Discounts just because they want one

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JunieBJones (JBJ)

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Dear B&B Inn,
We are a couple traveling with a parent (total) three, coming to Virginia on 7 April 2009 staying for one night. We have contacted several Inns to ask for availability and a good offer for two rooms. Would you be so kind to send us your best offer for our stay.
'Thank you very much in advance for a quick reply,
Kind regards,
Denmark (name withheld)
From JBJ - -First of all, on our home page, rooms page and on the reservations page I have save $ for booking online. I am OFFERING a discount. I get irritated at this.
We just spent the night at a hotel up North and gee I didn't walk in and ask for a discount! People have nerve!
 
I doubt this is a serious inquiry anyway. Anyone who ever started a conversation or email with me looking for a discount from the first breath would get a NO DISCOUNTS from me. I would not pursue any further. Even if this was legit...I know some people don't have a clue and think this is ok...it is just what they do. I would never start out asking for a discount. People think in these tough times any head in the bed is fine.. THat's not the way I feel.
 
Was this email so generic? Was it directed to JBJ inn or sent to "undisclosed recipients? It just reeks of mass distribution to me. If this is the case, they may not have been to your site at all...maybe your state association site or such.
I agree, requesting a discount like they did, or send me your best offer, really turns me off.
If I was inclined to answer, I would do so my stating that they can get a X $ discount by booking on line & provide the link....most likely they seem to be the type that are looking for a 'give it away' rate...
 
Dear B&B Inn?
We usually don't respond to these. That doesn't mean they are for sure a scam, but if someone is shopping with this kind of intensity, they wouldn't be a good fit for what we offer.
 
Guys I removed all personal info on it since I posted it online. It was not generic.
shades_smile.gif
 
Email back and tell them your best 'deal' is to book online for the discount. Insert link to booking engine.
 
Email back and tell them your best 'deal' is to book online for the discount. Insert link to booking engine..
Bree said:
Email back and tell them your best 'deal' is to book online for the discount. Insert link to booking engine.
I did that actually. I thanked them for the inquiry and gave them the link and the special we have on our website. LOL!
Hey if I book the two cheapest rooms WE ARE DOING YOU A HUGE FAVOR so give them to us half price.
Once again, I discount, you all know I do. It is those who REQUIRE one that gets my dander up.
 
Because of the recession and hotel's deep discounting, people just assume it is a buyer's market and they can name their own price. I just delay in answering them and they usually have gone somewhere else by the time they get my response.
 
Email back and tell them your best 'deal' is to book online for the discount. Insert link to booking engine..
Bree said:
Email back and tell them your best 'deal' is to book online for the discount. Insert link to booking engine.
I did that actually. I thanked them for the inquiry and gave them the link and the special we have on our website. LOL!
Hey if I book the two cheapest rooms WE ARE DOING YOU A HUGE FAVOR so give them to us half price.
Once again, I discount, you all know I do. It is those who REQUIRE one that gets my dander up.
.
JunieBJones (JBJ) said:
Bree said:
Email back and tell them your best 'deal' is to book online for the discount. Insert link to booking engine.
I did that actually. I thanked them for the inquiry and gave them the link and the special we have on our website. LOL!
Hey if I book the two cheapest rooms WE ARE DOING YOU A HUGE FAVOR so give them to us half price.
Once again, I discount, you all know I do. It is those who REQUIRE one that gets my dander up.
Like the folks the other day who reminded me the minute they walked in the door that they have AAA? Unfortunately, for me, I had already made up their reg form. Had I not, I would have given them the AAA discount, which is LESS than the discount I did give to them (because they've been here before).
We haven't had many full price guests in a long while. I'm hoping we get some soon!
Last night we had walk-ins. Hubs is headed out the door and he says, 'What's our price?' So I tell him and come to find later on he gave them a $20 discount (and he thought he gave them a $5 discount). But, we still ended up with more than we would have had had they walked. And they were very nice people and a lot of fun. I don't know if they asked for a discount because he hustled them away from the folks who had already checked in so they woudn't hear the 'negotiations' should there have been any.
 
Because of the recession and hotel's deep discounting, people just assume it is a buyer's market and they can name their own price. I just delay in answering them and they usually have gone somewhere else by the time they get my response..
SweetiePie said:
Because of the recession and hotel's deep discounting, people just assume it is a buyer's market and they can name their own price. I just delay in answering them and they usually have gone somewhere else by the time they get my response.
My parents walked into a hotel somewhere in MS a few weeks ago and asked about a room. They got it for $69. When they decided to stay over longer they were told the rooms were now $89. My mother said to the clerk, 'That young lady over there told us it was $69.' My mom says a brawl almost broke out between the clerks. One refusing to give my mother the price she was quoted and the other girl insisting that she had quoted that price and that girl had better give it to her.
My mom ended up getting the room at the price she was originally quoted and she gave the girl who quoted her that price a tip when she checked out. Poor mom thought maybe the girl would lose her job for giving the rooms at that price so she kept asking after her in the morning.
The thing is, between the time my folks checked into their room and they decided to stay longer, was about 2 hours. In that time, the hotel was starting to fill up so they were raising their prices based on how many rooms they had left. Lots of rooms? Low price. Not so many rooms? Higher price.
Which is something I don't think walk-ins get. They think the price should be going down because it's getting late. Around here, we're still getting walk-ins at 9PM, so showing up at 5PM isn't, to me, late at all! I still have 4 more hours to get full price and I'd rather have an empty room than fell compelled to discount. (Which makes me a lousy business owner, I'm sure!)
 
i see articles online and in print ALL the time now, telling folks to ASK for a discount, ASK for a better price, a better room, a free upgrade. people are being encouraged to do this en masse. i think you will all see it coming your way if you have not already. i was watching the today show i think a month ago and the travel expert was advising how to get great deals.
as innkeepers, you should decide what your response will be and anticipate the inquiry.
i was helping out at a b&b on cape cod, mass. last week. this is their slowest time and their rates are very, very low if the places are even open. they offer dinner at a nice restaruant with room (and breakfast) for a fantastic price. but two calls came in from callers wanting to know 'what is your best price for a room next weekend?' when told of the amazing offer, they wanted to know if there was any way the innkeeper could do 'better'. no offense intended, they are looking for the lowest price. period. the innkeeper said that was the lowest price, especially with the dinner. one caller declined. one caller rang off but called back about an hour later and booked a room.
 
i see articles online and in print ALL the time now, telling folks to ASK for a discount, ASK for a better price, a better room, a free upgrade. people are being encouraged to do this en masse. i think you will all see it coming your way if you have not already. i was watching the today show i think a month ago and the travel expert was advising how to get great deals.
as innkeepers, you should decide what your response will be and anticipate the inquiry.
i was helping out at a b&b on cape cod, mass. last week. this is their slowest time and their rates are very, very low if the places are even open. they offer dinner at a nice restaruant with room (and breakfast) for a fantastic price. but two calls came in from callers wanting to know 'what is your best price for a room next weekend?' when told of the amazing offer, they wanted to know if there was any way the innkeeper could do 'better'. no offense intended, they are looking for the lowest price. period. the innkeeper said that was the lowest price, especially with the dinner. one caller declined. one caller rang off but called back about an hour later and booked a room..
Which is why it may be better to keep the higher prices and then offer to discount DOWN to the price you were going to charge anyway. In the case you mention, had the callers been told the price was $x for the weekend and then they said, 'Can you do any better?' you could then bring the price down to what you were thinking about charging anyway. WOW! What a deal! But to hear the lowest price up front makes some people want to negotiate a better rate than anyone else got.
Or, to keep from scaring away those who wouldn't think about negotiating, state the full price cost and then say, 'But, this weekend we're having a special and that same room with dinner is...'
 
It seems now that everyone calling me is asking for a discounted price...especially the AAA people. We are in the AAA book but are blacklisted so there is no point in us giving a discount for AAA members. The only discount I will give is if they opt out of breakfast and I give them a $20 break for that and it seems to work but I still hate doing it.
 
I gave a 5% discount this week "just 'cuz." I think it was my first request for a discount. We're dead, why not? I give 10% for military and clergy, so 5's not bad.
I was talking with a lady who used to run a small hotel... she told me how she'd base her price on things like how the customers looked. So a tired couple with their car broken down got a $20 discount, while the executives on the Goldwing with the fancy clothes were quoted a price $20 higher than usual.
=)
Kk.
 
oceans, what do you mean you are 'blacklisted'? what happened?.
Oh....what I mean is that we are listed in the AAA book in black type and not red type. They are only listing us as a courtesy not because we asked to be listed. They still come and inspect the place but I don't really get much out of the listing except for a bunch of people who want discounts. Also the last inspector was real snotty about things when she was here last and was kind of upsetting. They want all the bathroom floors tiled and coffee makers in all rooms....things like that.
 
Because of the recession and hotel's deep discounting, people just assume it is a buyer's market and they can name their own price. I just delay in answering them and they usually have gone somewhere else by the time they get my response..
SweetiePie said:
Because of the recession and hotel's deep discounting, people just assume it is a buyer's market and they can name their own price. I just delay in answering them and they usually have gone somewhere else by the time they get my response.
My parents walked into a hotel somewhere in MS a few weeks ago and asked about a room. They got it for $69. When they decided to stay over longer they were told the rooms were now $89. My mother said to the clerk, 'That young lady over there told us it was $69.' My mom says a brawl almost broke out between the clerks. One refusing to give my mother the price she was quoted and the other girl insisting that she had quoted that price and that girl had better give it to her.
My mom ended up getting the room at the price she was originally quoted and she gave the girl who quoted her that price a tip when she checked out. Poor mom thought maybe the girl would lose her job for giving the rooms at that price so she kept asking after her in the morning.
The thing is, between the time my folks checked into their room and they decided to stay longer, was about 2 hours. In that time, the hotel was starting to fill up so they were raising their prices based on how many rooms they had left. Lots of rooms? Low price. Not so many rooms? Higher price.
Which is something I don't think walk-ins get. They think the price should be going down because it's getting late. Around here, we're still getting walk-ins at 9PM, so showing up at 5PM isn't, to me, late at all! I still have 4 more hours to get full price and I'd rather have an empty room than fell compelled to discount. (Which makes me a lousy business owner, I'm sure!)
.
I'd rather have an empty room than fell compelled to discount. (Which makes me a lousy business owner, I'm sure!)
Then I guess I am one also because I will stay empty before I will give it away - especially if they expect me to give it away or think they are doing me a favor to stay here. I do not need money that badly!
Reminds me of the guy who after a wedding at the HI threw his Amex card across the desk as he said- give me a room. I calmly picked up the card, put it down in front of him and smiled as I said, I am sorry but we are full. I actually was full that night, but if I had 203 empty rooms I would have been booked right then.
 
I think it is wise to always state your regular rates first. If you are inclined to give a discount, state that afterwards so they are aware of the 'bargain' the are being offered. I have also read in articles that we should make sure we 'talk up' all the extras they will be getting at the offered rate. One article stated that if your rate was the same as others in your area, you should make sure to mention the things that make your place more of a value. (Just to make sure I am clear, this doesn not mean to mention differences by naming the other places, just talking up yours.)
 
Because of the recession and hotel's deep discounting, people just assume it is a buyer's market and they can name their own price. I just delay in answering them and they usually have gone somewhere else by the time they get my response..
SweetiePie said:
Because of the recession and hotel's deep discounting, people just assume it is a buyer's market and they can name their own price. I just delay in answering them and they usually have gone somewhere else by the time they get my response.
My parents walked into a hotel somewhere in MS a few weeks ago and asked about a room. They got it for $69. When they decided to stay over longer they were told the rooms were now $89. My mother said to the clerk, 'That young lady over there told us it was $69.' My mom says a brawl almost broke out between the clerks. One refusing to give my mother the price she was quoted and the other girl insisting that she had quoted that price and that girl had better give it to her.
My mom ended up getting the room at the price she was originally quoted and she gave the girl who quoted her that price a tip when she checked out. Poor mom thought maybe the girl would lose her job for giving the rooms at that price so she kept asking after her in the morning.
The thing is, between the time my folks checked into their room and they decided to stay longer, was about 2 hours. In that time, the hotel was starting to fill up so they were raising their prices based on how many rooms they had left. Lots of rooms? Low price. Not so many rooms? Higher price.
Which is something I don't think walk-ins get. They think the price should be going down because it's getting late. Around here, we're still getting walk-ins at 9PM, so showing up at 5PM isn't, to me, late at all! I still have 4 more hours to get full price and I'd rather have an empty room than fell compelled to discount. (Which makes me a lousy business owner, I'm sure!)
.
Just like the gal who hung up in a huff because she thought that she was doing me a favor by bringing me 2 non-smokers for $100 on a Tuesday evening. I replied that we didn't have any rooms for that price, which is lower than our single business traveler rate. People just have no clue....
And, I really don't want these clueless people...
 
Because of the recession and hotel's deep discounting, people just assume it is a buyer's market and they can name their own price. I just delay in answering them and they usually have gone somewhere else by the time they get my response..
SweetiePie said:
Because of the recession and hotel's deep discounting, people just assume it is a buyer's market and they can name their own price. I just delay in answering them and they usually have gone somewhere else by the time they get my response.
My parents walked into a hotel somewhere in MS a few weeks ago and asked about a room. They got it for $69. When they decided to stay over longer they were told the rooms were now $89. My mother said to the clerk, 'That young lady over there told us it was $69.' My mom says a brawl almost broke out between the clerks. One refusing to give my mother the price she was quoted and the other girl insisting that she had quoted that price and that girl had better give it to her.
My mom ended up getting the room at the price she was originally quoted and she gave the girl who quoted her that price a tip when she checked out. Poor mom thought maybe the girl would lose her job for giving the rooms at that price so she kept asking after her in the morning.
The thing is, between the time my folks checked into their room and they decided to stay longer, was about 2 hours. In that time, the hotel was starting to fill up so they were raising their prices based on how many rooms they had left. Lots of rooms? Low price. Not so many rooms? Higher price.
Which is something I don't think walk-ins get. They think the price should be going down because it's getting late. Around here, we're still getting walk-ins at 9PM, so showing up at 5PM isn't, to me, late at all! I still have 4 more hours to get full price and I'd rather have an empty room than fell compelled to discount. (Which makes me a lousy business owner, I'm sure!)
.
Just like the gal who hung up in a huff because she thought that she was doing me a favor by bringing me 2 non-smokers for $100 on a Tuesday evening. I replied that we didn't have any rooms for that price, which is lower than our single business traveler rate. People just have no clue....
And, I really don't want these clueless people...
.
Samster said:
Just like the gal who hung up in a huff because she thought that she was doing me a favor by bringing me 2 non-smokers for $100 on a Tuesday evening. I replied that we didn't have any rooms for that price, which is lower than our single business traveler rate. People just have no clue....
And, I really don't want these clueless people...
We stayed in a hotel on Sat evening. A nice little hotel. All on one floor so you could step out to your car. The room next door was so incredibly noisy with two families packed into it - I cannot begin to describe how terrible it was.
We were trapped in our room trying to sleep - after all that is why we booked a hotel room to sleep.
Last night I said to DH, funny really, we have 5 rooms above our heads right here for 5 years and NEVER have we had noise problems. Twice there was some noise for 'other' reasons. NEVER had a room up partying, or slam bang giggle high heels on the tile all night kids laughing boom bang.
All this to say - hotel people ARE NOT B&B PEOPLE! When they start TELLING YOU "MAKE ME A DEAL" they are hotel people. Disrespectful rude horrible people.
 
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