I work for a furniture company. For one of our desks we make a really cool support called a “Printer Pedestal”. Basically, it is a large drawer without sides, so you can sit your printer on this pull out shelf, then when you need it, pull it out and use it. Here is the call from the customer:
(fyi my customer is a dealer, who sells it to end users. These are people who’s entire lives are spent selling office furniture. They are trained professionals.)
Customer: I am about to order one of your printer pedestals. I says that it is 18” wide. Is that an outside dimension or an inside dimension?
Me: That is the outside dimension. Inside is 16”.
Customer: Oh. My printer is 21” wide by 20” deep…….will that fit.
Me: (smirk and swallow laughter) No, it has to be less than 16”, or it has to be custom.
Customer: ok, can I get a quote for a custom?
Me: sure. It is going to be 24” wide to have the internal clearance you need. I will get you a price.
Customer: Oh, the price can not change, I have already told my customer how much this is going to cost.
Me: well….I will get you the cost, and you can decide what to do. If the cost can not go up, then advise them to buy a smaller printer.
Customer: ummmm….I already bought the printers for them.
Me: And you did not look at the size?
Customer: I did, but your cabinet said it was 18”, and so I assumed that was an internal size not external.
Me: But…the printer is 21” wide, so even if it was 18” internal it would still not fit.
Customer: …. Uuuhhhhh….
Me: how about I get you that price.
Customer: but the price can’t go up.
Me: Close, but backwards. The cabinet is currently a standard 18” wide cabinet. You are requesting a custom 24” wide cabinet. The correct statement would be “the price can not stay the same”, or even “The price is going to go up”.
Customer: But how am I supposed to make money?
Me: A good start would be not telling the customer the final price until they have the final specification and quote. Well, I’m going to get that quote started.
(I wanted to SCREAM “I would suggest selling blood, as furniture seems to be a little outside your grasp.”)
(I also wanted to scream the classic line from Happy Gillmore when Adam Sandler is playing golf with Bob Barker “The Price Is WRONG Bitch.”)
(fyi my customer is a dealer, who sells it to end users. These are people who’s entire lives are spent selling office furniture. They are trained professionals.)
Customer: I am about to order one of your printer pedestals. I says that it is 18” wide. Is that an outside dimension or an inside dimension?
Me: That is the outside dimension. Inside is 16”.
Customer: Oh. My printer is 21” wide by 20” deep…….will that fit.
Me: (smirk and swallow laughter) No, it has to be less than 16”, or it has to be custom.
Customer: ok, can I get a quote for a custom?
Me: sure. It is going to be 24” wide to have the internal clearance you need. I will get you a price.
Customer: Oh, the price can not change, I have already told my customer how much this is going to cost.
Me: well….I will get you the cost, and you can decide what to do. If the cost can not go up, then advise them to buy a smaller printer.
Customer: ummmm….I already bought the printers for them.
Me: And you did not look at the size?
Customer: I did, but your cabinet said it was 18”, and so I assumed that was an internal size not external.
Me: But…the printer is 21” wide, so even if it was 18” internal it would still not fit.
Customer: …. Uuuhhhhh….
Me: how about I get you that price.
Customer: but the price can’t go up.
Me: Close, but backwards. The cabinet is currently a standard 18” wide cabinet. You are requesting a custom 24” wide cabinet. The correct statement would be “the price can not stay the same”, or even “The price is going to go up”.
Customer: But how am I supposed to make money?
Me: A good start would be not telling the customer the final price until they have the final specification and quote. Well, I’m going to get that quote started.
(I wanted to SCREAM “I would suggest selling blood, as furniture seems to be a little outside your grasp.”)
(I also wanted to scream the classic line from Happy Gillmore when Adam Sandler is playing golf with Bob Barker “The Price Is WRONG Bitch.”)
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