Pricing Bait and Switch Games

Refreshing blog calling out classic eDiscovery sales/billing/pricing games. Our industry is rife with reps who are pressured to bid low and bill high. I do not recall being called an ‘ediscovery wonk’, but if the hat fits I will wear it. Since RFP engagements regularly follow up my typical strategy assessment or health check engagements, I see these games all the time. Cat’s basic message is to abandon traditional ALSPs and go with the simplicity of a self-service cloud platform like DISCO, Everlaw, Logikcull, etc. These platforms focus on small firm and private companies who do not have six figure case budgets. Proportionality rules support smaller, focused collections that fit with the one-size-fits-all platform review by a small team. I regularly see bids from these self-service platforms that come in way below ALSP Relativity hosting bids. Then I have to walk through the client’s and retained firm’s requirements and the unique nature to their ESI to show the budget impact of things like Team Chat, mobile content, multiple simultaneous productions, creation of universal date fields, etc. I love highlighting sales games by providers, so I have to give Cat’s blog a thumbs up. What was your most outrageous pricing bait and switch?