Regardless of the amount of time, effort and indeed money you pump into any building project, nothing can make up for low-quality structural steel. This is after all the very fabric of the build as a whole and what will determine its success, which is why when the time comes to source steel beams and RSJs for use in any kind of construction projects, the worst thing anyone can do is take things for granted. Of course, it’s rare to come across any modern supplier that doesn’t deliver on its promises, but at the same time the differences between competing brands and the materials they supply really are night and day.
Which leads to the all-important question – how can you be sure to avoid those on the rather negative side of the fence?
Well, according to the experts at wesellrsj.co.uk it doesn’t have to be a difficult or long-winded process, but rather one of ticking a few essential boxes. So, when the time comes to put in an order for these kinds of goods in any kind of quantity, bear the following warning signs in mind that the dealer you’re looking at may not be the right partner for the job:
1 – Amateurish Websites
While a poor-looking website may not necessarily guarantee poor quality products, it most certain doessay a great deal about the professionalism and attitude in general of the brand behind it. The reason being that these days, putting together a website that looks great, functions well and speaks volumes about the brand you work for is both easy and cheap. As such, when and where you come across a site that’s nothing short of a complete and total amateur-hour affair, it’s worth asking yourself if this is really the kind of provider you want to be putting your trust in.
2 – No Real Information
Something else to be on the lookout for is a website that appears to be little more than an online order form and nothing else. Now, it’s not to say that this is something of a guarantee of a poor outcome, but more often than not when you come across a site like this it is not in fact a manufacturer you’ll looking at, but rather a middleman. These days, it’s hugely common for individuals to build these kinds of sites which take orders and promise quotations only to then pass these orders on to the real manufacturers and add a chunk of cash on for their own efforts. The simple truth of the matter is that there’s really no sense in doing things this way when you can get a better deal by buying direct.
3 – Absent Contact Details
Another crucially important tell-tale sign of a steel beam seller you might want to keep a distance from is a distinct lack of contact details…or contact details that don’t paint the right picture. Even if you do not foresee a time when you will be needing to speak to them directly, you need to make sure that you at least can. This means making sure there’s at least one landline telephone number (worth testing it before going ahead) a couple of email addresses and a postal address too. What’s more, it should be a registered business address rather than some random domestic household address, just in the same way that things like Gmail addresses and mobile phone numbers tend to be signs of dealers that may be on the dodgy side.
4 – Rough Quotations
We live in an age where the overwhelming majority of people are not willing to accept rough quotations for anything, but instead demand rock-solid final costs before going ahead. It’s a bit like getting to the checkout in the supermarket and being charged a ton more than the prices on the shelves specified – why on Earth would anyone put up with this? Unless the price you’re quoted before going ahead is set in stone and guaranteed not to increase by a penny, you could be setting yourself up for a nasty surprise and one that you really have no way out of when the time comes.
5 – Zero Feedback
Last but not least, when and where there is no feedback at all to be found about the provider you’re looking into, this can mean one of only two things…neither of them being positive. Either they’re dangerously inexperienced with no customer history whatsoever or they’re doing all they can to keep the feedback they’ve received nicely hidden from people like you. So really, you’re onto a bum deal either way.