Our recent equipment survey had over 250 participants and addressed factors such as leasing equipment and maintenance, country of origin and quality over price. Here are some of the findings:
When it comes to leasing equipment, although most participants (45 per cent) were unsure about whether they’d be interested, over a third (35 per cent) said they would be. Some distributors charge for maintaining leased equipment usually when they don’t own the machines. Forty per cent of respondents think this should be a complimentary service with just 14 per cent willing to pay.
Aurelien Coursodon, managing director of France Medical says, “I believe there should be no difference between sold, leased or rented equipment when it comes to service and support. If a customer has trouble with a piece of equipment, the supplier should find a quick and suitable solution for their business. We actually offer an unlimited warranty with our IPL devices.
“A benefit of both rented and leased equipment is they are 100 per cent tax deductible for the business. Purchasing many equipment devices, such as IPL, is quite a big investment for a beauty salon, especially for small salon or mobile therapists wishing to access the latest technology.”
Choosing quality versus price, 55 per cent of respondents said it is highly important and 44 per cent said it is important (with just 1 per cent believing it not to be very important). When respondents were asked whether they think more expensive equipment is safer, 40 per cent answered no and 25 per cent said they think it is, with 35 per cent being unsure.
Matt Moncrieff, managing director of High Tech Laser, said of the response, "It is refreshing to see that 99 per cent of the market value quality as important. However, with many lower quality devices copying the claims of high-quality devices it is becoming increasingly difficult for buyers to separate the good from the bad, as the findings on price versus safety reflects. It is important buyers choose established suppliers with a proven record of performance and make a decision based on the long-term value a device will deliver to their business."
Findings show country of origin to be highly important to 25 per cent, important to 51 per cent and not very important to 24 per cent of respondents. We had a mixed response as to which country is thought to lead in terms of equipment development and technology: 32 per cent said Germany, followed by the USA at 23 per cent, China and France both at 10 per cent, Australia at 6 per cent and the UK last at 2 per cent (the remainder of respondents said they are unsure).