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key cutting price wars !!

Guest Tackhead
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Guest Tackhead

Guest Tackhead

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looking around here - and speaking to many of you as well - think how lucky u are if you have`nt got competition in key cutting in your area -

 

ive recently moved my business to an entirely new town (2years ago) after suffering a locksmiths charging £1.95 a cy key - 200 hundred yards from me , and another repairer charging £3.50 for 2 right by the bus station.

 

some rep told me recently that a repairer he knows in a middle class area gets £8.00 a cy - with no amount discount ` cos he`s the only one there ! - christ i should be so lucky - or maybe a sense of common decency might prevail - who knows !

 

anyway when i became the competition in my new place of work - i manged to shut down the established main street locksmith (10 years + trading) in less than 10 months - as I was charging £2.00 a key or 3 for a fiver - up against his £3.75 Each !! - he dropped his prices towards the end - but i was prepared to go to less than a quid if need be to see him off ! ( he now runs a mobile service)

 

any one else got horror stories about key price wars ??

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kobblers 5000+ Maximus Elite super, super user.

kobblers

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or maybe a sense of common decency might prevail -

 

did you really just say that and then follow it up with this?

 

 

 

- i manged to shut down the established main street locksmith (10 years + trading) in less than 10 months - as I was charging £2.00 a key or 3 for a fiver - up against his £3.75 Each !! - he dropped his prices towards the end - but i was prepared to go to less than a quid if need be to see him off ! ( he now runs a mobile service)

 

any one else got horror stories about key price wars ??

 

yeah, read your post :shock:

 

rick.

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Guest Tackhead

Guest Tackhead

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I HAVE learnt the hard way - like i said for nearly 20 years i was up against a fella doing 2 keys for £3.50( or the equivalent back then ) , you guys with little or no competition are really lucky -

 

I still couldnt justify charging CUSTOMERS 8 quid a pop for cy keys - but to under cut an opponant is fair game !

 

And to shut him down is a bonus !! - so dont give me all that `Lot to learn` bollocks as if I`m some kid - you high and mighty ringpiece !! - you`d probably have a coronary if i opened up down the road from you ,customer loyalty or not they would come to me if i flyered the town with `Opening offer - ALL size ladies heels £2.00 -&- ALL cylinder keys £1.00 each !!`

 

believe me the `going in like an animal` routine is spreading - i recently spoke to an employee of a new style of pound shop which is planning to open country wide - they WILL charge only £1.00 for ANY Key Cylinder or Mortice - I was shitting myself as to them coming to my town , but the local landlords would`nt let them in - Maybe they will come to your town , or even worse someone like ME !!

 

so watch out !! 8-[

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decker 50+ Poster: Established user

decker

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I HAVE learnt the hard way - like i said for nearly 20 years i was up against a fella doing 2 keys for £3.50( or the equivalent back then ) , you guys with little or no competition are really lucky -

 

I still couldnt justify charging CUSTOMERS 8 quid a pop for cy keys - but to under cut an opponant is fair game !

 

And to shut him down is a bonus !! - so dont give me all that `Lot to learn` bollocks as if I`m some kid - you high and mighty ringpiece !! - you`d probably have a coronary if i opened up down the road from you ,customer loyalty or not they would come to me if i flyered the town with `Opening offer - ALL size ladies heels £2.00 -&- ALL cylinder keys £1.00 each !!`

 

believe me the `going in like an animal` routine is spreading - i recently spoke to an employee of a new style of pound shop which is planning to open country wide - they WILL charge only £1.00 for ANY Key Cylinder or Mortice - I was shitting myself as to them coming to my town , but the local landlords would`nt let them in - Maybe they will come to your town , or even worse someone like ME !!

 

so watch out !! 8-[

 

](*,)' ](*,)

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Auto Key Wizard 3000+ Poster: Super rank user

Auto Key Wizard

Posted
Posted
I HAVE learnt the hard way - like i said for nearly 20 years i was up against a fella doing 2 keys for £3.50( or the equivalent back then ) , you guys with little or no competition are really lucky -

Really? Tackhead,

I've traded 20 year in the same location with at one point seven other businesses trading in the key cutting industry, All these others were within 2 mile radius of my shop, & one only four doors away, Each of these outlets except one (Mister Minit) had charges lower then me, I was always the most expensive & the best,

I now have no other competition, Go figure.

I still couldnt justify charging CUSTOMERS 8 quid a pop for cy keys - but to under cut an opponant is fair game !

See above

And to shut him down is a bonus !! - so dont give me all that `Lot to learn` bollocks as if I`m some kid

Kid !! yeah reads like a spoilt five year old typed it :lol:

- you high and mighty ringpiece !!

That's rich..... Thickhead :D

- you`d probably have a coronary if i opened up down the road from you ,customer loyalty or not they would come to me if i flyered the town with `Opening offer - ALL size ladies heels £2.00 -&- ALL cylinder keys £1.00 each !!`

Carry on

believe me the `going in like an animal` routine is spreading - i recently spoke to an employee of a new style of pound shop which is planning to open country wide - they WILL charge only £1.00 for ANY Key Cylinder or Mortice - I was shitting myself as to them coming to my town , but the local landlords would`nt let them in -

Why were you

shitting myself as to them coming to my town
as you've been doing this to others for almost twenty year, :smt102

Tackhead wrote:

but to under cut an opponant is fair game !

And to shut him down is a bonus !!

Maybe they will come to your town , or even worse someone like ME !!

 

so watch out !! 8-[

 

Like I said, Carry on, see my first paragraph

 

Oh by the way the term Busy Fool comes to mind alot while reading your posts :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

TACKHEAD...Funny guy/Funny name. :smt021

 

Ya can sit on my fence if you like :wink:

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Guest Tackhead

Guest Tackhead

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I work in a very working class area - so customers don`t really care if you are the best or more reliable key cutter in the area - they just want it cheap

 

i also have my shop on an upper level (up 2 flights) where it does make a difference to undercut by a larger degree to say Timpsons who are on the main thourough-fare (pensioners and general working people wont make the effort to save 20p a key - but they will for a quid each or more )

 

now ive settled in after 2 years ( Timpsons have been downstairs for over 25) I have slowly put my cys up to £3.00 a key or 2 for a fiver

 

and i now have the contracts for the local council and police for all they`re key cutting -

 

`busy fool` i may have been in the first 10 months - but it got me noticed , and i`m now doing very well (note there is a barber up on my level as well trading 42 years , and he daily has about 5 people saying `how long u been up here then ?)

 

it might sound like aggresive tactics but before i came here (because i had to - as my previous shop in another city was demolished due to a £100 million re-furb ) , Timpsons and the other independant had the town totally sewn up - it was my only option to make any money to go in hard - offer a good service - and do it cheaply !!

 

now thankfully i can relax slightly - as the days of £10 a day takings have (hopefully) long gone.

 

i`m not on here to make enemies - but this is south wales and like the north they will tell u where to go if they think they`re being ripped off on repairs or key cutting -

 

pricing depends on area,reliability and competition - and at the end of the day i`m a businessman - and fully aware that someone could come along on the main drag totally under cutting me by 50% - to get noticed - would that make him a `busy fool` ? - or just someone with good business sense !

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Auto Key Wizard 3000+ Poster: Super rank user

Auto Key Wizard

Posted
Posted
and fully aware that someone could come along on the main drag totally under cutting me by 50% - to get noticed - would that make him a `busy fool` ? - or just someone with good business sense !

Busy Fool...Yes,

'cos Timpson are on the main drag, so if that someone was charging £2, then how much cheaper would they be to their price?

Also not to mention they'd be in a prime location with a captive audience, with high rent & rates to fund.

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ironplanet uk900 4000+ Elite rank user

ironplanet uk900

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just someone with good business sense !

 

I think I'm beginning to understand you a little more now Tackhead :mrgreen: You are not completely up to date with word meanings.

You set up business in a, what seems a very poor location, and the only way you can get customers is to charge pathetic prices.

If you had ever invested in your business ie, engraving machines, watch repairing equipment, stitching machines, etc etc etc, you might realise that the high street prices are reasonable. To me you are a F**king nuisance in the trade. Pi55 pot set up and think your up there with the likes of Timpsons and other business minded folk in this trade.

How dare you question the services that others provide, just because you think that sharpening is the way to go, because no investment is required. :roll: :roll: :roll:

 

Don't get me wrong, we all have to start somewhere, but your attitude means you'll always be a also ran.

 

Businessman you aint..................But you are a very good candidate for a buffoon. :) :)

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Guest Tackhead

Guest Tackhead

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you seem to think u know a lot about me - just from my couple of posts on here

 

just `cos i dont fancy doing watch batteries or that i charge £3.00 for a cy key - seems to me that im running a `pi55 pot` business - with no engraving or stitching machinary - i`m `not a businessman` and a complete `buffoon`

 

yeah that seems fair ! - i`m also a sh1t driver,my family hate me and i`m gonna blow my brains out tonight !

 

get off my back ! - and take your childish bile out on someone who gives a f***k !!

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Keydoctor 50+ Poster: Established user

Keydoctor

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What part of South Wales are you ?

 

Im South Wales, from whta is on the map as a deprived area, I charge good money, and get it. Whats the point in doing a Key for a pound??? You might put competition out of business, but you've hardly earned a fortune doing so. Then I take it you put your prices up now that theres no competition. Customers arent daft, they remember things like this, leaving a big door open for someone else to open up.

 

Personally I think competition is healthy, competing by pratically giving stock away isnt a solution.

 

:?

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Lee 5000+ Maximus Elite super, super user.

Lee

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I work in a very working class area - so customers don`t really care if you are the best or more reliable key cutter in the area - they just want it cheap
I used to think this for my customers, but came to realise they didn't want it cheap they wanted it to be instock & for it to work. the cost was third on the list.

 

Ii also have my shop on an upper level (up 2 flights)
Up stairs in South Wales, would that be Cwmbran??????????

 

Lee

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