It’s free and You Still Want a Discount!

I recently upgraded my mother’s flip phone to yet another flip phone (?) While in the process of transferring her saved info from the old to the “new” phone, I was told it could not be done because mom’s old phone is technically an ancient relic that belongs on display in the Smithsonian. The phone tech salesperson apologized about that and could not help but mention to my wife that we were both eligible for brand new phone upgrades and that even included two of those Apple wrist phone thingies and it was all free! I declined, I’m perfectly happy with my ninth generation iPhone and I’m not interested in a new Dick Tracy watch thingy. Of course, my wife said, “Sure why not!”  Well, after an hour of him doing whatever cell phone tech dudes do, he finally handed my wife her “free” “upgraded phones and just as we were about to head for the door he said, “Will that be cash or charge?” Huh? I thought the upgrades were free? “Well sir, there are service charges, taxes etc. etc. that will be a total $290.17! Wife got the new watch and phone; I got taken to the cleaners.

I used to think that free meant free. Apparently, that has all changed. I have also noticed that when using a “free app” on my PC they require a credit card and after a trial period, you will then be billed monthly for the “free app.”

So, imagine my surprise when I offer a really honest to goodness free service to my customers. They often act surprised when I tell them to put their money away. 

Years ago, I tried a strategy on certain clients that brought in basket case jewelry repairs that needed attention that was near impossible to accomplish without divine intervention. I would accept it and when they would ask what the cost would be and I would say it would be minimal. And we left it at that. After the customer left, I would want to kick myself for accepting a job that was comparable to a hand grenade with the pin pulled out!

When I was a younger person, I took on anything that came in the door. I had convinced myself I could fix anything, and most of the time I could. As the years rolled on, I got older and the broken jewelry currently coming in the door I deem as disposable and impossible to repair. (You can’t put a shine on a sneaker!) 

I would sit down with the impossible repair and do the best I could to my ability, and patch it back together and give it my “Taillight Guarantee” (meaning my guarantee was void as soon as your tail lights were out of sight). I know, a pretty lousy deal, right? Wrong! I would do the M.A.S.H. hospital repair for FREE.

I figured if I don’t charge the customer, they wouldn’t have any reason to complain if it fell apart an hour or a year later. Seems logical but I would be wrong with that theory. More than just a few would come back when the disposable piece fell apart yet again, “but you just fixed it a month ago!”

Yes, and if you recall I did it for no charge, I recall explaining it would most likely not stay in one piece for very long.

So much for me being a good Samaritan while also performing the no-good deed goes unpunished thing. What could I possibly do next? Do I pay them to repair it again? How about I give you a discount on a freebie?