by Scot Noel, Owner, Chief Writer, CME Websites
When people ask us why they should choose CME Websites {Code Media Essentials} as their web developer, they may want us to say something about price, our accomplishments, or guaranteed results. Certainly they want to hear that we are better than our competition.Instead of a simple, reassuring answer, the question makes me think about the service providers we use, here at CME. We have 10, even 15 year relationships with some of the business-to-business companies we rely on, from computer suppliers and IT experts to office supplies.Why such loyalty on our part?
Is it Price?
The one thing we have never done at CME Websites is look for the lowest priced service provider. Speaking for myself, I’ve always believed anyone who selects a service primarily because it is cheap, deserves whatever they end up with. Often that result is frustration, poor quality, and a host of unintended consequences.
At CME, the computers we purchase for our work are often expensive, custom rigs that many companies would shy away from. Our Data Center, IT Network, and even our phone system are investments, not cheap solutions meant to lower our overhead and squeeze more profit out of our customers’ wallets.
We respect the professional standing and proven capabilities of our service providers and we never regret paying their bills.
Low pricing and “good deals,” therefore, are not what we look for in a long-term relationship with a service provider, and anyone seeking “great priced web development,” would be better served looking elsewhere than at CME.
Accomplishments?
Many people put themselves in the hands of the big brands, but not us. Experience and proven accomplishments are certainly important to CME, and like anyone with common sense, we vet our service providers for the skills and background we need. However…
We leave the peril of jumping on flaming bandwagons to others. Long experience has taught us that name brand recognition is no substitute for quality and customer service.
Some of our most treasured service providers are either mom & pop operations or single proprietors. Often, these unsung heroes -who have no ambitions of “making it big”- demonstrate more heart and talent on any given day than an army of Name Brand Nerds could accomplish in a lifetime.
When it comes to being accepted as a member of a small company’s “customer service family” or becoming a tick on one of the big-boy’s tally sheets, we almost always choose the former.
At CME, we answer the phone, we come to your office, and we engage with you in overcoming the challenges you see before you. While our portfolio holds hundreds of high-quality websites, our biggest accomplishment is in caring about the success of each and every one.
Better than the Competition?
I don’t particularly know who the best web development company is, but it’s probably not us. There is always a faster gun, a more learned scholar, an artist or a singer of greater renown. And usually, the top honors of being the best are fleeting.
I do know that we are often inspired by the work of others, and by trying to measure up to the best the industry can deliver, we improve our own service offerings.
This is a quality we see in each of the long-term relationships CME enjoys with its own top-notch service providers. They are never the same one year to the next. Their skills and service offerings improve, and often advance in ways well-considered to better serve their customers.
What we don’t see is our trusted providers adding money making strategies to their service repertoire or trying to hard sell us on the latest “get rich quick” scheme.
Instead, the service providers we appreciate most often demonstrate, above any other skill, that they have our best interests in mind.
Guaranteed Results?
It has been said that there are lies, damn lies, and cast-iron guarantees.
We don’t expect our service providers to control the course of future events or put on the mantle of prophecy when it comes to the final result or longevity of any given service they provide.
But ultimately, as it turns out, there is one unspoken guarantee that shines as the most important factor we see in our most appreciated service providers.
At CME, we recognize that our best service providers engage with us in human relationships that contribute to our professional success, confidence, and well-being. With every interaction, they demonstrate that what makes a business relationship worthwhile is more than price, more than brand recognition, and more than reputation – it’s an unspoken bond of support in commerce and counsel, mentorship and commitment, the one to the other, in overcoming the challenges and accomplishing the objectives before us.
That same unwritten guarantee is the most important component of a business relationship that CME has to offer.
So how do you choose a Service Provider?
By abandoning your checklist and engaging in a courtship. It’s as tough to find a good service provider as it is to find a partner in life. When you find a company with the personal chemistry that seems right, give them a chance to win your heart.
You may get burned, or even have your heart broken, but hopefully you’ll learn from the experience and know better what to look out for next time.
Not every relationship works out, but when exceptional synergies do occur, both companies can benefit to a remarkable degree. At CME, we know this first hand and not as some rarefied, feel-good business theory.
It works, but we know this won’t sound sensible to everyone; nor is it meant for everyone.
Many people looking for a web developer, for example, will indeed feel safer going with the brand names, the big boys, and trending popular services. That’s fine (we can’t make all the websites in the world).
What we do know is, when asked by a potential client -“Why should I choose CME Websites above of one of these other developers I’m interviewing?”- our answer will be:
“We pledge to use our skills, experience, and knowledge in web design and Internet marketing to contribute to your professional success. With every interaction, CME will demonstrate that what makes a business relationship worthwhile is more than price, more than brand recognition, more than reputation – it’s a demonstrated bond of support in commerce and counsel, mentorship and commitment, in overcoming the challenges and accomplishing the objectives set before us.”
