With healthcare estate budgets’ being squeezed ever tighter’, there is ‘no margin for error’ when it comes to making purchasing decisions, according to specialist in fire detection and alarm systems, Hochiki Europe.
The company says: “Manufacturers are also in an increasingly competitive environment, and are resorting to even more ingenious ways to promote their offering, and secure any available business. However, when it comes to fire detection, the old adage that ‘if an offer sounds too good to be true, then it probably is’ should always be remembered.
“A growing number of fire detection equipment manufacturers are using ‘lifetime’ warranties as a way to entice customers,” the company adds. “While this might initially appear attractive, it is increasingly diverting attention away from the most important purchasing considerations – total cost of ownership, and product reliability.”
Hochiki Europe says that ‘to begin with, it is worth noting that most manufacturers work on the basis that a fire detection device’s lifetime equates to 10 years, and somewhere in the small print this will usually be stipulated’. Therefore, it argues, a product over 10 years old ‘will not be covered by a warranty,’ and there may also be ‘some ambiguity as to what happens to a warranty if, for example, the manufacturer changes ownership, or makes the product obsolete’.
Hochiki Europe says: “When it comes to replacing a defective device, the value of the unit itself is minimal compared with the overall costs associated with such action. Although the manufacturer will replace the unit under warranty, what it will not do is reimburse the costs of locating the problem, gaining access, diagnosis, physical refitting, and retesting the system. Factor in these additional expenses, along with disruption to a healthcare establishment, making sure that patients are protected while the unit is not in operation, and any general inconvenience, and the perceived savings associated with a 10-year warranty pale into insignificance.”
The company says that, while ‘tempting to think that those offering longer warranties have more reliable products’, this may not be true, adding: “It has been proven that any fire detection device failures are likely to occur within the first year of installation, and therefore three years is a more than adequate period of time to be covered.”
Arguing that ‘a lifetime warranty is clearly no substitute for a reliable life safety product’, Hochiki Europe says the key to a successful purchase is ‘asking manufacturers the right questions, seeking testimonials and references, and comparing and contrasting what the industry has to offer’.
To assess its own track record, Hochiki Europe has carried out a survey of its customers’ views on both the quality and reliability of its products, and the standard of its customer service. It says 96 per cent of those surveyed rated the company’s product quality as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, while ‘nearly 90 per cent’ said its products ‘met all their requirements.’ Additionally, 87 per cent rated the quality of its service ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.
For further information, T: 01634 266569, email: emarketing@hochikieurope.com, or visit www.hochikieurope.com.
