soundmotor

Seems more like bludgeoning them into acceptance of your point of view than edification.

There are 3 points that bear mentioning:

1) People do not consider the behind-the-scenes ramifications of their purchase. They wanted to save some money and the majority of retailers in any category are incapable of demonstrating their value as they present it as a merchandise-only transaction, not a value-added one.

2) People tend to approach any vehicle related service from an adversarial standpoint, i.e., "You are going to screw me.". In other words, service & accessory shops are not looked at as pillars of community ethics. Whether or not you want to admit it, car audio gets painted with the same brush that car mechanics do.

3) People do not (in general) come to you before their purchase and ask you if you'll do the installation. They may come in prior & shop you, i.e. get your recommendation on what is good to get. They go & find the same product online & buy it, and then return to you for the installation. Is this fair? Of course not. Life isn't fair either.

Here is the situation now. When they first came in & shopped you, you told them "Price X". They found it online for "Price Y". Already you are at a disadvantage because the price you told them initially was 30-50% higher, i.e. you were trying to screw them. Consumers do not consider your overhead costs, only what their cost will be. You then deliver the speech you just wrote and I'd bet the majority of the ones who bought on eBay, the Zeb, or Woofers Etc. walk out of your store, never to return.

And they do what then? They still have gear they want installed so they drive down the street to your competitor (who may have a slightly different take on how to do business):

The customer you just bounced: I bought this from Fly-By-Night-Shady-Internet-Sales, will you install it?

The shop eating your lunch: Absolutely, but there is a 50% labor premium on items we did not sell because we don't know what problems we may run into. If there is a warrantly issue, you will need to work with whom you bought it from to resolve it but, we'll help with that any way we can. However, we'll take care of you in the exact same way we take care of every one of our customers because we want you as our customer long-term. (lowers voice) You know, I might even be able to get you comped on the install supplies too and minimize the sting on the labor!

The customer has heard twice now that what he bought may be no bargain. He heard it once from you but you 'tuded him right out of the store. He's also just heard it from your competitor, but your competitor told him in a way that presented the facts without making him feel like an idiot about his purchase. Your competitor also converted him into a potential long-term customer and told him essentially the same thing you did. Your competitor did one other thing, he put money is his cash drawer.

You & Brandon might want to look into joining MERA. One of their main initiatives is educating dealers how to retain customers rather than alienate them. I understand your frustration on internet sales, but the internet isn't going away. Better to find out how to prosper alongside it.

soundmotor