adage about “something that seems too good to be true, usually being exactly that”, and finally came to the realization that we were expecting more, but were getting “what we paid for”.

So; we cancelled the $27.88 glove purchase (with our credit card provider, as we still couldn’t get anyone from the retailer to respond to our repeated inquiries), and quickly ordered what had been our “next-best” option – a $65.00 glove, with free 2-day shipping; and guess what? The glove arrived in 2 days as promised; it fit our daughter’s hand perfectly, and she has used it well every game since. She’s happy, and finally we are too; but the time & energy we put into this certainly wasn’t worth the $22.00 we would’ve “saved” had the 1st company delivered on its “promises”, and in fact probably cost us more as we tried to spend less!

The point behind sharing this tale with the world is that far too often we consumers make the false assumption that “all are created equal”, meaning the products/services we offer are no different than what another company might be offering them, and for a few dollars less at that, so there’s no reason not to go with the lowest priced option; and it is only after the purchase that we realize we should’ve “invested” the extra dollars, and received what we wanted to receive for that investment. Please remember this before making your next major purchase decision:

You get what you pay for, so why not be willing to pay for what you want to get?

Until Next Time -

Matt

Don’t just take our word for it, see what our customers have to say about our exceptional service!

  • Quality workmanship and premier customer service are hallmarks of Princeton Air in NJ. In the last 12 months I replaced two Lennox central air conditioners with new Lennox units and due to Hurricane Irene a new Lennox furnace. I have spent over 20K… Read more

    Michelle

  • I want to let you know that I had a chance to inspect the work you guys did for Pat Palmer and Mark Widmer. When I replaced a bathroom fan for them, I had to remove some drywall from their bathroom ceiling where Princeton Air had installed dense…

    Read more

    Dave

  • The house is performing wonderfully. The gas usage for November and December was 247 therms. The gas usage for last December alone was 248 therms. The family room, where we spend a lot of our leisure time, is much closer to the temperature of the… Read more

    Beverly

  • Princeton Air personnel provided us with an energy efficient heating/air conditioning system that worked without current heating challenges. We were very happy with the service. The installers showed up on time and were clean and courteous and they… Read more

    Vicki, Lawrenceville

  • Princeton Air and Eric saved us from another cold night. You were there when PSE&G was not. Thank you.

    Susan, West Windsor

  • Technician was cordial, polite, & professional.

    Suzanne, Skillman

  • I just wanted to say how impressed and extremely happy I was with Princeton Air. The professionalism, courtesy, and the attention to detail of Matt, Jimmy, Nelson, and Wes was both refreshing and much appreciated. I noticed that Princeton Air used… Read more

    Bode, Princeton

  • Returned home at 5:00PM last evening after being away for 2 plus weeks to find the furnace completely shut down...no heat, 48 degree temp in the house. Asked if someone could get there that evening and was advised that Eric, a Service Tech, was…

    Read more

    Mike, Princeton Junction

  • Sam got the bat out of my air conditioning vent in the master bedroom! Never complained. He also spotted a clogged pipe leaking in the attic from the unit. Replaced it quickly. Nice guy. Courteous and friendly. I appreciated his cheery demeanor… Read more

    Linda, Hopewell

  • We experienced a warranty issue that caused my ceiling to become water damaged, Sean's ability to stay calm helped me to calm down as well. I think it was his polite demeanor that caused me to remain a customer of your Company.

    Dawn, Lawrenceville

  • Milton called on us today to do an annual service on our air conditioning system. I found him to be very competent and knowledgeable. He worked quickly, but he explained things as he worked and gave me good advice. He was very thorough and…

    Read more

    Robert, Princeton

  • Regarding Paul, Jason, and Mark - Princeton Air is a wonderful company. We really appreciate all they did for us.

    Jim, Princeton Junction

  • I have been more than pleased with your technician, Mike. He is always very professional and allows me to call him directly to place a service call. He always responds to the service calls in a timely manner and is wonderful in dealing with the… Read more

    Mary, Lawrenceville

  • I just wanted to let you know how pleased I was with one of your techs Eric. I had a scheduled visit today and Eric was on time, very personable, and explained everything he was doing thoroughly. Eric is a fine representative of your company.…

    Read more

    Jim

  • This is my first time using your service and I want to compliment you on your good personnel. Its a really fine service that you have. I would love to have Milton back again if I can.

    Joseph, Hamilton

  • I just had Eric leave my house and as I'm sure you know, this guy is amazing. I've had a lot of service people in my house and he comes in and cleans up after himself, is respectful, and polite. He asks if I have any questions and always gives me… Read more

    John, Princeton Junction

  • Thanks for the info, and thanks for bringing the job to completion. Marty and Marcel took care of business, and were happy campers. It was too cold (below 45 F) for the heat pump to fire, but I'll wait for a warmer day and keep an eye on it. The 7… Read more

    Pat & Toni, Princeton

  • Everyone has been extremely helpful, patient, knowledgeable, and competent. No matter who answers the phone, I am confident that my request issue will be promptly attended to with total professionalism. Whenever someone comes to the house to provide… Read more

    Loren, Lambertville

  • The technician did an excellent job. He was not only really good with the work that he did, he cleaned up and didnt take anything lightly, which I really appreciated.

    Kate, Yardley

  • The professionalism and expertise that I encountered from Kevin made me fully satisfied with this past Saturday's scheduled service. He explained in detail how my system works, he also pointed out the root cause of a problem I had been having and… Read more

    Bob, Princeton

  • This letter is commending Sean. Yesterday, he came to check the furnace at my home. He is efficient and his explanations are clear. He remembers where everything is, and I absolutely trust his work. Its very nice to know that I can rely on Sean. I… Read more

    Elizabeth, West Windsor

  • I just wanted to call to comment on Brennens performance. He came out to service my unit. Brennen was very professional and very knowledgeable. Thank you.

    Theodore, Hopewell

  • I just wanted to call in to say what a wonderful job Nick did over the weekend. I was amazed by the amount of time that he spent in the heat and humidity to get the unit running. I am thankful to Nick and the entire company that I had A/C over…

    Read more

    Leonore, Lawerenceville

  • Part of the reason why I stick with your company is because of Sean. He takes time to explain things to me and he helped me decide which new system to get last year. He is a real asset.

    James, Robbinsville

  • You guys were the first company to figure out how to replace the units here at Governors Lane as built. Congratulations. Chris et al. were great to work with. Thank you.

    John, Princeton

  • Eric handled himself very professionally and took the time to listen to me. Because of his sincere interest, will be preparing a proposal to substantially upgrade our system. He seems to know his profession well and handled me in the right manner.… Read more

    Vaughn, Pennington

  • I just wanted you to know that Rich is a very pleasant, professional and courteous person. All of your employees that have come here are the same. You guys must be doing something right.

    Linda, Morganville

  • Brennan performed the seasonal service on our A/C unit. We were very impressed. He took care of everything very efficiently and completely. He also quickly solved a potential problem. This is to commend Brennan for his fine work and his excellent… Read more

    Melvin, Lawrenceville

  • You have some great people working there. They are fantastic especially Jack and Eric.

    James, Skillman

  • On February 26, 2007 I experienced the frightening experience of having my gas carbon monoxide detector go off. I cannot say enough to the diligence and professional manner Eric demonstrated while trouble shooting. His persistence, expertise, and… Read more

    Doris, Plainsboro

  • Your guys have always been good, but these two men (Geoff and Rich) were the most polite, professional, and personable I've had. They represent your company very well.

    Janet, Monroe

  • Wanted to let you know that Eric performed yet another excellent maintenance on my contract. He has an excellent positive attitude coupled to a get it done right work ethic. It is a pleasure to have him here to take care of things. I never thought… Read more

    Jon, Cranbury

  • I am writing this letter to you to thank one of your employees. Paul noted a pin-hole leak on the side of the main water line that enters the building switchgear room. Had it not been for your conscientious employee, the consequences could have…

    Read more

    Robert, Cranbury

  • We returned home from a one week vacation to Aruba, at about 10:30 pm, to a 50 degree home. We had no heat. We called Princeton Air and the Service Rep was at our home within 25 minutes. Sean fixed the problem quickly. That is great service. You… Read more

    Frank and Mary, Lawrenceville

  • Yes, Mr. Needham my name is Samuel, I live in Hamilton, New Jersey and I just wanted to commend your staff, mainly Shelby and then the guys who came out over the last week. I was having a huge problem with my air conditioner, you guys ending up… Read more

    Samuel

  • Scott, my name is Jean. Princeton Air was here to see me at One Marcom. You sent a representative and he was exceptional, beyond exceptional. I was very pleased with the service and he wouldn't leave until it was corrected to the utmost degree. So,… Read more

    Jean

  • Hi Scott, this is a customer, Karen. I had a new tech at my house this morning, and we were very pleased with him. He was very, very nice. In the past, well we've used Princeton Air at our house here, and our house before this on Courtney Drive.…

    Read more

    Karen

  • Hi Scott, it’s Steve, general manager of the Nassau Club of Princeton. I just wanted to let you know on this Friday, that you know Jack's over here doing his stuff. And I can't tell you how pleased I am by signing that maintenance contract with your… Read more

    Steve

  • My Name is Irma, I just recently had insulation. I just want to let you know that the men who were here that worked on the house, the main two on the team were Jim and Nestor. I want to let you know that the entire team, there were other men, that I… Read more

    Irma

  • Hello, my name is Sunit in Flemington, New Jersey. This morning, I had your service technician come out to service my two heating units, Lennox. I can tell you in 20 years I've never seen a person showing such a professional attitude and doing such… Read more

    Sunit

  • Hey Scott, Tom here & it's Tuesday morning. I just wanted to call to say thank you very much for having your service guy come out last night. He got there a little before 8:00, he was done about 8:45, we're back to full operating… Read more

    Tom

  • Mr. Needham, my name is Harriet; I am a customer of Princeton Air since I moved into Raven's Crest about ten years ago. Luckily I haven't had to have too many service calls but I did have an emergency today and within three hours of my phone call… Read more

    Harriet

  • Scott, my name is Michael; I'm a resident of West Windsor. I just had your tune-up, I have service with you, had it for years. Just had an air conditioning tune-up this morning. The technician was Alberto Martino and he did an absolutely fabulous… Read more

    Michael

  • Rob and I want to thank you and Dennis, Ontrea, Francine, Chris, Marty, Mike and all of your crew for being so customer service friendly in handling our installation of our new A/C and furnace system. We can see why the original owners of our home… Read more

    Linda and Rob, Princeton Junction

  • I just want you to know what an excellent job your crew did installing our new Trane heating system on Tuesday morning. They arrived promptly and explained to me exactly what they would be doing. The three men worked as a team and were very… Read more

    Elaine, Lawrence

  • The technician (Kevin) was wonderfully polite and respectful of my home. He was very professional, patient, thorough, and showed a genuine concern for the well-being of my family

    Vera, Princeton