Dealing with customers asking for a discount

**Nth Degree** · 11-14-2013, 11:41 PM

While researching another topic I ran across the following article. It makes some excellent points about why you should not immediately give a discount and how to make it work to your advantage.

Customers asking for a discount.

**dd1101** · 11-15-2013, 12:36 AM

Great read man; I don`t detail for a living but work in finance and deal with similar situation.

My firm pays millions for a consultant firm that teaches our employees the art of sale and how to deal with discounts.

My rule is first one to speak loses, let the client talk first so you have a good place to start negotiating or let the client know his wishes on unreal and you can`t do business if you offered those discounts.

I help clients consolidate financial assets and manage all there investments under one roof. Once a client told me he wanted $8000 from me to buy $800,000 in assets. I was blunt with the client and told him I would have to close my office and I could not offer the level of service you are accustomed to for that.

Client returned the next day and I got couple a million and no where near the discount he was looking for.

My point is it`s all about mutual respect. I know you detailers work hard in a industry with low barriers to entry and exit, and the margins are shrinking so make sure you value your time as well without giving discounts.

**Todd@RUPES** · 11-15-2013, 06:03 AM

Excellent thread/article. Thanks for sharing!

**Bunky** · 11-15-2013, 07:55 AM

This is always a challenge with many businesses. In some businesses, the service provider explains what they do and then offers options to reduce the price by modifying the service. However, some are rigidly stuck to doing it one way and consider it an insult to do "less".

As a consumer myself, it helps to know how a company prices their work. For example, if they say they need $50/hr to cover their work you have a baseline to judge value especially when labor time is a key variable. Customers may be accustomed to expecting discounts (there are so many coupons out there).

Interesting some detailers are cheap when buying products but seem insulted when one of their customers challenges their prices.

**Lou Bunn** · 11-15-2013, 08:01 AM

Wow, that`s a lot better than what I usually do, (tell them to F off, I ain`t the autobell car wash), thanks, good tips!

**JSFM35X** · 11-15-2013, 08:21 AM

Most of the time when someone thinks you are too expensive I make me think they need help justifying their purchase decision. I am not always right, but my theroy is if you are delaing with a bead counter, you don`t win that and if you are dealing with a person who values service it is up to you to justify your price.

2 biggest rules to live by in my world:

1. Your competition does not lower your price, YOU DO! (great book by the same title)

2. If you are dealing with a person wearing the least expensive shirt and pants they can possibly find...........look for another custmoer.

**piaaump** · 11-15-2013, 11:21 AM

Definitely a good article....Also needs to be an eye opener for hose who want to "go into business".....to be successful it isn`t enough just to be a good tech...the business aspects are a key to sustaining the success your tech skills bring you....

Good friend of mine has the best local garage around.....good rates, fast service.....business growing etc.....and he had the best foreign car tech around....I bring him my BMW for everything I cant do....

Tech decides to go out on his own.....but has 0 business skills..........great tech, bad business....drove by my shop the other day, big sign out front "CHAD is back!".......

success balances on my points....