I’m a locksmith, so different industry, but the principal is the same. If someone asks for something cheaper, I tell them where they can go to get it, but to be careful of quality issues. I sell the stuff I sell at the price I sell it for as a standard. Discount stuff will get you discount problems and that’s not what I do. Call a plumber and ask them to fix your toilet on the cheap. What do you think they’ll say? Why is your time worth any less?

I had this problem yesterday. A client was happy to pay for the job I did but wanted extra product for a lower price. I told him the products I had were slightly more expensive than a shop, but I installed them (they require programming with passwords he isn’t allowed to have) and delivered them. I could source cheaper Chinese clones of the product, but wouldn’t guarantee their quality as that stuff is very hit and miss, hence why I don’t sell it. He’s thinking about it. If he decides to go ahead, well that’s ok, as I will charge for my time, but I won’t discount my products. As soon as you do, it’s very apparent that you are overpricing your product (even if you’re not, that’s how it appears) and therefore devaluing the product. It sounds like you are already in that area with your costs as you are pretty close to the bargain bin price.

Consider a higher “Custom quality” Job so you can point to the lower tier as your already discounted rate for simple jobs. Anyone who wants a quality job will opt for the custom as labour costs money and anyone who is serious about things understands that good isn’t cheap.