Offer for Veterans

[Proud Texan]

I want to support our military, but I can't afford to give away the farm. We've already been told we don't charge enough. We plan on raising our rates after a year, but right now discounts bring our profit margin to slightly above breaking even.
I think during the summer we may offer a TEACHER discount..

I want to support our military, but I can't afford to give away the farm. We've already been told we don't charge enough. We plan on raising our rates after a year, but right now discounts bring our profit margin to slightly above breaking even.
I think during the summer we may offer a TEACHER discount.

We have more teachers than anything else stay here. BY FAR!
.

Do you offer the teachers a discount?

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I want to support our military, but I can't afford to give away the farm. We've already been told we don't charge enough. We plan on raising our rates after a year, but right now discounts bring our profit margin to slightly above breaking even.
I think during the summer we may offer a TEACHER discount..

I want to support our military, but I can't afford to give away the farm. We've already been told we don't charge enough. We plan on raising our rates after a year, but right now discounts bring our profit margin to slightly above breaking even.
I think during the summer we may offer a TEACHER discount.

We have more teachers than anything else stay here. BY FAR!
.

Do you offer the teachers a discount?
.

Do you offer the teachers a discount?

I offer everyone a discount.
Basically it is like this - book online and save $.
Then I use the BACK TO SCHOOL promotional stuff for our state tourism website. They are always eager to have diff specials all times of the year to promote the diff regions. So when it is August it is a teacher special. I change the title of it per time of year or event. "Baby it's cold outside" etc for Winter months.

 

[Proud Texan]

I want to support our military, but I can't afford to give away the farm. We've already been told we don't charge enough. We plan on raising our rates after a year, but right now discounts bring our profit margin to slightly above breaking even.
I think during the summer we may offer a TEACHER discount..

I want to support our military, but I can't afford to give away the farm. We've already been told we don't charge enough. We plan on raising our rates after a year, but right now discounts bring our profit margin to slightly above breaking even.
I think during the summer we may offer a TEACHER discount.

We have more teachers than anything else stay here. BY FAR!
.

Do you offer the teachers a discount?
.

Do you offer the teachers a discount?

I offer everyone a discount.
Basically it is like this - book online and save $.
Then I use the BACK TO SCHOOL promotional stuff for our state tourism website. They are always eager to have diff specials all times of the year to promote the diff regions. So when it is August it is a teacher special. I change the title of it per time of year or event. "Baby it's cold outside" etc for Winter months.
.

How much of a mark up would you say you have to accommodate your discounts? Or is it that the discount is your regular price and the "non-discounted rates" are actually marked up?
Let's face it. Even though there may be an altruistic wrapping on the discounts they are still, bottom line, a marketing ploy.

 

[Morticia]

I want to support our military, but I can't afford to give away the farm. We've already been told we don't charge enough. We plan on raising our rates after a year, but right now discounts bring our profit margin to slightly above breaking even.
I think during the summer we may offer a TEACHER discount..

I want to support our military, but I can't afford to give away the farm. We've already been told we don't charge enough. We plan on raising our rates after a year, but right now discounts bring our profit margin to slightly above breaking even.
I think during the summer we may offer a TEACHER discount.

We have more teachers than anything else stay here. BY FAR!
.

Do you offer the teachers a discount?
.

Do you offer the teachers a discount?

I offer everyone a discount.
Basically it is like this - book online and save $.
Then I use the BACK TO SCHOOL promotional stuff for our state tourism website. They are always eager to have diff specials all times of the year to promote the diff regions. So when it is August it is a teacher special. I change the title of it per time of year or event. "Baby it's cold outside" etc for Winter months.
.

How much of a mark up would you say you have to accommodate your discounts? Or is it that the discount is your regular price and the "non-discounted rates" are actually marked up?
Let's face it. Even though there may be an altruistic wrapping on the discounts they are still, bottom line, a marketing ploy.
.

How much of a mark up would you say you have to accommodate your discounts? Or is it that the discount is your regular price and the "non-discounted rates" are actually marked up?
Let's face it. Even though there may be an altruistic wrapping on the discounts they are still, bottom line, a marketing ploy.

Absolutely discounts are a marketing ploy. My published, online rates are my base rates. That's what I need to keep the roof over my head. The discounts are what keep the repeat biz high. (30%) They come when it's slow. I rarely have repeats in season, except for those who stop here on their way to their summer houses. We do all of our discounting off season. (Except for repeats.) What I hope is that the $10 off will get the person in the door who might have kept looking without the discount, in the off season.
In season, they can look all they want, no discounts.
So, my 'rack rate' in lodging parlance is my rate. Period. It's not marked up 50% or 100%.

 

[gillumhouse]

I want to support our military, but I can't afford to give away the farm. We've already been told we don't charge enough. We plan on raising our rates after a year, but right now discounts bring our profit margin to slightly above breaking even.
I think during the summer we may offer a TEACHER discount..

I want to support our military, but I can't afford to give away the farm. We've already been told we don't charge enough. We plan on raising our rates after a year, but right now discounts bring our profit margin to slightly above breaking even.
I think during the summer we may offer a TEACHER discount.

We have more teachers than anything else stay here. BY FAR!
.

Do you offer the teachers a discount?
.

Do you offer the teachers a discount?

I offer everyone a discount.
Basically it is like this - book online and save $.
Then I use the BACK TO SCHOOL promotional stuff for our state tourism website. They are always eager to have diff specials all times of the year to promote the diff regions. So when it is August it is a teacher special. I change the title of it per time of year or event. "Baby it's cold outside" etc for Winter months.
.

How much of a mark up would you say you have to accommodate your discounts? Or is it that the discount is your regular price and the "non-discounted rates" are actually marked up?
Let's face it. Even though there may be an altruistic wrapping on the discounts they are still, bottom line, a marketing ploy.
.

My rate is what my rate is - not inflated in any way. I adjust it every couple years - upward of course - to adjust to my increased expenses.
In my slow season, I have been known to give a family my 2 rooms with shared bath for the price of one or as last year I gave 2 sisters who were meeting in the middle that sounded as if $$ was a BIG concern both rooms for the price of one per night and they stayed 2 nights.It was revenue I would not have had and helped pay the gas bill. BUT when these discounts are given, it is because I decided to give them, not because they were solicited. Anyone asking for a discount will get IF any, a 10% and most likely would be told my rates are already as low as I can make them. No I do not offer AAA, AARP, or any of those .

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I want to support our military, but I can't afford to give away the farm. We've already been told we don't charge enough. We plan on raising our rates after a year, but right now discounts bring our profit margin to slightly above breaking even.
I think during the summer we may offer a TEACHER discount..

I want to support our military, but I can't afford to give away the farm. We've already been told we don't charge enough. We plan on raising our rates after a year, but right now discounts bring our profit margin to slightly above breaking even.
I think during the summer we may offer a TEACHER discount.

We have more teachers than anything else stay here. BY FAR!
.

Do you offer the teachers a discount?
.

Do you offer the teachers a discount?

I offer everyone a discount.
Basically it is like this - book online and save $.
Then I use the BACK TO SCHOOL promotional stuff for our state tourism website. They are always eager to have diff specials all times of the year to promote the diff regions. So when it is August it is a teacher special. I change the title of it per time of year or event. "Baby it's cold outside" etc for Winter months.
.

How much of a mark up would you say you have to accommodate your discounts? Or is it that the discount is your regular price and the "non-discounted rates" are actually marked up?
Let's face it. Even though there may be an altruistic wrapping on the discounts they are still, bottom line, a marketing ploy.
.

How much of a mark up would you say you have to accommodate your discounts? Or is it that the discount is your regular price and the "non-discounted rates" are actually marked up?
Let's face it. Even though there may be an altruistic wrapping on the discounts they are still, bottom line, a marketing ploy.

Everyone likes to save money, isn't that why we search for the best fare when travelling? Do we pay the highest car rental rate? Never. Perceived savings = value. I can attest that our wealthiest guests have sought a discount and appreciate the small savings. I will be clear, I do not give AAA discounts. WHY? Because they call and DEMAND it.
Typically they are hotel guests, the same who lift all the tea bags and anythng else not nailed down. Insist on bringing their dog. Shocked when they find their room is upstairs - I guess they think kitchens are put in the upstairs of an 1800's victorian? Anyway, since I got rid of the AAA crowd altogether, I am much happier.
Not saying all AAA people are bad, but we get the calls. Like the old geezer, ahem, I mean older gentleman who called and I offered him $20 off his room, demanded his AAA discount of 10% (which is not required btw, you can be in AAA and not offer any discount at all, or 2% if you choose!) I told him, well your AAA discount would be $10, I am offering you $20 off. He insisted he get what was coming to him for being in AAA.
He was our last AAA guest thankfully. WE ARE NOT, I REPEAT, WE ARE NOT A ROADSIDE MOTEL! (I say this aloud as much to myself as anyone, as we sometimes try to compete with them when we see them filled up all the time).

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I discounted the "designing women in the new black mercedes this weekend because she had a local connection and I wanted to reflect this treatment back to the locals. I want them to continue to send visitor's my way. Not because she deserved any sort of discount. Hospitality only.

 

[Proud Texan]

I discounted the "designing women in the new black mercedes this weekend because she had a local connection and I wanted to reflect this treatment back to the locals. I want them to continue to send visitor's my way. Not because she deserved any sort of discount. Hospitality only..

It's true. Heads in Beds. As long as you're making your bottom line, you're fine. Undiscounted rates are just gravy.