Has anybody ever had a guest ask for a discount?

[Kathleen645]

I recently had a guest ask me for a discount during their stay.  They said they were a popular author and thought they should recieve a discount because of this.  I am curious how other hosts handle situations like this?

I have in the past found guests that have requested price discounts have always given me a lot of other extra hassle that was not worth it, like checking out later and not even informing me about it.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

If they are that popular then they should be able to afford your price!

[Lawrene0]

@Kathleen645, I went to a local-ish tourism workshop last week. Stay with me here; I'm not off topic.

It was free, and worth every penny...

They brought in an "influencer" to tell us tourism service-providers why we should let influencers stay at our places or get our stuff for free. 

Your author is trying the same con. 

You can use my line if you like: "I completely understand that you will need to find a place that is within your budget. All the best!"

[Sharon1014]

@Kathleen645  We recently received an "enquiry" from a Mum on maternity leave pleading the need to save money asking about a discount for a one night weekend booking ($160 including cleaning fee).  I politely declined as it was during our peak summer season.  She msgd back saying she was only wanting to pay $150 instead.  Couldn't believe it.  $10.  Politely declined again.  I don't think it was about the price at all, more about wanting to "score" a discount (however trivial) off whoever she booked with.  The weekend in question was promptly IB'd by other guests.  We just don't discount during peak season full stop.  As with real estate, your first choice is always determined by your second choice.  If you have plenty of guests looking to book, discounting just isn't necessary regardless of their status (real or imagined).

[J-Renato0]

@Kathleen645 

I bet this guest it was not Stephen King... nor the author of Harry Potter series 🙂

Never, never during the stay a guest asked me for a discount.
Before booking, it is not usual, but once in a while someone ask for.

As for your guest, the popular author... I would ask him to show me his work and give me an autograph! 🙂
However I would say that - a discount it is not possible. Being him a "famous and popular author", it is him who is supposed to be gracious and to tip other people to whom he have a deal.
I would also say that - I am happy with the amount of money I have charged for your stay. No tips! 🙂

What did you do? Did you give them a discount?

[Kathleen645]

No I didnt offer them the discount.   I felt bad, but thought it was the right decision

[Anonymous]

@J-Renato0   The very rich don't tend to ask for discounts, but they very often insist on getting stuff for free.

[Sarah977]

Ah, the joys of living in times when so many people seem to consider themselves to be special.

[Christine615]

Well heck. I'm a popular author and I don't ask for discounts. (Btw - even popular authors -- those not at the top tier -- earn only a modest living.)

The minute someone asks you for a discount, run -- don't walk - away from them. They're almost always a problem guest. I learned the hard way early on that people who want to negotiate don't appreciate your space, leave less than 5 stars on their reviews, or don't review you at all.

Stay firm. This is your business, not your charity. If they want a cheap place there are plenty on the platform to choose from.

[Anonymous]

@Kathleen645  No need to feel bad about it. The entitled attitude that compels someone to ask for a discount is also going to be reflected in the guest's demands and behaviors during their stay, and later on when they give you a middling or negative review. 

[Kathleen645]

I don't mean to shame this guest, he may have been a very fine person, but it is what it is

[Lawrene0]

Of course not, @Kathleen645 . You asked a question, and you feel badly for him now that we are beating him up, so to speak, for his behaviour. 

But really we just want you not to give in, no matter how fine a person he is. Any of us who have had experience with discount seekers know nothing good comes from it.

If he stays (at full price), and he is wonderful, and it turns out he needs to be in Hamilton frequently, you could offer him a discount for future stays. Discounts given to repeat guests happen all the time. That is when a discount works: as a reward, not an entitlement.

[Kim866]

I LOATHE when I am asked for a discount!  My favorite was a man who claimed to be coming to our town to meet with DR. So and So (name dropping) but tells me he is traveling with his 3 teenage boys and that he will be in meetings all day.  First--who is watching your kids in my house? Second --I've been foster parent for teenage boys...cleaning the bathroom alone is a job!!!!  I actually got a request for a discount last night--7 people, 2 dogs--no thanks!  I work very hard keeping my place clean and now even going the extra steps sanitizing even more.  I never discount on a first time guests!

[Nanxing0]

I have some guests asking for discount stating they are students or on a budget or something else. I view it case by case. For less than 3 nights I don't give any discount. It's straight forward and not negotiable to me. If booking 5-6 nights which doesn't automatically qualify for the weekly discount I can apply the weekly discount that's all I can do, similar for monthly discount. My experience is that most cases they are not asking for a "discount", instead they are hoping we can give them half off. Most of them just walked away.

[Huma0]

While it's true that the request for a discount can be a red flag indicating that the guest is going to be trouble in other ways, it's not always true. In a lot of cultures, it's just normal to ask for a discount on almost everything, e.g. in India or Pakistan.

I always say no to discounts. I host mostly long-term guests and so they will frequently ask before booking could they get a discount, seeing as they are staying so long. I think that's normal. I just remind them that they are already getting a long-term discount of 15%. That is usually the end of that discussion and they book or they don't book. Can't say the ones who booked were more trouble than guests who didn't ask for a discount. 

Short-term guests on the other hand... That just makes me laugh. E.g. "Seeing as we are staying three whole nights, could we have the weekly discount?" Erm, no. Same guests show up SIX HOURS before the agreed check in time with a bag full of dirty laundry that they want to wash immediately. They hadn't been travelling but flown in from their home, so no idea why they brought dirty laundry with them. Should have seen that red flag a mile off.