In the not too distant past, I was rambling on about how to say no and have since realized the truth of
Donn James
the adage, “Those who can’t do…Teach.” As a father, I long ago gave up the expectation that any of my “No’s” would fall on anything but deaf ears. So, you won’t be surprised to learn I just paid $2800 to fix a $200 dog. If it was a car I would have taken it to the beach, rolled down the windows, left the keys and walked away. The alternative would have involved gasoline and a match. Apparently, there are those of you that frown on that tact with pets. Anyway, unbeknownst to me, dogs can get gallstones and after removing enough of them to make a small necklace, one of my rescue dogs is well. And is the term rescue a misnomer? After all, it’s not like I’m rescuing them from a ‘fate worse than death’…I am, in fact, rescuing them from death and I have to pay to do it. When I rescued that baby from the burning building or returned that bag of cash I found or helped the old lady across the street…hey I could have done those things. My point is, after I did those heroic deeds nobody said, “Thank you, that’ll be $200.” You may think that’s the worst part but it’s not. The dog is about the price of a key chain but by the time you add de-worm, de-flea, de-sex, shots, license, registration and tax it is $200. It’s like these “rescue” places have turned into a service industry.
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As an example, I meet my carpet cleaners at the door and tell them I don’t want to hear about scotchgarding, high-traffic areas, pet-proofing, color match; just do the best job you can for the price quoted…and don’t steal anything. I’ll love the dog and feed it and give it a good home but don’t beat me up with ancillary charges. The point here for suppliers and distributors is your clients want a bottom line. Where money or time is involved, nobody likes surprises. I have a friend outside the industry who spent $1100 on blankets with a distributor and was surprised with a $900 bill for shipping. SURPRISE! Thankfully, he’s eating solid foods again. What’s your least favorite up-charge? IMC wants to know. We might not waive it but we’ll tell you about it.
Filed under: Customer Service, Promotional Products, Sales, Uncategorized
Great post, I think that theory also apllies to kids, and the many activities and cost that come with them… Through you love them they always pack a surprise with an unexpected dollar amount.