Obviously there are many times when quality does not count, or it can be easily determined, or is assured by other circumstances. The astute buyer will be aware of these opportunities to save and will likely take full advantage of them. Often the consequences of poor quality will be limited to the utility or failure of the item in question and the savings of poor quality may be worth the risk.
Quality counts when more is at stake than performance of the item being purchased. A good example of this is the products chosen to clean and water proof clothing, footwear and outdoor gear. Being wet when exposed to cold weather can be life threatening. A cover that fails may result in damage to a boat or furniture. An item may have to be treated more frequently when inferior products are used resulting in wasted time, money and effort.
So how do you judge the quality of a care product before you buy? Take a good hard look at the company and the information they provide. Here are a few questions to ask.
Does the company make this product themselves? It is surprising how few companies manufacture their own products. While this is not always an issue, it does say something about how important they consider manufacturing compared to functions they do themselves such as marketing and distribution. Atsko makes its own products to retain control of quality and costs. We have the benefit of the products history of development and can avoid problems that might be challenging to a new vendor every couple of years who bids for the business. It also reduces transport, especially relative to imported products, so Atsko can provide higher quality at a lower price.
What kind of product information is available? Atsko provides test data, often from university studies and independent labs. These studies are done to ASTM or AATCC standards. Other companies offer claims without substantiation or just anecdotes or “user” observations. Proper studies are expensive, but are the only way to assure reliable information. We explain in detail the conditions of the tests and even provide tip on how you can approximate some tests yourself. The more you know about how a product should perform the easier it is to assess quality.
How complete are instructions? If little or no details are provided, you are not likely to achieve the best results. This is fine for a product of little consequence, but when your comfort and safety may be at risk, instructions are important. Often a good product fails because the user had no information about how to use it correctly. In some cases the success of a product depends upon another product. For example, we guarantee Permanent Water-Guard to still bead water after 25 washings in Sport-Wash. If washed in another brand a residue will remain that interferes with repellency. This must be removed by rewashing with Sport-Wash. Our instructions often suggest other uses or special techniques for challenging applications. Atsko is not just trying to sell you a product, but rather provide an excellent result.
We believe that if you have an outstanding experience with any one of our fine products, you will consider using it for other applications and also consider trying other Atsko products.
You can find them at www.atsko.com or call 800-845-2728 for a free catalog.