Hi,
What is the consensus on a discount for 3rd week. The initial enquiry was for 2 weeks. Now they are discussing an extra week if the price is right! The extra week would suit me as it is often difficult to sell a single week in high season.
cheers,
Maria
Discount for extra week
-
CostaBlanca
- Posts: 253
- Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2006 2:58 pm
- Location: Costa Blanca
-
CostaBlanca
- Posts: 253
- Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2006 2:58 pm
- Location: Costa Blanca
-
CostaBlanca
- Posts: 253
- Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2006 2:58 pm
- Location: Costa Blanca
Maria,
We rarely give a discount as our rates are competitively priced, and never during high season, when we are always fully booked. We do negotiate for low occupancy in the low season (2 people for a house that sleeps 6 to 8people) but do not view extra weeks as a bonus necessarily.
For a 2 week booking, we may throw in an extra clean on the middle weekend, which we would have to pay for anyway if there was a changeover and at least keeps our cleaning staff in regular work.
Each case has to be taken on its merits and I'm not saying don't offer the discount, but I think generally that those who ask for one do so because they can't afford full price. In that situation, a modest discount is never going to be enough to make the difference.
This opinion is based on personal experience and yours may be different.
We rarely give a discount as our rates are competitively priced, and never during high season, when we are always fully booked. We do negotiate for low occupancy in the low season (2 people for a house that sleeps 6 to 8people) but do not view extra weeks as a bonus necessarily.
For a 2 week booking, we may throw in an extra clean on the middle weekend, which we would have to pay for anyway if there was a changeover and at least keeps our cleaning staff in regular work.
Each case has to be taken on its merits and I'm not saying don't offer the discount, but I think generally that those who ask for one do so because they can't afford full price. In that situation, a modest discount is never going to be enough to make the difference.
This opinion is based on personal experience and yours may be different.
-
CostaBlanca
- Posts: 253
- Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2006 2:58 pm
- Location: Costa Blanca
Hi Joanna,
I suppose that I wouldn´t be considering a discount at all if this had been earlier in the year or if we were close to being fully booked for the season. As it is there are probably just too many rental properties available in this area and most holiday makers obviously are aware of this. Our prices are lower than they were 4 years ago
We are competitively priced but Google reveals that there are many other properties much cheaper than us.
You are right that a modest discount will never make enough difference if they can´t pay full price in the first place. But maybe the culture is changing and some people, even if they can afford the stated price, are asking for discounts anyway.
Bi the way, the enquirer wants to pay the discounted price which I offered for 3rd week for the other 2 weeks as well. I still haven´t decided.
Maria
I suppose that I wouldn´t be considering a discount at all if this had been earlier in the year or if we were close to being fully booked for the season. As it is there are probably just too many rental properties available in this area and most holiday makers obviously are aware of this. Our prices are lower than they were 4 years ago
We are competitively priced but Google reveals that there are many other properties much cheaper than us.You are right that a modest discount will never make enough difference if they can´t pay full price in the first place. But maybe the culture is changing and some people, even if they can afford the stated price, are asking for discounts anyway.
Bi the way, the enquirer wants to pay the discounted price which I offered for 3rd week for the other 2 weeks as well. I still haven´t decided.
Maria
Exactly. I do know that you are tempted as some income is better than none - but in the long term I don't think that is true. I think your clients are banking on you feeling just as you are doing. I would tell them that you believe your pricing to be very fair as you have a quality product with value added elements and that the total price including the 3rd week discounted is a fair one for what they will be getting. If they don't agree with that I think you have to let them go - they wouldn't respect your property anyway.I agree the discount for the third week is conditional on paying the full price for the first two weeks. Otherwise where is the benefit for you?
Hi Maria,
As I don't have an experience of renting in Spain and when the bookings start to come in, I would say from my experience here in France, that they possibily may only take two weeks once the discount is confirmed for the three weeks leaving you back at, hard to fill week in high season.
Its a difficult and brave decision to make therefore your decision will be the correct one for you.
Wish you all the best.
As I don't have an experience of renting in Spain and when the bookings start to come in, I would say from my experience here in France, that they possibily may only take two weeks once the discount is confirmed for the three weeks leaving you back at, hard to fill week in high season.
Enids point are very valid, advise them of these, making you stand out from the crowd.We are competitively priced but Google reveals that there are many other properties much cheaper than us.
Its a difficult and brave decision to make therefore your decision will be the correct one for you.
Wish you all the best.
The reason for discounting is to fill weeks.
You have to look at your past booking history and figure out if, at this time of year, you are likely to have obtained the majority of your bookings.
If this is the case, and you still have unsold weeks it may be worth discounting - maybe by significant amounts.
Most of my bookings for summer come in January to March. If I still have peak weeks available I start to get twitchy and would definitely discount HUGELY if I had, say, 6 or more PEAK weeks still available (in Spain this is 50% of your peak season remember) and got an enquiry for 3 of those weeks!
On the other hand if i have sold 8 out of my 12 peak weeks I would hang on. I then start to discount at 8 weeks before the arrival date, gradually reducing the price until I think it's not worth the wear and tear and effort of having a guest. For example, in my ads I have started to discount May as I have very few bookings. At mid April I will start to discount June if it looks rather empty.
You have to look at your past booking history and figure out if, at this time of year, you are likely to have obtained the majority of your bookings.
If this is the case, and you still have unsold weeks it may be worth discounting - maybe by significant amounts.
Most of my bookings for summer come in January to March. If I still have peak weeks available I start to get twitchy and would definitely discount HUGELY if I had, say, 6 or more PEAK weeks still available (in Spain this is 50% of your peak season remember) and got an enquiry for 3 of those weeks!
On the other hand if i have sold 8 out of my 12 peak weeks I would hang on. I then start to discount at 8 weeks before the arrival date, gradually reducing the price until I think it's not worth the wear and tear and effort of having a guest. For example, in my ads I have started to discount May as I have very few bookings. At mid April I will start to discount June if it looks rather empty.
Sometimes i sits and thinks - and sometimes i just sits...
-
CostaBlanca
- Posts: 253
- Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2006 2:58 pm
- Location: Costa Blanca
Many thanks to everyone for their input.
I (we) decided that we would not reduce the price any further following advice from here. Of course, we haven´t heard back from the enquirer and we may yet regret this decision if we are unlucky not to get another booking for this period. Only time will tell!
Saludos a todos,
Maria
I (we) decided that we would not reduce the price any further following advice from here. Of course, we haven´t heard back from the enquirer and we may yet regret this decision if we are unlucky not to get another booking for this period. Only time will tell!
Saludos a todos,
Maria
-
CostaBlanca
- Posts: 253
- Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2006 2:58 pm
- Location: Costa Blanca
-
CostaBlanca
- Posts: 253
- Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2006 2:58 pm
- Location: Costa Blanca
Hi,
The latest update, my clients now have paid a deposit and booked for 3 weeks
.
It appears to me that the tone of the emails are now very business like and short whereas at the beginning, they were more friendly/less formal. Hopefully, by the time that they arrive, they will be in holiday mode.
thanks for all your advice.
Maria
The latest update, my clients now have paid a deposit and booked for 3 weeks
. It appears to me that the tone of the emails are now very business like and short whereas at the beginning, they were more friendly/less formal. Hopefully, by the time that they arrive, they will be in holiday mode.
thanks for all your advice.
Maria