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I use Japanese curtains on a curtain traction rod to separate spaces that donāt have doors. People get the hint that the other side of the curtain isnāt their space. You have to show them what is and isnāt theirs. I know the curtain sounds funny but it doesnāt look strange at all and it works.
Guests ānestingā is fairly normal but not in a common area. That guest sounds extra annoying. The suggestion about guidelines on hours when the common areas can be used sound good.
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Yes, same here. Like weāre all feckin experts? Many contributors on here are very experienced and have a lot of good advice to share. But nobody has the right to decide whether an anonymous poster is a āgoodā host or not.
Puppylover posted some silly examples but theyāre not the norm, are they? Sometimes people just need some guidance.
I wish this forum had been around when I started out. It might have saved me from 6 months of being a feckin doormat.
I am skint and desperate for bookings. Tonight I had a booking request from some students asking for a āspecial offerā because theyāre on a budget. This hasnāt happened to me in years. Iām cheap and budget already. If it wasnāt for a forum like this that taught me āDONāT EVER DISCOUNT because if they donāt respect your price, they wonāt respect your placeā ā¦ I wouldnāt have learned.
Anyway, in yoda fashion, Everything you think you know - the beginning it is.
@Magwitch I have to disagree with other hosts who encourage hosts not to reduce their ratesā¦ naturally, if my nightly rate was $48 and the guest was staying for a single night and wanted a discount, I would tell the guest to take a hike. However, if the guest was staying for several days and my place would otherwise remain empty, I would certainly consider a rate reductionā¦
I would disagree,
a guest who does not respect your price will not respect your place is solid advice.
Go ahead, discount away, at some point it will be cheaper just to send the guest money and have them book somewhere else. The race to the bottom will only get worse unless hosts hold firm.
RR
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@RiverRock Being a host is a business and in most businesses there is some negotiation; if a guest wants to negotiate the rate, Iām not going to be offended because Iām a businesswoman. Ultimately, I will evaluate my options and either accept or decline the prospective guestās proposed reduced rateā¦
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Itās not so much the haggling part as the red flag that the guest will be a huge problem in other ways after getting the discount, which seems to correlate.
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Yes it is a business, and most businesses do not negotiate prices. Try negotiating next time you go out to eat, at the grocery store or get your haircut or go to a hotel.
RR
Delivered by carrier pigeon
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Funny you should say thatā¦ after working for a company in Istanbul for many years, the haggle for everything mindset was hard to break. My OHās expression was priceless when I tried to haggle the price down on a new TV in an electrical superstore in the UK. Ironically, while not getting it any cheaper, I did manage to get the guarantee extended for an extra three years free of charge.
JF
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@JohnF, @RiverRock Here are some instances that I have been able to negotiate in the U.S.: at a hotel, getting a larger room with a view and a late check-out for the price of a standard room; at a rental car company, getting a courtesy upgrade for an SUV when I paid for a sub-compact; at a retail store, getting a discount because a blouse had some dirt on the collar, and so on.
Again, as I mentioned before, I would not accept a guestās request for a lower rate for the booking of a 3-night stay, but I would consider it for a 10-day stay. I have refused to lower my rate when I thought Iād be able to get full price from another guest for the same period; however, when I refuse, I do so politely and never get offended because Iām running a business. Sure, itās amusing when a prospective guest asks me if I offer reduced rates for the military, teachers or seniors as if I was a Hilton, but sometimes I reduce it by a couple of dollars, have a good laugh, and get the booking.
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The discounts you got were often as a result of some substandard aspect of the purchased item, like dirt on the collar. It is not a place that you likely go back and review though.
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@Militaryhorsegal I certainly respect other hostsā position on discounts. Iām sure the no-discount-policy makes sense to some hosts and, therefore, they should continue embracing what works for them. Iām sure you have been successful in keeping a firm stand on the no-discount policy and that your position has helped you in achieving your hosting goals, and for that, Iām happy for you!
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