Even more than price, the eroding market share for many U.S. manufacturers in the latter half of the 20~(th) Century was the result of a perception of a decline in quality. During the late 1970s, for example, Detroit's share of the car market plummeted when U.S. carmakers couldn't compete with lengthening warranties from Japanese carmakers. Today, the 50,000 mile/five year warranty is standard throughout the industry-so much so that it's no longer a selling point but rather a necessity. Consumers' expectations of quality have risen in all areas-including the design and construction industries. However, once the bidding wars start, quality too often takes a back seat to price and contractors are all-too-willing to jump at any chance to save money-even if in the long run it's a false economy. Too often, what looks like a low bid at the start ends up costing a project more due to poor quality.
展开▼
