Oh my hat.
Discounts , freebies and Mates Rates. One of the most strange cultural concepts I have ever had to learn to deal with since becoming a newly minted Aussie.
Look, everyone likes a good discount, and of course, I am never one to turn away a genuinely good deal on something that I am going to buy anyway – but holy smokes Australia has an obsession with sales, discounts and unsustainably cheap prices like nothing I have ever seen before. I find it not that far off the ‘special deal’ concept flowing around certain sectors of the South African business demographic, except that in a South Africa , it’s not as pervasive, and quite offensive in general circles to ask outright for a discount that is not already offered.
Here’s my take on this, if you ask me for a discount, and your manners are such that it’s obvious you expect my services and products for substantially less than they are worth, then yes, you bastard, I will be offended by your egregious entitlement. I will react to you accordingly. You want something cheaper, be my guest and look at your other options.
If you ask me the question ‘Is that your best price’, the answer be a resounding YES . That question, asked in that manner, implies that perhaps the price I just gave you was not in fact my best price, and by furthering implication, I therefore lied to you. Well go on then, and investigate your other options, and go become a drain in someone else’s company. Because if you don’t believe me about my price, you’re certainly not likely to believe me in any other aspect of the business arrangement, and I don’t need the stress, strain and financial drain of dealing with someone like you.
And before you go all Ghengis Khan on me for never being flexible, let me confirm that I am in fact quite flexible, and quite willing to offer bulk discounts, and loyalty discounts.
If a client who has been with me for a long time, buys a bunch of stuff, I will invariably chuck in a good will discount every now and then to show my appreciation for their business. It’s random, though, and deliberately so, because I loathe people and companies that misrepresent their pricing with a constant revolving door of perpetual discounts, a la Hardly Normal (Harvey Norman) .
Seriously, if the price I pay at the register is always some % less than advertised, then guess what, you are inflating your advertised prices. And that is dishonest in my book. #JustSaying.
Same thing with “gift cards” that require a purchase of a certain value. It’s not a gift card you liar, it’s a discount voucher. And whilst there is absolutely nothing wrong with giving away discount vouchers, it’s inherently devious , disingenuous , and blatantly crook to call it a Gift. Gifts are things you give away without expectation of something in return. If I have to buy something to get my ‘gift’, then guess what, it’s not a gift. You can wrap it up in sales-speak and marketing fluff all you want, if it’s not mine free and clear then it’s not a gift.
Lastly, to end off my price rant, let me say that in my opinion, if you ask for Mates Rates, then you are not my friend. Mates, the kind that are true friends, see your value and support your business without expecting things for free.
Rant over.
