Trying to differentiate myself in Nashville. Thinking about offering a guarantee: if my audit doesn't save you at least 2x my fee within 12 months, I'll refund the difference. So if my fee is $5,000 and I only save the client $8,000, I'd refund $2,000 to get them to the 2x threshold. Has anyone tried a satisfaction guarantee like this?
Offering a money-back guarantee on my audit fee — good idea?
On a contingency model this doesn't really make sense because if you don't find savings the client pays nothing anyway. The guarantee you're describing would only apply if you find modest savings where the fee seems disproportionate to the result. I'd argue that's a rare scenario and the guarantee creates more confusion than value. Keep it simple — contingency means no risk to the client. That IS your guarantee. Don't overcomplicate it.
Ed is right. The contingency model already provides the client's guarantee — zero cost if zero savings. Adding a satisfaction guarantee on top of that suggests a lack of confidence in your own work. Instead of guaranteeing a minimum return, demonstrate your value through case studies, referrals, and a professional proposal. Clients don't need a money-back guarantee when the entire engagement is already structured as no-find-no-fee.