Smuggler Archive
Thread: Slicing price experiment yields very good results
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lurdanta
Sun Nov 14, 2004 3:38 am
#1
Ok, my associate and fellow master smuggler Barn came up with an idea for an experiment in slicing pricing, which yielded very encouraging results. The idea is simple. We set no price at all. We leave it up entirely to the customer to tip what they feel is right. My explanation went like this: I leave the price entirely up to you and your satisfaction with my service. Now you might think we'd end up with people paying sub par, but our results, and this was only one night's play were as followed.
I had eight customers.
20K for one slice
10K for one slice
20K for one slice
60K for six slices
7.5K for one slice
10K for one slice
30K for one slice
One who just walked away without paying.
So we can see that in this limited study people were willing to pay 7.5K to 30K for a slice.
Just thought folks might find this interesting. It might be a new way to price things. The nice side benefit is the conversation makes for good roleplaying opportunties.
This experiment came about after we got off our butts and decided to do something we've been talking about doing since launch and that is start a syndicate. We've decided to call our syndicate Black Flag, and it is overtly dedicated to providing the best slicing services possible, and covertly (and more importantly) to promote roleplaying. Our philosophy is partly based on our desire to create content for ourselves in spite of the devs reluctance to do so, in a sense we are doing this in spite of their indifference. In reality the syndicate has no rules or set prices, it's more about promoting role playing and content. If there is anyone on Corbantis who wants to join in on the fun, go ahead. Do it on your own or with your own group of fellow smugglers or give us a tell and join our escapades. We are roaming the galaxy acting like smugglers, slicing in alleys, in the backs of cantinas, whispering to potential customers so the authorities don't hear, we even had some friends of the Imperial persuasion take on a role of telling us they were going to report us and how slicing is illegal and if we didn't leave town immediately there would be real trouble. All in all it was likely the best fun I've had playing smuggler since....well ever. People got into it and helped in many ways, and to tell you the truth the amount we got on average for tips shows people are willing to pay more for slices, especially if it is up to them. I can't say this approach will work for you or if it will continue to work for us, but it really doesn't matter for it is fun.
I had eight customers.
20K for one slice
10K for one slice
20K for one slice
60K for six slices
7.5K for one slice
10K for one slice
30K for one slice
One who just walked away without paying.
So we can see that in this limited study people were willing to pay 7.5K to 30K for a slice.
Just thought folks might find this interesting. It might be a new way to price things. The nice side benefit is the conversation makes for good roleplaying opportunties.
This experiment came about after we got off our butts and decided to do something we've been talking about doing since launch and that is start a syndicate. We've decided to call our syndicate Black Flag, and it is overtly dedicated to providing the best slicing services possible, and covertly (and more importantly) to promote roleplaying. Our philosophy is partly based on our desire to create content for ourselves in spite of the devs reluctance to do so, in a sense we are doing this in spite of their indifference. In reality the syndicate has no rules or set prices, it's more about promoting role playing and content. If there is anyone on Corbantis who wants to join in on the fun, go ahead. Do it on your own or with your own group of fellow smugglers or give us a tell and join our escapades. We are roaming the galaxy acting like smugglers, slicing in alleys, in the backs of cantinas, whispering to potential customers so the authorities don't hear, we even had some friends of the Imperial persuasion take on a role of telling us they were going to report us and how slicing is illegal and if we didn't leave town immediately there would be real trouble. All in all it was likely the best fun I've had playing smuggler since....well ever. People got into it and helped in many ways, and to tell you the truth the amount we got on average for tips shows people are willing to pay more for slices, especially if it is up to them. I can't say this approach will work for you or if it will continue to work for us, but it really doesn't matter for it is fun.
Barndamascus
Sun Nov 14, 2004 2:13 pm
#2
Yep this was one of the most fun nights ive had in the game. It was awesome that other people actually joined in the roleplaying, whispering back and Having a ball.
The most memorable moment was at Fort Tusken. Not only did we find customers, but the first couple ventured back into the fort, telling others to come out and use our services. During this, some tuskens spawned, (we were unbuffed) attacking us and providing us with the perfect oportunity to hit a Nuetron Pixie. Instant customer interest in spice followed.
While at Fort Tusken, a customer of one of my real life friends arrived (although i dont think he know's that im real life friends with his master smuggler). After i bowed to him, and told the others that he was a respected customer of one of our associates, we was not only impressed with our apperant comunication, but got some slicing done on the spot. And payed extremely well for the service.
The pay scheme worked well, the most over the last few days was 150k for a suit of armour payed on the spot.
We'll keep you posted on How the Black Flag Crime Syndicate goes.
I think we are going to set up some houses to opperate out of next....
Spec-Ops
Sun Nov 14, 2004 2:37 pm
#3
one guy walked away without paying... well, hunt him down and kill him! 
fishbrains
Sun Nov 14, 2004 4:10 pm
#4
yeah, I do this with friends and guildies. I find that the guilt of the fear of underpaying makes them overcorrect and give me more. Hey.....as long as I get mine! lol 
Imperiai2
Sun Nov 14, 2004 4:22 pm
#5
fishbrains wrote:
yeah, I do this with friends and guildies. I find that the guilt of the fear of underpaying makes them overcorrect and give me more. Hey.....as long as I get mine! lol
I have mostly gone back to my old ways of letting people pay what they want, however if I get a sense they won't pay or will underpay, I throw out the 5k per dealie. I find that if price doesn't really come up, and you slice between like 1 and 4 items people will pay you between 10 and 20k. And it's been stated hundreds of times before, but with those types of people, you can get HUGE bonuses for dealing out good slices.
Geevo
Sun Nov 14, 2004 5:25 pm
#6
Imperiai2 wrote:
fishbrains wrote:
yeah, I do this with friends and guildies. I find that the guilt of the fear of underpaying makes them overcorrect and give me more. Hey.....as long as I get mine! lol
I have mostly gone back to my old ways of letting people pay what they want, however if I get a sense they won't pay or will underpay, I throw out the 5k per dealie. I find that if price doesn't really come up, and you slice between like 1 and 4 items people will pay you between 10 and 20k. And it's been stated hundreds of times before, but with those types of people, you can get HUGE bonuses for dealing out good slices.
If I've known them for a long time, I let them choose. If I don't I choose. If I am busy, it is expensive ... if not it is usually around $10k (lower for noobs). Lately I have been doing $25k per slice.
Nounverber
Sun Nov 14, 2004 10:08 pm
#7
/shrug
I still charge 100 credits per %. Gets me no shortage of repeat business, and more often than not people pay me 2 to 3 times more as a tip afterward. Occasionally the planets align and I drop a fantastic slice on someone's loot-crafted item...tips there have been anywhere from 200k up to 1 million.
Times like that more than make up for any price I would set beforehand.
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