Is anything really for free anymore?
Is anything really for free anymore?
Actually – this could be a bit of a loaded question – was anything ever really free? Perhaps, once upon a time…. But there is definitely an understanding – call it what you will – that nothing is for free. That’s what our parents always said to us growing up, right? “Son – nothing’s for free! AND IF THEY SAY IT’S FOR FREE, then it’s too good to be true!”
So what happened? When did we get so… untrusting? So guarded? So honest with ourselves that we should naturally question things – like questioning the integrity of a GREAT DEAL when we see one?
The truth is that some things ARE for free. Maybe we just don’t believe it, or we don’t want to believe it. And for the other guys (referring to NOT YOU – those who ruin/ruined it for us good guys left in the world) who tricked and lured customers with their false and empty promises – have only helped to shape the evolving customer mindset – the ultimate THING that customers do before choosing not only to work with a specific business, or to buy a specific product, but further: to influence the way in which a customer decides to part ways with their hard earned money.
Now – the term ‘Free’ used to be fixed. It perhaps was once used to actually tell you a truth – that something was actually FREE. No terms, no conditions. No *asterisk. No fine print. Then advertising changed the game – and free became ‘subjective’. Businesses would had to start stating their Terms & Conditions, or at least make them known to the customer – because the rules were changing too quickly. The waters were getting muddy…
Fast forward to 2016 – and it appears that lots of things are still ‘free’ – but we as technologically savvy consumers know this not to be entirely true. We’ve evolved. We’re smarter. We know to be smarter.
What do we really sacrifice when it comes to free? What are you prepared to trade when you see: “FREE IPHONE”, or “WIN THIS HOLIDAY”? Are you really thinking about what you are trading when you hand over your name/email address/best number to call you on when you enter that next competition? Sadly, there are a lot of uneducated or naïve or people doing this and hoping that the next email they open from a friend of their long lost uncle who just passed away – might really have $24million to give away…
There’s one thing for sure when it comes to Exteriors by Leroy & Darcy. When we say free, we mean FREE! When we say FREE ESTIMATES, or FREE APPRAISALS, or WIN A GIFT CARD – we mean exactly that – we won’t charge you a dime to come out and assess your work or enter your details into a competition. We won’t give you a free service to bait you into an expensive back-end charge with hidden service fees. We believe in Honesty and Integrity, and it’s the reason we’re still in business after 21 years.
So, think about that next time you see the next too good to be true promotion. Don’t be afraid to ask “what do you mean by free?” We’d be only too happy to explain J
Exteriors by Leroy & Darcy
For a FREE QUOTE on your Siding, Roofing, Eavestrough, or windows & Doors – Please, give us a call!!