I learned firsthand that price does not equal value three years ago when I had my first experience buying a house. The Denver market was so hot that every house my wife and I looked at was gone in 24 hours. The pressure was on.

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We finally found a house in the Highlands that we loved – the “place to be” for millennials such as ourselves. On paper, it was great. It was in the right neighborhood, had the right look, and, most importantly – was the right price.

It was an older home that was recently renovated. A new two-car garage was added in the backyard. The basement floor was completely redone. Much of the interior had been renovated with new and up-to-date fixtures and furnishings. The contractor had assured us that the old clay pipes had been replaced and that there were permits for all the work.

My wife and I were ready to make one of our biggest decisions – the decision to buy this house. However, before committing, we hired a reputable inspector to do a deep dive before we signed the dotted line.

The inspection report we received several days later was… horrific. The new floor in the basement had been built over dirt without any protective layer separating it from the hardwood. The rotted clay pipes leaving the house were estimated to be dozens of years old and unsalvageable. The new garage had been built over the clay pipes, meaning we would have to dig up fresh concrete to rectify the piping issue. And last but not least, the inspection revealed lead paint!

We eventually found a new construction home built by a reputable builder. It passed inspection with flying colors. While the price of the house was a bit more than we had initially budgeted for, the builder’s reputation was pristine, and he assured us he would cover any unforeseen issues. Two summers later, we started to have problems with our AC. It took our builder a few attempts to fix the problem, but he eventually replaced the entire AC unit free of charge.

The lessons I learned from this entire experience were twofold:

1. Make sure you know who you’re doing business with. Is it with a person or company you can trust? What is their track record?

2. You get what you pay for. While you may save some money upfront, you will pay for an “economical” decision down the road. Guaranteed. And, when you do have issues, do you trust you will be taken care of? Or will you be left holding the bag?

One of the biggest reasons I’m so proud to work at Connected Technology Solutions is because we take care of our clients. We may have a higher price point than some of our competitors, but we stand by our products, and it shows. We have some unique offerings no other kiosk manufacturers can emulate (not for lack of trying).

For example, we provide White Glove Delivery and installation, using CTS employees delivering directly to our client’s location from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Our clients know White Glove is much more than a name or slogan. White Glove is one of our most well-received and appreciated services. The endless compliments about our drivers and installation teams prove it.

Additionally, our help desk team members are all CTS employees who are experts in Epic Welcome kiosk hardware and troubleshooting. Even for on-site service with our optional warranties, we only send our expertly trained employees to service our kiosks. We don’t simply use a third-party service that employs technicians who service kiosks one minute and fix iPhones the next.

Let it be known that at CTS, our price truly is a signal of quality. Every product we build is built with intent, craftsmanship, and our client’s needs in mind.