Who is responsible for discounts?

[westernrvparkow]

Is it the obligation of the business or the customer to determine whether or not that customer is eligible for a discount? We honor discounts for Good Sam members, seniors and active military. That information is clearly posted on our website and at that registration counter. Should the park question each guest as to whether or not they are eligible for one of those discounts or is the onus on the customer to tell us they are Good Sam members, over 55, or are actively serving in the military?
If you feel it is the park's responsibility, does that obligation extend to further investigating the customer's planned itinerary and pointing out they could save money by either staying longer, thus qualifying for a weekly discount, or arriving earlier or later in the year thus getting the shoulder season rate?
It is my opinion that the customer is responsible for their reservation details. Any thoughts, pro or con?

[time2roll]

I believe it is the primary responsibility of the guest to ask about discounts and have their information up to date and available to present. However the campground should also have available discounts for memberships or length of stay easily displayed.

However once the stay has been negotiated and paid that should be the end of it. Any discount would be at the next visit or if the stay was extended.

Campground should be very careful to treat protected classes the exact same. Any profiling could lose the entire campground.

[rk911]

tll wrote:
This whole topic started with a post where a customer forgot to ask for their discount, and retroactively requested it before their stay was up. I do agree that it is the customers job to ask for discounts they qualify for after seeing a list of those posted at the business or their website. But the rub begins when a customer is aware of those discounts, but forgets to ask for them. I have done this several times in making camping reservations where I qualify for the Good Sam discount. When I register at the park I request the discount, or sometimes a day or two after my stay has begun, and I always have been cheerfully given the discount. I get that it was my fault, but the job of the business is to give excellent customer service. Pissing me off of my request to save a few bucks will not work in their favor, even it it was my fault.

so, how long is too long before it's too late to retroactively ask for the discount? an hour? a day? week? longer? anytime while we're at the park? after checkout? do different time limits apply to different discounts? can i get a refund between the full price of a movie and the geezer price...after the movie? after the meal has been eaten? of course not. why should an RV park be different?

yes, parks should prominently post their rates...always. most that we've been to over the years don't. yes, parks should prominently post the discounts they honor...always. most we've been to don't. if the clerk asks that's just gravy on the biscuit so it's up to me, the customer, to ask.

[rk911]

tll wrote:
This whole topic started with a post where a customer forgot to ask for their discount, and retroactively requested it before their stay was up. I do agree that it is the customers job to ask for discounts they qualify for after seeing a list of those posted at the business or their website. But the rub begins when a customer is aware of those discounts, but forgets to ask for them. I have done this several times in making camping reservations where I qualify for the Good Sam discount. When I register at the park I request the discount, or sometimes a day or two after my stay has begun, and I always have been cheerfully given the discount. I get that it was my fault, but the job of the business is to give excellent customer service. Pissing me off of my request to save a few bucks will not work in their favor, even it it was my fault.

so, how long is too long before it's too late to retroactively ask for the discount? a day? week? longer? anytime while we're at the park? after checkout? do different time limits apply to different discounts? can i get a refund between the full price of a movie and the geezer price...after th


yes, parks should prominently post their rates...always. most that we've been to over the years don't. yes, parks should prominently post the discounts they honor...always. most we've been to don't. if the clerk asks that's just gravy on the biscuit so it's up to me, the customer, to ask.

[Walaby]

I guess I must be in the minority. If I forgot to ask for a discount, I just chalk it up and move on. I have never considered going back days later and say "hey, I forgot.. can I get my 10% off now"?

Nor have I got back to a store, and saw something was on sale that I just purchased, and then go back and return it so I can buy the cheaper one.

To me, it's not worth the 2-3 bucks I would get in return for asking.

But, guess that's just me.

Mike

[tll]

This whole topic started with a post where a customer forgot to ask for their discount, and retroactively requested it before their stay was up. I do agree that it is the customers job to ask for discounts they qualify for after seeing a list of those posted at the business or their website. But the rub begins when a customer is aware of those discounts, but forgets to ask for them. I have done this several times in making camping reservations where I qualify for the Good Sam discount. When I register at the park I request the discount, or sometimes a day or two after my stay has begun, and I always have been cheerfully given the discount. I get that it was my fault, but the job of the business is to give excellent customer service. Pissing me off of my request to save a few bucks will not work in their favor, even it it was my fault.

[PA12DRVR]

I used to frequent a CG outside of Houston. Very nice facilities, very clean, great place. Two things (in addition to the general "nice" of the place) I recall well:

1) There was a big sign at the registration desk announcing that discounts must be requested / given /taken at the time of registration, not later
1.a This was duplicated on the registration form
2) Probably stopped at this CG 20 times and each time (well at the end they stopped asking 'cause I always said "no") the folks asked: Are you: AAA/Good SAm/ Retired Military / Retired Civil Service / Member of ABC local clubs...and so forth.

If the CG took the initiative to identify all discounts I was entitled to, it wouldn't offset or induce me to stay at a crappy CG. Alternatively, if I had to push for getting any discounts, it wouldn't be off-putting and keep me from staying at a nice CG.

The way the one outside of Houston did it seemed a great balance.

[cummins2014]

PastorCharlie wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:

PastorCharlie wrote:
I notice the question and replies are addressing who is responsible to ask for a discount. Who's responsibility is it? Wrong question.

What about rather addressing the issue from a public relation aspect? If a business asks a customer if they have any of their qualifying discount the business will grow in the customers eyes and admiration. If the customer has to ask has to ask for a discount the customer feels negative toward the business in that they have to ask for a lesser price.

I remember in my high school days while studying the psychology of business that the customer felt much better toward the business, if for instant they were buying loose seeds, (that was back in the day) and the clerk measuring out the seed would make sure not to over scoop the requested amount but make sure to re-scoop a second or third time making sure to get the exact amount the customer was requesting. It made the customer feel that the merchant was an extremely honest person and desirous to make sure the customer was not cheated.

The difference was if the clerk put too much seed into the scale and then proceeded to remove some to correct the amount. It made the customer think the merchant was a stingy and cheap person.

The question for the campground owner is which image do they wish to relay to their customers? What lingering "taste" do they wish to leave on their customer's palate?

I have witnesses a lot of businesses succeed and a lot of businesses fail in my 79 years and I do not believe any failed because they were overly nice and customer oriented. There is a saying in my neck of the woods; "The customer is always right." One unhappy customer is one too many for any business.

Who's responsibility is it to make and grow a business?

I put "the customer is always right" in the same bucket as feel good sayings like "follow your dreams" and "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again". Fact is the customer is not always right, following your dreams can be stupid if you have unobtainable dreams and not everything will be successful no matter how much you try.
And thousands of businesses that were customer oriented have failed. The local pharmacy has likely lost out to Walgreens and CVS. Your local hardware store and lumber yard went kaput not because they weren't friendly but because Home Depot and Lowe's crushed them. The local cafe lost to McDonalds and goodness knows Walmart put many nice, friendly people out of business. And when was the last time the milkman delivered fresh dairy products to your back door? Customer service is only part of the big puzzle that is a successful business.

I fear my post went far over your head.

It appears the subject is divided. . IMO for what it is worth , why not ask the customer . Anything I could do to help MY BUSINESS as a owner I would do . If asking would improve public relations , and customer reviews , why not ??

[CFerguson]

PastorCharlie wrote:

westernrvparkowner wrote:

PastorCharlie wrote:
I notice the question and replies are addressing who is responsible to ask for a discount. Who's responsibility is it? Wrong question.

What about rather addressing the issue from a public relation aspect? If a business asks a customer if they have any of their qualifying discount the business will grow in the customers eyes and admiration. If the customer has to ask has to ask for a discount the customer feels negative toward the business in that they have to ask for a lesser price.

I remember in my high school days while studying the psychology of business that the customer felt much better toward the business, if for instant they were buying loose seeds, (that was back in the day) and the clerk measuring out the seed would make sure not to over scoop the requested amount but make sure to re-scoop a second or third time making sure to get the exact amount the customer was requesting. It made the customer feel that the merchant was an extremely honest person and desirous to make sure the customer was not cheated.

The difference was if the clerk put too much seed into the scale and then proceeded to remove some to correct the amount. It made the customer think the merchant was a stingy and cheap person.

The question for the campground owner is which image do they wish to relay to their customers? What lingering "taste" do they wish to leave on their customer's palate?

I have witnesses a lot of businesses succeed and a lot of businesses fail in my 79 years and I do not believe any failed because they were overly nice and customer oriented. There is a saying in my neck of the woods; "The customer is always right." One unhappy customer is one too many for any business.

Who's responsibility is it to make and grow a business?

I put "the customer is always right" in the same bucket as feel good sayings like "follow your dreams" and "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again". Fact is the customer is not always right, following your dreams can be stupid if you have unobtainable dreams and not everything will be successful no matter how much you try.
And thousands of businesses that were customer oriented have failed. The local pharmacy has likely lost out to Walgreens and CVS. Your local hardware store and lumber yard went kaput not because they weren't friendly but because Home Depot and Lowe's crushed them. The local cafe lost to McDonalds and goodness knows Walmart put many nice, friendly people out of business. And when was the last time the milkman delivered fresh dairy products to your back door? Customer service is only part of the big puzzle that is a successful business.

I fear my post went far over your head.

I had the same feeling, PC.

[PastorCharlie]

westernrvparkowner wrote:

PastorCharlie wrote:
I notice the question and replies are addressing who is responsible to ask for a discount. Who's responsibility is it? Wrong question.

What about rather addressing the issue from a public relation aspect? If a business asks a customer if they have any of their qualifying discount the business will grow in the customers eyes and admiration. If the customer has to ask has to ask for a discount the customer feels negative toward the business in that they have to ask for a lesser price.

I remember in my high school days while studying the psychology of business that the customer felt much better toward the business, if for instant they were buying loose seeds, (that was back in the day) and the clerk measuring out the seed would make sure not to over scoop the requested amount but make sure to re-scoop a second or third time making sure to get the exact amount the customer was requesting. It made the customer feel that the merchant was an extremely honest person and desirous to make sure the customer was not cheated.

The difference was if the clerk put too much seed into the scale and then proceeded to remove some to correct the amount. It made the customer think the merchant was a stingy and cheap person.

The question for the campground owner is which image do they wish to relay to their customers? What lingering "taste" do they wish to leave on their customer's palate?

I have witnesses a lot of businesses succeed and a lot of businesses fail in my 79 years and I do not believe any failed because they were overly nice and customer oriented. There is a saying in my neck of the woods; "The customer is always right." One unhappy customer is one too many for any business.

Who's responsibility is it to make and grow a business?

I put "the customer is always right" in the same bucket as feel good sayings like "follow your dreams" and "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again". Fact is the customer is not always right, following your dreams can be stupid if you have unobtainable dreams and not everything will be successful no matter how much you try.
And thousands of businesses that were customer oriented have failed. The local pharmacy has likely lost out to Walgreens and CVS. Your local hardware store and lumber yard went kaput not because they weren't friendly but because Home Depot and Lowe's crushed them. The local cafe lost to McDonalds and goodness knows Walmart put many nice, friendly people out of business. And when was the last time the milkman delivered fresh dairy products to your back door? Customer service is only part of the big puzzle that is a successful business.

I fear my post went far over your head.

[bpounds]

To me it just makes sense that the clerk ask about discounts. Just to avoid getting all the way down to the point of passing the CC over, and then going back and adjusting the price. That doesn't make it the providers responsibility, just smoothes the flow of the transaction.

I have been at places that I didn't necessarily trust, and would let them tell me the final price before I tell them about my discount. You know, those places that are less than truthful about their prices. Never had that at a camp or hotel. More like contractors or other casual labor.

[Ron3rd]

The only discount we've received from time to time is for AAA (Auto Club) which is usually 10%. I have NEVER had a clerk at a campground mention that discount in advance. We've always had to ask if they give a discount for AAA.

[Alan_Hepburn]

Is it the responsibility of the hotel clerk to ask if you've used all the various websites to verify that you've received the best price possible?

Is it the responsibility of the car salesman to ask you if you've researched, and obtained, the best price possible?

I think in the end it's MY responsibility to make sure that I am satisfied with the price I pay, no matter what I'm buying.

[Campfire_Time]

It is the customer's responsibility to ask for any applicable discounts. No question there.

However good, no excellent, customer service dictates that the question be asked by the counter attendant during check in. Anticipate the customer's needs and knock their socks off.

[mowermech]

I quite often ask about discounts for Retired Military. If they say "Why, yes!" I always present my DD form 2 (Retired) to show that I am in reality Retired Military. Of course, at the MAFB Famcamp, presenting the ID card is REQUIRED!
As for Senior discounts, if I ask for it, I present proof of birthdate. No problem.
AAA? No. AARP? No. Good Sam? Dropped it many years ago. KOA? Not at this time.
When I go to Costco, I am required to present my card twice; once to get in the store, and once to check out and pay. I do not find that offensive.
I have even found some places that give both the Retired Military and Senior Discounts. Not many, but it has happened. Yes, I think it is great!
I firmly believe it is my responsibility to ask about discounts. Often it works, sometimes it doesn't. I won't know if I don't ask!