We were recently approached by a company about doing some document retrievals in some of the counties we cover.  Upon receiving our prices ($15.00 trip fee plus $1.00/page),  the company rep e-mails to inform me that, "we will only pay what the county charges you for copies, because your handling fee should be included in the search price."

I politely informed the indiviual that "while we do our best to accommodate each company's unique requirements, we unfortunately cannot alter our pricing schedule".  Our discount program is simple: you order in volume, you get the discount -- otherwise, our normal Pricing Grid applies.  We need to educate these firms as to the fact that we are sometimes forced to operate on razor-thin margins in order to remain competitive, and that quality comes with a price.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that we need to stick to our guns and not cave to the pressure to reduce fees.  At the same time, we should also do whatever it takes to return the highest level of service to those customers who are willing to "pay to play".

Thanks for listening,
Scott Perry