Q & A Table of Contents
Negotiation Phobia Revisited
From: Jane, New York
Question: How acceptable is it to negotiate with my auto mechanic?
I needed a large brake job done today, with an estimate in the mid-$400's. My husband was sitting next to me while I was on the phone when I got the estimate. He was whispering negotiation instructions to me in order to get a lower price (ex: if we have all work done today, pay cash,etc, what kind of break would we get?, etc).
I asked the manager these questions and he did come down on the price to our satisfaction. However,I felt uncomfortable and embarrassed doing this. I guess I didn't want to seem "cheap." My husband adamantly replied that this practice is totally acceptable. ( I have read articles stating that auto mechanics sometimes intentionally overcharge women.) What do you think?
Response: Dear Jane,
Unless you have an unlimited supply of money derived without effort, it is hard to consider negotiating to reach the fairest price as being 'cheap'. Your time and effort both have value, and when you are looking to acquire goods or services, you want to make sure that you get value for money.
If negotiating is thought of as taking advantage of 'the other guy', when it is only a game, then it may well be questionable from an ethical standpoint. Simply taking advantage of another person for sport does not seem fair. You might want to revisit our website to look at our newsletter file. I think our most recent newsletter focused on 'Negotiation Phobia'.
On the other hand, if you are aiming to get a good job done or acquire a product that will yield you the best value, it is only appropriate to include price as one of the issues under discussion. If you are buying a television, you look for what features are offered, for how much you can get for what price. Dealing with an auto mechanic or with any other skilled person should reflect the market conditions: how much is it worth to you? do you have alternative suppliers? is the price fair? These are the kinds of questions that occur in preparing for negotiation and then in the negotiation process itself.
Your mechanic is offering you incentives to do business with him/her: a good job, quality products, timely delivery of the repaired vehicle, convenience, safety, etc. You are offering the mechanic incentives as well; the most obvious one being money. In addition to that, you owe yourself sensible use of your own resources. If you throw money away for fear of looking 'cheap', you actually are more likely to look foolish. And someone who looks like they don't care about value for money may be inviting others to take advantage of them.
So -- I think your husband was doing you a favor holding your hand through the negotiation process. Hopefully the hand-holding process can be viewed as an element in the teamwork that should characterize a good relationship.
Negotiating is not a sport, but it is certainly an appropriate means for
achieving value for money or whatever else is in trade.
Good luck and I hope this has been helpful, Steve.
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