Cheapest wholesale keys in the country?

[Happy Dude]

Might seem a strange title but there's method in my madness I think.

I am sick to the back teeth of a certain type of person coming into my shop and trying to haggle me on the price of say 2 Yales, even to the point where I have been loosely called a racist because I won't give them money off just because they ask for it.

So I am wanting to keep a range of the cheapest blanks I can find so that if I do decide to knock a little bit off they're not getting my expensive UK and EU made keys.

does anyone have a link??

 

thanks in advance 

[abababa]

I'm pretty sure the forum owners are the cheapest but only do the most popular profiles.  https://www.citysafeuk.com/

Potentially marry that with a 10 or 20 percent discount if there are any offers when you order.

[Broms Cobb]

or me?

[grahamparker]

Don't give in, your price is important and if they do not want to pay then that is there look out.

Best bet is to add £0.50p to every price then knock this off as an offer if they have 2 keys cut it worked for us.

[Gray]

That's exactly what I do, also if I'm quick enough to see them getting a card out I up the price a bit too to cover charges.

[Mick Friend]

yes I remember well when I had a shop in Slough One such customers asking 'how much onekey' (in those days) £1.50   'how much twokey' me puzzled £3

'no discount for twokey'    No!     'in Chalvey they are £1 onekey £1.50 twokey)' Go to Chalvey then! ' he no have proper key to make'

Ahhhhh well you see when I have no proper key they are only 50p

 

True story

[Growster]

My secret weapon is a neatly printed laminated price list, in the public area. Customer comes in, shows me his key. Ah, I say, yes, I can do this for you. Let me just check how much they are. £5.50 it says here, that includes the VAT. Is that OK with you?

I've had a total of of 2 people walk out, one came back a few minutes later.

Then again, our walk-in traffic is very low for various reasons, just about 2 a day.

But the price list, prim and proper looking, has reduced the arguments greatly.

[Fast Fix Elgin]

The difference on trade price of keys are minuscule so put your prices up a £1 then take them down for quantity  

[Michael]

I offer a second key the same for half price, to everyone!

Keeps the barterers at bay!!

[kobblers]

2 hours ago, Michael said:

I offer a second key the same for half price, to everyone!

Keeps the barterers at bay!!

We've started doing that on our normal cylinder keys and the barstewards still try n bloody haggle!!!!!

Rick.

[SteelCityShoes]

I just tell people to go across the road to McDonald’s and try to haggle over the price of a burger and they usually get the picture 

[Count Muppet]

Been getting it more and more recently and it’s made my customer service slip a fair bit.

ive been silly enough to give many people good discounts without them asking and explain how much it would have been, only for them to ask for more discount. All of them seem to love the term “Last price”

after being told that’s my last price, take it or F off (depending how many people have asked that day it may even be a stronger reaction) I’ve found that they enjoy my honesty and pay up no problem.

doubt that would work for everyone though and I should probably calm down myself but I reckon I’ve put 10% on my sales recently 

[Mick Friend]

you do me good job last price I get you plenty more work.................

[jacko]

Never ever ever ever ever ever drop your prices on request.

Very bad business practice to say the least.

Once you set your price that's it.

Never ever ever ever ever haggle this is Britain not the far East.

[SteelCityShoes]

1 hour ago, Count Muppet said:

Been getting it more and more recently and it’s made my customer service slip a fair bit.

ive been silly enough to give many people good discounts without them asking and explain how much it would have been, only for them to ask for more discount. All of them seem to love the term “Last price”

after being told that’s my last price, take it or F off (depending how many people have asked that day it may even be a stronger reaction) I’ve found that they enjoy my honesty and pay up no problem.

doubt that would work for everyone though and I should probably calm down myself but I reckon I’ve put 10% on my sales recently 

I get “last price?” All the time, just repeat the price you said the first time.

If they try to haggle you down after that, tell them a higher price, keep going up until they realise it’s better to pay what you asked for in the first place

[lock&quay]

The owner of a local Indian take away always tried to dictate to me how much cutting a key would be , Until the day he swore at me my reply was " I never dictate to you how much I pay for one of your meals & I never swear at you, You're banned for life"   you don't need customers like this .

[Mick Friend]

another

chap comes in with a mullerd union oval lock case and the old style oval cylinder with the small ended fixing screw. he had picked it with a bug mer

You do fix

me chucked into bin

I do no fix new lock one of these and one of these £28

tooooo much money you do give me lock

I fish it out of bin

you do new lock cheap

Me one of these and one of these £30

£30? £30? you say £28! I know but you wasted my time and someone needs to pay for that now £30

But I need lock

Ok one of these and one of these £32

He stomps out of shop

10 mins later another bloke walks in muses along the shelf

Grabs the union case and a cylinder slaps £28 on the counter and leaves

[Mick Friend]

and finally

fit a chubb deadlock from new about £18 fitted in those days

I present the bill - you take £12 no VAT 

No it's £18 cash, cheque or luncheon vouchers

I give you £12 no more

OK give me £12

he gives me cash

I remove lock and keep from door and leave  - leave escutcheons 

[grahamparker]

My last night time call out ever.

2.30am Saturday after a night out a pissed up bloke rings lost his keys to a yale nightlatch, it was about 1 1/2 miles away so i quoted £65.00 (this was about 15 years ago).

He said great as long as you can get me in. I turned up got out a Mica and the door was opened within 30 seconds.

For the next 10 minutes he called me every name under the sun for robbing him for 30 seconds work not appreciating my time at all.

I said "ok mate, no charge" slammed the door shut and went leaving him stranded outside.

That was my last ever call out after hours.

[kirkybob]

if they ask for discount for cutting several keys I tell them they can have a discount if they have over 100 as thats when i get a price break on the blanks. They seem to accept that.

 

[Flash]

I have a similar approach, how much a key like that innit?

£4.50

I give £4

No £4.60

I give £4

No £4.70         The message soon gets through O,K I give you £4.50

Too late its gone up to £4.80

I don't get too many barterers now.

[Mike at Vauxhall]

Once arranged a bulk discount for a new customer.   A week went by, he hadn't returned. Then he came to complain that I had been overcharging him. But I said you haven't been in. He said he had been sending in his assistant, who I'd never met, and  had given me no indication of who he worked for or of any prior pricing agreement.

[Happy Dude]

On ‎8‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 10:05 AM, Mick Friend said:

yes I remember well when I had a shop in Slough One such customers asking 'how much onekey' (in those days) £1.50   'how much twokey' me puzzled £3

'no discount for twokey'    No!     'in Chalvey they are £1 onekey £1.50 twokey)' Go to Chalvey then! ' he no have proper key to make'

Ahhhhh well you see when I have no proper key they are only 50p

 

True story

Imagine that scenario 4 or 5 times a day, every day...

one time I was told it was 99p for a yale in Birmingham, I'm in Edinburgh

[grahamparker]

On 8/7/2018 at 6:39 PM, jacko said:

Never ever ever ever ever ever drop your prices on request.

Very bad business practice to say the least.

Once you set your price that's it.

Never ever ever ever ever haggle this is Britain not the far East.

Cheapest i have done a cylinder key for was £1.25 each + vat it was for 25 x Cisa Rim Cylinders ka and 2500 keys and it was about 20 years ago though.

[cobbcas]

On 8/7/2018 at 9:02 PM, lock&quay said:

The owner of a local Indian take away always tried to dictate to me how much cutting a key would be , Until the day he swore at me my reply was " I never dictate to you how much I pay for one of your meals & I never swear at you, You're banned for life"   you don't need customers like this .

I had the same only the customer sold jeans. About 20 year ago he wanted two Chubb mortice at the time I charged £3.50 each The customer said £7 for two keys?? Yes that's right but I'm from Rio 'clothes shop' Ok when I want two pair of jeans you don't give me discount so don't expect any from me!! paid the £7 the cheeky T@at!!