YIKES, the cops visit the HEADLIGHT guy...

I've cleaned many headlights for free, but the choice has always been mine.

One lady was a superb con artist who almost had me believing that I had already polished her lights and now they looked bad again. It was so much fun listening to her BS, that I went along with it and cleaned her lights for free. She was the type who would have done well selling the magic cleaning fluid, like in the Kenny Brooks video. As it happens, most people don't want to be the first to try out an unknown, so while I was working on her lights, two more cars pulled up and waited for the service. I had fun, and got two jobs that likely wouldn't have come by if I hadn't already been working.

Then there are people who are just cheap. Everything they buy has to be a deal, or at least they have to try to get a deal. I offer my service at a fair price for the results, so there is no room for a discount unless I just want to give one for whatever reason. For me, it depends on how the person asks for a discount that determines whether or not I'll give one.

In the story Gordon told about the cop coming, the guy was a bit surly and I felt offended that he didn't see the value I offered him. That's why I took the hard line and raised my offer to him. A guy like that would find something wrong no matter how the job came out and would then demand his money back. No thanks dude, I'd rather take a nap than deal with the likes of you.

Since that incident there have been several people that wanted a discount. I've tried several different responses to see how people react. At first I'd just say no and walk away. That left me feeling bad about the encounter, so I came up a response that defuses the situation and leaves me on top even if they decide not to get the service.

I now say, "Oh, you want the twenty dollar service?". Every response has been, "No, I want the whole thing." They either come up with the money or they drive off saying they'll be back.