#25 | Don't Leave Your Price Up to Others: 20 Years Behind 3 Minutes

I heard this story at a year-end party.

A friend's parent lost their house key, so they called a locksmith who opened it in three minutes, but the fee was 10,000 yen.
They haggled, saying, 'Since it only took three minutes, you should make it a bit cheaper,' and the locksmith agreed to the discount.

What do you think of this story?

1. The trap of setting prices based on time

Honestly, I can understand how the homeowner feels.
10,000 yen for three minutes is an hourly rate of 200,000 yen.
Thinking 'That's expensive!' is probably a normal reaction.

We've been raised since we were little with the idea that 'time worked equals money.'
How much per hour, how much per day.
That's why we measure value by the time spent.
It's like a deeply ingrained habit.

But wait a minute.
If this locksmith had been slow and fumbled with it for an hour, would the homeowner have paid the 10,000 yen without complaining?

The most helpful thing was that they were able to get into the house immediately.

It might have been raining outside, or they might have been about to be late for an appointment with a client.
Solving such a troublesome situation in three minutes—that is the greatest value.

Even though the biggest benefit was that the problem was resolved quickly, strangely enough, that 'speed' is substituted as a 'reason to make it cheaper.'
It's a strange story, isn't it?

2. The 20 years behind the 3 minutes

Why was this locksmith able to open it in three minutes?

If it were a newcomer who just became a locksmith yesterday, they might not be able to open it even after an hour.
They might even break the lock if they're clumsy.

If this person is a 20-year veteran, those three minutes are not just three minutes.
It's like the tip of an iceberg; beneath the surface, 20 years of experience and knowledge are hidden in abundance.

What is that 20 years?
First, there is the time spent studying and training to become a locksmith.
Did they learn under a master, or did they go to school?
They must have spent tens or hundreds of hours learning the mechanisms of various locks, taking them apart, and putting them back together repeatedly.

Then, 20 years as a professional.
They have experienced thousands, tens of thousands of jobs.

Old, rusty locks, the latest electronic locks.
There were failures where they were scolded by customers because things didn't go well, and times they spent hundreds of thousands of yen on new tools.
Exchanging information with colleagues, going to study sessions—all of that is wrapped up in those '20 years.'

Because all that experience is in their head, the moment they see the lock, they think, 'Oh, this type. One shot with that method.'
The homeowner didn't pay for three minutes of labor.
They bought the best solution, packed with 20 years of know-how.

3. Who decides the price?

The unfortunate part of this story is that the locksmith agreed to the discount.
They handed over the right to determine their own value to someone who didn't understand it.

That said, explaining on the spot that "this three minutes is packed with my 20 years of experience" can sound like an excuse, making it hard to say.
Many craftsmen share this same struggle.

That is precisely why the ability to explain your value in a way the other person understands is so important.

For example, you could have said it like this:

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm glad I could open it right away. Actually, this type of lock is a bit special; if you're not used to it, it can take over an hour, or you might even break the lock. Thanks to my many years of experience, I was able to solve it quickly."

Don't brag; just casually convey the facts about how the other person benefited.
Make the invisible parts of your work visible.
I believe that for craftsmen from now on, it won't be enough to just be skilled; this ability to explain will also be necessary.

4. It's determined by the result, not the time

It means that just because something takes a long time doesn't mean it's expensive and good.

For example, if an unskilled dentist took an hour for a simple cavity treatment and said, "It's expensive because I did it carefully," anyone would be angry, right?
That's just because they're unskilled.

What matters is not the length of time.
It's the experience and skill the craftsman possesses, and the "best result" that produces.

In the case of a locksmith, "opening it in three minutes" is the best result.
In the case of a dentist, "careful, fast, and painless treatment" is the best result.

If you lack the skill to achieve the best result, no matter how much time you spend, the value will not increase.

5. Respect for craftsmen

This is also an important topic for those receiving the service.

When a professional handles a problem with incredible efficiency, do you think, "Oh, that was easy," or do you think, "As expected. That speed comes from years of experience"?
The difference is significant.

What the initial story teaches us is thatthe visible work time is just the surface,and the true value lies in the invisible time of experience behind it.

You must not leave how you are evaluated up to the other person.
In other words,"Don't leave pricing to the customer".

6. Please think about this for a moment

Try to recall the last time you paid a professional to do something for you.
It could be a machine repair, a hairdresser, anyone.

If it finished much faster than you expected, what did you think?
"It must have been easy"?
Or "As expected of a pro"?

After hearing today's story, how can you re-evaluate that value?

And if you are in a position to provide something to someone as a craftsman, are you properly conveying the value of your "20 years and 3 minutes"?

Please, take a moment to think about it.

✨️The person who wrote this article✨️