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a FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT Wednesday September 12 IBM Consumer sense means awareness Some lucky people pride themselves their consumer sense They have a nose for bargains and they enjoy bragging about the great deals they find and the money they save on purchases Others arent so fortunate They wonder why their money doesnt last why their dollars dont stretch as far as they should Their bargain purchases turn out to be junk and they dont know how to find a real bargain that will give them value for their dollars How is the smart consumer dif ferent from the one who is not so smart Consumer sense has very little to do with intelligence or education and a lot to do with The smart consumer is always aware of his or her power as a con sumer Some people believe that companies are more powerful than consumers that shoppers adapt to the marketplace rather than the marketplace adapting to shoppers needs This simply is not true Companies could not survive without consumers and they make every effort to meet the needs of the people who keep them in business The smart consumer speaks up when he or she is not satisfied with products or services Smart companies and businesses want to know when their customers arent happy because they know that unhappy customers will go elsewhere eventually The smart consumer who complains without getting satisfactory results doesnt hesitate to switch brands or stop patronizing a business Smart consumers are aware of their rights as consumers Govern ment agencies local consumer groups and organizations and the Better Business Bureau can pro vide information about consumers rights Smart consumers are aware of their choices They know what pro ducts and services are available and they do their homework Before the smart consumer makes a purchase he or she researches the options acquires indepth pro duct knowledge and does some comparison shopping to find the best product or service at the best price Smart consumers are aware that some bargains turn out to be very costly A bargain purchase isnt a bargain at all if the product doesnt last as long as it should or doesnt work the way its supposed to The cheapest product on the market may need to be replaced or repaired much more often than a more expensive betterquality product does Similarly the smart consumer may take advantage of coupons and rebates but he or she wont make a purchase solely because of them Even with a coupon or rebate a product may not be the best value or it may not be the pro duct that best meets the needs of an individual consumer Smart consumers are aware that brand names usually offer the best value Companies spend a great deal of money and effort building their reputations and they want their customers to be happy and to pass the word along to friends and relatives A reputable company makes every effort to resolve consumer com plaints and to respond to consumer demand Smart consumers are aware of their own spending patterns Peo ple are more likely to buy on im pulse or to make unwise purchases when they are tired rushed depressed or feeling pressured or when suddenly confronted by the word sale A person with consumer sense stays out of the stores when he or she is feeling vulnerable And while it is often possible to get great bargains when there are sales the smart consumer does not buy something just because its of fered at a fantastically low price but because it is something which he or she already was planning to buy The smart consumer uses salespeople as resources for in formation- and advice A knowledgeable salesperson may have valuable inside informa tion about products which can help the consumer to make the best decision Most salespeople are reputable professionals who want their customers to keep coming back The smart consumer develops good relationships with a few trusted salespeople and listens to their advice but always relies on his or her own judgement The smart consumer is aware that he or she has responsibilities as a consumer The consumer has a responsibility to let companies and businesses know when he or she is unhappy with their products and services Making ones voice heard is the best way to ensure ones future satisfaction THIS LOVELY FRENCH QUARTER KITCHEN features the Monogrmm 11m of appliance and has many of todays popular design features Doable rink with matching lancet builtin appliances which almost disappear into the woodwork and white designer styling Benjamin Moore is expanding ICG HOME COMFORT TIPS Troubleshoot with a caulking gun DECKS RAILINGS and other exterior st tir bidlt with pressuretreated wood need waterproofing to prevent damage like warping and crack ing P your Investment with the proper care and too can is beauty and durability for yean to come HE Every year your house develops heat leaks on the insides of window frames A caulking gun can shoot down excess heating costs While other paint companies are closing their plants in Canada and moving to the United States rather than invest in upgrading domestic facilities Benjamin Moore and Co Limited our supplier and one of Canadas oldest paint companies sees a bright future for the Cana dian market The company is currently building a square foot paint manufacturing plant in BC to replace their smaller plant in Bumaby which could no longer keep up with customer demand The new facility will feature the very latest in manufacturing equipment safety and en vironmental protection technology which will meet the anticipated growth in the Alberta and BC markets In addition to the western plant Benjamin Moore is building a plant in Burlington Ontario to supply resins for their industrial coatings and consumer paint manufactur ing operations Approvals were received from all regulatory agen cies of each level of government prior to the start of construction plug Gardening tips from your hydro company are for garden may a tree lite ind indeed own life Before you decide on We locauon of new take a to consider how big ihev will be when they mature Be Hire thai they wont grow up to interfere with over hud lines If you hive trees are already growing among power lino your hydro prune them neatly and at no charge to you And If youre digging a targe hole to plant a mature tree please call before you dig to mac you dont rut an underground line Happy gardening from your hydro company J ENERGY HINTS Launder For Less J ChthaHnliti am or MtsT Ms caali sat far soar dachas atrtf by aw May M far yaw fill and this state of the art unit will be equipped with advanced safety and environmental protection features Both facilities will begin produc tion this year at a projected cost of Moreover Benjamin Moore recently received approval from both the Federal Government and the Canadian Standards Associa tion to carry the Environmental Choice or on all of their waterbased paints To be able to carry this logo all products had to meet the exacting standards set by Environment Canada and the CSA The company headquartered in Toronto has manufacturing and distribution facilities in Van couver Toronto Burlington and Montreal plus distribution centres in St Johns Dartmouth Win nipeg Saskatoon Calgary and Ed monton Benjamin Moore has been manufacturing paint since 1883 and was established in Canada in 1906 SAVE WALLCOVERINGS 1190 Centre IOOHIHO Main St ACTON