forgot about Mr Patel!

I forgot about how the indian motel guys try and jew you down.....Mr Patel says how much to clean room #22....I give a price with my minimum....he says OHHHH way to much....how much for room #22,23,24,25....I give my new lower price per room....and it clicks that if it drops per room each time he adds some he starts to think at around 30 rooms it will be $12 per room....I tell him at the rate he wants to go they will all be free if I do them all. We dont do these motels anymore at all.

Run for your life!!!!!!!!!!!

I've never worked for one, but stayed in many of those hotels. They do have a very frugal way of doing business...good for them, but bad for us.

Most of the ones that I have stayed at lately offer fresh cookies in the lobby. My stay in Nashville easily cost them a few room cleanings in chocolate chip cookies.

Yeah, I avoid them at all costs too, I usually just give them a higher price on the phone to avoid answering gazillion of questions of theirs cause I know they won't schedule cleaning with us.

Devon07 wrote:I forgot about how the indian motel guys try and jew you down.....Mr Patel says how much to clean room #22....I give a price with my minimum....he says OHHHH way to much....how much for room #22,23,24,25....I give my new lower price per room....and it clicks that if it drops per room each time he adds some he starts to think at around 30 rooms it will be $12 per room....I tell him at the rate he wants to go they will all be free if I do them all. We dont do these motels anymore at all.

I am not Jewish, I do have Jewish friends though. I do not know who on this board may be Jewish. Let's try and keep it clean if you don't mind. That's not a very flattering phrase you've used there. As far as the Indian gentleman trying to get the best price- I have been there as well- it's a cultural thing. In their culture most people negotiate down to the last cent, if you don't some would consider you a fool. I have found that the citizens of the USA find this a foreign concept in many matters. Ever count your change or add stuff up at the convenience store before they ring you up? If they are not using a scanner more often than not I have been overcharged- I catch people doing this 2-3 times a week. Again a cultural thing. I don't like it and I am nobodies fool.

You are so right on this one Eldiabloz.

When I was serving in the Middle East, there were tons of little markets where they sold rugs, food, etc. I offered to pay the asking price on a rug the first time I went shopping and the guy became so angry that I wasn't going to haggle that he almost punched me.

It was alien to me, the price was acceptable so I agreed right off the bat. I ended up having 3 guys shouting at me for 10 minutes until I agreed to argue over price.

I ended up with the rug for about a 15% discount and a very confused Midwestern brain....it is just expected that you haggle over things as part of the transaction. I guess I offended him by not doing so at the start.

I have no problem with a client wanting to negotiate every penny with me, it is their business to run it as they please. I don't have to accept the job and if nobody did, they would have to offer a higher price.

The only line I draw is a customer that tries to negotiate the pennies after the job has been started. Those customers are a real problem.

Sorry eldiablo...I dont feel as if it was offensive, the whole reason I even said it is because I know several as well. maybe im getting to comfortable here.

I do usually have a problem with being "jewed down", because I don't build that allowance into my price normally, so I take it as offensive. But I will work with some 1st time customers, by giving them a "1st time customer discount", so it's not a question the next time they call for service......1st time is just that!!
If it's a larger job, say $5-600+ then I might give a 5-10% discount to get it, and usually say it's a CASH price discount. But there's times I flat out tell people there's no room in that price for a discount, and my price is what it is.......usually they will still bite.

Everyone want's to feel like they're getting a good deal, so it's probably not a bad idea to build in a lil padding so there is room for a discount, and if they don't ask for it, then it's more money in your pocket.