I want the price I see to be the price I pay
When I took over purchasing for our office building in 2020, I thought I had the whole vendor game figured out. Get three quotes. Pick the middle one, maybe the lowest if the numbers looked good. That's how you do it, right?
I learned the hard way that in elevator parts and maintenance—and frankly, in most B2B procurement—the number on the first page of the quote is often just the beginning. What I mean is that the 'cheapest' option isn't just about the sticker price—it's about the total cost including your time spent managing issues, the risk of delays, and the potential need for redos. And that's a lesson that cost me about $2,400 in rejected expenses before I wised up.
So here's my take: I'd rather see the full, honest number upfront than be lured in by a lowball figure that gets fat with hidden fees later.
My first painful lesson with hidden costs
Back in 2021, I was sourcing replacement parts for a set of elevators—some new door hangers, a sensor, a controller board for the screen door system. A smaller parts supplier offered a quote that was maybe 18% below the major distributors. Sounded like a win. I placed the order for maybe $3,200—no, I think it was $3,800, I'd have to check the old PO system.
Then the extras started rolling in. Shipping was added separately because it "wasn't included at that price." Then there was a handling fee. Then a special order fee because apparently the controller board wasn't stock item. The invoiced total landed at close to $4,400. Finance rejected the expense report because the original PO was for $3,800. I had to eat the difference out of my department's contingency budget—which wasn't big to begin with.
That vendor who couldn't provide a proper itemized quote up front ended up costing us way more than the established supplier we usually used. And I looked like an idiot to my VP when the budget for new lobby furniture got squeezed because of my elevator parts overrun.
People think expensive vendors deliver better quality. That's backwards.
There's this assumption in procurement that high price equals high quality. The reality is the other way around: vendors who deliver quality can charge more. The causation runs the opposite direction. What I've seen is that the real marker of a reliable supplier isn't the total—it's how they present the total.
A vendor who lists every conceivable fee upfront—shipping, handling, insurance, warranty, installation support for things like screen door interfaces and door hanger adjustments—even if the total looks higher, almost always costs less in the end. I've learned to ask 'what's NOT included' before 'what's the price.' It's become my go-to test.
The best part of making this shift: no more 3am worry sessions about whether the order will arrive within budget. There's something satisfying about a quote where every line item is spelled out. After the stress of those early mistakes, finally having clarity feels like a victory for the whole accounting team.
How I use technical standards to vet quotes
To protect myself from vague pricing, I've started asking suppliers to reference how their parts and services meet specific standards upfront. It's a great filter. For example, if I'm ordering elevator door components, I'll ask if the parts meet EN 81-20/50 safety standards for passenger lifts. If the sales rep can't quickly tell me, it's a red flag.
For maintenance contracts, I check if the proposed schedule aligns with ISO 25745 energy efficiency verification. A transparent vendor will say something like, "our standard test cycle uses the VDI 4707 methodology, updated for 2024 ISO requirements." A less transparent vendor says, "we'll service it like the other guys." That vagueness often hides scope gaps and future upcharges.
I also pay attention to how they handle things like 'a vanity url' for part lookup portals. A supplier who gives me a specific link to a catalog that clearly shows pricing—not just a general company page—is showing they want me to see the real costs. Hit the link, verify the price, no surprises. That's a green flag.
Hiding fees almost cost me an internal client
In our 2024 vendor consolidation project, I was evaluating a maintenance firm for our escalators. Their base price was fantastic—about 20% lower than our current provider. But their response to my question about 'typical additional charges for after-hours callouts' was suspicious. They said, "it depends." Not good enough.
I pressed them and found out they charged a 'mobilization fee' for after-hours work. That alone would have added about $150 per callout. Since our building occasionally needs late-night elevator adjustments for tenant events, that hidden fee would have killed our quarterly budget. Processing 60-80 orders annually for this kind of equipment, we can't have unpredictable line items like that. The vendor who lists all fees upfront—even if the total looks higher—usually costs less in the end. I went with the competitor who itemized everything, including a typical callout scenario cost.
But I also need to be fair. Some people might say that transparent pricing just means the supplier is padding the base price to cover everything upfront, so you're paying more on average. I get that argument. Put another way: you're paying a known premium to avoid a surprise loss. For a department manager who reports to both operations and finance, giving up that little flexibility for certainty is usually a no-brainer. The risk of a $2,400 rejected expense is way bigger than paying 5% more for a quote that has no asterisks.
The bottom line
Look, I'm not an engineering expert on elevator technology. I'm an office administrator who manages relationships with probably 8 vendors for different building needs. But after 5 years of managing these relationships, I've seen both sides. The vendor who hides fees and the vendor who doesn't. The choice has become clear.
I'd rather see the honest, complete number than chase a phantom low price that turns into a budget nightmare. It's not about finding the cheapest provider—it's about finding the one trustworthy enough to tell me the real cost before I commit. That's the relationship I want for our building's elevators, parts, and maintenance. And honestly, it's the standard I think every admin buyer deserves.
