But what if you don't need the service?
By Staff -- Purchasing, 3/12/1998
Many buyers opt for purchasing water treatment chemicals from major national suppliers. They often can get valuable services and expertise as part of the package. But at least one supplier claims that if you don't need the services, you may be paying far too much. Several companies have emerged which sell water treatment chemicals without the service, providing cut-rate prices in the process.Water Treatment Warehouse, for example, sells water treatment chemicals by phone or over the Internet, but without the analytical or technical services. "It is often accepted as part of the culture of water treatment, that those who sell chemicals also provide related services, such as testing and monitoring," says Terry Moore, president of WTW. For buyers whose water treatment needs do not change much from year to year, the amount of testing required is often simple. A customer willing to have their maintenance staff do a few basic tests themselves can save a lot of money.
Without the service aspect, buyers of water treatment chemicals should expect commodity pricing. "Certainly there are organizations with applications that need testing and assistance from water treatment experts," says Moore, "But more often than not we deal with organizations who tell us they know more than the technical people who show up from service providers."
Moore thinks the water treatment market is undergoing a significant shift. "We're seeing the restructuring of a very old market,"he says. "Eventually there will be three significant segments--the traditional service provider, the complete turnkey supplier which takes care of everything, and our group."
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