"Nickle and Dime it" customers.

RedBaron · Nov 4, 2020

I sell services including things such as bearing packs rebuilt, arbors trued, etc. Each case involves some head scratching, a little bit of TLC, whatever it takes to get it right.

So I often get emails and calls from (potential) customers asking "can I just buy the bearings from you", or a particular component, or "can I buy the spring washer from you, and Oh, and since it's small can you put it in an envelope with a stamp on it?"

This usually involves quite a bit of back and forth with the emails-- "what do you got? -- What model is it? -- Well it depends....? etc, etc, And, of course, their follow up questions, "How do I....?"

Now, I like to do business and get money, and I like the idea of being helpful, but these (mostly) email requests are consuming an increasing load of time, most often with no follow thru because they're surprised when it cost more than 5 bucks.

Solution? Just say no? Sell a kit?, (which I do in some instances), but many times these rebuild projects are not conducive to a simple one-size-fits-all kit in a plastic baggie.

I get an average two of these requests a day and figure 30 minutes back and forth with emails, that's an hour a day wasted. 5 hours a week. I'm not in the business of being a retailer and I don't keep alot of inventory, just enough to keep the workflow smooth.

Suggestions, how to say no without being rude?

vmipacman · Nov 4, 2020

My suggestion comes from Chris Voss, basically pin it on someone or something else higher up, but maintain your empathy. "We really just can't help you with your request" "It's just not how we are setup to do business" "It sounds like you really know what you need and are perfectly capable of doing it yourself, unfortunately they don't let us send out individual parts for warenty reasons." Be kind, empathetic, but final.
I hear stuff like this all the time. I'm usually the one getting responses like these.

Edit: Make it out of your control. You (as a person) would like to help, but there is an existential reason preventing it. Don't lie, just be honest and firm that the "company" can only help if they send in the entire unit? or somehting

Phil in Montana · Nov 4, 2020

Just what my Dad told me 50 years ago, "if you do not want the job, just come up with a price that makes you happy to see the job" worked well for me ...Phil

gustafson · Nov 4, 2020

WE have an X dollar minimum, sorry

If that doesn't scare them, they might be worth talking to

It occurs to me that if people are calling you for these parts, there might not be a good source of onesy twosy type parts and if you can sell them for less than the ten price[or whatever] it might make a little money
I mean, I kind of doubt it, but you never know.

rons · Nov 4, 2020

In the early 2000's an electrical supply would honor any type of purchase. This was when time were tough. After their business picked up there was a $150 minimum.

Define your new rule as a $25 minimum. Or whatever it takes to pay for the jerk-off time these people put your through.

Guest · Nov 4, 2020

We need more details. Possibly the answer could be to sell your products and services through a distributor. Give someone else a cut and let them deal with the riff raff. You concentrate on putting products on the shelf.

Pattnmaker · Nov 4, 2020

What about setting up a shopify or similar type account for this type of thing. Make sure your markups are high enough. Have a stock email to reply to this type of customer referring to the shopify site.
Maybe it could become a larger profit center for you with potential customers who don't want to bug you now will buy parts from you.

idacal · Nov 5, 2020

Depends if thats the kind of work you want to do. People ask me allthe time how to drill their own Irragation water wells because of my prices. i usually send them links to a few youtube videos And do it yourself rig plans, plans are not very good For this area but if they want to talk i usually try to help without spending to much time 10 minutes max then then another call comes inthat i Must answer. But i only need to turn 1 in 5 into a job If they start asking technical How to questions I send them back to youtube. And put their number on a list where they can leave a message but my phone doesnt ring.

Mr Happy · Nov 5, 2020

RedBaron said:
Suggestions, how to say no without being rude?

Sometimes it's better to be 'rude'. An hour a day is a lot of time to waste. When I first struck out on my own I would pander to requests and felt I had to not be rude etc.. now if someone is taking too long on the phone and clearly doesn't know what they want, or it's going no where, I'll just apologise that we're busy and hang up. It feels like a shitty thing to do at first although it passes after a while and frees off a lot of stress, as a lot of my stress in a day came from wasting time on inquiries that go no where.

Selling a kit that isn't a one size fits all solution may do more harm than good. If they remember you as the firm that were too busy to help it's no bad thing. If they remember you as the firm that sent incorrectly sized parts and they wasted time themselves then that's you sunk in their eyes. And if they're trying to service anything themselves they had no intention of giving you the work in the first place.

CatMan · Nov 6, 2020

Establish a minimum. If your parts are too cheap to really hit the minimum, then raise your prices.

Keep doing this until you're happy to pick up the phone.

Mcgyver · Nov 6, 2020

RedBaron said:
Suggestions, how to say no without being rude?

Business have been doing this forever, declare how you want things to be a "policy". Sheeple fall into line if its called a policy.

I put a $500 minimum order in. I'm trying to build truck bodies, and cranes conveyors......some guy needing something welded on is mower is just a hassle. I don't begrudge the guy, just want him to go to Bobs welding in Bobs garage behind Bob's house down the street.

Mud · Nov 6, 2020

One solution to the "put it in an envelope" requests is to create virtual packs of multiples, and sell them only that way. "That part comes in a pack of 10 for only $24.95". "Sorry, they are not available separately, and we can't break open the packages" "We buy them that way and we sell them that way". "Otherwise we can repair the assembly for you if you send it in"

A customer does that with small parts they have made. For example they sell a reinforcement ring for a motorcycle part that is just a mild steel ring with a close press fit ID, probably costs them $2. they sell 3 for $20. That makes it reasonable for the shops who install them, and if an enduser wants to do the job himself the $20 make it worth processing the sale (it's a largish business with dedicated sales and fulfillment people, not a single owner)

A tactic I use on serious time wasters or arguers is to use the hold button. Learned this from a friend. Say "Can I put you on hold for a minute?" then let them hold for long enough to be annoying. Usually only takes once if the conversation is just about over anyway and they are rambling. Sometime they will say "Goodbye I'm done" immediately before you push the button. The most I've ever had to do it was 3 times and that was only once. If you are looking something up for them, definitely put them on hold while you do that - it frees your mind and focuses them on their next question and whether it really needs to be asked instead of just blurting out the next thing that comes to mind.

Bondo · Nov 6, 2020

My business works that way sometimes. I always wondered why people charge storage for every little thing. Like you want me to store your 6"x6"x6" box for 3 months, $5 per month. I always felt insulted by that. But as I am getting into my 15th yr being self employed at a still learning age of 38, I am understanding that that box took up room, that I pay for, that they use. Now obviously charging for a small box for a customer who does say 100k a year would be stupid, but the principle is the same.

Why does a self storage place make you pay storage for a 4x6 trailer that sits in the corner?

You cant say, well just mcmaster it, because then they don't call you as often. If you give them everything they want, you will go out of business trying to please everyone. Since I am a small business, I can adjust things per customer, bit in your case, that seems like that would just hinder you even farther.

What you can do is say, we have been getting more and more requests lately for individual items. We currently dont break any item down into its components, but we are looking into putting in a specific CSR who will do just this. It will take time for us to complete this as we have so many individual items, but until then, we can't break our current items down.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Modelman · Nov 6, 2020

Coming in on this late, but I've read all the posts. Sounds to me you want to be selling a rebuilding SERVICE, not just parts. Simply tell people that. Tell them you don't stock parts, but order what you need for the job at hand, which is often times different from the published data because of undocumented design changes over the years. Yes, people will be pissed, and think that you won't sell parts because you want the whole job, parts and labor (and that's the truth, no?) but they won't be any more pissed than if you sold them a bearing that turns out to be wrong. Those few that do end up sourcing their own parts, and then get bit, will then realize that you were telling the truth, there IS more to it than meets the eye, and may even come back to contract for the expertise of your service.

Dennis

Oldwrench · Nov 6, 2020

Mr Happy said:
Sometimes it's better to be 'rude'. An hour a day is a lot of time to waste. When I first struck out on my own I would pander to requests and felt I had to not be rude etc.. now if someone is taking too long on the phone and clearly doesn't know what they want, or it's going no where, I'll just apologise that we're busy and hang up. It feels like a shitty thing to do at first although it passes after a while and frees off a lot of stress, as a lot of my stress in a day came from wasting time on inquiries that go no where.

You have to accept that a certain percentage of inquiries will be from people who just want to hear themselves talk, and they want to do it at your expense. The customer is NOT always right. From a business-efficiency perspective it is safer in the long run to alienate those individuals so they (1) won't bother you again, and (2) will tell their friends, who are likely as not to be similarly of the asshole persuasion. Which is a twofer. Alternatively there is the old standby of giving them the number of your bitter competitor, with a glowing buildup like, These people are equipped to really take care of your needs.

john.k · Nov 6, 2020

Many years ago I worked in a business that would take in any size job,but the owners (brothers ) had no intention of ever doing most of them.Talk about a crazy house,yet they had a good name (dunno how),two of the tradesman workers took over,put the business on an efficient basis.....and went broke......Somehow it started up again with no more than a single welder,and now 50 years later is a big business again.

Mud · Nov 6, 2020

I once called and asked questions about how to set clearances when assembling a Lenco transmission from a Lenco dealer in NJ. He gave me a few answers then said "You are going to get yourself into a lot of trouble. Just send it to me and have me assemble it then I'll help you maintain it afterward." he was firm on that, there were no more answers coming after that. That was close to 40 years ago. I've used a variation of the same tactic on callers that want me to teach a college course over the phone in my spare time, with vague descriptions of what is in their hands. It sorts out the people who are just NOT going to spend a dime from the folks who are capable and just need a little help. Insisting on having them email clear photos also shortcircuits some of the long conversations that lead nowhere.

Insert · Nov 7, 2020

If you have people emailing you, sounds like you need a small website or create an ebay/amazon store and refer them there, so you just get an order and don't have to manually do all the work.
Website calculates the shipping fee and everything, no more dealing with people asking to mail in an envelope. Also once setup you just print the shipping label and packlist, don't have to dig through emails finding what you got to pack.

If they are small dollar items do like McMaster, charge a premium for convenience. I can buy 1,000 bolts for 1/4 the price McMaster charges, but if I only need 10 and need them tomorrow McMaster is the place.

If the average order is going to be $5, charge a minimum order of $25

john.k · Nov 7, 2020

Local Hardchromers had this beat.....they get lots of "can I get this tiny
part hardchromed and ground"......Stock answer"There is a $60 fee for a quote".....what they didnt say was there was also a $600 minimum job price........So pay $60 for the quote,and straight away its $600 for any small job.

mjk · Nov 7, 2020

I base minimum orders and net terms on the value and history of the customer.
I have customers that buy frequently 1x$ and pay on time and they have a "credit limit" of $$$.
I have some customers I only deal with once every 2 years, but they pay on time and they may only buy 2x$ or 3x$. Both of these customers would get a .0001$ part without a premium because they are good customers.

Then I have the guy who I haven't talked to in 10 years that calls and demands a .01$ part ship today.
After I tell him I'll check stock, put the phone down for a few and confirm his buying and payment history, I usually tell him, "3 day lead and possibly payment before shipment"
I look at good customers regardless of how much they spend as the reason I have or will have a paycheck coming in.
Not as strong as what karma is, but on the same lines

"Nickle and Dime it" customers.

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