My '9' question answered!

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Morticia

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You know how I will occasionally ask whether it is better to have prices that end in '9' or something else?
Here is a psychological take on it from a menu standpoint:
So can price formats that end in the numeral 9, as in $9.99, which tend to signify value but not quality, menu consultants and researchers say.
Now it does not go on to say if $159 as a price compared with $160 connotes the same thing, but I would think it might.
 
$160 immediately looks more elegant to me....more B&B -ish. Best I go rethink these here as well. :) So what about $155?

 
We did $129 and $149 for a while, then when we raised rates last year we just went to 5's. Couldn't tell you if it's made a difference yet or not in terms of the pyschology, but for your own internal math the 5's are just easier, esp. when calculating sales tax.
BUT Jeanne, I think I would do $199 versus $200...somehow that's a very real threshold in my mind.
 
In January, I raised the price of my pvt bath guestroom to $129 and if someone wants the room next to the other bathroom as a pvt bath, the rate is $125 ($95 if shared). Have not had anyone balk at either rate.
 
Here's a question - $199 vs $200?.
muirford said:
Here's a question - $199 vs $200?
Yeah, that's a tough one. We dithered for a LONG time when we raised the rates above $100. (OK, I'm not believing we dithered SO long, but we did.)
You are crossing a 'barrier' price at that point. Like us with the $100. 'No one will pay that! No one will come!' Well, they did pay and they did come and that's that. But, I bump the $200 point in the summer. And I have it on my marketing materials (like in the AAA book and in directories because I don't want to explain my prices when I DO charge that much).
I'm thinking about it and I wouldn't charge $205 or $210. I think you have to make the jump from $195 to $220 or $225. The other numbers sound like you're not confident.
 
I always prefer the more elegant numbers: $200 vs $199.
But there is, of course, a good reason for the $199.
In directories and review sites that list accommodations according to the $$ or $ rating, anything under $200 gets a $ listing rather than $$.
With folks pinching pennies these days, that might make the $199 worth considering.
 
Ok ladies, what exactly is more "elegant" about a 0 as opposed to a 9??? I don't get it.
 
Ok ladies, what exactly is more "elegant" about a 0 as opposed to a 9??? I don't get it..
Rupert said:
Ok ladies, what exactly is more "elegant" about a 0 as opposed to a 9??? I don't get it.
I think it goes back to what was mentioned in the article...the '9' connotes value but not necessarily quality. To me, the '0' says 'it is what it is' and the '9' says 'it is what it is but it might also be something else.' (And, no, I haven't opened the champagne yet!)
I think maybe a better way to look at it is that the '9' would be apropos for a lower-end chain, whereas the boutique hotels would be in the '0' pricing category.
We flirted with the '9's' a few years ago and went back to the '0's' and the '5's' because they looked better in print.
Funny, how it works, I might buy a $9 appetizer (altho it would kill me to spend $9 on an appetizer) before I would spend $10. $10 seems like I'm entering the realm of 'dinner' prices. Altho I couldn't get dinner in this town for $10. And appetizers are hovering around $12.
 
Ok ladies, what exactly is more "elegant" about a 0 as opposed to a 9??? I don't get it..
Rupert said:
Ok ladies, what exactly is more "elegant" about a 0 as opposed to a 9??? I don't get it.
I think it goes back to what was mentioned in the article...the '9' connotes value but not necessarily quality. To me, the '0' says 'it is what it is' and the '9' says 'it is what it is but it might also be something else.' (And, no, I haven't opened the champagne yet!)
I think maybe a better way to look at it is that the '9' would be apropos for a lower-end chain, whereas the boutique hotels would be in the '0' pricing category.
We flirted with the '9's' a few years ago and went back to the '0's' and the '5's' because they looked better in print.
Funny, how it works, I might buy a $9 appetizer (altho it would kill me to spend $9 on an appetizer) before I would spend $10. $10 seems like I'm entering the realm of 'dinner' prices. Altho I couldn't get dinner in this town for $10. And appetizers are hovering around $12.
.
Ah, I get it. I think it was the word "elegant" that was tripping me up, as in the number itself having some elegant quality, but it's the VALUE aspect. Thanks for 'splaining.
wink_smile.gif

 
Ok ladies, what exactly is more "elegant" about a 0 as opposed to a 9??? I don't get it..
Right now all of mine end with 0s and 5s. My top room is $190. I already have it in my outmonths of Webervations at $200 but am reconsidering it. Then, I would likely change the other rates, too - to end in 9s. Maybe. I'm thinking out loud here. That $200 price point is a sticky one for me, too. And I think it's too big a leap to go to $220 from $190.
 
Ok ladies, what exactly is more "elegant" about a 0 as opposed to a 9??? I don't get it..
Right now all of mine end with 0s and 5s. My top room is $190. I already have it in my outmonths of Webervations at $200 but am reconsidering it. Then, I would likely change the other rates, too - to end in 9s. Maybe. I'm thinking out loud here. That $200 price point is a sticky one for me, too. And I think it's too big a leap to go to $220 from $190.
.
If I were considering $220, I would go $225 and be done with it. I do not think the extra $5 would be giving the negative vibes that $220 would. Cannot explain it, just $225 seems better. Sort of 2 and a quarter is easier to say and think than 2 twenty is.
 
Ok ladies, what exactly is more "elegant" about a 0 as opposed to a 9??? I don't get it..
Right now all of mine end with 0s and 5s. My top room is $190. I already have it in my outmonths of Webervations at $200 but am reconsidering it. Then, I would likely change the other rates, too - to end in 9s. Maybe. I'm thinking out loud here. That $200 price point is a sticky one for me, too. And I think it's too big a leap to go to $220 from $190.
.
I would not consider myself a value shopper but I still hesitate to spend over $200/night when we travel...if it is going to be your highest priced room I think I would stick with $199 and make the others end in 9's as well. This is some purely psychological thing with me, not sure why.
 
Ok ladies, what exactly is more "elegant" about a 0 as opposed to a 9??? I don't get it..
Right now all of mine end with 0s and 5s. My top room is $190. I already have it in my outmonths of Webervations at $200 but am reconsidering it. Then, I would likely change the other rates, too - to end in 9s. Maybe. I'm thinking out loud here. That $200 price point is a sticky one for me, too. And I think it's too big a leap to go to $220 from $190.
.
$195 then.
I realize that $199 gets you more money in the course of the year. And, yes, if one room is a '9,' then other prices will make that one look odd so they all have to change. And $210 will get you a lot of callers wanting it for $199. It's one of those 'can't win' prices.
When we went from $99 to $105 it was BIG for us.
 
Ok ladies, what exactly is more "elegant" about a 0 as opposed to a 9??? I don't get it..
Right now all of mine end with 0s and 5s. My top room is $190. I already have it in my outmonths of Webervations at $200 but am reconsidering it. Then, I would likely change the other rates, too - to end in 9s. Maybe. I'm thinking out loud here. That $200 price point is a sticky one for me, too. And I think it's too big a leap to go to $220 from $190.
.
I would not consider myself a value shopper but I still hesitate to spend over $200/night when we travel...if it is going to be your highest priced room I think I would stick with $199 and make the others end in 9's as well. This is some purely psychological thing with me, not sure why.
.
Rupert said:
I would not consider myself a value shopper but I still hesitate to spend over $200/night when we travel...if it is going to be your highest priced room I think I would stick with $199 and make the others end in 9's as well. This is some purely psychological thing with me, not sure why.
I think I expect the world for over $200! I once spent $450 on a room for one night. In a castle, in the turret. When I spend big bucks it has to be special. But I am inherently cheap. When I travel I hate spending what I charge.
 
Ok ladies, what exactly is more "elegant" about a 0 as opposed to a 9??? I don't get it..
Right now all of mine end with 0s and 5s. My top room is $190. I already have it in my outmonths of Webervations at $200 but am reconsidering it. Then, I would likely change the other rates, too - to end in 9s. Maybe. I'm thinking out loud here. That $200 price point is a sticky one for me, too. And I think it's too big a leap to go to $220 from $190.
.
$195 then.
I realize that $199 gets you more money in the course of the year. And, yes, if one room is a '9,' then other prices will make that one look odd so they all have to change. And $210 will get you a lot of callers wanting it for $199. It's one of those 'can't win' prices.
When we went from $99 to $105 it was BIG for us.
.
I was planning to do $125 last January when we had the 9s discussion and decided to see what would happen if I made it $129. What happened? I made an extra $250+! Nice!
 
and so what is the real answer?
Not food, but rooms? I agree 105 is not sexy, but 125 is.
 
Ok ladies, what exactly is more "elegant" about a 0 as opposed to a 9??? I don't get it..
Right now all of mine end with 0s and 5s. My top room is $190. I already have it in my outmonths of Webervations at $200 but am reconsidering it. Then, I would likely change the other rates, too - to end in 9s. Maybe. I'm thinking out loud here. That $200 price point is a sticky one for me, too. And I think it's too big a leap to go to $220 from $190.
.
If I were considering $220, I would go $225 and be done with it. I do not think the extra $5 would be giving the negative vibes that $220 would. Cannot explain it, just $225 seems better. Sort of 2 and a quarter is easier to say and think than 2 twenty is.
.
I'm really NOT considering $220. My highest room now is $190 - I can't justify that kind of leap. It's either going to be $199 or $200.
 
Ok ladies, what exactly is more "elegant" about a 0 as opposed to a 9??? I don't get it..
Right now all of mine end with 0s and 5s. My top room is $190. I already have it in my outmonths of Webervations at $200 but am reconsidering it. Then, I would likely change the other rates, too - to end in 9s. Maybe. I'm thinking out loud here. That $200 price point is a sticky one for me, too. And I think it's too big a leap to go to $220 from $190.
.
If I were considering $220, I would go $225 and be done with it. I do not think the extra $5 would be giving the negative vibes that $220 would. Cannot explain it, just $225 seems better. Sort of 2 and a quarter is easier to say and think than 2 twenty is.
.
I'm really NOT considering $220. My highest room now is $190 - I can't justify that kind of leap. It's either going to be $199 or $200.
.
I understood that. Since we were waxing the what if, my 2 cents was that if one was considering $220 make it $225 instead.
 
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