“How come you
guys are so expensive? I’m looking at a coupon
right now and this company’s offering to do the same
work for less than half of Air Duct
Pros price!”
Liz Crenshaw interviews
Eric Friedman, an ex-officio member of MCRC’s board and
the director of the Office of Consumer Protection for
Montgomery County, about allegations of a scam by an
air-duct-cleaning service.
Bait &
Switch - “Oh the
Tangled Web,”
Bait advertising is an
alluring but fraudulent offer to sell a service
which the advertiser has no intention of providing.
The primary aim of a bait advertisement is to obtain
leads as to persons interested in the service
offered. The “Bait” is a low price that they have no
intention of honoring.
It’s the oldest trick in
sales, and a lot easier to recognize if you
understand the forces at work when you see it.
To begin,
we’ll take a brief look at the three ethical
steps every service owner might take to sell
his/her services to a prospect and, over time,
build a successful business.
The next section is a detailed look at the four
carefully designed steps in the Bait & Switch as
well as two specific examples of how the
salesman (technician) works the plan.
Let’s begin by looking at how a legitimate
service company conducts their business.
The Bait! All of the ads on
the right have one thing in common - they are
“BAIT” Each one lists a price that has no
connection with reality.
The only purpose of these ads is to get you
to call and identify yourself as a prospect. The
person who answers the phone will be very
helpful and friendly, but they have just one
goal -
TO GET A SALESMAN INTO YOUR HOUSE!
They will confirm the ad price, promise you
there are no other charges .. just what you want
to hear! But beware, you have now opened your
home to a person trained in the art of taking
your money! And here’s how it works!
The “Inspection!” My name is Tom and I’ll
be doing your duct cleaning today! While we set
up, I’ll need to go through your home to inspect
the system. Could you OK this authorization for
me?”
Tom wanders through the house counting registers
and then returns with the following story.
“Mrs. Johnson, we do have several areas of
concern that you’ll no-doubt want to have
completed while we’re here! Since I know you’ve
taken time off of work to have this service
done, it will be best for us to get everything
completed today!
Let’s have a look at the items I’ve marked here
on the inspection form.”
Now the real show begins!
The Switch! The Authorization is,
in fact, an “add-on” list with all the things
that should have been included in the first
place.
The friendly duct cleaner will now inform you
that there are Extra vents needing to be
cleaned, and Additional Returns will cost more.
The Feeder ducts need to be done, the Access
Panel also has a charge and the Blower Motor
isn’t looking to good and will be an additional
fee.
Now you’re looking at a total price of $500 -
$1,000 for the job. But grab your wallet - it
gets worse!
Now it’s time for the “Beat-Down!”
The Beat Down While the salesman was
performing an “Inspection” the helper was
getting the equipment set-up, making it very
difficult for you to ask them to stop.
The estimate below was given to me by one or our
customers. This is a carpet cleaner offering a
“Whole House Duct Clean” for $88.00. Look at the
total - $1,009.75!
When the customer said no, the tech called the
“Boss” at his office. He said what a nice lady
she was and asked if they couldn’t, “Find some
way to give her a discount?”
The “Boss” and salesman argued for a few minutes
and, unbelievably, offered to do the entire job
for just $450. When she insisted they get out of
her house, the now very un-friendly man demanded
a $60.00 estimating fee before he would leave.
This is exactly how the system works. Every step
is planned and rehearsed, and then the customer
is expected to feel like they received a great
deal with the “Discount” offered by the
salesman.
So, What can you do about
it! Is there a company
working the Bait & Switch in your area? Call the
Attorney General’s office and Better Business
Bureau. Is a department store running these ads?
Call customer service and complain. It’s OK to get
mad and protest about being lied to!
Fraudulent advertising hurts everyone, but
especially the honest contractor who’s providing
excellent service at a fair price. Review the four
steps, and keep a watchful eye. The “Bait & Switch”
is being used every day by carpet cleaners and air
duct cleaners! Here’s another example and a final
word.
These are not isolated
occurances! Companies all over America, including
well known department stores are cheating their own
customers with this cheap tactic. Even more
disheartening is the fact that many people never
complain because they’re too embarrassed about being
taken.
