Accepting pricing from Amazon & Apple but not a small business?

Have you ever had a client negotiate your class prices with you, directly (or pester your front desk staff) for a discount?

I have a colleague with a studio in Nashville for which this happened 3 times last week, alone. 🤯 

And I asked her, "What do you say? Do you say that it sounds like our studio may not be the right space for you & that we wish you well on your journey?

I as well said, “I'm sure you were diplomatic…but I'm pissed; you are a small business. This is beyond rude."

She replied to me, “Each situation is a little different, but I basically say this is our price and we do not make deals. And this week, it's honestly all been from EXISTING clients, too, which is wild. Our prices are our prices and our policies are our policies and either you take it or you don't.”

Me: “WHAT?!” (regarding that the negotiation is coming from an EXISTING client)

Founder: "Yes. Another example from last week: someone asked for a refund 12 days after their membership renewed. 

Then said ‘well, I didn't know it was active, I thought I cancelled it.' 

I told her, ‘well, you didn’t, since you're supposed to email to cancel it right now.' Then the client said, ‘well, can you re-start the month so it starts today?’

And I said ‘no, you can have the remainder of the month.’

…and she continued to fight me on it.

In this case, I did, in fact give her her money back as she had been a pain in the 🍑 anyways and is always late for class. I don't want another month of that so I simply gave in & may blacklist her from ever purchasing from us again."

I mentioned to this founder, I felt this client not returning to her space was a gift. And I understand the last sentence above about the blacklist, don't you, friend??

Do you, as a consumer of a given product, bargain with Amazon? Apple? Netflix? Chevron? Instamart? Deliveroo? Equinox? Virgin Active? Uber? Chipotle? You are as important. (And don't receive nearly the same tax-breaks 🙃)

As we used to say back in the day when I worked in a NYC tea house which attracted some characters… “Everyone brings joy when they enter our space; some when they enter, some when they leave.”

I'd love to hear if client-bartering with your small business has happened to you and what polite & effective statements you or your team have made; hit reply to let me know.

And I hope you're having a wonderful week with more people bringing joy to your spaces…when they enter!!