Does being transparent about accountancy fees work?

I sometimes think that being transparent about our Accountancy fees is not always a good idea. Especially as not all Accountancy firms seem to be, but perhaps that is one of the things which sets Golding & Associates apart from many other firms.

I have noticed that when I itemise our fees to potential clients, some will start working out which services they think they don’t need, and try to reduce the amount they may have to pay.  I tailor the services we provide to each client based on the information they give me, and have never added services I don’t think they need.

I used to agree to remove the services they didn’t want to start with, but through time and experience, I have found it difficult to be the Accountant they actually want me be.  So recently I have started to disagree, but now find they will go off and do some research and then email to “argue” and confirm that they really don’t need that service, and of course I have found they will never become subsequently become a client.

It is everyone’s prerogative to get the best deal, but as I explain to potential clients, I only have a restrictive amount of time to give to my paying clients, so if they really don’t want to become one of my paying clients, and start to arguing about which services they think they need, they need to stop now and move on and find the Accountant they are happy to work with instead.

Am I being too harsh to someone who may never become a client?