This could be a great use for a voice AI chat bot connected to your phone line. Prompt it with something like,
“You’re on a phone call to [Widgets Inc] to get a price quote for a [box of premium widgets]. You’ll probably be put on hold to speak with the next available sales representative. Just wait until you get a person on the line. Then, ask for the price and immediately start negotiating for a better price. Use whatever strategy you want but never agree to whatever price they offer. Keep coming up with more ridiculous reasons that they should give you an even better price.”
Then dial the phone, turn it over to the chat bot, and wander off to go do more important things.
Especially considering that most of the time you’ll sit on hold which can be awhile
If the company says “call” I ain’t even going to bother because my 30 minutes is more valuable to me than whatever price they could say 99.9% of the time
Sometimes you can blame the partnership agreement for that. Some manufacturers will have a MAP (minimum advertised price) and the distributor would be in violation of their contract if they showed it publicly.
Though that just shifts to being a manufacturer problem with the same result. Just saying it may not be the distributor being weird about pricing.
Timber merchants in the UK. The ones that don’t list prices are cheaper. Largely because they base their prices on the current price of wood. Those that advertised prices need a higher margin to tolerate fluctuations in the price of wood.
Well this one could be cheaper, but how could I even know, the price isn’t listed.
It’s not cheaper, it costs me time.
Absolutely! And having to tolerate annoying and intrusive sales people
Avoiding those are priceless
This could be a great use for a voice AI chat bot connected to your phone line. Prompt it with something like,
“You’re on a phone call to [Widgets Inc] to get a price quote for a [box of premium widgets]. You’ll probably be put on hold to speak with the next available sales representative. Just wait until you get a person on the line. Then, ask for the price and immediately start negotiating for a better price. Use whatever strategy you want but never agree to whatever price they offer. Keep coming up with more ridiculous reasons that they should give you an even better price.”
Then dial the phone, turn it over to the chat bot, and wander off to go do more important things.
I feel like the new samsung already has this feature
I like the cut of your jib
Especially considering that most of the time you’ll sit on hold which can be awhile
If the company says “call” I ain’t even going to bother because my 30 minutes is more valuable to me than whatever price they could say 99.9% of the time
It’s more about not rewarding their disrespect and greed. Instead rewarding the company being open and upfront and not wasting my time
Exactly
Reward the company that respects me enough to not waste my time
If it were cheaper, the price would be listed
Sometimes you can blame the partnership agreement for that. Some manufacturers will have a MAP (minimum advertised price) and the distributor would be in violation of their contract if they showed it publicly.
Though that just shifts to being a manufacturer problem with the same result. Just saying it may not be the distributor being weird about pricing.
If you have to ask for a price, it ain’t cheap.
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Are there any notable examples where it is? I’m not aware of any.
Timber merchants in the UK. The ones that don’t list prices are cheaper. Largely because they base their prices on the current price of wood. Those that advertised prices need a higher margin to tolerate fluctuations in the price of wood.
Huh. Interesting! Thanks for the example!
With office furniture it’s a little more common.
They like that sweet and stupid startup money.
Just had one with atlantis. Straight up asked for the pricing of 17sqm delivered to metro melbourne.
'Oooh it depends on faaaactors. Tell ya what, how 'bout i get one of our sales guys to call you and work out the best product solution"
"Nope, 17sqm product xx, plus delivery to metro melbourne. That’s it’
‘Yes but factors’
Fucking bye Felicia