BT broadband office

1. At April 18, 2008 1:57 PM, Zen wrote:

Consumers are definitely growing more price sensitive, however lowering prices will definitely decrease sales. It really will go down to the wire over the next year and many of us small businesses, unfortunatetly, will suffer.

2. At April 20, 2008 12:54 PM, Tanvir Ahmad wrote:

Cheap is always not what people look for.

I certainly look for quality and do not mind paying extra if I find a company that offers quality service.

3. At April 21, 2008 9:38 AM, Rob wrote:

I am the manager of a small autoparts shop, you can tell customers are more price senstive as you get nearly 10 calls a day from people ringing round everyone to see who has the best price, hard for us when theyre ringing our suppliers who can always do cheaper.
ive seen people go from one place that has it in stock to another who will have to order it in just because its £1 cheaper. ive had customers walk out in disgust because a battery from me is £5 - £10 more expensive even though you get lifetime warrenty with mine. main store is almost empty now, staying alive through internet sales selling auction bought parts and putting in some cases .50p profit on something I could have made £5.00 last year. what more can you do?

4. At April 21, 2008 11:42 AM, brian sherry wrote:

Every consumer wants to pay the right price.No one knowingly chooses to overpay.Many prefer to underpay,thinking they have found a bargain.Is the lowest price the best price ?.I believe the right price is best explained by a 19th century Economist named John Ruskin.
"It is unwise to pay too much,but it's worse to pay too little.When you pay too much,you lose your money,that is all.When you pay too little,you sometimes lose everything,because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot,it can't be done.If you deal with the lowest bidder,it is well to add something for the risk you run,and if you do that you will have enough for something better"

5. At April 21, 2008 12:42 PM, J G Dawson wrote:

In my opinion this question is irrelevant - It took Brown and his ilk 11 years to destroy the UK economy and regardless of price slashes and other 'miscalculated freebies' it will, I am sure, take another 11 years or more to put right and presently there is nothing on the horizon that gives me reason for cheer - worse I believe is to come...

6. At April 21, 2008 1:04 PM, Carl wrote:

This is a difficult one but if customers are lured through the door for lower prices then they may come back as they will remember you in the future.
It all depends on the business type, as ever, but sales/lowering the prices will perhaps lure in customers that previously would not have come in as well and then word of mouth, you would hope, would come into effect.
Food for thought.
Smaller profit is better then no profit.

7. At April 21, 2008 5:50 PM, James wrote:

Service is all important but to suddenly offer snap discounts for a short time can be very dangerous - especially to somebody who buys on a regular basis. £70 this week then £50 and back up again to £70. Upsetting if you have just paid £70.

We do discount our prices but at an annual constant rate so that regular customers know where they are with us. All prices being displayed on our website. Suggested Retail Price (SRP) against our Discounted Price.(DP)

However I have known some people who have undertaken a 45 mile round trip in their Company car to save one pound.

8. At April 23, 2008 12:08 PM, James wrote:

Generally speaking, its not a good idea to slash prices unless, like the i-phone, the product is over-priced anyway.
I can sympathise with Rob, but does he really need those type of customers? Perhaps he should look at a different customer profile or seek to innovate new services!
In a competitive marketplace you can only compete if you have superior service or develop a new product or service.
Finally, JG Dawson should remember that 20 years of Conversative government drove this country into the ground through lack of investment in infrastructure, education, health, policing, etc and that can't be fixed in just 10 years.

9. At April 24, 2008 7:43 AM, andrea wrote:

One of the big questions is can you afford to cut prices?smaller businesses are left with increasingly higher overheads - the minimum wage, nvq systems which leave 18 year olds with qualifications but not good enough to go on the shop floor, VAT on every service although we dont have alot to claim back on - I own successful haidressing salon and it is much more difficult than when i set up with help from the princes trust nearly ten years ago.I have done what the government wants gone back to work etc while being single with chilren. There certainly seems no incentive to be an entrepreneur these days...

10. At April 28, 2008 12:07 AM, James L wrote:

Continuation of my comment No (7) above.

I agree with Andrea (9) above.

Since Labour can into power the Small Business has been hit with lots of STELTH TAXES which make it very difficult to survive. Dont forget the raft of EEC regulations that are now hitting the small businesses very hard.

Watch out for the 1st May 2008 - New Mail Order regulations which will kill off lots of small internet selling businesses.

Martin you might like to have a look at this in your BT Blog.