Sales pressure
Just had a phone call from my parents - they've had someone in to do a quote for some work done to the property. I'd already looked up this company and they've had no negative reviews, so no obvious problem there. What got me was the following - the quote is £Xk, but if you agree now, agree that we can use photos of our work and put up a board it'll only cost £(55%X)k.
So here's the thing why would agreeing now make a difference?
Okay so they may be working in the area, so in theory it should be possible to stagger workers, which is a cost saving. However agreeing to be a showroom is not a time limited thing. Taking before and after photos work now, but they also work six months from now. Again okay, if they get a lot of showroom agreements then they don't need any more, but the property in question sits on a main road (prime location) it's a semi-detached where the neighbours won't be having this work done (equivalent before and after always on display) so it's a perfect showcase for their work - they're not going to want to lose it.
I've just had another call they've dropped to (42%X)k, but only if they agree now, right now!
I really hate pressure sales of this type.
I've told them to ask for a 24 hour quote. If the company isn't prepared to go along with that f**k them.
...
They've given a 24 hour quote.
2 comments:
I hate hearing stories like this, which perpetuate the bad name of the sales profession. Some of us do sell ethically, and with the customer's best interests in mind.
None of my business of course, but personally I would go back to these people and ask for the work to be done at breakeven cost (documented prior to signature) in exchange for acting as showcase. If they're ready to drop 58% off their price without being pushed, then the sponge can be squeezed some more. I'd guess you can get them down to 25%X with a little persistence.
"None of my business of course" No, no if I didn't want feedback I wouldn't be posting :-)
What you're saying is pretty much along my lines too. Where it got worse was allegedly where the guy said a) if you don't do it know you're just need it done later (which isn't true) and b) if you wait four months you'd be able to do a deal anyway (so why the need to sign now?).
My father has also had words with someone he knows in a similar line of work and the reply was roughly "We've been called in to repair work done by people like this" NB not necessarily this company but companies doing the same sort of thing.
It's something that would be good to have done, but it just seems a little too flakey to me.
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