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It's included. Trust me.When negotiating a hardware or software deal, make sure that you have separate prices for all services. This includes installation, service, support and training. If they say, "it's included," it probably is. But it's not going to be service that you actually would have paid for, if you knew what you were getting. They'll come to your office, take the system out of the box and plug everything in...maybe even in the right sockets. But they won't do the hard and time-consuming stuff, like installing software and making sure all of the various components, like scanners and color printers, work properly. And it's a good bet they'll have forgotten something (printer cable, for instance) and will have to go back and get one. And since it's near 5pm by this time, they'll have to come back. Which means you'll have to make arrangements for them to come tomorrow, maybe. Or, you'll feel so uncomfortable with who they send that you'll be anxious for them to leave. You won't make a stink when they don't do everything you expected. Heck, you got the installation for free, so why should you be upset? You can just go to Radio Shack and buy that silly printer cable. Demand separate pricing. This provides better comparison of the proposals that you've received from each vendor, AND forces a clearer communication of what services you're getting and the value of those services. If one vendor charges $500 for installation, and another charges $1,500, are you going to leap at the lower cost, or are you going to find out why those numbers are so different? If one accounting package comes with $250 of training, and another one comes with $2,000 of training, what's wrong here? Maybe one product is a little more complicated than the rep implied? More investigation is warranted. With detailed pricing, you get more information that can help you choose the right solution and vendor. If they include it for free, and the overall price is competitive with someone who is not making such a promise, who do you believe? Do you really think that you're going to get something for nothing? Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back for negotiating such a tough deal. Look deeper...look at their costs and their motivations. If they're not making any money on the service, why should they do anything more than the minimum spelled out, in writing, in your agreement. Always remember that the amount of service you'll get is in direct proportion to the amount of profit that the vendor made. If you're expecting them to "throw in" extra service to reward you for negotiating such a great deal, you're going to sadly mistaken. When I got into this business, back in 1985, the IBM AT, with a rompin' stompin' 6 Mhz 80286 chip, was the latest thing. This was in the happy days when you, as a salesman, could make your quota by selling 4 or 5 PC's a month! And it was also in a time when you could charge a customer list price. It didn't happen very often, but when it did, the sales rep paid a LOT of attention to that account. In fact, we used to have a saying, "Our happiest customers are the ones who paid list price." Those customers recognized their need for service and wanted to make sure the dealer and the rep owed them. So they paid a little more, and we included a little more. If the dealer refuses to break out the services, go elsewhere. If you don't have many choices, or you really want the solution that the dealer offers, have them at least spell out, clearly and comprehensively, what services you'll be getting for that package price. If you still can't get that kind of information, go someplace else. There are other dealers - it's very competitive. Which is kind of what started this problem in the first place. Of course, you can always offer to pay list price for the system. See what kind of reaction you get - after they pick their dentures up off the floor.
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