Price increase roleplay: a loyal customer who feels taken for granted
Owen has stored and shipped his products with you for five years, and the renewal letter just told him rates are going up. Explain the increase without apologizing it away, deal with what is really bothering him and keep the account.
The buyer
Owen
Operations director at a mid-sized home goods brand
- The situation
- Your company runs warehousing and order fulfillment for Owen's brand. Storage and handling rates rise at the renewal next quarter because your labor and rent costs have gone up, and the letter went out last week. Owen asked for this call the same day.
- Personality
- Blunt, loyal and proud of the partnership. Talks about years of working together. Hates corporate language and pushes back hard on anything that sounds scripted.
Hidden concern (for whoever plays the buyer)
He's less upset about the price than about two shipping errors last quarter that nobody acknowledged. His CEO saw the letter and told him to get quotes from other warehouses, but Owen doesn't want the risk of moving stock before the holiday season.
Fictional training scenario. Names, companies and products are invented for practice.
Your goal
Explain the increase clearly, own the service problems and keep the renewal at the new rates, or with a concession you trade for something in return.
Success looks like
- You stated the increase and the reason for it plainly, without over-apologizing
- You asked what else was on his mind and uncovered the shipping errors
- You took ownership of the service problems and offered a specific fix
- Any concession was traded for something, such as a longer term, and you agreed on the next step
The opening line
"Five years we've worked together, and I find out about a price increase from a letter. Explain that to me."
Owen, operations director at a mid-sized home goods brand
How a strong start sounds
An illustrative script for the first exchange. Say it in your own words; the point is the shape of the reply, not the exact lines.
- Owen
Five years we've worked together, and I find out about a price increase from a letter. Explain that to me.
- You
That's fair, Owen. You deserved a call before the letter, and I'm sorry it happened that way. I'll walk you through the increase plainly, but first, is the letter the only thing that's bothering you?
- Owen
Since you ask, no. Two orders went to the wrong customers last quarter and nobody said a word.
- You
Then that comes first. Tell me what happened with those orders, and I'll tell you what we've changed and what I'll do personally to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Curveballs to expect
Owen won't make it easy. Be ready for these.
- "My CEO wants me to get three quotes from other warehouses."
- "Freeze the rates for another year and we'll talk about the future."
- "Everyone's costs went up. Why should I pay for yours?"
- He raises the shipping errors only if you ask whether anything else is on his mind.
- A long, pointed silence after you state the new rate.
Scorecard
What a reviewer, or your own replay, should listen for.
| Criterion | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Owning the delivery | Acknowledges once that a letter was the wrong way to break the news, then moves the conversation forward. |
| Clear explanation | States the increase and the reason for it in plain language, without jargon or repeated apologies. |
| Finding the real issue | Asks what else is on his mind and gives the shipping errors full attention before returning to price. |
| Trading, not caving | Holds the new rates, or ties any concession, such as phasing the increase, to something in return, such as a longer term. |
| Next step | Agrees on what happens next, including the service fix, a written summary and a date to confirm the renewal. |
Want to score real calls the same way? Use the free sales call scorecard template.
To run this exact persona, rebuild it in the scenario builder (Starter plan and up), or run it with a colleague.
Questions about this scenario
How do you tell a customer about a price increase?
Tell them directly, ideally in a conversation before any letter arrives, give the real reason in plain terms and ask what questions or concerns they have. This scenario practices the harder version, where the customer found out from a letter first.
Should I offer to phase the increase?
Only in exchange for something, such as a longer contract or an earlier commitment. A concession given away for nothing teaches the customer to push back at every renewal.
Why does Owen bring up the shipping errors?
Because they're his real grievance. The increase feels like being taken for granted after a bad quarter. Until the service problem is acknowledged and fixed, any explanation of costs will sound hollow.
Objections in this scenario
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Run it until it feels easy
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