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What Cheap Prices Really Cost You In The End! Part-1

Let's face it, we all love deals! There is no feeling in the world like buying that desperately-needed-life-alternating product for that sale of the century price! And for some reason, it's even better when you are the only person that's allowed that special price! And guys are just as guilty as girls so let's just end that subject before it starts! Anyway, we may not like to admit it, but we are all guilty of pursuing that special feeling you get when you feel like you have gotten a bargain! Now, there is nothing wrong w/ buying the best product available at the best price available! However, it's when you buy the cheapest product, or any cheaply made product for that matter, for any price is when the real crime has been committed! And in the marine industry, it's very easy to do just that & possibly even worse!

There's an overwhelming fact about the marine industry in that we clearly have an overloaded industry chalked-full of "boat dock building experts" & "master product manufacturers" that all have different manufacturing agendas, different sales strategies & different company mission statements altogether! There are those boat dock companies who place quality above price & vice versa, you have those that place price above quality! Then you have those middle guys who use a combination of both ideals in order to simply exist that they can make the easiest sales from the residual of undecided choices of those confused clients. This ridiculous thought became really popular when we came up w/ this brilliant concept that purchasing the "middle product" or the "good product" was the best decision due to the infamous 50/50 scale!

For those who aren't familiar w/ the infamous 50/50 scale, it's when you choose a product that is considered "good" in comparison to the "best" product & the "worst" product available. It contains 1/2 of the qualities of the best product, but also contains 1/2 of the bad qualities of the worst product! It's called a "good" product b/c it's basically considered "good enough" to purchase & by choosing this product over the quality product, you have chosen to make the quality product take a back seat to this cheaper-generic-based 1/2 duplicated-product! That maybe harsh, but that's how much I value quality in a product & how much respect I hold for an individual &/or a company that cares about what every product they produce!

The sad part for most quality products is watching someone else cheapen the very product that you worked so hard to perfect! Their motivation is purely fueled by options, functions & ideas that revolve around lowering prices, but producing better profit margins & short-life expectancies that would produce multiply sales in fewer years! For me though, the really sad part is that what once stood as the symbol & pride of America has now been tossed aside by a green piece of paper that we value more! As much as I wish I was wrong, it's very difficult to argue the point when society condones this type of behavior every time they purchase the "good" product over the "quality" product! By purchasing these good products, you not only help the good product company stay in business & grow, every sale to that good company actually hurts the quality product produced by the quality company! Where 1 sale actually helps the good company's product twice as much, that same sale actually hurts the quality company twice as much! And while purchasing the good product will save you money now, here is a fine example of how it will cost you more later on & sky's the limit on how much it will cost you at that later date!

One of my favorite examples is actually based on a true story from 1 my clients. Of course, I've gotta change his name to save him from embarrassment, ridicule &/or the privacy act all together! Anyway, Mr. Smith came to us wanting prices on a new dock that was above average in size & included a couple of upgrades. He was located on the 3 mile-marker of the main channel on Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. Anyone familiar w/ Lake of the Ozarks knows that main channel conditions can produce monstrous wakes that have been reported to be 6' & even larger w/ enough force, pressure & mass to move & destroy hundreds of tons of dead weight from boat docks & breakwater systems to 50'+ cruisers & ocean-liner type vessels! We knew right then that it was clear that he would need our Heavy-Duty Series or even Super Heavy-Duty Series Boat Dock System in order to withstand those type of water & wind conditions!

However, like many clients who are oblivious to the many facets that quality-conscious boat dock builders use to evaluate the type of dock system for the specific type of application, Mr. Smith used what mattered to him the most which was his checkbook! And like most clients, he will soon realize the mistake that he's about to make & for most people, it's a mistake that you can't "re-do" &/or cannot be refunded or reimbursed! So getting back to it, even though we provided Mr. Smith w/ the proper paperwork distinguishing our differences, it was apparent that he simply didn't understand the info provided to him & so like most clients he didn't waste the time to ask questions or even get to know the differences. The only difference he could relate to was the difference in price & since I was $5600 higher than the "2nd best company" that he could choose that company since it wouldn't be the worst product! I even offered to look over the 2 proposals to prove to him what the differences really were, but he was already convinced that he knew the difference & that he couldn't be receiving the worst product b/c he chose the 2nd best price meaning that he should be receiving the 2nd best product!

Fast forward 5 months later, we receive a call from Mr. Smith stating that he needed our help in repairing several places on his dock! My 1st question was, "where is the company that's suppose to warranty the dock or fix the issues that need repair?" & my 2nd question was "why did you contact me to fix these issues?" While his pride would not reveal those answers easily, the proof of the differences would soon be apparent & much worse than what I ever imagined! This dock was so cheaply made that I would be even scared to install it in a mild cove! It was chopped up, the metal was thin & weak, the underwater brace wasn't working properly, the sections were splitting away from each other, the dock was tilted which means it didn't contain the right amount of floatation & it would creak, crack & make the loudest noises w/ the slightest wave or wind conditions affecting it! This dock was a complete hazardous-structure just waiting to collapse or fall apart at any minute!

This was 1 of the few docks that I have ever been scared to be on & if I'm scared of it, you better believe that he should be scared of every part of this dock! Not only that, he basically gambled his safety, his family's safety & anyone else who step foot on this dock, all to save $5600 which he would later find out would cost him well over $18,000 just to fix the dock to where it was safe to use! The cheap prices he saved in the beginning are now costing him over $12,000 & that's simply to repair the issues at hand! You also have the fact that his gamble could have cost him something more that he couldn't buy back & rather than hold back, I made sure to express every bit of this info to him! Not to embarrass him or rub it in, but to make him realize what his savings could have really cost him & the fact that he should have taken the time to compare the bids carefully & w/ some type of intelligence! That may be cruel, but I take my job very serious & unlike my competitors, I care about every person's safety & security that steps foot onto a Stokes Dock Co. Boat Dock!

Most of the time, I'm ashamed to say that I'm even in the same industry as these guys, much less that they even compare to the type of products & services that we have to offer! The dock company that produced this dock knew the shortcuts that he was using but rather than be responsible &/or care, he has made the sale & completed the transaction before anything goes wrong! And what else has Mr. Smith done other than putting his family & friends in danger? He has kept this dock company in business by choosing to spend his money w/ them which in turn hurt the quality company! Sure we received the repair project, but the fact still remains that this cheaper company will be allowed to do this same action again & again until people start learning not to spend money w/ them no matter how much money they can save you!  How much is your family's safety worth & wouldn't you want a dock builder or dock company that cared just as much for your family's safety as you do or possibly even more?
Remember, it's okay to purchase the best quality product at the best price available, but the real crime is purchasing the cheapest product for its cheap price!  Stay tuned for Part-2 of "What Cheap Prices Really Cost You In The End!  You can also contact Stokes Dock Co., Inc. today for more helpful hints, product inquiries, information &/or creative yet effective ideas on how to Enhance Your Waterfront Living Experience!  Thank you for your time, your business, your support & your consideration on these matters! 

When Will They Ever Learn?

Self-employment provides a multitude of benefits that we business owners sometimes take for granted. These benefits originate from fellow co-workers, biz relations, affiliates, executive-staff & my personal favorite...our clients! They can contain as many humorous situations as they can provide many lessons to learn from. However, they can also leave you to wonder just what in the hell they could be possibly thinking &/or "When Will They Ever Learn?"!

For example, I had a client call us on Friday who had an emergency situation that needed to be attended to immediately! He had tried to install a pwc lift by himself only to have the lift flip over & start to sink! This is a natural event that occurs more often than you think when amateur or do-it-yourself clients attempt to perform the same tasks that we naturally do on a regular basis! While most companies would be upset over this attempt, I actually condone it which may sound stupid but here is 1 reason why. Over 90% of my clients who attempt to perform the same work I do will either fail or make the conditions worse than they already were! However, while most biz-owners would see that as the good part, I'm here to tell you that there is an even better part to this event! The true benefit isn't in the fact that they failed or the failure itself or in any type of entertainment value that you joke about back at the office or any financial reward due to the fact that they had failed! The true benefit I found was the respect that the client will have for you & your skills after they have attempted the same task & failed! I wish all my clients would atleast attempt to perform all of the techniques & services that we offer on a daily basis! Not only would they respect you more for your actual skills & experience, they would also appreciate & understand the prices you charge or why you have to invoice them the amount that you do for that certain task or service! To me, that is the best value that you could ever receive!

Now, getting back to our original story, the client contacted us late on Friday afternoon wanting to know if we had a service crew that could come out to help him. He explained that the pwc lift was at his dock, but had flipped over which meant he had very little time before it would sink to the bottom of the lake! I immediately called my project coordinator & told him the situation & asked him if he could put a crew together fast! I'm so thankful that I have the great guys that I have b/c they jumped on the situation immediately, but then something happened. When my PC called the client to get directions, he was told that there was another crew on the way! I know what you're thinking b/c I asked the same thing..."Why didn't he call us back to tell us that", but then you have to remember the there are those types of arrogant & ignorant clientèle that care about nothing more than themselves! Anyway, they unpacked their gear & I thanked them anyway for their caring nature & thoughtful choices! It happens to us here & there so I don't try to dwell on it or worry about it too much at all! I have other clients who appreciate & respect my time along w/ my guys' time & are serious about acquiring the quality products & reliable service that my company has to offer!

So, the next day I go into work as usual & start my Saturday just like every day. Then I receive a call around 10:30 from a very familiar voice that asks me the same question that he did the day before! Surprised, shocked & humored by the situation, I had to chuckle a little bit due to the fact that he asked if I could help him again b/c apparently the other company that he called never did show up all day yesterday & up to 10:30 that morning either! So again, I started the routine all over & put the pieces in motion so we can save this lift before it sinks! Now, you have to understand that since the day we established in 2000, I always made a promise to my guys (employees) that if they would give me 110% on Monday - Friday, 8:00 - 5:00 that they could have the weekends off! This was the best plan I have ever made in my business b/c I get the most from my guys & they are allowed a break as well! However, if we had an emergency repair call that I would agree to pay them double-time or twice the hourly rate! They really like it b/c they make twice as much & it's on a volunteer basis so they don't have to work if they don't want to! By doing this, I was able to eliminate the bad &/or lazy attitudes from employees that didn't feel like working on that day, but in turn, if the employee needs to or wants to make themselves more money they can & will by this service that we offer!

Now with that said, you know that it requires alot out of our employees to stop what they are doing to take care of someone else's problems! So, we stopped everything we were doing in order to take care of this individuals problem only for the same event to occur again! For the 2nd day in a row, my PC called the client to get directions again only for him to say that he didn't need us after all! Once again, rather than him call us back to tell us that he had the situation under control, we had to find out by calling him again! Not only did he decline our services again, I also come to find out that he relied on the same company again rather than rely on a reliable company like Stokes Dock Co.! Even though I understand & respect the loyalty clients show to use the same company that they always use in the years past, I don't understand why you would rely on a company that obviously wasn't very reliable in the 1st place! However, if that is who the client wants to use then it is his/her right to use whomever they like! What I don't like is the lack of respect for my employees time & the lack of respect for my company & my time! I usually don't let alot of things upset me, but my guys work very hard to provide my clients w/ the best dock products & the most reliable services & I don't like it when a client takes advantage of those ideals that we all have worked so hard to establish! The fact that they believe that he/she time, product or situation is more important than my employees family time is not only disrespectful, it's arrogant & selfish too! While they may not hold a prestigious job title or on the Board of Directors for Microsoft, they do provide a very necessary & hold a very responsible position to clients, boaters &/or marinas that respect & require their necessary skills, experience & product knowledge to make their waterfront living experience a hassle-free, enjoyable & most of all, safe & secure place to entertain families, friends & clients! I have always told my guys to hold their heads high & take pride in the fact that they know skills & contain the knowledge to provide products & services that most people do not know or simply cannot do! So, while this client may not think that their time is valuable or that their skills & knowledge are not important or are expendable, as you can see they do hold a very important job after all! My advice would be that if you have the privilege of acquiring a quality-conscious & reliable company, like Stokes Dock Co., then I would take full advantage of the opportunity or use their experience, skills & product knowledge to the absolute fullest! My favorite clients are the clients that want to learn how to make or enhance their waterfront living experience so feel free to ask questions &/or advice about any situation that you might have!

So, with all that said, the good thing is that this blog didn't just provide 1 lesson, but several lessons that you could learn from! One of the main lessons is I want you to learn is to respect the values of a quality company & feel privileged & take full advantage of any chance you get when you receive the chance to use them! Don't be the kid who cried wolf b/c we all know what happened to him! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, changes or ideas that you would like to suggest, plz feel free to contact me anytime. Thank you for your time & your consideration on these matters!

My Friend...Gary Mense.

In our lifetime, we are introduced to many types of people that contain characteristics, knowledge, ideas & values that affect or influence the way we live, act, feel, think & reason. They play many roles, such as teacher, parent, boss, doctor, professor, etc. & like everything in our lives, there are many of those w/ good intentions & there are many of those w/ bad intentions, but for the most part, I believe that the majority of people on this planet not only want to possess good intentions, but display good intentions as well!

Then there are those people that possess & display unique quality characteristics that are so rare & suttle that we hardly recognize it in its true form. These characteristics are unique b/c they contain an overwhelming amount of admirable qualities, honest morals & true values that most of us only wish we could possess. Their kind, compassionate & caring nature are easily given to us w/out any effort or payback expected. They value your friendship, companionship & every time we meet as though it was the most important thing in their life! Their huge smile, gut-busting jokes & their even larger optimistic-view would never be disturbed, damaged nor ruined by anything, anyone &/or anywhere! Not even the darkest cloud in the sky could change the image they portrayed & they never know what the worst day is, much less what a worst life even means! Life is precious to them & they make you feel as though your life is even more precious to them!

To me, Gary Mense possessed those great qualities & displayed so much more everyday that I knew him! To those who knew him, I hope they took the time & every advantage they could to know the real Gary! He played many roles in the little time I was blessed to know him, such as, my mentor, my teacher, my comedian, my prankster, my business advisor, my helper, my master bbq chef & many more, but 1 role he played genuinely & effortlessly was...my friend!

As my friend, he knew how important my business was to me & b/c of that, he took it upon himself to make it just as important to him! As my friend, he knew how hard I worked to make my business successful & yet he would work just as hard & just as late to make it successful for me! As my friend, he would provide his best support, his best advice & his best efforts in hopes that I would achieve the success that I desired the most! As my friend, he was the humor when I needed to laugh the most! As my friend, he inspired when I needed the most inspiration! And while I admit that I've made alot of mistakes in my life that have negatively affected myself, my business, my family & my "friends", it was Gary that showed the most kindness, the most support & the most friendship that no other person or "friend" ever did! While every "friend" & person I knew was looking for reasons to avoid me, he was too busy showing me reasons why he enjoyed me! To me, there will be no other person like him & a friend that everyone should have been blessed to know!

I already miss my friend very, very much, but I won't forget the wonderful gifts he brought to my life & the kind-caring friendship he had given me everyday he was alive! I just wish I could have given him as much kindness, caring, enthusiasm, inspiration, happiness, friendship & more as he had given to me! I definitely could not ask for a better friend than my best friend....Gary Mense! Thanx for meaning & being so much to me & I especially thank you for being such a great friend! I won't forget ya daddio!

The Steel Industry or the Steal Industry?

It's amazing how many things in our lives actually influence the decisions we make or the decisions that are already made for us! We either decide to ignore it or act as though it has no bearing on our lives whatsoever when in all actuality, it affects us immensley & in more ways than we even realize! A great example of this can be found in the metals industry! Let me show you how....

Look all around you & tell me not only how many products you see that are made from some type of metal alloy, but also, how many machines it took to make those products that were made from metal!

Most of the world's industries, companies &/or employees rely on metal alloys to produce, fabricate, manufacture, program, simplify, assemble & much more! Metal alloys are also used in the cars we drive, the cell phones we use, to prepare the food we eat & on & on! Our dependancy is so great for this substance that much of our health, our technology, our comfort, our economy & our entire way of living as a whole depends on the metal industry! And like our gas prices in 2008, we will be faced w/ corporations that will recognize this dependancy & unfortunately, make us pay for it w/out any reason whatsoever! Don't for 1 moment think that this can't or won't happen because it already has began....

While the economy is struggling, but quickly starting to show signs of recovery (orders, proposals, spending, quarterly announcements, etc.), the prices of materials, hardware & components are quickly on the rise as well! Even though the steel industry's production levels are 40% - 60% down from last year & inventory levels among vendors are critically high, the steel industry has somehow found reasons enough to increase prices...dramatically!!! While they claim that orders are rising, suppliers & even their shareholders know that they have not raised enough to dictate these recent price increases! You would have thought that with last year's sales & revenue figures being down that it would have proved to these guys that the general public is not stupid & they won't be forced into sales tactics &/or strategies such as this! I realize that making an intelligent decision on this matter is asking an awful lot, but atleast an attempt to making a few brain cells move might just be enough to generate thought & reasoning behind their decisions! It's called thinking & it wouldn't hurt to try it every once in awhile!

Anyway, It was only 4 or 5 years ago that they were producing & selling the same products, same materials, same components, the EXACT SAME ITEMS for 3x - 5x less the amount! The end product is not any better than it was then & yet they blame gas prices, energy prices, raw materials, labor & yada-yada-yada! They provide more excuses why than they provide evidence why prices are what they are today! By raising prices now, they diminish any type of positive momentum or any potential chance that there is to increase sales! However, the 1 group or committee that could help us, simply can't & won't because they have appointed no other higher authority to regulate these guys! These steel corporations do what they want, when they want & however they want w/out any type of rules, regulations nor any type of reprecussions by a higher authority such as our government! It's obvious that w/ this type of free-will, they are ultimately destroying jobs & more importantly, destroying most of the companies, small & large, that make these jobs possible!

Alot of people don't realize it, but just as I explained earlier, the steel industry as a whole controls the fate &/or future for many different types of industries, companies &/or people's lives all together! There is no justification to why the steel mills increased the prices so dramatically for July & August, but w/out any type of rules, regulations &/or reprecussions by a higher authority, they will not only be allowed to control our lives, they will also control & affect other economies in other countries as well!

Once again, think about how many different types of metals that we rely on everyday, think about how many companies &/or industries provide these products & lastly, think of how many workers it took to produce those products that make our lives what they are today! Now tell me how much control does the steel industry have over all of our lives today! Look at everything around you, look at every product sold to you, look at every product that you use & every product that you will use... now tell me that it doesn't affect you! Think about this also...has our dependancy on the metals industry plagued us just as our dependancy on oil did? Is, "Be careful for what you wish for" now too late to wish back? No! If we can expand our minds to think of better products & processes just as we did before & don't allow us to become so dependant on 1 paticular product, then we can make a future of free-will than that of control! If you want things to stay the same, then you have no reason to complain about the situation that you are currently in! Shutting down your thoughts & your mind will only lead you down a path that is controlled or made by the person who did & does think!

I hope you find this post as thoughtful & as inspirational as the feelings & effort put into it & every blog that we post! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, changes &/or ideas that you would like to suggest, plz feel free to contact me anytime! Thank you for your time & consideration on these matters!

Protecting Your Boat...Coast to Coast!

With gel-coat repair becoming more & more expensive, boaters are finally looking into products that will help them save money from those costly gel-coat repairs! The good news is that there are literally hundreds of different products & techniques that you can use to protect your boat! The bad news is that there are literally hundreds of different products & techniques that you can use to protect your boat! In other words, there are so many options that its confusing & of course, every retailer has that perfect answer for you...only for you to come back weeks later looking for a better option!

However, this is a more difficult question than you may think considering the options available! Rubrail, post bumpers, harbor cushions, corner cushions, back-stops, dock rollers, slip-guides, dock wheels, super cushions, poly-bords, hydro-guards, boat lifts, pwc lifts, boat cushions & much more! For those of you who have the combination of spontaneous creativity & Inspector-Gadgets Go-Go Dock Tools, leaves me to wonder how many other items have been created to help protect your boat with! Now, for those of us who only get to rely on the dock products available on today's market, I'm afraid that short-list given at first are the only items we get to work with! However, it still isn't that simple to choose what's right for you & your scenario or application! For example, just in the rubrail category alone, there are well over 20 different styles to choose from!

One thing I have learned over the years is that there are rarely 2 issues that are the same so please don't be disappointed when I don't call out your name or your issue! I'm just going to give you a few examples, techniques, helpful hints, etc. of what we found to be effective over the years to a certain situation. Floating docks will be different from stationary docks or a covered roof vs. an uncovered roof & likewise, cuddy cabins will be different from pontoons or tri-toons, which will be different from a go-fast, yada-yada. Now let's get started!

Rubrail is the simplest form of protection that every dock should have! It's small in size but has saved countless boats from beating against the side of their dock whether it be metal, wood, etc. It usually borders the entire perimeter of any traffic-areas & won't mar or scar your boat. It's 1 of the most economical forms of protection, but is a lifesaver when it comes to directly banging your boat on the frame. It comes in many shapes, sizes, lengths, etc. & depending on your application, could be all that you need!

Post bumpers are becoming the most universal product on the market today! Their main purpose is to be applied to your roof posts as a protective barrier that keeps your boat from hitting the roof posts &/or underwater brace legs. However, we have found that they have many other uses, such as backstops, boarding-posts, lift-guides, corner protection & much more! Most post bumpers are made to fit a post anywhere from 2" - 4" wide & usually only 3' - 6' tall. They are relatively inexpensive & some are made to last you for years depending on their use. We came up w/ the backstop idea so that boats could back into their slip & bump these rather than beat & destroy the dock or the boat. Depending on your freeboard level or waterline to the top of the deck will determine what size of backstops you would need. We have made backstops for 6' paddle boats, 20' runabouts up to 60' Aft-Cabin Cruisers!

The boarding-post idea was for swim platforms & docks that didn't have any type of roof system, but still needed that extra protection that the rubrail just doesn't provide! They allow a boat to pull-up next to the side of the platform to park or they serve as protection for boats that are simply dropping someone off on their dock. You can even have cleats installed on them which works really well for Gas-Dock Applications! Now the cleat isn't a trip hazard like so many of them are! You can use multiple amounts of them on the inside of your uncovered slip so that they can bump into the post bumper rather than your dock, decking, etc. B/c post bumpers are made from polyethylene, they are guaranteed not to mar or scar your boat! It's these properties that make polyethylene so valuable to the marine industry & most of the products made on the market today are made strictly from polyethylene! X-Treme Marine Concepts, inc. has teamed up w/ Stokes Dock Co., Inc. in order to utilize the new Poly-bord system which is made entirely from recycled polyethylene, replaces the need for rubrail & lasts a lifetime! It's truly a unique product that will become the new thing of the future for the marine industry!

Harbor cushions, corner cushions, super cushions & such are used primarily for larger boats to use as a cushion or protection when simple rubrail just won't do the trick! They came in many different shapes, sizes & forms, but they all are made from polyethylene & are durable enough to withstand the force from a 20,000 lbs. boat or 75,000 lbs. cruiser! When you consider that they are only $60 - $90 each & most minor gel-coat repairs could cost you starting out at $2500, it's pretty much a no-brainer for most of us to have it installed immediately!

The dock rollers, dock wheels, slip-guides & such are simply items that help guide you into your slip w/out damaging your boat. There are many different versions of these dock roller type items, but they all have different applications that they can be applied to. X-Treme Marine Concepts, inc. is designing a new innovative system that will provide protection & help guide you into as well as out of your slip w/ simple ease!

More & more companies like X-Treme Marine Concepts & Stokes Dock Co., are coming out with products that serve multiple purposes in order to make the boating experience more enjoyable rather than more expensive! Some companies, like Stokes Dock Co., are going the extra mile in order to have everything that a boater needs for his/her special application! One of their most important company mission statements says it all..."We Provide Solutions For Yesterday's Problems Using Tomorrow's Technology...Today!" Most of all though, we not only want to earn your business, we want to earn your trust & your loyalty! If you need help choosing the right product then please feel free to email us, call us or leave a question in your comment & 1 of our friendly-knowledgeable sales staff will respond or contact you asap! Come see today what a difference Stokes Dock Co. can make to your waterfront living experience! We are currently in the stages of developing a new state-of-the-art website for residential & commercial clients all over the nation that is packed full of product info, helpful hints, simple techniques, ideas & solutions for your dock, your issues & your convenience! For updates, Follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stokesdock or simply stop by at http://www.stokesdock.com. Stokes Dock Co. - Protecting Your Boat...Coast to Coast!