Time To Match Prices
As you may have read, for me, the selling side of the business has been the most fun. I feel we are white knights who come and save the day. We protect you and your business from things like fraud, id theft and embarrassment. Consequently, I’m out and about a lot. This means that sometimes my mobile phone usage is very high. Higher than say the ‘average’ user.
Now, having been with Voda for well over 10 years, it never even crossed my mind to think about switching. Every 2 years when my contract would come to an end, I was always so busy trying to get the latest and best iPhone that I would just take any old contract that wouldn’t involve me actually paying for the handset.
Last month, I happened to see some cousins and their kids who range from 10-21. There’s nothing more magical than watching a kid work a mobile phone. As they swished, pinched and swiped away and I couldn’t help but ask them – ‘chaps, with all the games you are playing and shows you watch through your phones outside of Wi-Fi zones, aren’t you worried about your parents flipping about high bills?’
I wish I had never asked for a host of reasons, but the most instant one being their look of bemusement. The awkward silence ensued, before the 10-year-old began rattling off the difference between O2, Voda & EE. He was talking telephone networks and then to make things even more bizarre, he began talking price plans. Explaining how sometimes there were better deals in switching. To cut to the end of our family picnic, it soon became apparent that my little nephew had double the minutes and data I had, whilst only having his folks pay a bill half of mine.
Huh?
How was that even possible?
I was a long-standing, long-term, loyal customer of Voda – how could my little nephew (who incidentally has been around for the same amount of time I’ve had a Voda contract) be getting a better deal. I smiled, I ate my food, I nodded but the second I left that picnic, I called Voda. Someone was going to get a piece of my mind and it may as well be them.
They answered and I flipped.
I explained my predicament; I trolled on about how disappointed I was etc. I’m sure you get the picture. I was leaving Voda. Before I could say another word, I was transferred to the Retentions Team. To whom I had to explain the whole saga again. Which made me even more determined to leave.
Finally, they started to do what they do, first they switched on the charm, and not just a little bit of charm, I’m talking Nutella viscosity charm. Thick and creamy, almost irresistible. Then came the offers, offer after offer – but eventually telling me they would MATCH my nephew’s deal. It was so tempting. I mean, after all, I actually got what I wanted. Who cares whether or not I switched to EE. Voda were prepared to match the deal on the table. No switching, no new paperwork, no faffing!
Now sadly for me – shredding companies are not different. In sales, I’ve had people call in so upset. I literally mean that; so upset. They’re tied into a contract with a company that they hate. So of course, when their window of leaving comes into place, they make the call. They say bye-bye – and tell us they’re excited to come on board. But before they sign their sales agreement – the shredding company’s retention team gets on the phone.
The Nutella charm comes out. And before you know it – that famous line comes out
‘we’ll price match’
What is it with rubbish salespeople? Is that the only line they’ve ever been taught? If all else fails, just price match. I think savvy people like others and myself tend to respond the same way:
‘So what you’re saying is that you’ve been charging me a higher price all along?’
Only you can decide what type of shredding customer you want to be; one that overpays or one that is smart and principled? Whichever one it is, I will say this much, I’m loving my new EE contract.