Doctor Archive
Thread: docs need a union to avoid cutting each others throughts!!!
Some docs are just convinced that even charging 8k per buffs is overpricing the poor fighters who can make 1 million credits running missions in 3 hours.
I'm sorry but I don't think that there is anything that can fix that.
The going rate on my server is 10k, but there are a group of docs who seem to take pleasure in griefing other docs by engaging in some fierce price competition and a ton of negative advertising. I've seen these guys get down to 4k just to drive other docs, myself included, away.
I don't manufacture my own buffs, but take a lot of effort to make sure I am only buying the very best available buffs, so mine are always good. But, my cost is around 4k per buff, not including bivoli. And crazily enough, I actually enjoy buffing.
To combat the griefers, I have started the "pay what you feel they are worth" policy, and let me tell you, my stress level buffing has gone way way down. As it stands, I will buff anyone who asks for any amount of money. since i'm not advertising my price, i completely remove myself from direct competition with the griefers.
does it work? absolutely. people are generally fair. at one point, while the griefers were charging 6k and casting all kinds of aspersions on my character for competing with them, i had a nice little line going with most people tipping me between 10k-12k. in fact, by NOT advertising a set price i tend to get more higher tips than anything else. occasionally someone will tip 8k but 20% of the time i'm being tipped 12k and 10% of the time substantially more. i have been tipped 30k and 50k for individual buffs before.
yes,i have been stiffed, and yes, i have buffed people for as low as 1000cr. BUT, i no longer have to enforce a banktip-only line (you get on the list as soon as you tell you want one) and i no longer have to scroll back through the spam to verify that someone regular-tipped me. if they say they did, i take them attheir word. am i a target for scammers? possibly, but there are so many more people in the game who really appreciate the buffing that it all works out.
my buffs are good, and i try to be really friendly, heal wounds, will rez duelers, etc. i don't allow line cutting at any cost,but will sell quickness buffs to entertainers for 1k set-rate,and i bump them to the head of the line. if i'm on dath or dant hunting and someone wants a buff i will specifically ask for 15k (i always tke bivoli, even if just for one buff. want to be known as a consistently great buffer) but for dealing with the masses-- and the griefers-- on coronet, its pay what you want. and its working great.
as far as the profit margin thing goes, 20%-30% margins in the real world are absolutely unacceptable. 70% is a good number if you are a manufacturer. 95% if you are in software. 100%-300% if you are in retail. hell, even "warehouse"-type low-margin stores are usually posting gross margins higher than 30% on a per-store basis. and in our inflated economy, getting 20-30% for the single most valuable service in the game is beating yourself up. the cost of buffing isn't just the unadjusted cost of the enhance packs. its the time you spent mastering, double-clicking those resources in the that crafting station. its the time you spend acquiring resources, or running factories, or traveling to vendors. its the time you spend actually managing the buff line. its the opportunity cost you lose when you could be making 20% more/hour at least running high-end missions.
-unstable
tkm/doc
However, the price for your product is not what you say it is, it's what the market will bear.
If you're in it for the long haul, you need to adapt your business practices to the market, and be ready to change on a dime.
I don't buff many people with my doc, but when I do I charge at least 12k, 15 on the adventure planets, less for guildmates. Those who can't or won't pay, don't get buffed.
Just my opinion, and best of luck to you. There is room in the community for differences of opinion.
bioshock wrote:
It's not about undercutting. I don't undercut anyone, because I don't set my price based on what anyone else charges. When I decide what I will charge, I don't even bother to think about what you charge. It's not part of my decision.
I charge 1k/stat and I know that's too high as it is, because I know that my profit margin is too high. In the real world a 20% profit margin is respectable, and 30% is outstanding.
And I make a 60% profit in-game.
Now, does anyone wonder why the "player driven economy" in this game is completely screwed up? Simple - the players the drive it have screwed it up.
I'll continue to charge 6k/buff even if my costs go up. I will do that until my profit drops below 30%, then I'll raise my prices. I will do that regardless of what anyone else does, thinks or charges.
If my prices happen to undercut yours, then truthfully, I have no sympathy because I -know- how much profit is being made.
-scuzzy- wrote:
Whining, esp. from other Docs who should know better, sucks. However, I disagree that more than a 60% profit margin is "ripping off" your customer. In real life, the mark up on, say, a Lowe Alpine technical jacket is 100% at retail, at least. Mark ups on a can of coke from a vending machine is close to 900%. In game, someone auctioning off a Kryat Pearl for $3 million, even if he spent $1 mill per dragon on armor, buffs, food, etc. has just made a 200% profit. People selling Janta Blood? Cost to collect, maybe 50k for damaged equipment - sell a mediocre 100/10 set for 150K? 200% profit. 1 mill for an AV21 powerplant? If they are good and luckyat it, cost to collect is less than 30k for shuttles. Sell for 500K = 1600% profit.
We are certianly nowhere near approaching margins like these. And we provide the buffs that make it possible. So feel free to charge as MUCH as you want for your buffs. Increase your price by 50%, even if you lose 50% of your customers, you're making the same amount with less effort.
Finally, as long as you let them know what they are paying for, they cannot, by definition, have been ripped off. Unless you buff them against their will, then beat them up, take their ATM card, and withdraw 50,000 credits.
preach
Unstable1 wrote:
The going rate on my server is 10k, but there are a group of docs who seem to take pleasure in griefing other docs by engaging in some fierce price competition and a ton of negative advertising. I've seen these guys get down to 4k just to drive other docs, myself included, away.
Starphire wrote:
it's very niave of you people whom say "oh 10k is nothing they can get 100k in three hours with buffs!"
Whoom are you to assume they are doing missions?? maybe they are hunting, socializing, killing for hides... etc.. most players i know wont even kill without buffs REGARDLESS of if they are gonna take missions, EXPLORE etc..
glorydragon wrote:
bioshock wrote:
It's not about undercutting. I don't undercut anyone, because I don't set my price based on what anyone else charges. When I decide what I will charge, I don't even bother to think about what you charge. It's not part of my decision.
I charge 1k/stat and I know that's too high as it is, because I know that my profit margin is too high. In the real world a 20% profit margin is respectable, and 30% is outstanding.
And I make a 60% profit in-game.
Now, does anyone wonder why the "player driven economy" in this game is completely screwed up? Simple - the players the drive it have screwed it up.
I'll continue to charge 6k/buff even if my costs go up. I will do that until my profit drops below 30%, then I'll raise my prices. I will do that regardless of what anyone else does, thinks or charges.
If my prices happen to undercut yours, then truthfully, I have no sympathy because I -know- how much profit is being made.this is all well and good, but it neglects the fact that in 20 minutes (buffed) I can do two rancro misions for 37k each. more if I slice the terminal. I am nolonger a doctor because I wanted to go pistoler/smuggler/TKA but I can make 500-600k in the three hours the buff last for. and I never pay less then 20k. partially because I know buffing the public is a hassle (don't forget I was a doctor for 2 months, made all my own pack) but also because its worth it. simple as that.
Indeed, -deliberately- neglects that fact. As I said, I don't take into consideration how much anyone else makes when I decide what to charge. It doesn't matter to me if someone can handle high level missions or not. Doesn't matter to me what sort of money they may or may not be able to make.
When I'm buffing someone I don't ask them what missions they are going to run, or what they are going to do while buffed.
If someone wants to pay more than the 6k I ask for (and many do tip more than is asked) then that's great I do appreciate it. But I set my prices for my -own- reasons. I make my decisions based on what -I- think is right and fair. And that is never going to change.
). Ill stop ranting now.
ok for all you union bashers heres some food for thought do you like haveing 2 days off a week
and do you like to get paid for overtime when you work 40+ hours a week, because if it were up tp management you would get neither.
the down side to unions is that unfortunatly you have to protect the dirtbags too.