I'll write about our recent trip to Niagara Falls more sometime soon, but for now I want to relate a story that illustrates that you should always ask for a discount/lower price since you never know what will happen.
While visiting the Falls, my daughter wanted to play glow-in-the-dark mini golf. We walked down to the course from our hotel only to find that the cost was $9 per game per "adult." We also found out that an "adult" was anyone 11 or over. A "child" "only" paid $7.
So we went up to the counter and I said we had four adults since we were all over 11. My wife told the cashier that our daughter had turned 11 just a couple days earlier (which was true). I was thinking "Why even bring it up? There's no way they're going to give us the child's rate." Just then, the cashier said, "I'll give you the kid's rate for your daughter." Boy, was I surprised.
Now you could look at this as no big deal because we only saved $2. That's a fair conclusion. But the point I would like to make is that we all should be asking for discounts, better prices, lower fares, etc. as much as we can because you never know if/when someone will give it to you. Besides, the cost of asking is zero, so whatever savings you get is total profit.
Sure, a $2 savings is not a big deal. But look at it this way: $2 saved for 15 seconds of work is a savings of $480 per hour!!! Not bad, huh? Not bad at all!!!!!!
How about you? Any "I thought I wouldn't get a discount but asked for one anyway and got it" stories out there?
Recently we decided to cancel our subscription to our hometown newspaper because of increase in price. We hoped that they would call us with a better offer for renewing our subscription. Well, they just happened to cold call us and my husband told them we had just cancelled the newspaper because of the price. They offered us a savings of $1.50 per week for three months only. Well, we accepted. In three months time we will decide what we shall do. But, in the meantime, we are saving $1.50 per week on delivery! Maybe not much, but it is something!!
Posted by: ana | July 27, 2009 at 12:37 PM
at dinner that other night my 11 yr old daughter would have qualified as an adult (for an all you can eat fish and chips place). It's important for us to be honest, so I outlined to the server that she was 11, but didn't eat as much as we did and she gave us the kids price, saved us $4.. never hurts to ask :)
Posted by: malingerer | July 27, 2009 at 12:40 PM
So if the cashier or whomever you are dealing with asks you if you would like to pay more than the ticketed price, how would you respond? Would that be fair?
If you can ask for a discount, can they ask for a premium?
Imagine if business did that. How would the customers feel?
Or if your employer came up to you on payday and said "Could I pay you a bit less this pay period?." MY guess..you no likey.
I understand "haggling" or negotiating when customary, such as with big ticket items like houses, cars, or furniture, but 99% of the time either accept the price or move on.
Because where is the line. Why stop at a $2 discount. Why not try to get $3, or $4 or the entire thing free?
Posted by: bob | July 27, 2009 at 12:42 PM
Bob --
I'm not sure what you're trying to say. Are you saying that in most cases we shouldn't ask for a discount? (I think that's what you are saying.) If so, why not? I'm not understanding your reason for it. Are you saying it's not ethical?
Posted by: FMF | July 27, 2009 at 01:01 PM
One nitpick - you can't really say it's savings of $480/hr unless you could actually stand there for the whole hour and save that amount. It wasn't a recurring savings (such as cancelling a subscription) so your savings were $2 forever.
Posted by: savvy | July 27, 2009 at 01:02 PM
I have been in sales since 1963. Yes you read right 1963. Let me tell you straight up if you don't ask the simple question----"is that the best price you can offer" you are leaving money on the table. Nothing is etched in stone except the fact that YOU WILL EXPERIENCE DEATH at some point. Ask and then be quiet until you get the answer. You will be surprised.
Posted by: Always Asking | July 27, 2009 at 01:04 PM
Savvy --
I know. I just like to have fun with numbers like that. Sometimes it's hard to get my tongue-in-cheek humor across in writing. :-)
Posted by: FMF | July 27, 2009 at 01:14 PM
This is very true. You don't know until you ask.
A few months ago I purchased an Apple laptop from a national electronics chain. I had missed the sale the week before when the price was a $100 less. Just on a whim I asked the sales clerk if I could get the last week's sales price. It took him just a few minutes to get permission from the manager to honor the sales price from a week ago. One simple question saved me $100.
Posted by: [email protected] | July 27, 2009 at 01:28 PM
Around April 1 of each year, Home Depot and Lowe's flood the market with coupons - 10% off, $10 off a $50 purchase, $25 off a $250 purchase, etc.
I can't recall the exact coupons, but Lowe's had a better coupon than Home Depot. The problem is, Home Depot is about a mile from my house, while Lowe's is in another town, about eight miles of busy highway away.
I asked the manager at Home Depot if he would honor Lowe's coupons and he said yes. Saved me some money and a trip all the way across town when I really didn't have the time for it.
Posted by: Bad_Brad | July 27, 2009 at 02:36 PM
"So if the cashier or whomever you are dealing with asks you if you would like to pay more than the ticketed price, how would you respond? Would that be fair?"
Doesn't this happened? At grocery stores and the likes I frequently get asked if I would like to add $10 to my purchase to fund girl scouts, or a food bank, or cancer research or whatever the current cause is. At smaller food places (eg. Coldstone) they have tip jars at the register, and at some locations not tipping will get you a dirty look!
Posted by: Michael | July 27, 2009 at 02:51 PM
"So if the cashier or whomever you are dealing with asks you if you would like to pay more than the ticketed price, how would you respond? Would that be fair?"
Doesn't this happened? At grocery stores and the likes I frequently get asked if I would like to add $10 to my purchase to fund girl scouts, or a food bank, or cancer research or whatever the current cause is. At smaller food places (eg. Coldstone) they have tip jars at the register, and at some locations not tipping will get you a dirty look!
Posted by: Michael | July 27, 2009 at 02:53 PM
My father LOVES to do this exact thing. He is constantly telling me how he calls up Verizon Wireless and negotiates a better deal, free car charger, etc. On day, on a whim, he called them up because he had an issue with my mother's new phone they bought from a Verizon storefront the prior week. While on the phone, he discovered that the price you pay via online, telephone and storefront vary significantly (and in his case, as much as $75). He returned the phone to the store, then purchased the exact same phone through telephone salesperson. If it is one thing I've learned from my dad, it pays to ask! The worst thing that they could do is to say, "I'm sorry, that's the best we can do."
Posted by: Marc B. | July 27, 2009 at 03:41 PM
"Or if your employer came up to you on payday and said "Could I pay you a bit less this pay period?." MY guess..you no likey"
This is happening all over. My school district just approached all the staff and basically said, we need to cut jobs unless you forego all pay increases for the coming year. We all accepted- but if they had not asked, it would not have happened. So yes, your employer can ask.
Posted by: cathy | July 27, 2009 at 04:18 PM
Golfsmith often sends email coupons for online purchases. When shopping at the actual store recently, I told the sales person I had received an email coupon, but didn't have it with me. He dug out a discount code from under the counter, and we saved more than $30. It absolutely pays to ask...nicely.
Posted by: carole | July 27, 2009 at 10:40 PM
This is a rather specialized one, but...
My wife and I do a lot of motorcycle touring. We went to a state park the other day and the entry fee was $4 per vehicle. We had two motorcycles, and the girl at the gate was going to charge us $8. After a little negotiation, she decided we'd only use up one parking spot, after all, just like a car, and let us both in for the price of one vehicle. We've done this successfully for several years at state parks, reasoning that two two-wheeled vehicles is the same impact as a four-wheeled vehicle.
Posted by: Jon | July 28, 2009 at 11:02 AM
My best friend got a discount on vintage clothing by proclaiming rather loudly when she was trying it on that it was missing a button!
Posted by: The Apprentice | August 04, 2009 at 11:52 AM