Is this a serious request

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Jenroy
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Is this a serious request

Post by Jenroy »

We have just received an enquiry for a stay in June. Our normal occupancy starts and ends on Saturdays so this is for an eight day stay starting on a Monday, which is not too unusual and we can consider.

Now comes the all important question - Do we offer discounts for stays in excess of a week? Is this a carefully devised plan to take the sting out of the potential cost of taking up a a two week period in June?

How would you respond?
Paul G
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Post by Paul G »

Depends how much you want the booking and your expectation of filling the weeks either side. With many budget airlines cutting back flights, Saturday to Saturday bookings in the off season are starting to be difficult. We would just pro rata a rate for the extra days plus a bit.
Jenroy
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Post by Jenroy »

Thanks we have a similar policy. The guests are from America and I guess this is only part of their holiday and understand that travel cannot be aligned with our change over days. However the point that I could take issue with is the fact that their enquiry is for 8 days and they are looking for a discount because they are staying more than a week!!!
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greenbarn
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Post by greenbarn »

"As you are only staying 8 days we are pleased to be able to offer you a 5% discount off our normal two week rate."
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Post by Martha »

I don't discount unless it's 3 weeks or over, and certainly not for 8 days!
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Marks
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Post by Marks »

This morning's gem

As we have 4 children can we bring airbeds for 2 of them? What discount can you give me for 2 weeks in June?

They want to over occupy by 50% and get a discount :evil:
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Giddy Goat
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Post by Giddy Goat »

Oh blimey - definitely of the "if you don't ask, you don't get" brigade. :lol:
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Mouse
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Post by Mouse »

That's cheek!

I wouldn't discount for 8 days at all...I don't even discount for 3 weeks. I would only discount if I had a week I needed to shift that was proving tricky or a last minute.

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pambon
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Post by pambon »

I only discount for a month during the summer season, but not in the winter as they get special weekly rates anyway.
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Moliere
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Post by Moliere »

I guess that fundamentally it all depends on how your season works.

For me, June was a semi-peak month when I could always count on being fully booked. Therefore I wouldn't take an 8-day booking anyway - if somebody insisted, I would charge them 2 weeks' rental (that's what they're taking up) less a small discount (say 15%) for reduced cleaning and laundry.

Now your season may work differently, it may be more spasmodic and flight-dependant, it may be easier to pick up odd 3 or 4 day bookings, I don't know, but you really have to qualify what you charge them by comparison with what you would expect to get otherwise (and it is still only January, remember).

Bonne chance

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Jenroy
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Post by Jenroy »

A big thank you for the replies. I have treated it as a serious request and quoted them a two week rate discounted by 10%. As others have pointed out we would lose a week because with a minimum stay of 7 days we would not be able to let the odd days.

We normally do not offer discounts but would do if a 4 week stay was requested.

I suspect we will hear nothing further but you never know!!!
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