Shop Price vs Interwebs Price
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iTrader: (17)
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 22,776
From: Sunnyvale, CA
Car Info: '13 BRZ Limited / '02 WRX
One of my favorite customer stories came from the boss of another i-clubber that owned an aquarium supply shop. Customer wanted a discount on an already discounted start-up kit. The boss came downstairs and opened up his wallet. "Here's the cash on me, I was going to used this to put gas in my car so I could get home tonight, but you seem to want to take all of my money." (or something to that effect).
Most customers do not understand the relationship between product cost, overhead, profit, and retail cost. If you have a shop that is willing to bend over backward to match crazy low prices, guess what... they are probably going to have much higher than necessary prices to compensate for that loss. It'd be nice if we could all get everything we wanted for free, but sometimes the general public has to take their head out of their asses and realize that in a business transaction they are not the only entity.
Most customers do not understand the relationship between product cost, overhead, profit, and retail cost. If you have a shop that is willing to bend over backward to match crazy low prices, guess what... they are probably going to have much higher than necessary prices to compensate for that loss. It'd be nice if we could all get everything we wanted for free, but sometimes the general public has to take their head out of their asses and realize that in a business transaction they are not the only entity.
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iTrader: (3)
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,094
From: bay area, ca
Car Info: 2006 STi 2012 STi
And most of the time, a simple no is all I reply with to such questions.
True story: Customer signed an estimate(contract) authorizing the work(engine overhaul).
Customer came in to pick up car after the job was complete and asked for "cash" discount.
"Just knock off the sales tax", was the demanding request.
Punch line: THEY WORK FOR BOARD OF EQUALIZATION!!!(sales tax dept)
BTW:
If you buy something from out of state, in person or via internet/mail/etc, you must pay the state "use tax" which happens to be the same rate as sales tax.
True story: Customer signed an estimate(contract) authorizing the work(engine overhaul).
Customer came in to pick up car after the job was complete and asked for "cash" discount.
"Just knock off the sales tax", was the demanding request.
Punch line: THEY WORK FOR BOARD OF EQUALIZATION!!!(sales tax dept)
BTW:
If you buy something from out of state, in person or via internet/mail/etc, you must pay the state "use tax" which happens to be the same rate as sales tax.
and the agencies are going around A LOT trying to catch people slipping on everything from Board of equalization to B.A.R. etc. ive had both come to the shop lately under false pretenses trying to catch us slipping and they both left telling me how well we passed! 
FYI the lady from the Board of Equal. told me that the state of california will be sending more people out to collect what they think they can get. Cali is hurting and theyre taking it out on the small businesses first. guess they want to scare the lil people before trying to bleed the big dogs. i will try and give my customers the best deal i can. Its not worth my time a lot to price match because im not making anything from it, and time is money. A lot of customers dont understand that the small profits we make from them go to rent, taxes, utility, employees, and not to mention the crap load of licenses we have to get every year.
Its not worth it to me to price match an ungodly internet site if it costs me my business as a whole, if you do it once, then everyone wants a handout... but in the end youll be standing there with nothing in your hand!
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stoney98
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Jul 7, 2005 10:31 PM