"How Long Does It Take You?!"

[Seraph]

SC: I'd like to order a popup ad design, medium sized
Seraph: Alright, those are about $35 base cost
SC: No, give me your best price.
Seraph: ....That is my best price.
SC: Too high for my tastes =/ I can get someone cheaper and better
Seraph: Alright, sorry I couldn't help you... and honestly? You're going to see that at this level of quality, I'm the cheapest you'll find. I'm not being immodest, I'm being serious.
SC: i can find cheaper.

<five minutes later>

SC: So how much for the pop up ad again?
Seraph: Same as I told earlier, $35
SC: Your BEST price for a pop up ad.
Seraph: I'm not going to change the price on it, it's low enough already.
SC: Look
SC: How long does it take you to make this
Seraph: Excuse me?
SC: How long does it take you?
Seraph: Not that it matters, but about an hour, depends on the complexity and detail though.
SC: So you want $35 for an hour of work? WTF
SC: I'll give you $10 for it, thats about fair
Seraph: I am going to be upfront, your offer is insulting, and I'm not inclined to be involved in this discussion any longer. Typically designers at the level I am charge $70/hr, MINIMUM. I'm extremely low priced, and your insulting demeanor is just...I'm not putting up with it any more.
Seraph: The price is the price, I'm not lowering it, if anything, I'm inclined to raise it due to your rudeness. If you're not interested, just say no thank you, and that's it. Don't waste my time by insulting me and the quality of work I produce.
SC: Fine, its still too high, I'll contact you later if I decide to go with you.


...Seriously, let me try going into a restaurant, insult the chef in the back, and demand he give me my food for cheaper because it "doesn't take that long". Betcha that'd go over REAL well.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

"I WANT YOU TO WORK FOR BARELY ABOVE MINIMUM WAGE!"

Yeah. No. That's not how it works.

[Sandiercy]

I am seriously surprised he didnt pull the whole "but with the economy the way it is...". Some people have no idea about what it actually costs for things, or they are just cheap bastards. I am more inclined to believe the latter.

Next time feed him this line:
What line of work are you in sir? A plumber? How much do you charge to fix a sink? $50? That is too much, how about I give you $10 and we call it square?

[csquared]

$35/hours? You are cheap value priced.

[Pixilated]

*snip*
SC: Fine, its still too high, I'll contact you later if I decide to go with you.

*snip*

"I've got a better idea, sir, don't bother me again, and I won't bother you."

I mean, really?? He's just finished being rude not once but twice, and now he's condescending to let you know he might grace you with some business if he can't find anybody to work at slave-labour wages??

I seriously hope you can afford to tell him to take a long walk off a short pier if he does call back.

[PepperElf]

I am seriously surprised he didnt pull the whole "but with the economy the way it is...".

If he did the best response is "and that's why my prices are this. With the economy the way it is prices are INCREASING not decreasing."



and at offering to raise prices on him for being a jerk.

[Seraph]

$35/hours? You are cheap value priced.

...yeah, I know. I should probably charge more, considering...but...egh, times are hard.

[Aethian]

Completely off topic but my autocorrect changes your name to werepig.


On topic, I remember a time when banner ads were touted as easy peasy and so weren't. So were either way expensive or way cheap and looked cheap.

[Ophbalance]

The only time $10/hour works is eLance. And even then, most folks charging that rate make up the difference by charging a butt load of hours. Maybe a better suggestion is to see how well the user can do the work themselves... cuz that's WAY cheap .

[bainsidhe]

The $35 includes delivery.

[Argabarga]

I'm reminded of the ol' bromide....

"Cost of turning screw, $0.01. Cost of knowing which screw needs turned, $499.99"

[MoonCat]

Wait, I could buy a pop-up ad for $35?? Sweet. That guy was an idiot.

[EricKei]

and at offering to raise prices on him for being a jerk.

Seconded -- especially seeing as how he contacted you again, meaning, he had failed to get a lower quote from anyone.

[Jay 2K Winger]

It's like you wanna tell these guys--

"Let me break it down for you, then, Mister I'll-Pay-You-Ten-Bucks. Call it $10 for the hour, but the extra $25 is to cover expenses and experience."

Kind of like that old story about someone who took their car to a garage for a fix. Mechanic comes out, looks under the hood, selects a hammer, and uses it on one spot, fixes the problem, and charges $500 (or some other "ridiculously high" price). When the car owner protests, "$500 for you hitting it with a hammer!? That's ridiculous!" The mechanic replies, "$5 for the hammer, $495 for knowing where to apply it."

[Seshat]

Don't tell them how long it takes you. He has no need to know that.

Also, your price includes materials, depreciation on equipment, administrative costs, and a whole lot of extras. Ten dollars for an ad would probably COST you to produce it.