DUMOSALES · Guides · Updated 10 October 2026

How to reply when a customer says "too expensive" on WhatsApp

Q: Why do customers say too expensive when price is not the real issue?

"Too expensive" is the easiest polite way to say no. Behind it there is often a different reason: they cannot decide alone, they were burned by a previous supplier, they have no budget this month, or they do not yet see the difference between you and a cheaper option.

Short answer: don't drop the price in your first reply. Acknowledge it in one line, then ask one question: what are they comparing against, or what worries them most? "Too expensive" is usually a polite cover for another reason, and you only find it by asking.

A real example

Mr. Tan runs a café. You quoted RM380 a month to rent a coffee machine. On WhatsApp he replies:

"RM380 a month is too expensive la, the one next door only RM290 leh"

Here are three replies salespeople commonly send, and what usually happens next.

❌ Reply A: the instant discount

"Boss, let me check with my manager if we can do RM300 👍"

You've just told him your first price wasn't real. He'll push again, and you still don't know why he hesitated. If the real worry was something else, the discount won't close it.

❌ Reply B: the product speech

"Our machines are imported from Italy, much better quality than theirs. You get what you pay for."

This argues with the customer instead of listening. It answers a question he didn't ask, and on WhatsApp it reads like a brochure. Most customers just leave it on read.

✅ Reply C: acknowledge, then ask

"Understood. Does their RM290 include repairs and a replacement machine? With your last coffee machine, what was the biggest headache?"

Now he has a reason to talk. In this scenario he answers: "Repairs I think they charge extra… actually what I'm most scared of is the machine breaking down with no one to fix it. The last one was down a whole week." That's the real objection. It's not RM90. It's a week of lost business. Now you can talk about repair response times instead of price.

Why "too expensive" rarely means too expensive

It's the easiest polite way to say "not yet". Behind it there's often one of these:

They can't decide alone. A partner or spouse handles the money, and they'd rather not say so.
They were burned before. A previous supplier overpromised and disappeared.
No budget right now. The price is fine, the timing isn't.
They can't see the difference. To them, your offer and the cheaper one look the same.

Each of these needs a different reply. A discount only fixes the last one, and only sometimes.

Five rules for price objections on WhatsApp

One or two lines per message. Long paragraphs get left on read.
One question at a time. Three questions in one message feel like an interrogation, and they'll answer the easiest one.
Ask about the comparison. "What does their price include?" makes the customer do the comparing, and often reveals what matters to them.
Ask about the past. "What went wrong with the last supplier?" is the fastest way to the real worry.
Don't send "Ok boss, I'll follow up next week 👍". It ends the conversation without learning anything, and the follow-up usually gets "still looking".

Practise it before a real customer

Reading this is easy. Saying the right line when a real customer pushes back is harder, especially when you've already paid for the lead. DUMOSALES lets Malaysian sales teams practise exactly this on their phone: an AI customer says "too expensive" (in English, Chinese or Manglish), hides the real reason, and walks away if you push too hard. After the session you see which line lost the deal.

Try the "too expensive" scenario →

FAQ

Should I give a discount when the customer says too expensive?

Not first. A discount offered straight away tells the customer your price was never real, and it rarely fixes the actual worry. Find out what they're comparing against and what they're afraid of, then decide whether price is really the problem.

What is the best first reply to "too expensive" on WhatsApp?

Acknowledge it in one short line, then ask one question about what they're comparing against or what went wrong last time. Keep it to one or two lines.

Why do customers say too expensive when price is not the real issue?

It's the easiest polite way to say no. Often the real reason is that they can't decide alone, were burned by a previous supplier, have no budget this month, or don't yet see the difference between you and a cheaper option.

More guides: "Let me think first": what it really means · Sales training for Malaysian SME teams

DUMO INNOVATIONS (202603258640 / AS0522525-X) · Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia · sales@dumosales.com