Calling other bakeries for prices... - Page 4

Tha's when you think of something else you need that isn't there and ask for it "Oh yes, as a matter of fact I don't see any Grey Poupon and I could use just a smidge."

When I worked retail, we had people coming in all the time to check out our prices. In the smaller stores, we were told to tell them to leave, if we saw them taking pictures or writing prices down in notebooks. We weren't allowed to give out gas prices on the phone either, were told it was against federal law.

Texas_Rose:



LOL Good one! See, I just don't think fast enough! My brain is just getting too old and worn out!

SOmetimes that's legit. As a caterer, I would go into Sam's with my list of items I buy and do a price update. Clipboard & pen, going up and down the aisles, writing down product codes, packaging, size, servings and price. It's how I determined my own pricing. The only people who ever said anything were other customers who asked me, "where can I find ......?"

And with today's technology, it's too easy to text/email yourself product info in a store. I see folks texting all day long in a store .... how do I know whether they are sending pricing to someone or telling their kid that yes they DO have to do the dishes first?

(pssst! Snark ... I'm not sure by your last post, but I'm agreeing with you! )

Yes, actually they do. Just because they let it slide more often than not doesn't mean they like it. Stores don't like shoplifters, but they know there are people who are alway going to steal - and therefore, they account for that "shrinkage".

In essence, you ARE stealing from a business - whether it's a packet of ketchup or some cake samples and the employees' time. If you have no problem with the ethics of it - so be it. I, on the other hand, would not feel good about deceiving ANYONE for my own benefit. Call it "business" all you want, I put my morals and conscience above my bottom line.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

Wow, really? Interesting. I thought the purpose of sending out spies was for market research and determining what the market supports regarding per serving prices, not to "get" to your competition. Nice to know that some businesses have ulterior motives. So I take it you don't care if other businesses apply the same tactics toward your business? I believe cake businesses should network together rather than sabatoge one another. Spies are a nuisance and don't cause me to change my business plan or course of direction. My competition doesn't dictate what I do and certainly doesn't force me to use different ingredients...lol. Along with market research, I run my business based on what is right for me and my business, not according to the direction my competition wants to "force" me to take. That would be considered a knee jerk reaction and not a good business decision.

My problem with the issue is this...WHO cares if your competition is charging a "preservation fee", or reusing flowers, or charging a percentage for credit card transactions...all I'm saying is karma is a bitch- and if they're doing things they should not be, they'll get what's coming. I don't find it to be my job to police others. Yes- I want to know their pricing- but the other info helps me not one bit. As far as "hidden costs" go- a bride who's on the fence will compare- and see the difference once she's visited both bakeries.

Nobody comparison shops prices in convenience stores unless they have a convenience store...any regular person that interested in prices will go to the real store. I see people writing down prices in Walmart all the time and never think anything of it (except a little personal satisfaction that I can remember all the prices of everything I buy without a notebook )

But not letting them take pictures was a security issue. Of course, this was all back when cell phones didn't do anything but call people, and not too many people had them. Now you can't tell if anyone's taking pictures anywhere or not...just look at People of Walmart

It's not cake policing it's leveraging the sale in your favor. The hidden fees are very important to price comparison--the bride may never even get that every bakery doesn't charge those. She thinks/feels she's getting a lower price because she gotten a lower quote.

If Snarks or anyone can tell the bride how the competition gets to that seemingly lower price point by them tacking on weird surcharges and scary discounts then...You're right about karma---

I am not a business owner and have never done business market research but have been a consumer for a long long time

I have seen commercials (can't name specific companies) but they have said things like "...and no hidden fees"....isn't that showing a consumer the difference between your company and your competition?

I have seen lots of commericals with similar tag lines...it just seem to be a marketing strategy that a is fairly common..to show why you should choose them over their competition and in order for them to tout this in an advertisement (or sales meeting, or??) then I would think they would have had to have done their market research.

I'm not offended when I hear a commercial like this (and I'm thinking that a bridal cake consultation is basically a commercial ad, well kinda sorta anyway)...don't even think anything about it really. in fact it must be a good strategy cuz as a consumer that has stuck in my head and when faced with making a decision between two companies I am probably going to chose the company that has shown me that they are the better deal for (especially when faced with spending hundreds of dollars for an item ie: wedding cake).

I would expect, from the consumer prospective, that a company is going to get creative when trying to sell their product. I would be much more disappointed in a company that has promised me the "pot at the end of the rainbow" with their product/service only to find out that they have flat out lied to get my business("yes our price is $4.00 a serving...great get me a contract...oh you charge a $1.00 a mile for delivery...oh you charge for decoration, well is icing a decoration, cuz I am confused now, oh you charge a preservation fee...huh wth? I thought it was $4.00 a serving?) than to find out that the company I have chosen has sent out market spies (or used any other tool for market research) as a way to sell me what they offer.


Interesting conversation.

This thread made me think of this article that I came across a few days ago on Entrepreneur Magazine's Website:

Get to Know Your Competition
7 shrewd strategies for forging alliances--and staying ahead of the pack.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/marketresearch/article204092.html

I noticed recently that a local gas station charges customers more per gallon for gas transactions that were paid for by credit card than the customers that paid with cash. Also, Baskin Robbins in my old neighborhood charged a fee for using your credit card for purchases under a certain amount.

Not to mention the difference between a home caker who has little to no additional overhead to a shop like SnarksBuddy where the thought of the payroll checks alone make me have to run to the bathroom. I mean if she doesn't have a stellar week she's still gotta cough it up--brb---I'm off to the john...what if she doesn't have a stellar two weks in a row--brb...

In our little bookstore I have unstellar weeks all the time--I'm a non-profit owned by a church--the stress would literally kill me.

Great article! Thank you for posting it.

This is just a general response to everyone saying that secret shoppers would cost you money. I know that there are discussions already on to charge or not to charge for tastings but it seems this may be another reason that charging for tastings is the way to go. I feel like it doesn't matter if the person is a secret shopper, bride checking you out, or bride that orders as long as you charge for the tasting (enough to cover ingredients, time, and everything) you wont be loosing money you would be making it.

Just now catching up - thanks for posting that article - it has a lot of great points in it.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/ma.....04092.html