Business owners, doing sht for free & understanding

[backseatjuan]

Would you say that when you do sht for free for a client, especially at first - example free diagnostics - you are setting yourself for failure from the get go?

Because you showing weakness, saying you beta basically, nice guy, setting initial tone for all further interaction, client take advantage of me.

Yea or nay. Business owners only thread to keep the noise down.

 

[Black Widow Void]

Depending on the business and demographics, it can be difficult to thrive against a corporation or local competitor.
Doing something extra (beyond what was expected) will usually encourage repeat business and provide good word-of-mouth advertising.

However... unless it's a loyal customer, voluntarily doing something for free (especially a diagnostic) could work against you. My best advice (if possible with your service) is to waive the diagnostic fee only if the customer is providing you with the job.

Providing an "extra" after a service is provided will leave the customer with a good positive impression. It's not as if they "told" you to do something. It's more a way of saying that you appreciate their business.

 

[RickTheToad]

Would you say that when you do sht for free for a client, especially at first - example free diagnostics - you are setting yourself for failure from the get go?

Because you showing weakness, saying you beta basically, nice guy, setting initial tone for all further interaction, client take advantage of me.

Yea or nay. Business owners only thread to keep the noise down.

Depends on the business and the client's value. When I worked off commission, I did extra things for the client, little things in terms of their accounts, as the commissions I received were several thousand a year. Plus, competition in that industry was and still is very tough. Competitors always trying to take my clients. Going the extra mile helps keep them appreciating you.

 

[2Rocky]

You can do things for free, but don't give away the Core Value.

Remember once you give something free the client will Never want to pay for it. They will expect it free.

 

[Alvafe]

one thing you need to do is always show a better service, don't matter how much you ask for payment, the most important is service, unless you are working for low end and poor consumers, but truth be told doing so is setting you to live in misery.

the high pay consummers prefer better service, and status on said product.

hence why people pay a lot for a brand thing even when a non brand product could give better quality

 

[backseatjuan]

This question is for my field, computer, cell phone repair, general electronics repair. It's a common place in this neck of the woods, client comes to you and expects you to look it over for free and tell him how much the repair will cost. A lot of guys do look it over for free, and they face problems from clients.

Thing is you touch it, you own it, and those mother fckers come in on amotions, many of them have hands growing from their ass, and now they fcked up, broke things, and they have to pay for repair. But because they are on emotions, they tend to blame repair guys for their problems. It could be anything at all. Repair dude was fixing LCD issue and that mother fcker could come back and tell you I can't login to my skype, what the fck did you do. Possibilities are endless, but they always act like repair man has to do something for free to them.

I'm thinking the problem is incorrect rapport which is formed right from the get go when repair dude offers free diagnostics.

IMO, you should take some money for diagnostics, at that right away, in order to set proper interaction between business and client.

What you think?

 

[evan12]

Would you say that when you do sht for free for a client, especially at first - example free diagnostics - you are setting yourself for failure from the get go?

Because you showing weakness, saying you beta basically, nice guy, setting initial tone for all further interaction, client take advantage of me.

Yea or nay. Business owners only thread to keep the noise down.

If it is part of your sales funnel to drive sales then no , but if you are doing it for free because you think your service is bad or you are shy to ask for money then yes.
Customer aquazition cost money, and sometimes the cost of some service is worth the price of getting that person to be your customer.