No not that! Haggling. Everyone is doing it and retailers are quietly telling their employees it's okay.
I cannot stand the word haggling as it begins with a slur. Still, a rose is a rose is a rose and so bargaining or negotiating over a hammer or a rug or a blouse is no different. Still it all seems so, well, unseemly.
I think it's the retail that bothers me. People negotiate prices all the time in the business to business world. How do we decide if it's right for us? Do you stick to your price no matter what? Or are you so flexible that every customer or client gets something different? Have you ever had to think "cash flow" rather than "profit"?
I struggle with it. When I had a manufacturing company I had direct costs and overhead. That's really simple. My customers understood the wildly swinging metals market and so changes in pricing were accepted as a matter of fact.
Now that I deal in information delivery it's a waaaay different ballgame. I have felt uncomfortable and alone and out of sorts. Still, it's exciting to do what I do and has put me in the middle of lots of unbelievably smart and talented people I would not have met otherwise.
Would I be in the midst of that if I could just lowball price and bring on members who didn't fit the profile of those who could best benefit from our service? No. So I am feeling lucky.
As for those Prada shoes I am lusting after? I'll let you know when I can say I am feeling brave.