A potential client with three horses asks if you will provide a multiple horse discount. How do you respond? If you offer a discount, how much?
I recently had a client with two icelandic ponies that bought a third.
She wrote a text saying that she saw a guy online that was much cheaper than my prices and asked if I would match them. i looked him up and found out that he has no education in horshoeing. ( many icelandic ponies are shoed " cowboy " style- no offense meant !
So I wrote back saying that I thought it was unfair of her to compare a Master Farrier ( a danish title / accredittation ) with a guy who learned to shoe horses on youtube.. so I couln´t- wouldn´t match his prices...
But I could offer her a haircut and dye job guaranteed cheaper than her hairdresser !
Her answer was " how fast can you come ", to shoe her horses !! So I think that humor is a good way to make a point.
we say in Denmark.. " you get what you pay for ". Good day !
—Craig Buckspan
Sorry, no discounts as I'm doing the same amount of work.
—Esco Buff, PhD, APF, CF
Too much pain, effort, time and skill to give discounts. Same price across the board.
—Blue
No I give the same price to everybody across the board. Multiple horses are people that understand my profession and respect it.The ones that ask for a discount I'll tend to stay away from because usually you cant make them happy no matter what
—Peter Klein
"By the time I get to the last horse, I usually want to raise my rates, not lower them." I have discounted trims for the same owner as a full shoeing, and I often don't charge for repairs, if I'm already at the barn. I'm willing to give easy prices to horse-poor attractive blondes...hey, ya never know.
—Jefe
Depends on how horses stand.. I will give Discounts for 5 or more,, Let 1st client know up front the discount will be applied if horses stand good for farrier..
—Robert
Yes to rescues. No otherwise. A trim/shoe is a trim/shoe whether 1 horse or 10. I have a few — good friends and good horses — who get the 'family discount.'
I was once asked if I would discount a trim during the soft season because it looked so easy. So I said sure if you pay double when the feet are hard as rock in the dry summer months. That ended the conversation.
—Ingrid Spikker
Have been asked this question many times,I say sure what foot do you not want done
—Anonymous
Mr. Solinger and I are on the same page. I always answere that question with the comment that if the second is easier than the first, the third easier than the fourth, etc. ect. then I will discount accordingly. Occasionally I actually have to mention the fatigue factor, but most catch on right away!
—Jay
None given for shoe jobs,too much work. If 1-2 trims per stop I get $38 per head; 3-5 horses it's $37; 6 or more it's 3
$36. Best I can do!
—Mike Wells
I tell new clients that inquire about discounts that my rates are based on a multi-horse discount, and if they only have one or two they could be paying more. I may give discounts to loyal clients for trims that require very little time/attention, but never in advance. Nothing like discounting your work because someone has 15 trims and 4 with shoes, only to discover the horses are ill mannered and green. I have quoted prices for years now that it is x number of dollars for a "reasonably well behaved horse with reasonably good hooves". This allows the customer to understand that I charge more for ill mannered horses, or horses that haven't haven't seen a farrier in quite some time. And it helps alleviate hard feelings if someones brings me a horse that requires way more time that usual, and I charge more than my usual fee.
—Anita
For rescues and non- profits sure.
For 3 horses, even if they were next door, no.
—Ashley
I think we all have encountered this at one point or another. I have set up a series of questions to ask the client. If that's the first thing out of there mouth ill change the subject back to me Qs or make a joke and tell them it's 200$ a horse but ill cut u a deal at 35$ a trim you can make any number up but don't cheap out on your work. That's your income. You can't go and buy apples at the store and say if I buy 6 can I get a deal? Plus I'd feel horrible that all the clients that pay my fees now with no problem and never asked for a discount should u refund there money you've taken for years? Make your prices fair across the board but I take it as there not good customers if there searching for a deal cause they may like you today than someone else is cheaper but less quilified they'll drop u in a heart beat to use a guy that watched a YouTube video on it and works for beer. Horses are a luxury not a necessity. It's not your fault people can't afford them!
—Andy
I have heard this question many times. I simply tell them I do not offer any discounts for multiple horse owners. I charge what I need to be able to make a living and then I move on in the conversation. Most people understand. If that is a problem for them then I don't want them as a customer anyways... I'll just lose them at the first of the year when my price changes anyways.
—Paul Skaggs MS, CF
Sorry, I don't offer any discounts
—Rodney
I tell the client that the last horse is more difficult to trim than the first due to fatigue. I also tell them that for one or two animals it costs even more.
—Fred Solinger
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