Perks for repeat bookings..

[Sue Dyer]

We started to discuss this on another thread. viewtopic.php?t=5078&highlight=

I used to give a 10% or round down perk for return bookings. However, now I just tend to leave something on a sliding scale. ie. Chocolates or flowers for second visits up to champagne for our 5th timers.

As someone who is very liberal with me toilet rolls ( ) I get a bit of a business head on me for returners. I know in North Northumberland in summer you could rent out a pig cree out, accommodation is that hard to find. Therefore, I know (or hope!) that I will be able to get the full rate for the week for June/July/Aug and probably Sept. I've never been asked for a returners discount. If I was I'd probably offer a gesture but I think our guest know how many extras they get anyway!!

[Margaret]

I agree with Sue about not offering a discount. If people want to return, they will. If you are offering lots of extras, why give away some of your hard earned profit?

We are finding that people who come back are actually more than willing to pay a higher price - we started off with very low prices in our first year and have increased them significantly since then, especially at peak periods when we are full anyway, so some returners are paying close to double what they originally paid. Our occupancy has fallen a bit (certainly fewer weekend bookings) but our overall income is massively up.

We always put a bottle of wine and maybe some beers in the fridge for people coming back and perhaps chocolate for the children.

We definitely don't have a problem with returners leaving more of a mess!

[Ju]

We don't give discounts for repeaters anymore. If it is a week we would book anyway we would be just giving away money. As this is our only income we can't afford to.

We do leave an extra gift, perhaps a bottle of fizz, which is appreciated.

Ju

[enid]

I put my prices up in September - if I get a booking before that I give this year's prices after that I give a reduction of 5% ( depends on the client a bit). Perhaps it's not as hardnosed an approach as it should be but we make our money and I feel it has helped build our reputation as good value for money.

[J&J]

Ooops, think I spoke about our perks on the other thread.
We sometimes upgrade returning people to a roomier property out of season. We also order a cake from the local boulangerie with "welcome back" decorated on it and leave it in the fridge.

Judith

[Big Sis..]

We also order a cake from the local boulangerie with "welcome back" decorated on it and leave it in the fridge.

Aww How nice is that Good for you JJ

[Mouse]

JJ - I was thinking of doing that next year!!!!

Our next years prices are a couple of hundred more than this years in high season so for people who might want to return then I have offered a discount.
However - I do tend to be with Ju. If your income is your living....peak season should be peak prices and perhaps provide extra's that say 'it's nice to have you back'. Harder to fill months are different
After all most service providers don't offer discount if you go back to them.

Mouse
x

[Hells Bells]

I've just done my pre-winter email off to previous guests. I have offered 5% but only if booked before the end of October, and 5% if they book a summer week next year. I will phase out these once this season is over though.

[Big Sis..]

Good post ..
As always people make theyre own decisions and whats right for one isnt for another...[or as is often said Horses for Courses]
But Im always pleased to see varying opinions[which is the great strength of this forum]
because it helps me to decide ...No one has all the answers.. definitely not me ..
But this sort of debate helps us towards the right one for us...

[Margaret]

I have tried several sorts of incentives and not found that any of them work. Especially not late booking discounts - we are in a low price area anyway.

Like others, we find that we would get more repeat bookings but some people leave it too late and then there is nothing left.

So what we do is send out an 'early warning' email to past guests (and enquirers who didn't book) and encourage them to book early or they won't get the apartment and/or dates they want - quite a lot of them already have experience of this anyway so all they need is a nudge. As we have winter and summer seasons we do this twice a year (apart from other newsy emails in between).

[Hells Bells]

And that is exactly what I've done this morning. I offer the 5% as an incentive, as it helps my cash flow to have the deposits paid between now and November. I think the relatively poor snow last winter has slowed things down a little bit (although it was comparatively good in our resort), sp perhaps this is the nudge they need.

[Giddy Goat]

now I just tend to leave something on a sliding scale. ie. Chocolates or flowers for second visits up to champagne for our 5th timers.

We leave a good bottle of champagne for all our guests as a gesture of good will, and only one family in three years has commented, which is a bit miff-making. So, while everyone still gets the champers, though I used to offer 5% discounts to returning guests, I now only do so out of peak and high season.

[la vache!]

I leave a couple of bottles of wine and some bottles of beer in the fridge (I do not mention this on the website) and likewise, GG, few people have ever commented! Which means that is is probably expected by most people when they stay in gites.

[Giddy Goat]

And that's on top of the welcome pack, oui?

We got a welcome pack in the apartment we are in while water-logged at home: bread, butter, milk, tea, coffee, sugar, 2 serves of cereal, pasta and Dolmio sauce, a selection of hotel sized spreads, plus loo rolls and a few other basics like that - no wine though, but wasn't expecting it. A novelty to be on the receiving end for once!

[la vache!]

And that's on top of the welcome pack, oui?

I don't provide welcome packs, it is bad enough shopping for myself and the all the non foods required in the gites on my own with a baby in tow, let alone 3 lots of welcome packs! I always offer to get in provisions for guests if they will be arriving after the supermarkets shut - this summer I've done 2 shopping lists provided and some others just bread, milk and butter, but that's it.
Sorry for the thread creep, but I don't think I've ever lost a booking on the grounds that there is no welcome pack provided and it saves me an awful lot of hassle. I agree it is a "nice to have" for guests, though.