I'm a bad host - discount request

Forum covers this extensively. Just sharing my story. August looking dreadful for me (first year hosting so don’t know if normal) and would think big month here near the beach. Heck, I’ve got September Occupancy % already matching August.

Got a discount request for one night (asking to waive the occupancy tax). It’s a one night request in the middle of a four night gap in my calendar for early August.

I tried to be nice, explain that my pricing structure is not really set up for one night (cleaning fee and all), and suggest booking in another city if she doesn’t like the occupancy tax. Her next email is asking about ability to cancel, just in case, and if refund would be on same card she booked on (I’m flexible… explained the situation).

So I change the four day gap to a 3 day minimum. She still tries to book!

Too bad, so sad I say in my best customer service speak.

I’m learning from this forum… not sure I’m learning the right things, but I’m learning.

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We’re so often socialized to be “nice” that doing a reasonable thing in our own interest feels mean.

This sounds like the action of a savvy business owner, not a mean host.

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Think of it like this. I you walk in, uninvited, to the bakery and say, I don’t value your labor. I will pay you 75 cents for this $1.00 pastry.

Or you say the same at the hotel desk.

How is that going to work out do you think? Why should it work different here?

I don’t want to host people whose first words to me are “I don’t value what you are offering.”

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That’s great. There are so many who have lurked and posted here for years and they don’t seem to learn a thing.

I currently have a one night minimum set and this morning I had someone inquire about a one month booking from Sept 23- to Oct 23 but he was unable to book so he inquired. It was very tempting because I’m going to be out of town for two weeks of that time, nearer the end of his stay. So I thought “bingo!” this is how I get booked while I’m gone and I’ll be here at the beginning to make sure everything is on the up and up. Then I thought, nope, I don’t want to write a lease and I don’t want to take a chance on a squatter and some things just aren’t worth the extra ~$500.

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I never give discounts and usually if somebody asked me for a discount I will block them from booking I don’t want any cheap skates I feel like they’ll just gonna make problems for me.

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My standard response to discount whiners…

Thank you so much for considering “name of house”
I feel i offer excellent value for money due to the quality of the home and the furnishings supplied. I feel sure that if you keep looking you will find something closer to your limited budget.

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," Thank you for considering us. I am so sorry that you are unable to afford our listing. However there are many good listings in our city, and I am certain that you will find a more affordable one."

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When do the schools start their terms? My summer is booked to 8/15 then nothing. School starts after 8/22 so that last week people are getting ready. September & October bookings are starting for adults who don’t have school-aged children.

In many countries and cultures this is perfectly acceptable behaviour. The western term for it is often called negotiating the price.

After working in Istanbul for many years it took a long time for me to accept that the prices on the supermarket shelf edges were actually the prices, and not an invitation for me to haggle down the price of 2L of milk :slight_smile:

JF

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fair point but it isn’t our culture in Texas unless it’s a garage sale or something like that. i have no reason to believe i have dealt with a foreigner or recent immigrant asking for a discount yet.

just a homegrown entitled type who didn’t “wish” to pay my rates nor negotiate on platform and that bit, in writing, gave me grounds to block and report.

adding to that thought… there is a right way and a wrong way.

wrong way: me and 6 of my people want to reserve 6 weeks in advance, but i don’t wish to pay your rate, it is unreasonable compared to the other options i have. break the TOS for me, because i am special and you need my money.

right way: say, i know your rates are likely firm. but i noticed you aren’t booked this weekend yet. i only need 2 nights starting saturday. if you don’t book by friday, would you consider cutting me a break for saturday night to get it closer to sunday nights rate? we are only 2 people, really only going to sleep there, no pets, and we don’t need to cook at all. you won’t have much cleanup.

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A woman just messaged me earlier today saying she needs boarding for 3 dogs, not 2 as she told me the other day, with drop off tomorrow but she’s “concerned about the price.” I wrote back and said that the dogs are the same amount of work regardless of the family’s budget. I didn’t hear back.

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Thank you for the reminder. I offer a 10 percent discount to FT K-12 teachers and active duty military, and it is appreciated. It’s basically beer money at a local brewery, but it’s a thank you. And then I get the occasional “where’s the discount button” request from someone who makes considerably more money than I do. It’s not that hard to say no in that case.

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I wasn’t going to mention it, but some quick internet sleuthing revealed that the obnoxiously rude bargain hunter I ended up blocking and reporting is a high society socialite married to an oil baron type. The many cameo shots with influencers wearing the finest hand-spangled designer evening gowns failed to inspire my sympathy.

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I sometimes wonder how dumb guests think we are… In the last week, I received 2 requests from potential long term guests. “Do you offer a discount?” “Yes, you should have seen the discounted amount applied when you sent the inquiry…” Then I promptly hit the Archive button on the message.

Well, you don’t stay rich by spending money unnecessarily… :stuck_out_tongue:

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I’m English and live in the USA and it’s perfectly acceptable here and it was in the UK too. No one (surely?) would buy a car, or a house or something from a flea market, or antiques or many things by paying the full sticker price. It’s no good hosts saying that it’s not part of their local culture - we’re a global society and Airbnb is a global business so hosts’ local customs don’t apply.

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I don’t blame you for not giving discount. I don’t either. My price is very affordable for the area. I have had two requests within a year about discounted prices and lam sorry if you can’t afford even t he cheap price lam offering, then you can’t afford it…

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