Use fine print to scare away clients
Everyone hates “the fine print”. We expect it from big companies, car dealerships and anyone selling a warranty. If you run a small business, you should ditch the fine print and be up front with your clients. Sooner or later, the client will see the fine print and feel cheated. Now you’ve lost a client and the good will you built up. Even worse than fine print is hidden print. If you hide terms from your clients, they will feel like you are running a scam no matter how small the hidden term is.
Here’s an example I recently witnessed. I was getting my oil changed at a place where they also have a self car wash with hoses, vacuums, etc. They have two types of oil changes: a basic and a supreme. The supreme costs more but of course, you get more. They just added ”free vacuum” to the supreme oil change.
After the customer ahead of me was done paying, he hopped in his car to drive away but came right back in. He asked about the free vacuum that he should have received because his car was still dirty. The manager explained that they would not vacuum the car but he could use the vacuum as part of the self-wash next door for free. He was upset since it didn’t say free self-vac.
Four minutes later, he returned. The vacuum stopped and he still had most of his car to do. The manager explained that the supreme oil change only came with four free minutes and that he would have to pay to use it more. This drove him nuts as the sign said nothing about a time limit. Even with an irate customer, the manager stood firm. Think he’ll be back there?
In my law practice, my fee agreement is four to six pages depending on the type of case. I try to not only include everything in the agreement but I explain everything when I meet with the client. There are no footnotes or fine print. It is easy to read in normal font separated by headings.
If you want to succeed, you must build trust with your clients and customers. Fine print and hidden terms will only do the opposite.
