I bought a nice car and I was pleased with it. One day I was with my friendly garage having something done and we hoisted the vehicle up on the ramp. Against the light and from that angle he could point out not only were there three dents along one side but they had been filled and there was even some “drift” in the spray finish, and by the way the paint was half a shade off. Crushed, I thought I had bought well. A spotless example.
Garage men are always pessimistic. That sharp intake of breath, “Ooooh, shame you got one o’ these , zur!”
The Business lesson is jumbled. In many ways, it didn’t matter. The car had had a hard life before me, but I had been happy with the purchase and the bargain. It ran well and I was satisfied. The problem is that I hadn’t been informed of the negative aspects to consider and, a pride consideration here, I hadn’t spotted any problems and was under consideration for having been caught out.
So when you are presenting a product should you point out it’s not as good as the one down the road? Our society says not. Buyer beware. It is up to the customer to consider what he needs, wants, and should pay. It is up to a business to set the price at a rate that covers the overheads, makes a decent profit and doesn’t put people off. For a consultancy it is a matter of establishing trust with the client that they need the advice and expertise and are prepared to pay the rate quoted.
Who is to say my time is worth £10 an hour or £200 an hour or some price in between? Well, actually it is for me to say. Then it is for me to demonstrate that the expertise is there and be prepared to follow up and cement it in place.
Bob Shepherd Associates does not try to pull a fast deal and overcharge. It does however, set a fair rate for the job and expect to get paid for a job well done.
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