Expecting a Bonus?

Everyone likes a discounted price. Nearly every day I'm asked for discounts. "Do you offer a senior citizen discount? How about a discount for veterans?" People from certain ethnic backgrounds ask for discounts claiming their friends got a better price than the price they were quoted. (That's another issue altogether.) But the one that amazes me the most is the request for a discount that comes from a previous client.

They start off by telling me what a great job Mark did for them on the last house. They tell me how impressed they were with his report. And then, "Can you give me a discount since I've used you before?" Even if it was four or five years ago they still want a discount. Okay. Fine. I can give them $20 or $30 off as a goodwill gesture.

But what I'd really like to do is pose a question to these folks. What would you do if your boss said to you, "You know, you did such a great job on that last project! We're going to cut your pay on the next one."  

Most people would be expecting a bonus for a job well done. Instead it's "You did a really great job last time - I would like to pay you less this time."

Just think about it.