Working World

We Americans, dealing as we do mainly with huge corporate entities and established pricing, tend to believe that we have to pay the sticker price on everything. Outside of car lots and swap meets or bidding on a house, we are so conditioned to accept this state of affairs that we don’t question it in most situations. But there are many scenarios where it is completely possible to negotiate a better price for goods and services. We have more power than we realize, especially when money is tight and customers valuable. Sellers will bend a little in order to make a sale, provided they have the authority to do so. A clerk at Sears isn’t the one to try to talk down on the price of a washer/dryer, but there are many opportunities to get a price reduction, or at least additional benefits. Sometimes it is surprisingly easy — all you have to do is ask.

With banks and credit card companies all competing for customers, a simple phone call to the customer service department will often get you a reduced interest rate, a better rewards program, or other enhanced feature that is important to you. The cost of your cable and DSL service can be reduced the same way, with a simple request, because they don’t want to lose you. If they cannot give you as large a discount as you’d like, suggest they throw in additional features, such as more channels at no charge.

I have even been able to negotiate with my dentist’s office. When told I needed fillings, I reminded the office manager that I had no dental insurance and asked, if I paid the entire amount up front in cash, could I get a discount? She knocked 10 percent off the estimate. This request worked because 1) they know me — I have been a patient for several years; 2) they’ve made a fortune off my mouth in the past, and they know they probably will in the future, too.

This can work at various small business and retail operations and it always helps if you are a regular or past customer, or known to the owner or manager. It is possible to negotiate with plumbers, independent tax preparers, caterers, even psychotherapists, anyone who sets their own prices.

Neighborhood mom-and-pop stores may be willing to discount merchandise, even items that are already on sale, especially if business is slow. If you like something, but don’t want to pay what they are asking, inquire (politely!) if they’d be willing to accept an amount below the tagged price (suggest a number 10, 15 or 20 percent below). If they can’t or won’t give a cash discount, or one as large as you want, get creative. If you buy two of “Item X,” would they throw in that scarf, tie, belt or earrings?

Requests for discounts or added value won’t always work — sometimes the sellers stick to their price. But it is successful often enough that it is worth trying in certain circumstances.

The keys are knowing something about what’s important to the other party — moving the merchandise, meeting a quota, goodwill/making you happy for future business — and keeping it a win-win situation. Never try to take advantage of someone and always be respectful of the other person’s interests, as well as your own. Then you can often create a situation where everyone walks away with something they wanted.

Suzanne Ridgway is a freelance writer and regular columnist/contributor Working World and Working Nurse magazines. Suzanne also writes grant proposals for nonprofit organizations.