I have mixed feelings about "haggling" as it were. When I first started and my little middle class sensibilities were easily offended, I used to dislike the notion on some principle of value which was nebulous at best. I also used to be anti bartering too because of some notion of boundaries until I realized this is just a service that lends itself easily to that sort of negotiation. If you can cut out the middle man, why not? Now, I'm not offended by someone asking, certainly not on principle. I just usually don't offer one because It will be never ending if folks know you will budge. Y'all can be vultures at times
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Also, the last time I offered my time for a discount I ended up become tryy offended by th notion. I agreed to go on an extended date for a deeply discounted rate, and I did so because I needed the money. Now, this guy was a surgeon, extremely wealthy, which he proceeded to brag about all evening. Literally spent half the evening talking about his very expensive hobby of collecting and restoring classic cars. As one can well imagine, I was fuming by the end if the evening. All I could think was you can readily spend money on objects, but have an issue paying full rate for a human being. That bothers me. In general, and I cannot speak to every individual situation, I completely understand that, but in general, you guys are in a more stable financial situation than we are. So, I think, analyzing the situation from a purely "market driven" perspective is a little one dimensional. I have haggled or negotiated for items, cars, big ticket items , etc. But, I just personally won't when I feel like the person needs it mitre than I, or if it's a small local operation, etc. just feels very douchy to me. One other example-some time ago I was contacted by a gentleman who wanted an appointment by 200. I politely explained that If he was short on cash perhaps we could try for another time. This clearly got his ego and he explained to me that had a huge house in Metairie and had just paid his Gardner and that was all the cash he had left. it's all the cash he had left. Apparently, he was unfamiliar with the concept of an ATM
. I guess my point is, from our prospective it can feel like donething of a game. The erroneous "on principle" principle can run both ways. At the very least if you are going to negotiate a price with a lady, don't spend the evening talking about all the shot you have or the vacation you just took to Maui. Or, that you can't pay the rate because you have your driver your last hundred bucks as a tip
. Sorry this post was rambling
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