credit this capper, A bit off on the English, but he picks winners....
http://www.therxforum.com/showthread.php?t=754666
credit this capper, A bit off on the English, but he picks winners....
http://www.therxforum.com/showthread.php?t=754666
Depends on how much demand there is for your products/service at the prices you'd prefer.
Related true story from this morning - Guy called off my door flyer and says he needs someone to clean his roof (leaves/branches) and then clean up leaves all the way around his house.
He's like 70 years old, but is recovering from a broken foot so can't do it himself as usual.
Now his lot is not all that big, but there's a fair amount of leaves, so I tell him - All four sides are about equal...$30 per quadrant and a big $10 to go up and clear the roof and back gutter. ($130)
He's, "Oh....well......well, we actually were budgeting about $90, maybe $100 for this."
And I'm, "Well there you go, you weren't too far off."
And he waits for a minute before realizing I'm not going to change my quote and then uses the wimpy fallback, "I've got your number and will talk to my wife..."
I'm okey dokey, because after a slow three weeks at end of Jan/early Feb I'm back up to pretty much being booked almost a week ahead.
Bottom line is this guy is burning brain cells and who knows what else to try and manuever $30.
THIRTY DOLLARS
I can't help but wonder how many more phone calls he'll make and how many more people he'll talk to in chase of that THIRTY DOLLARS.
One of the most valuable lessons I was ever taught in business was very early on.
The old saw is, "The customer is Always Right!"
In fact, "the customer is Often Wrong". And the astute businessman will firmly and politely decline to satisfy every whim and demand placed upon them by any customer - most especially a customer who has no established history of good will.
Very true.
That same guy in my previous post.....Right after he gives me the, "I've got your number, will talk to my wife and call you..." and I'm saying, "sounds good, thanks!" he pauses and then says,
"Kinda funny...Yesterday across the street over there...A bunch of Mexicans were cleaning up the yard. And I started to go ask them for their price and then found your flyer on my door, so I called you."
I resisted the urge to ask, "How did you know they were Mexican?"
Though on the off chance he calls me back (history tells me it's 10% chance at best), I'll tell him, " thank you, I'm booked up. But if you drive around the neighborhood, you might spot some Mexicans and maybe they could hook you up!"
Very rarely. With exception of about mid Dec through first week of Feb, I'm usually 80% pre-booked and the bid takes place on the fly, to be scheduled in upcoming day (or week).
I should add that all my work is geographically within about a five mile radius of my home, so it's never neccesary to do a job due to a second trip costing me undue time.
I should add that all my work is geographically within about a five mile radius of my home, so it's never neccesary to do a job due to a second trip costing me undue time.
I sure hope they barter with you caterer types over the the phone.
I don't feel bad calling a local lumberyard and saying I want x number of feet some particular lumber, can you give it to me for $1.30 foot, when another place wants $1.35,and is further away.
I don't like to trap myself, so I'd say how much, they say $1.40, I say I have a better quote.....yada yada yada.
wood and cakes aren't the same thing.
I'd never barter on a cake.
I don't feel bad calling a local lumberyard and saying I want x number of feet some particular lumber, can you give it to me for $1.30 foot, when another place wants $1.35,and is further away.
I don't like to trap myself, so I'd say how much, they say $1.40, I say I have a better quote.....yada yada yada.
wood and cakes aren't the same thing.
I'd never barter on a cake.
I was in the car business for quite a while. Trust me, my friend, I know all about pain in the ass customers.
One thing I have learned from that experience is that everything is negotiable. I have successfully negotiated at Wal-mart on more than one occasion.
But here's a hint from a customer's perspective. Anything that I negotiate on, I have every intention of buying anyway. I'm just trying to see if I can save a few bucks with minimal effort. I've been shut down many times, and ended up paying full asking price for a product or service. However, over the course of my life, I have saved myself thousands of dollars, just by asking.
As soon as you realise you are dealing with Mr Ferengi business sharkster change your pricing to reflect the risk.
Raise everything 10 % if you think its just a 20 % discount that will make this person happy.
Be concerned that this is just the begining of the "problems" and that this person could likely withold large amounts of the "disputed bill". All of a sudden they are not happy with other aspects and more of a discount is demanded.
Best to just raise all bids by 25 % once you suspect your a dealing with knob.
Raise everything 10 % if you think its just a 20 % discount that will make this person happy.
Be concerned that this is just the begining of the "problems" and that this person could likely withold large amounts of the "disputed bill". All of a sudden they are not happy with other aspects and more of a discount is demanded.
Best to just raise all bids by 25 % once you suspect your a dealing with knob.
Number Rule Source
1
Once you have their money, you never give it back. DS9: "The Nagus", "Heart of Stone"
3
Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to. DS9: "The Maquis, Part II"
6
Never allow family to stand in the way of opportunity.[1] DS9: "The Nagus"; ENT: "Acquisition"
7
Keep your ears open. DS9: "In the Hands of the Prophets"
9
Opportunity plus instinct equals profit. DS9: "The Storyteller"
10
Greed is eternal. DS9: "Prophet Motive"; VOY: "False Profits"
16
A deal is a deal.[2] DS9: "Melora"
17
A contract is a contract is a contract ... but only between Ferengi. DS9: "Body Parts"
18
A Ferengi without profit is no Ferengi at all. DS9: "Heart of Stone"
21
Never place friendship above profit. DS9: "Rules of Acquisition"
22
A wise man can hear profit in the wind. DS9: "Rules of Acquisition"; VOY: "False Profits"
23
Nothing is more important than your health ... except for your money. ENT: "Acquisition"
31
Never make fun of a Ferengi's mother.[3] DS9: "The Siege"
33
It never hurts to suck up to the boss.[4] DS9: "Rules of Acquisition", "The Dogs of War"
34
War is good for business[5] DS9: "Destiny", "The Siege of AR-558"
35
Peace is good for business.[6] TNG: "The Perfect Mate"; DS9: "Destiny"
45
Expand or die.[7] ENT: "Acquisition"
47
Never trust a man wearing a better suit than your own. DS9: "Rivals"
48
The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife. DS9: "Rules of Acquisition"
57
Good customers are as rare as latinum. Treasure them. DS9: "Armageddon Game"
59
Free advice is seldom cheap. DS9: "Rules of Acquisition"
62
The riskier the road, the greater the profit. DS9: "Rules of Acquisition", "Little Green Men"
74
Knowledge equals profit. VOY: "Inside Man"
75
Home is where the heart is, but the stars are made of latinum. DS9: "Civil Defense"
76
Every once in a while, declare peace. It confuses the hell out of your enemies. DS9: "The Homecoming"
94
Females and finances don't mix. DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs", "Profit and Lace"
95
Expand or die. VOY: "False Profits"; ENT: "Acquisition"[7]
98
Every man has his price. DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight"
102
Nature decays, but latinum lasts forever. DS9: "The Jem'Hadar"
103
Sleep can interfere with your lust for latinum.[8] DS9: "Rules of Acquisition"
109
Dignity and an empty sack is worth a sack. DS9: "Rivals"
111
Treat people in your debt like family ... exploit them. DS9: "Past Tense, Part I", "The Darkness and the Light"
112
Never have sex with the boss's sister. DS9: "Playing God"
125
You can't make a deal if you're dead. DS9: "The Siege of AR-558"
139
Wives serve, brothers inherit. DS9: "Necessary Evil"
168
Whisper your way to success. DS9: "Treachery, Faith and the Great River"
- A man is only worth the sum of his possessions.[9] ENT: "Acquisition"
190
Hear all, trust nothing. DS9: "Call to Arms"
194
It's always good to know about new customers before they walk in your door. DS9: "Whispers"
203
New customers are like razor-toothed gree-worms. They can be succulent, but sometimes they bite back. DS9: "Little Green Men"
208
Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question is an answer. DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs"
211
Employees are the rungs on the ladder of success. Don't hesitate to step on them. DS9: "Bar Association"
214
Never begin a negotiation on an empty stomach. DS9: "The Maquis, Part I"
217
You can't free a fish from water. DS9: "Past Tense, Part I"
229
Latinum lasts longer than lust. DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs"
239
Never be afraid to mislabel a product.[10] DS9: "Body Parts"
263
Never let doubt interfere with your lust for latinum. DS9: "Bar Association"
285
No good deed ever goes unpunished. DS9: "The Collaborator", "The Sound of Her Voice"
edit Unofficial Rules
The following sayings were either not given a number, not explicitly stated to be a Rule, or were not part of the generally-accepted canon by the Ferengi Commerce Authority.
Number Rule Source
142 Only fools sell wholesale. (See Rule #141)
286 When Morn leaves, it's all over. DS9: "The House of Quark"
299 After you've exploited someone, it never hurts to thank them. That way, it's easier to exploit them next time.[11] VOY: "False Profits"
— Exploitation begins at home. VOY: "False Profits"
(The unwritten rule) When no appropriate rule applies, make one up. VOY: "False Profits"
— When the messenger comes to appropriate your profits ... kill the messenger. VOY: "False Profits"
— Time, like latinum, is a highly limited commodity. DS9: "Bar Association"
— Always inspect the merchandise before making a deal.[12] DS9: "The Abandoned"
— Money is money, but females are better.[13] DS9: "Life Support"
— Why ask, when you can take?[14] DS9: "Babel"
— A good lie is easier to believe than the truth.[15] VOY: "Shattered"
— If that's what's written, then that's what's written.[16] DS9: "Favor the Bold"
edit Notes
1. ↑ As late as 2151 the rule was quoted as being slightly different. "Never allow family to stand in the way of profit" (where profit replaces opportunity). (ENT: "Acquisition")
2. ↑ Legends of the Ferengi concludes Rule #16 with "...until a better one comes along."
3. ↑ Legends of the Ferengi concludes Rule #31 with "...insult something he cares about instead."
4. ↑ Brunt stated a variation of this Rule (without referring to it by number) with: "It's never too early to suck up to the boss".
5. ↑ Quark has stated a corollary: "only from a distance, the closer to the front lines, the less profitable it gets"
6. ↑ Although spoken before the production staff's creation of the Rules of Acquisition, Par Lenor stated something quite similar to this rule: "Peace is good for trade ... unless you happen to be an arms merchant!"
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Rule of Acquisition #95 was quoted as Rule #45 in ENT: "Acquisition". It might be possible though, that in the roughly 200 years between the two episodes, the arrangement of the Rules of Acquisition slightly changed. Alternatively, it may have been decided that the rule bears repeating. Indeed, this may be self-referential.
8. ↑ This rule was interrupted before it could be finished.
9. ↑ Though not given a number, this rule was clearly official, among the first 173, and considered "the most important one" by Krem
10. ↑ In DS9: "Body Parts", it is suggested in a dream of Quark's, that the Rules of Acquisition themselves are merely guidelines, and the book was mislabeled by Gint so as to sell more copies than the "Suggestions of Acquisition." However, this may be no more than Quark trying to justify breaking rule #17, since this rule is obviously higher than ENT's "original" 173 rules. It could also be noted that the Grand Nagus has the power to change the Rules of Acquisition, so it is still possible this rule changed position over time (DS9: "Prophet Motive").
11. ↑ May be a purely fictional rule, as it was quoted by Neelix, who had no previous contact with Ferengi, and it did not exist by the time the target Ferengi became stranded in the Delta Quadrant
12. ↑ Not quoted word for word, but when Sisko asks if such a rule exists, Quark acknowledges that there is. Quark may be referring to the apocryphal Rule 218 (see below).
13. ↑ A personal rule quoted by Nog.
14. ↑ As told to Odo by Quark when the latter illegally uses replicators in empty crew quarters. He seems to have been paraphrasing the apocryphal Rule 52 (see below).
15. ↑ This un-numbered "rule"'s provenance derives merely from Janeway quoting it as something "the Ferengi say". It may not, therefore, be a genuine Rule.
16. ↑ Rom says this to Quark when urging him to complete a very important mission that could end with the two being killed. From the implicit understanding Quark displays, and the lack of prior reference to any "written" materials, it's likely that this is in fact a Rule, probably referring to the finality of a business contract, here used out of t
Whats he going todo go home and tell the wife the wedding is off becuase his cheap ass would spend the extra $61 dollars n a cake. I wouldn't compare this to the 21 cent I spent on the pizza because you offer a custom service. Unlike the pizza biz their is not a barkery on every corner. Tell him you will do it smaller for $800 or for $861 for the larger size. People think the mark up in everything is so high. I have items I sell for $350 and the mark up may only be $35 but then again I hae items I sell for $100 and the mark up might be $75.
