In today’s economy, we are all on the lookout for products and services at the best possible price. With multiple suppliers for every need, we the consumer can afford to take our time and shop for the best product at the best price – right? Except that isn’t always what happens. Many times we just grab the lowest cost item, forgetting the painful lesson learned when the last ‘cheapest’ thing we bought didn’t last or hold up to the test of time. Five years ago I bought my first smart phone…. And unfortunately I went for the least expensive option. It only took me 6 months to give up and move on after reminding myself once again that ‘cheap’ isn’t the way to go.
So how does this lesson apply to Civil Engineering you ask? Well, cheap isn’t the way to go. When looking for services we need to remind ourselves that, much like a finished tangible product, the end result of the service has to be made up of quality. Does the service the Civil Engineer provides bring value to the project? Do they provide the service you need? Do they have long term relationships with clients indicating continued quality service? Do they have a solid reputation? Are they good at explaining the issues as well as troubleshooting to find answers? These are all excellent questions that need to be answered to ensure that you don’t end up regretting your decision.
