When it comes to purchasing spring or flat washers for industrial needs, each company faces a choice of different manufacturers. One of the first things they tend to look at is the price. However, the cost is far from the most important deciding factor.
When trying to choose the best steel flat washer manufacturer, you may not think to check where their facility is located, but that detail can have a big impact on your experience. More often than not, while hunting for the best deal, companies get low-quality products because they failed to notice they were buying from an overseas, third-party distributor.
Let’s talk about the benefits of buying flat or spring washers from a domestic manufacturer.
Quick Delivery
When you attempt to purchase washers overseas, you may be faced with formidable delivery delays.
In many cases, companies looking for washers need them to be delivered ASAP. If you work with a U.S.-based manufacturer, the delivery time is unlikely to exceed a couple of days.
If you opt for overseas delivery, you may face unexpected delays due to customs procedures, bad weather, unfamiliar courier services, and other issues.
When you need fast delivery, a domestic manufacturer wins on all fronts.
Proper Customer Support
When ordering washers from a domestic company, you can be sure to get proper customer support in your language. You don’t have to worry about finding someone, who speaks your language and works during your office hours.
A domestic manufacturer can provide consultations on numerous washer-related subjects while you’re on the line. More often than not, you can take care of all concerns with one call rather than wait for days for your needs to be properly addressed.
Easy Returns
Even if you’ve chosen the best manufacturer in the industry, you may need to make product returns. Mistakes happen on both ends. You may either order the wrong size accidentally or have the project requirements change midway.
With offshore manufacturers, the return process can be downright painful. It may stretch for weeks.
With a local manufacturer, you can either visit the office to discuss the returns or return the products using a local postal service. Domestically shipped returns and exchanges are unlikely to take more than a couple of days, which means your funds aren’t stuck in limbo for weeks.
Cut Costs
Many companies are tricked into buying washers overseas by their low price. However, when you add the delivery expenses, possible delays, and lengthy returns, the price suddenly becomes much higher.
If you have an urgent project, wasting time on long washer delivery can be costly. Buying from a local manufacturer can help you stay within budget and avoid downtime.
Maintain Quality Standards
While the majority of products in the world are made in Asian countries, the quality can vary from batch to batch. Local manufacturing is bound to offer the highest quality materials, made to national industrial standards, by a well-trained workforce.
Even if you manage to find the same quality overseas, the above benefits make domestic manufacturing the clear choice.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to washers, local manufacturing provides better quality, lower costs, faster delivery, and better customer support. If you have an opportunity to work with a U.S.-based manufacturer, it makes sense to consider it.