Decline Option: "Guess is asking for discount"

Decline Option: "Guess is asking for discount"

I healthy percentage of my inquiries are people asking for reduced rates.  Frequently they're asking for half or less than half of the going rate.  It is getting irritating writing polite responses back to these people, and airbnb will hassle me if I decline them.  I'd like an option for declining that says "guest is asking for rate reductions" or something to that effect.  

 

I understand that negotiating will happen and some hosts would be happy to receive inquiries such as this and negotiate.  My feeling is that the guests contacting me are probably hammering a dozen or more hosts in my area for discounts, and it's just annoying. If airbnb has a guest that is frequently declined for asking for discounts they could give them a warning or something.

6 Comments
Cormac0
Level 10

@Christopher0

The opening line of your "About Listing" should read "Price not negotiable" while this might eliminate most of the amateur hagglers it will probably incentivise those that are truly committed to haggling.

 

Airbnb would have to introduce a “tick box” to flag a guest as a haggler and also a “Tick Box” to say the Host does not want to haggle over price, to keep everybody happy.


Do I think this will happen, NO!

 

Regards
Cormac
The Explorer’s Club Krakow III

Lois-and-Darryl0
Level 10

@Christopher187:  I'm wondering if your dilemma has to do with the (obvious and sensical) target audience - that is students and others who are visiting the college campus.  That must be so frustrating to be having to manage ongoing responses to requests for discounted fees.  It seems that it's because you are reaching people who must live as frugally as possible - students, etc.  Maybe a gentle but succinct re-wording of your listing that states something like:  "As you see, my rooms are extremely economically priced; and I'm unable to reduce their price any further."  This gently tells those searching that you've lowered your price as much as you can - you can't afford to do more.  Maybe that will help.  Good Luck!  Lois 

Helga0
Level 10

Hi @Christopher187, I got some hagglers a long time ago, but can't even remember when was the last time. 

I had a look on your listings and I would go farther than @Lois-and-Darryl0.

to me, you come over as generous without a limit. Your pictures show a very clean, stylish, modern space. The price is bery low 

Helga0
Level 10

Sorry @Christopher187, phone limits

 

your price seems very low to me and you offer so many things in your description. It seems like a person, who dies not know, where the reasonable limit is, to make it a profitable business. Evidently, every mooch will jump on that occasion and ask for more and more for free. 

I would reduce the way you offer things, leave some as a surprise after arrival. 

Your wording is also very very friendly. Normally that is a good thing, but I guess you need to show, that you have an edge too. Try to put your house rules in short lines, orders not sentences. You can also try to shorten a part of the other descriptions and make a list with bullet marks. Of your main description, if you want to change the impression radically, of a less important part like the area description for a gentler change of impression. 

 

To put it in full wording "no discojnts", is the last ressort action. 

If you offer paid services, add the prices. It can be a thing like laundry or late check-in, even if you do not really intend to collect. 

If there are things with price tags, it signals that services are not free. 

Helga0
Level 10

I would decline, not only for the price, but for the wording. That person writes "I will" then "my friends will" then "I offer"

Sounds completely entitled. The world will be as he wants it to be. 

A polite person would write: "I plan / would like to..." then add a reason and a question, maybe a flattery in between. "I am a poor ... / on a budget ... I love your place, because ... our budget is 1000, can you make that work? We will take good care etc"

for such requests, I discuss and might offer a discount somewhere in between, depending on the presentation. 

If I get only I want, want, want and You will do as I want; in such cases, I don't even negotiate but say "The price for three persons for the whoole duration is ... I do not discount extra persons, who do not stay for a day or two, as the effort is the same. The washing machine uses as much water and energy, if you slept in the sheets 10 days or a week. I suggest to use the price filter and set the total number of perdons to 3, to find a lodging within your budget.

Edwin57
Level 10

Every one here is good,but you have to understand your limit there's nothing wrong for the guest to try to reduce your price you have to be smart about it , yes go back and forth with the pricing go down in one point and go high in a product like cleaning and so on you know what I mean