All Forum Posts by: Kevin Lefeuvre
Kevin Lefeuvre has started 58 posts and replied 553 times.
Post: Guests increasingly ask for discounts
#3 Coronavirus Conversation ContributorPosted - Los Angeles, CA
- Posts 565
- Votes 391
Originally posted by @Maurice D.:
how about this? :)
"I have other <regular> guests interested in reserving at my regular price. Submit your best and highest reservation by 4PM"
;)
Great. "Submit your best offer" is a great rule. I never offer anything without that, whether for a rental or any negotiation. Adding the time limit is a great idea, but if you know the platforms, you know you make a "quote" ( VRBO verbiage) or a "special offer" (Airbnb wording) both give the guest 24/48 hours and their "offer" is not binding. That said I like the idea of time limit just like in a RE purchase offer. Thanks Maurice.
Post: Guests increasingly ask for discounts
#3 Coronavirus Conversation ContributorPosted - Los Angeles, CA
- Posts 565
- Votes 391
the problem with Bali is that What Happens With Paul's Jokes In Bali Won't Stay In Bali
Post: Guests increasingly ask for discounts
#3 Coronavirus Conversation ContributorPosted - Los Angeles, CA
- Posts 565
- Votes 391
Originally posted by @Chai Xiong:
I get them all the time and i know they blanket the entire listing in the area asking for discounts. I have 4 in the same area and i get the same email across my 4 listings. Don't fall for it
Interesting!
Post: Guests increasingly ask for discounts
#3 Coronavirus Conversation ContributorPosted - Los Angeles, CA
- Posts 565
- Votes 391
Originally posted by @Avery Carl:
@Julie McCoy spot on as usual with her answer. We get discount questions from time to time. You just have to come up with polite/friendly wording to let them know that no additional discounts are being offered at this time.
You are absolutely right Avery. Speaking one's mind gives energy though .... from time to time :-)
Post: Guests increasingly ask for discounts
#3 Coronavirus Conversation ContributorPosted - Los Angeles, CA
- Posts 565
- Votes 391
Originally posted by @Julie McCoy:
I don't get asked for discounts all that often, but when I do, I generally say "The current price shows all available discounts". At least twice recently people have booked anyway, and been thrilled with their stay!
Yes Julie, that's my standard response too. Even though the discount shows on their quote without us mentioning it anyway.
Yesterday I went crazy and replied this to the 4th inquiry in the day: "If I wanted to discount any stranger sending a message then I would put the low rate up there and the place would be fully booked in 2 minutes for 6 months ahead." My partner said I am crazy. I needed to do that to feel better, coffee would not be enough :-)
Post: Guests increasingly ask for discounts
#3 Coronavirus Conversation ContributorPosted - Los Angeles, CA
- Posts 565
- Votes 391
I'm in for that meetup @Luke Carl to hear more
@Paul Sandhu 's stories. Vegas seems to be the right place for that purpose :-)
Post: Guests increasingly ask for discounts
#3 Coronavirus Conversation ContributorPosted - Los Angeles, CA
- Posts 565
- Votes 391
Originally posted by @Mary M.:
I think part of the issue is profesionlization of the sector. Quality goes down and prices go up and people are nickle and dimed ( cleaning fees, deposits, etc) Once this happens people dont feel bad asking for discounts
True!
Post: Guests increasingly ask for discounts
#3 Coronavirus Conversation ContributorPosted - Los Angeles, CA
- Posts 565
- Votes 391
Originally posted by @Michael Greenberg:
Hey @Kevin Lefeuvre,
You've poked the bear and I've only had one cup of coffee! Yes, indeed this is happening and I agree with @Account Closed's comments, but beyond that I also think there is an erosion of prices being driven by the encouraging behaviors of the OTA's and travel industry as a whole. They are encouraging a race to zero. Are you ever
Michael, coffee is a must in the morning, (as in the afternoon). :-)
Agreed on everything and the fact OTAs like lowering prices. I wonder if there is not something in their communication funnel encouraging the guests to ask for discount. I do travel a few times a year using them and didn't notice anything, but I won't be surprised if in one of those "retargeting" ads or emails, they don't encourage them to contact the host and ask for discount. (the same way they send us notes such as "XY has not yet booked, contact them and offer a discount or ....")
Thanks for the detailed comment.
Post: Guests increasingly ask for discounts
#3 Coronavirus Conversation ContributorPosted - Los Angeles, CA
- Posts 565
- Votes 391
Is everyone else seeing an increase of inquiries asking for a better deal?
When I started 4 years ago, it was very rare. Now a large % of guests ask for discount. In the past 24 hours alone, got 2/3 inquiries per property all asking for discounts!!! Drives me crazy. So time consuming....
And how do you deal with them? Refusing is losing the deal. Negotiating is encouraging them to do so even more.... :-(
What are your thoughts?
Post: Are you tracking DIA (days in advance) of booking?
#3 Coronavirus Conversation ContributorPosted - Los Angeles, CA
- Posts 565
- Votes 391
Not a parameter I am following as such. I just update my pricing based on the provisional occupancy rate. But I like what you are doing and if I digged into numbers I think my numbers would be similar: smaller for Airbnb where llast minute bookings are more common than on VRBO . 50 days average seems reasonable to me.
As an input I think the last column should not be computed as a direct average, rather weighted by volume (either $ value or number of nights or even number of bookings). If you compute this way, Opulence will show around 55 not 40 (no direct booking) .