Welcome back to another WWYD Wednesday! Today’s scenario hits close to home because it involves a long-term relationship. We’ve all been there: you’ve taken care of a client for years, you’ve watched them grow, and you think the trust is bulletproof—until a “shiny” (and cheaper) object catches their eye.
The Scenario: The Jewelry Store Jolt
Your client, “Badder,” owns a high-end jewelry boutique. You’ve handled his processing for five years. He’s finally moving into a massive new flagship location and needs a serious POS upgrade to handle his growing inventory.
You spend hours setting up a custom demo. Badder loves the system. He loves the inventory tracking, the security features, and specifically the integrated jewelry label printer that handles those tiny, specialized tags for rings and necklaces.
The Twist: The “Square” Pivot
When you present the final quote, Badder freezes. Your hardware and setup total $2,000. Arthur tells you he looked at Square and can get their basic retail kit for $1,000.
Even though your system includes the specialized jewelry printer (which Square doesn’t bundle in that price) and higher-tier support, Badder is focused on that $1,000 savings. He tells you: “I’ve been a loyal client, but a grand is a grand. I’m going with Square.
The Reality Check
You know that if he goes to Square, he’s going to end up paying 2.6% + $0.10 (or more) on processing, which is way higher than his current rates with you. Plus, he’ll have to manually source a jewelry printer and try to “rig” it to work, or spend hours hand-writing tags.
Badder is about to spend $1,000 to save $1,000, only to lose $5,000 in efficiency and higher rates over the next year.
The Dilemma
Badder is moving next week. He’s stressed and thinks he’s making a “smart” business move. If you push too hard, you look greedy. If you let him go, you watch a loyal friend make a massive operational mistake.
What Would You Do?
Option A: The “Hard Lesson” (The Clean Break)
You tell Badder, “I understand, Badder, you grumpy old fart,( don’t say that part) Business is business. I’ll help you close out the account.” You let him buy the Square gear. You know that within 60 days, he’ll be calling you because his labels aren’t printing and his processing bill has doubled. You bet on the “I’ll be here when you’re ready to fix this” strategy.
Option B: The “Real Math” Audit
You sit him down and show him the Total Cost of Ownership. You show him the cost of a standalone jewelry-specific thermal printer ($400+), the cost of the third-party software integration, and the $300/month increase he’ll see in processing fees by moving to Square’s ecosystem. You show him that your “$1,000 more” actually pays for itself in exactly 90 days.
Option C: The “Relationship Save” (The Incentive)
You don’t want to lose the flagship account. You offer to “split the difference.” You drop your price by $500 (taking it out of your own pocket) and offer to throw in the first three rolls of specialized jewelry tags for free. You tell him: “I’ve been with you for 5 years. Don’t trade a partner for a tablet. Let’s make this work.”
The Big Question
How do you handle a loyal client who suddenly values a “one-time savings” over a “long-term partnership”? Do you let them make the mistake, or do you pay out of your own pocket to save them from themselves?
Cast your vote A, B, or C
Happy Selling,
David
