The point of FOSS is not to get something for cheap (or free). It's about the freedoms you have while using the software and the benefits of a diverse range of people contributing to production. Your employer pays you to install and administer the software. Why can't they pay you to make contributions as well? This is how we end up with awesome software that everyone benefits from.

Isn't this where OSS should shine? If users are complaining, take those complaints into consideration and modify the software to fix the problem.