Rant about my competitors

amother

Thu, Feb 15 2007, 4:56 pm

Please hold out until I’m finished before you give me all that well meaning advice. I am the best you can get when you compare me to my competition yet all of them charge from double and up for what I do/sell. I hate it when people choose them over me because they think that if it costs more then it’s better! The only sweeteners that I ever get is when they go to the competition, spend a fortune, then come to ME to make it right once and for all for my low price. How can I learn to charge an arm and a leg like all those others? I’m sick of getting all the second helpings from my competitors because their work is so inferior it’s despicable! Am I too old for this business already? Is it getting to me or am I just not a business woman…

amother

Thu, Feb 15 2007, 5:22 pm

You Must start charging more so that people think your it, then you are still free to give a "special price just for you cuz I like you but dont tell anybody" if you feel the need to.

amother

Thu, Feb 15 2007, 5:26 pm

I am starting to shoot numbers but I can’t deal with the guilt. I know that it’s worth a million but…. Would you charge $18 for a bottle of milk just because someone asks you what the price is?!?!

shoy18

Thu, Feb 15 2007, 5:27 pm

I know this may sound rude but its true, nice people don't belong in a competitive business, its the ruthless people who do well. It sick but true

momofthree

Thu, Mar 22 2007, 3:00 pm

If you think people are going to your competition solely because their prices are higher - then you MUST raise your prices. Mistakenly or not, people believe that more expensive equals higher quality. You're putting the wrong impression out there if you underprice. I'll be honest, if I'm pricing a service and see that one provider is 1/2 the price of all the others, I won't call that one. I'd be suspicious of inferior quality.

Your lower prices are obviously not working to bring in the clients, so raise your prices and see if that helps. Sounds like you can't lose out.

amother

Thu, Mar 22 2007, 3:29 pm

I have a horrible problem that I still have to learn to deal with. When I quote a higher prices I can’t deal with the guilt – I feel dishonest and I feel like I’m cheating people.

Squash

Thu, Mar 22 2007, 5:02 pm

amother wrote:

sounds like you are a shaitel macher, no?

When I was reading the OP that's exactly what I thought of. Not only that, but you sound like MY sheitel macher (cousin). She (mayb it's you?) just charged me $50 to cut a new shaitel. She was telling me about one of her customers who went to Noa and spent $350 and then came to her to fix it up. Whoever this Noa person is, the customer was cursing her out like there's no tomorrow.

chen

Thu, Mar 22 2007, 5:06 pm

amother wrote:

I have a horrible problem that I still have to learn to deal with. When I quote a higher prices I can’t deal with the guilt – I feel dishonest and I feel like I’m cheating people.

I hear you. I haven't the guts to charge a lot--which is why I work for a salary and am not in business for myself! Would it make you feel better if you upped your prices to market rate and gave the excess above your normal charge to tzedokoh?

greenfire

Thu, Mar 22 2007, 5:19 pm

I hear you girl ... everyone wants something for nothing ... so then they go to higher place who sends out the "workers" to do job for cheaper and what do you have a low class job ... while you would charge an honest price for the good work you do yourself ... and as you can see - they come to you to fix it ... charge a lot then ... it takes more time to fix up someones botched mistakes than to start from scrap ... anyway ... it's not easy being green Wink

amother

Thu, Mar 22 2007, 7:12 pm

It gets worse. When they come to me to fix up, I charge even lower because I feel honored. I should get out of this business and get a paycheck,

taffy

Thu, Mar 22 2007, 7:25 pm

Now I'm curious about your occupation...pedi/manis...? haircuts...? c-sections....? electrolysis/waxing...?
Maybe if you tell us more about what you do we can give some feedback...

amother

Thu, Mar 22 2007, 7:27 pm

It’s nothing with beauty or for private consumers. It’s a service for businesses and professionals. I can’t go into details, I need to remain anonymous this is a very seriously embarrassing flaw. Thanks.

happyone

Thu, Mar 22 2007, 7:38 pm

If you're that confident that you're the best in the market, you should be confident enough to charge what you think you're worth.
Do you really think people go to your competitors (whatever the business may be) because they’re pricier? I highly doubt it. People generally go to where their friends/coworkers/family members use for services. Most businesses work by reputation/word of mouth. When I look for any service, be it personal or business; I generally go with who people around me are pleased.
Why not promote business by offering a percent off your services if you refer another customer... Once business increases, you can very well increase your prices, as pleased customers will refer you. Professionals/businesses generally look for quality service over price.

mumoo

Thu, Mar 22 2007, 7:55 pm

The value of any product or service is that which a customer is willing to pay for it. Why would you feel guilty for charging the appropriate value for your service?
And I agree with greenfire, to charge more to fix someone else's mistakes, but if you can't, at least let people know you are fixing the mistake so they know next time they should come to you the first time.

Dini

Thu, Mar 22 2007, 8:15 pm

I don't get it, you work to make a living. you are entitled to charge if the service is usually more expensive why are you charging so little. thats how much people expect to be charged so u are in a very good line of business where you can make loads of money.