Why are some businesses so evasive over prices?

[Scott@KarmaContent]

I actually know why, but I thought I'd just throw this out there.

I've just emailed a company about making a purchase, asking them the price. I get a reply saying:

"Is there a number I can ring you on so I can go through all of your options and ensure that you are getting the right one?"

"No", I reply and say I've done my research. I know which one is right for me.

To which they then reply again and insist it really would be better to go "through the options" etc...

JUST TELL ME THE PRICE!!!! I DON'T WANT TO BE SOLD TO!!!!!

Safe to say that I will go elsewhere...

 

[Mr D]

LOL
I buy from a company that produces big catalogues each year. Coupe of kilos of catalogues covering thousands of products.
I have to email the rep for price on individual items and they'll come back to me with just those items pricing. So if wanting an inner on one she'll give me the inner price, if wanting a carton on another item she will give me the carton price only.
Be far easier if they produced an excel file or printed pages showing item code, price for inner, price for carton etc.
Our price list request in the past has been as much as 4 pages of A4 in order to do an order for 20 items.
None of our other suppliers put the same effort into presenting their items and withholding prices.

 

[STDFR33]

Facebook selling pages, Gumtree etc are equally frustrating.

You see an item you want / need, and the advert says ‘offers’.

You ask how much they want and they reply ‘make me an offer’.

You offer £100 because you think it is fair.

They respond ‘sorry, too low’.

I respond ‘well how much do you want then?’

They respond again ‘I’m open to offers but more than £100’

If you know how much you want, just tell me the f*****g price you utter tw*t!!


Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.


*BREATHE*

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

 

[Noah]

Seen as commercially-sensitive information, innit? If they take that position, then they probably become paranoid about competitors masquerading as customers to extract their commercially-sensitive prices.

Drawbacks include your experience, of course.

 

[Scott@KarmaContent]

Seen as commercially-sensitive information, innit? If they take that position, then they probably become paranoid about competitors masquerading as customers to extract their commercially-sensitive prices.

You may be right, but it's such an odd position to take isn't it? The fact is, if your competitor wants to find out your prices, they will.

 

[Mr D]

You would think customers would want to know pricing too.

 

[Mark T Jones]

In some cases, such as ours there are any number of variables which will affect price

In fact, I can't categorically quote a price until the deal is fully underwritten ~(nor can any lender or broker in my sector)

However most conversations will start with being asked 'what our rate is' - and often by the enquirer claiming to have an offer (usually just a generic flyer) at a silly rate.

Unless there is engagement there can be no deal

 

[AllUpHere]

There may be sound reasoning behind it. If they know their business and their marketing, they may have found that the people they manage to up-sell and cross-sell when they get them on the phone more than makes up for the potential clients who are put off.

Alternatively, they may not understand their market at all, and may be losing significant sums.

Hard to know which of the above is correct without knowing more about their marketing strategy.

 

[messiah]

I had the same experience when trying to find out how much it costs to join a David Llyod gym.

2 of the reasons I think are because it gets you further down the sales funnel by going to the gym and meeting with a salesman.

Secondly, there are maybe around 20 different prices dependant on what you get

 

[estwig]

I sell a service, I need to decide if the client is gonna be a complete and utter tw*t, before offering a price.

 

[Scott@KarmaContent]

I sell a service, I need to decide if the client is gonna be a complete and utter tw*t, before offering a price.

I like that reason!

 

[Gecko001]

You may be right, but it's such an odd position to take isn't it? The fact is, if your competitor wants to find out your prices, they will.

I do not think that you can assume that. If it is a niche market, for example, a supplier would probably be able to keep their prices confidential. If the supplier will not immediately tell you, the only other legal way of finding out prices would be to ask someone who has bought something from the supplier before, but in niche markets those firms are like to be competitors of yours and will not be keen to tell you anything about prices they pay to their suppliers.

 

[Scott@KarmaContent]

I do not think that you can assume that. If it is a niche market, for example, a supplier would probably would be able to keep their prices confidential. The only other legal way of finding out prices would be to ask someone who has bought something from the supplier before, but in niche markets those firms are like to be competitors of yours and will not tell you.

If a company really wants to find out another companies prices then the fact is they will, however much the other company tries to hide them.

 

[Scott@KarmaContent]

There may be sound reasoning behind it. If they know their business and their marketing, they may have found that the people they manage to up-sell and cross-sell when they get them on the phone more than makes up for the potential clients who are put off.

That's definitely what a lot of gyms do as @messiah mentioned above.

 

[Gecko001]

If a company really wants to find out another companies prices then the fact is they will, however much the other company tries to hide them.

Could you be more specific on how they could do that.

 

[Clinton]

@Scott@KarmaContent , I feel your pain. The local Virgin Active didn't get me as a customer simply because they wouldn't let me go away with some brochures / information / prices. They insisted I be "interviewed" first.

But, on the other hand, I can see how for some services it would be difficult to impossible to provide a price. Take selling a business for example. Leaving out brokers at the bottom end of the market, if you have a £10m business and go to a corporate finance firm or M&A boutique they charge £50K+ as an upfront fee ...plus further other charges later. They'll need to have several discussions with you before they could come up with a price and a fee structure. They'd need to form an idea of how difficult your business will be to sell, whether regulatory or other approvals would be required, where the flaws in the business lie and how they can best present those, what type of marketing they'll use and how many staff they need to put on the job etc etc. And even then, the figure they come up with is a guesstimate (and subject to negotiation).

I expect that commoditised products - and services - should really have a price to them. The only reason, AFAIAC, that they want me to speak to an "adviser" is because they want to make the most of the opportunity of this customer who has just walked through the door. They want to upsell as much as possible and extract the maximum money they can.

And that's a good reason to simply walk out and visit their less aggressive competitor instead.

 

[Paul Norman]

It is a function of what you are selling.

If you want me to tell you the price of a jacket - I can do that immediately.

If you want me to tell you the price of installing the Waste and Recycling Management software in your business, I honestly can't, because I don't yet know what they will involve without us having a chat.

 

[Ursicles]

This happened with Lyreco for me - all we wanted was an account so we could buy office stuff.

They said i needed a salesman to come sit with me and discuss my needs - er i need office stuff. I want post its, you give me a price, i decide if its fair - i dont need a muppet in a suit giving me a presentation on the company, all i bloody care about it whether i get the best price on post its!!

 

[Scott@KarmaContent]

It is a function of what you are selling.

If you want me to tell you the price of a jacket - I can do that immediately.

If you want me to tell you the price of installing the Waste and Recycling Management software in your business, I honestly can't, because I don't yet know what they will involve without us having a chat.

Yes, you obviously can't price up some products or services that are custom-built or made, but I'm talking about products that don't have such options, and the "chat" is just to either up-sell or to try and sell it to me for as much as they can. Fair play, that may work for them and be a good way of doing business but I'm going elsewhere.

 

[Scott@KarmaContent]

I expect that commoditised products - and services - should really have a price to them. The only reason, AFAIAC, that they want me to speak to an "adviser" is because they want to make the most of the opportunity of this customer who has just walked through the door. They want to upsell as much as possible and extract the maximum money they can.

And that's a good reason to simply walk out and visit their less aggressive competitor instead.

Couldn't agree more @Clinton .

This happened with Lyreco for me - all we wanted was an account so we could buy office stuff.

They said i needed a salesman to come sit with me and discuss my needs - er i need office stuff. I want post its, you give me a price, i decide if its fair - i dont need a muppet in a suit giving me a presentation on the company, all i bloody care about it whether i get the best price on post its!!

Exactly!

 

[Ashley_Price]

"No", I reply and say I've done my research. I know which one is right for me.

It depends on what the product or service is of course. Before I give a price for audio transcription, I need to know a few things. If the person is insistent I provide a price without giving me much information, then I give a price on "worst case" scenario.

But ideally, I prefer to know:

• How long is the recording
• How many participants are involved
• Do they have strong accents
  
• Was the recording done in a quiet or noisy atmosphere
• Does it have lots of technical (or medical) terms or jargon

Once I have these answers I can provide an accurate quote, but even then I reserve the right to requote once I have received and listened to the recordings.

I don't want to say to a client "This will cost you £xxx.xx" only to find there are significant problems and I need to add another 30-40% on top of that figure.

 

[alex360]

In my view price is not the only thing we should consider, the most important factor for most people is what value do I get, some businesses when selling forgot that rule, if everyone compete on price believe no many will survive very long, also when something is too cheap to you get suspicious? Scott I understand your frustration if you have done the research then they should have giving a price and explain the value offered.
Alex

 

[Mark T Jones]

It is true that often to subtext is to upsell.

I'm not averse to being sold to and will often accept the meeting, on the strict proviso that I will make my final decision after the meeting, not during it. Any 'super one day only offers' will just deter me.

Ironically from experience most gyms are rubbish at closing and would be better off sending out rate charts.

I agreed to a meeting with a list broker - withy the above proviso. The salesman became actively hostile when I reiterated that I wouldn't be signing on the spot. He left,. I bough lists elsewhere.

 

[Ashley_Price]

Any 'super one day only offers' will just deter me.

Same here. Over the years I've had lots of (usually advertising) sales people say to me "It's 25% off but we must have an answer today."

I reply, "If you must have the answer today, then it's 'no'!"

 

[Mr D]

Have to agree with you Mark. One day offers only are not for me.

I also set time limits on salesmen - I want a new kitchen I don't want a 2 hour sales meeting first. Much to the annoyance of salesmen who want to tie me up in a meeting for 3 hours I give them half hour. If that is impossible then next company on the list is tried.
I can extend the half hour but don't tell them that.

 

[Ashley_Price]

I don't want a 2 hour sales meeting first. Much to the annoyance of salesmen who want to tie me up in a meeting for 3 hours I give them half hour. If that is impossible then next company on the list is tried.
I can extend the half hour but don't tell them that

Have you noticed how many sales people don't seem to have any concept of time? When I do deign to listen to one of them I will say, "Okay, but I'm about to leave, I can give you exactly five minutes but that is all." They launch into their spiel, just like normal, and then are shocked when, at six minutes, I say, "Well, I'm sorry but your time is up. I have to go now."

 

[Mr D]

Have you noticed how many sales people don't seem to have any concept of time? When I do deign to listen to one of them I will say, "Okay, but I'm about to leave, I can give you exactly five minutes but that is all." They launch into their spiel, just like normal, and then are shocked when, at six minutes, I say, "Well, I'm sorry but your time is up. I have to go now."

LOL.
Oh yes, while not trying it on with 5 minute mark I've had several shocked when I shut them down after half hour.
I usually have other things to do and other appointments booked in advance so sometimes have to insist on kicking them out.

Several times have booked appointments for sales reps to come visit and they've not turned up - being unaware of the appointment. I hate it when they do that - even late appointments when caught in traffic is forgiveable if they keep in touch. Simply not having the rep turn up is bad service.
How can I trust the company to provide what I am after if they cannot be bothered to inform me of cancellation / running late?