I like to provide real life examples of both good and bad customers and sales people. Yesterday, I had the chance to visit a store and witness a doozy.

A couple came in supposedly shopping for a mattress. This particular chain has a pretty good system for matching customers with the correct sleep solution. The husband was agreeable, but the wife refused, saying she would not lie on any mattress because she was a germaphobe and scared of bed bugs.

The salesperson was flummoxed at first, but recovered quickly. He turned his attention to the husband and began the process of finding the right bed. Meanwhile, the wife, with arms tightly crossed in a defensive posture, wandered around the store looking at prices.

About the time the salesperson had identified the correct support for the husband, the wife announced that it was time to leave.

She said, “The prices at the other store were much less. They were all marked 50% off.”

The salesperson inquired as to where this “big sale” was taking place and she named the store. But could not, or would not name the mattress or the price. The salesperson tried to explain the concept of comparing apples to apples and how discount percentages are meaningless if the final price is more at a competitor, but it did not matter. She had made up her mind and demanded that they leave, much to her browbeaten husbands dismay.

Here are the lessons to be learned from this. First, you must lie on beds to see how they will work for you. If you suffer from any phobia, bring a sheet and lay it on top of the mattresses.

Second, I don’t care if the store claims they are having a 80% off sale, if the starting price was three times higher than their competitor’s starting price, you will overpay.

Third, if you don’t know what is inside the mattress, how in the heck can you compare? The brand that she indicated that she liked, was actually at that time priced more at the competitor. But she “knew” she was right. If she bought at the other store, she probably spent an extra $200 because of her attitude.

I will say this a hundred times if I have to, don’t fall for the sales hype. Do your homework, ask questions, compare apples to apples. That is the only way you will get the best mattress at the best price.