How Probably Stolen customers work: lower and upper level buyers, security, black market, haggling, special requests, and how to match stock to demand.
Probably Stolen Customers and Requests
Every sale in Probably Stolen starts with a person at the counter. Some are ordinary residents buying a water bottle. Some are wealthy buyers looking for a statement piece. Some are Security, criminals, or augmented citizens testing whether you will make a mistake. The customer's faction, budget, and patience decide whether your carefully appraised stock turns into profit.
This guide covers the customer types, the negotiation levers, and how to handle requests without giving away your margin. For the reputation consequences, see reputation and factions.
Customer types
| Customer | Typical demand | What they pay for | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Levels resident | Water, food, cheap tools | Volume and fair prices | Low margins |
| Upper Levels resident | Luxury goods, wine, jewellery, rare tech | Quality and provenance | High expectations |
| Security officer | Legal goods, information | Compliance and paperwork | Inspections |
| Black Market contact | Contraband, stolen goods, chems | Discretion and supply | Raids |
| Revolution member | Weapons, medical supplies, propaganda | Loyalty and risk | Security attention |
| Augmented citizen | Tech, cybernetics, chemicals | Function, not appearance | Unpredictable dialogue |
| Thief | Quick cash, stolen goods | No questions | Evidence trail |
| Private chef or supplier | Premium food, ingredients | Quality and consistency | Bulk order risk |
The labels are not always honest. A customer who announces “I am a normal human” may be an augmented citizen, and a quiet buyer may be an informant. Watch behaviour, not just the name tag.
Match the stock to the buyer
A gold-plated cybernetic hand is wasted on a lower-level customer who cannot afford it. A crate of cheap water is wasted on an upper-level customer who wants a premium brand. The fastest way to improve sales is to stock for the customers who already visit.
Early on, most traffic is lower-level. Keep cheap water, food, common tools, and a few affordable tech items. As your reputation with the Upper Levels rises, add wine, gold hands, high-grade cartridges, and decorative items.
Do not try to serve every faction at once. Security customers and Black Market customers have incompatible expectations. Pick a primary base and a secondary specialty.
Haggling
The game supports negotiation. The normal-mode retail markup is 15%, and the preview build described that markup as negotiable. That means the listed price is an opening position, not a fixed law.
A practical haggling sequence:
- Anchor high but plausible. A price far above appraised value insults the customer and may end the conversation.
- Justify the price. Condition, authenticity, and rarity are reasons, not apologies.
- Offer a bundle. Two water bottles and a filter can close a sale that a single item cannot.
- Know your walk-away number. If the offer is below your cost plus risk, decline.
- Protect the relationship. A small loss on one sale can be worth a repeat customer, but only if the customer actually returns.
On Thin Margins there is no automatic retail markup, so your opening price has to carry the whole margin. Do not use the normal-mode percentages on hard mode.
A customer buying water may also need a filter or a container. A customer buying a gun may need ammunition or a permit. Listen to what they say before you quote.
Special requests
Customers sometimes ask for a specific item rather than buying from the shelf. A request is a contract with three parts: the item, the deadline, and the price. Before accepting, check:
- Can you source the item without spending more than the reward?
- Is the item legal for your shop and your reputation?
- Can you deliver before the deadline without missing rent?
- Does the customer have a history of refusing or reporting deliveries?
A request that looks profitable can be a trap if the item is contraband or the buyer is Security. Do not accept a rush order that forces you to buy at full price.
Reading demand
Demand is not static. Events, faction conflicts, and station shortages change what customers want. The Workshop mod Client Demand Highlight exists specifically because players want a clearer read on demand, which tells you the base game does not always make it obvious.
Watch the shop's traffic for a few days. If the same item keeps selling out, raise the price slightly or buy more. If a shelf item never moves, discount it or move it out of the display.
Customer patience and queueing
A customer who waits too long may leave. The exact patience timer is not documented, but the practical rule is simple: serve the person at the counter before reorganising the shelves.
Keep the counter clear of clutter. A shop that looks busy but has no accessible counter loses sales. The display and layout guide covers the physical flow.
Requests and reputation
Completing a request for a faction raises your standing with that group. Failing or refusing can lower it. The effect is usually larger than a single sale, because reputation changes future customer flow.
If a request conflicts with your main faction, decline early. A delayed refusal is worse than a clear no. The customer would rather know now than after the deadline.
Customer service on hard mode
Thin Margins removes the retail markup and increases rent pressure. That makes every customer more important, not less. You cannot afford to lose a sale over a small price gap, but you also cannot afford to sell below cost.
The hard-mode approach is to specialise. Pick one or two product lines with reliable demand, build a reputation with the customers who buy them, and refuse the distracting requests. A generalist shop on hard mode usually starves.
FAQ
How do I attract richer customers? Raise your Upper Levels reputation, improve the shop's attractiveness, and stock higher-value goods. Wealthy customers do not appear just because you have expensive stock.
Can I refuse a customer? Yes. Refusing a legitimate customer can cost reputation, but accepting a bad deal can cost more.
Do customer requests expire? Yes. A request has a deadline. Check it before you spend money sourcing the item.
What is the best customer type for a beginner? Lower Levels residents. They buy often, need cheap staples, and do not require luxury stock.
Community source: in-game customer dialogue and shop traffic, community reports, and the Steam Community guide hub ↗. Store reference: Probably Stolen ↗. Workshop examples: Steam Workshop ↗.
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