Post by High Priestess on Oct 13, 2015 23:15:21 GMT
Joi shared Oct 13 2015
Guest asks for a discount
For the fall I am offering a free night's stay after booking 2 nights or more. I have a family that is inquiring about a 2 night stay but they don't have time in their schedule to take the 3rd night free. So now they are asking for a discount. I'm not sure how to handle it. I'm offering the third night free to make my listing stand out. I don't get a lot of weekday bookings in the cooler months so it's really not a loss to me. Giving a discount would be a loss to me.What would you do?Thanks for any advice!
Queenie & Ted (queenie&ted)
No discount. Your offering is quite clear - bu y 2, get 1 free. I would tell them that regular room rate is already discounted and that you are sorry that they won't be able to take advantage of the additional discount because you are only offering the 3rd consecutive night free.
If you prefer to just be booked, perhaps you can give her some discounted rate - maybe 10-15% off the total cost?
Ed & Hugh
If you state that you offer a discount for 2 nights or more, and they book 2 nights, then you should honor your discount. If this is not your intent, then you should reword your promotion so that it's clear.
Joi
It's clearly worded, if you stay 2 nights, you get a third night free. The discount is not for the first 2 nights but for a bonus free night. Do you think I owe them a discount on 2 nights if they are unable to use the free third night?
Ed & Hugh
The title says "Book 2 or more nights get one free!". If they book 2 nights, then yes, one should be free. If that's not the offer, then I would change the heading to clear things up....many guests don't read the fine print.
Hassen
So what if a guest request for 4 6 or 8 nights ? Only 1 free? Though hé might go for 2 3 or 4 booking of 2 nights in a row to benefit from the promotion. Clear ads avoid later disagreement
Andrew (andrew)
I would recommend removing the offer from your listing, for reasons that this guest's request has perfectly demonstrated.
Here's the thing: when guests are searching for a room, they tend to already have specific dates in mind. Maybe two, maybe five, maybe twelve. They tend to use the date and price filters, so what's displayed prominently to them is a selection of listings available on their chosen dates, with the average nightly rate superimposed on the lead photo. The title is not the feature that stands out, and when your offer contradicts the listed price, it only adds confusion and requires guests to bypass the Reservation Request (which gets you booked faster) and send an inquiry in hopes of getting a Special Offer. None of this helps your listing stand out in a good way.
Instead, I'd suggest using methods that work with the pricing instruments already in place, rather than ones that require manually overriding them. The very first thing I would do is lower the base price and add an Extra Person fee for each guest after the 2nd or 4th. This would make your property appear in more searches and be a feasible option for couples or smaller families, who might reasonably expect that they shouldn't have to spend the same as a party of 10. You can also try to lure longer stays with a discounted Weekly Rate - say, something around the cost of 6.1 nights - to keep your calendar full in the off season. Lowering or removing the Cleaning Fee would help remove the sticker shock that someone looking to book only 2 or 3 days would immediately note.
Aside from pricing, you can also change your visual strategy to make the listing stand out more. Now that beachgoing season is over, it's a good time to prominently feature photos with warm colors that make your place look like a comfortable retreat. That one of the hot tub at sunset is a great example of a pic that shows that your place is a great holiday destination even in poor weather. Candlelit interiors are also great as winter approaches, and if there's a fireplace, absolutely feature that too.
As for this guest - well, if you like everything else about the guest, just respond with either a Pre-approval or a Special Offer for the amount that you are happy to accept for a 2-night stay. You're never obliged to grant a discount, even if it's mentioned on your page.
Joi:
What great feedback! Thank you so much! What a difference experience makes.
Deborah (High Priestess)
Agree with Andrew, ...again....that extra night offers have the problems mentioned. I would like to see Airbnb roll out an option where hosts can set unique discounts that will show up when guests request a booking with the requisite data. Eg a host offers a discount for a stay of 5 nights or more (rather than 7 nights) so the AIrbnb system shows the discounted rate when a guest inquiress. Or the host offers a discount on the weekly rate if the guest books 2 or more weeks.
Guest asks for a discount
For the fall I am offering a free night's stay after booking 2 nights or more. I have a family that is inquiring about a 2 night stay but they don't have time in their schedule to take the 3rd night free. So now they are asking for a discount. I'm not sure how to handle it. I'm offering the third night free to make my listing stand out. I don't get a lot of weekday bookings in the cooler months so it's really not a loss to me. Giving a discount would be a loss to me.What would you do?Thanks for any advice!
Queenie & Ted (queenie&ted)
No discount. Your offering is quite clear - bu y 2, get 1 free. I would tell them that regular room rate is already discounted and that you are sorry that they won't be able to take advantage of the additional discount because you are only offering the 3rd consecutive night free.
If you prefer to just be booked, perhaps you can give her some discounted rate - maybe 10-15% off the total cost?
Ed & Hugh
If you state that you offer a discount for 2 nights or more, and they book 2 nights, then you should honor your discount. If this is not your intent, then you should reword your promotion so that it's clear.
Joi
It's clearly worded, if you stay 2 nights, you get a third night free. The discount is not for the first 2 nights but for a bonus free night. Do you think I owe them a discount on 2 nights if they are unable to use the free third night?
Ed & Hugh
The title says "Book 2 or more nights get one free!". If they book 2 nights, then yes, one should be free. If that's not the offer, then I would change the heading to clear things up....many guests don't read the fine print.
Hassen
So what if a guest request for 4 6 or 8 nights ? Only 1 free? Though hé might go for 2 3 or 4 booking of 2 nights in a row to benefit from the promotion. Clear ads avoid later disagreement
Andrew (andrew)
I would recommend removing the offer from your listing, for reasons that this guest's request has perfectly demonstrated.
Here's the thing: when guests are searching for a room, they tend to already have specific dates in mind. Maybe two, maybe five, maybe twelve. They tend to use the date and price filters, so what's displayed prominently to them is a selection of listings available on their chosen dates, with the average nightly rate superimposed on the lead photo. The title is not the feature that stands out, and when your offer contradicts the listed price, it only adds confusion and requires guests to bypass the Reservation Request (which gets you booked faster) and send an inquiry in hopes of getting a Special Offer. None of this helps your listing stand out in a good way.
Instead, I'd suggest using methods that work with the pricing instruments already in place, rather than ones that require manually overriding them. The very first thing I would do is lower the base price and add an Extra Person fee for each guest after the 2nd or 4th. This would make your property appear in more searches and be a feasible option for couples or smaller families, who might reasonably expect that they shouldn't have to spend the same as a party of 10. You can also try to lure longer stays with a discounted Weekly Rate - say, something around the cost of 6.1 nights - to keep your calendar full in the off season. Lowering or removing the Cleaning Fee would help remove the sticker shock that someone looking to book only 2 or 3 days would immediately note.
Aside from pricing, you can also change your visual strategy to make the listing stand out more. Now that beachgoing season is over, it's a good time to prominently feature photos with warm colors that make your place look like a comfortable retreat. That one of the hot tub at sunset is a great example of a pic that shows that your place is a great holiday destination even in poor weather. Candlelit interiors are also great as winter approaches, and if there's a fireplace, absolutely feature that too.
As for this guest - well, if you like everything else about the guest, just respond with either a Pre-approval or a Special Offer for the amount that you are happy to accept for a 2-night stay. You're never obliged to grant a discount, even if it's mentioned on your page.
Joi:
What great feedback! Thank you so much! What a difference experience makes.
Deborah (High Priestess)
Agree with Andrew, ...again....that extra night offers have the problems mentioned. I would like to see Airbnb roll out an option where hosts can set unique discounts that will show up when guests request a booking with the requisite data. Eg a host offers a discount for a stay of 5 nights or more (rather than 7 nights) so the AIrbnb system shows the discounted rate when a guest inquiress. Or the host offers a discount on the weekly rate if the guest books 2 or more weeks.