Feel free to...

[Kiwi]

you know when customers ask for a discount/special deal/special anything for no reason, just to *try* incase they get lucky

I have something Id like to say to them

yes, your welcome to ask on the off chance I am willing/able/in a good enough mood to give you something for free

yes, Im aware that you "gotta try, ya never know"

you should feel free to ask, go ahead, ask away

however Im going to feel free to think of you as a cheap bastard with entitlement issues. Im free to feel sorry for you.

I am not indebted to you, just because your buying something from me. It is an exchange, I have something you want, I demand X amount for it. If you WANT the item, you can buy it, if not dont. Its an even exchange buddy. I dont "owe you" for it, you are not doing me a favor so dont act like I should be in awe of you, calling you my hero.

you wanna know the ironic thing mr customer man... I was going to offer you a frame for free, but because you ASKED for it, your not getting one.

now who has the power "buddy"

[Clintmax]

Good ones!

I've always wondered if those people who come in and do this to us (I get this all the time too) go into Wal-Mart and try to haggle with the CSM to get the price of the their shampoo reduced also!

[pbmods]

The Inverse Equation

Customers don't seem to grasp this concept that if you are NICE to somebody, he might go out of his way to help you. But the longer you sit there and demand it, the less likely he is to want to help you until you get to the point where he wants to smash your head in with a hammer just to SHUT YOU THE HELL UP ALREADY!

Of course, sometimes I'll give a difficult customer something for free... but in such a way as to actually cost him more money

As an example, at my photo lab, we have a policy where we will give the customer a free photo CD if we fail to ask if the customer wants one when we take in the order. One customer had just finished arguing with me about the cost of her photos and then demanded a free CD for each of her orders because the person taking the order "forgot to ask".

Yuh, huh. "Tell you what; if you buy the CD for this order, I'll give you the other one for free."

Got an extra $2.99 out of her that she wasn't planning on spending (remember when she was arguing that her prints cost too much?), and CDs cost, what, 10¢ to make?

The ultimate revenge: squeezing cheap SCs for every penny they've got.