Every time someone hears I have chickens at home, I get the same comment:
“Must be nice, getting free eggs.”
Free. Right.
What “Free” Really Costs
Let’s talk about what “free” actually costs me: the coop itself, the feed every week, predator-proofing, the fencing, the vet visit when one got sick, and the twice-a-day chores, rain, shine, or six inches of snow, that never take a day off.
Why the Cheapest Option Usually Costs More
Here’s the part people really don’t think about. When I built that coop, I had options. I could have used the cheapest lumber I could find, the cheapest feed on the shelf, and skipped the extra fencing. It would have cost me less money on day one.
But cheap lumber rots and warps. Cheap feed means smaller eggs and fewer of them. A coop built to the minimum is basically an invitation for a raccoon to wipe out the whole flock in one bad night.
You get what you pay for. That’s true with a chicken coop, and it’s true with almost everything else.
What’s Actually Behind an Outsourcing Partner’s Hourly Rate?
I think about this constantly when I sit across from someone evaluating contact center outsourcing partners and the conversation lands on the hourly rate. One number is a dollar or two lower than the others, and that becomes the whole decision.
But the rate on a proposal is like the lumber at the store. It’s the visible part. What you can’t see from that number alone is what’s actually going into it:
- who’s recruiting and vetting the agents,
- how much real training they get,
- what the technology stack looks like,
- whether there’s actual coaching and quality monitoring happening,
- whether the culture makes people want to stay for years instead of walking out in 90 days.
The lowest hourly rate and the best long-term value are rarely the same thing.
The Hidden Costs of Choosing the Lowest Rate
Pick the lowest rate without asking what’s behind it, and you usually end up with the equivalent of that bargain coop. It holds up just long enough to look like you made a smart call. Then it doesn’t, and you pay for it in turnover, inconsistent customer experience, and rework, none of which show up as a line item but all cost more than the rate ever saved.
Lowest Rate vs. Best Long-Term Value
The lowest hourly rate and the best long-term value are rarely the same thing. You get what you pay for, whether we’re talking about eggs or customer experience.
What’s something in your business where the cheaper option ended up costing more in the end?
