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?

[wildtoad]

I’ll take the opposite view. There is who’s responsible and wanting perhaps to earn or perhaps lose a repeat customer. I find it a better experience if the checkin staff ask if I qualify for x-y-z discounts. The words I hate to hear are “Well you didn’t ask”. Sometimes people who qualify for a senior discount may not notice the sign saying we give senior discounts (but only if you ask). Sometimes websites aren’t real clear either. As the park owner you have already decided to offer a discount, have factored it in your business plan, so smile at me and ask are you ex-military, older than dirt. Heck even KOA lets me know when I have enough points for a free night.

[colliehauler]

BB_TX wrote:
As long as available discounts are clearly posted on the park web site and at the check in counter, I think it is the customer responsibility to ask for the discount. Some discounts, especially senior, can be very touchy subjects as there are some who are easily offended if someone suggest they may be a senior, even though that person may be well past the effective age, and look it. And no doubt some anti military person may be offended if you ask that question.

I was first given a senior discount as I was still approaching 50 by a teeny bopper server at a Dennys restaurant. My hair was already turning grey by that time. She seem so pleased that she had given us that. I was surprised but more than happy to accept the discount. Some would have been livid.

Too funny I had the same thing happen to me at a restaurant when I was in my 50s I took the discount as well. My hair turned silver early as well.

[bpounds]

I would never expect the discount retro-actively. If I forget to ask at check-in, that's on me.

[SDcampowneroper]

We ask, and point to our rates board then ask to see the card. Previously we did not ask then had some come to the office days later wanting the discount credited back.
Its always the customers responsibility at CHECK IN to show they qualify.

[bukhrn]

Looks like you got your answer, pretty convincingly.
I don't expect a discount, but happy as a clam when I get one.

[DrewE]

It's the customers responsibility to request applicable discounts. It can be nice to remind them if there's reason to believe they would be eligible, but that's not a requirement on the merchant, just a nice neighborly thing to do.

Possibly one exception I'd suggest would be for the campground to automatically apply a lower total rate for a longer stay than actually requested/used. For instance, if staying six nights at $50 a night and the weekly rate is $275, it seems to me the campground maybe ought to, as a matter of course, use the weekly rate for the six days, possibly without even asking. But even then it is in no way unethical or scummy to charge the posted, agreed-upon rate for the length of the stay.

(Similarly, I think it would be nice if mail order and online merchants that offer free shipping on orders over $x would automatically bump an order up to $x if doing so results in a lower total cost than the actual order plus non-free shipping...or at least offer the option of buying nothing at $.01 per unit, rather than forcing one to add random, not-really-wanted low priced items to bring the total up to the free shipping threshhold.)

[bpounds]

I don't expect the establishment to quiz me about memberships, or discounts that might apply. I appreciate any clerk that makes an effort to help me save money, but I don't expect that. I will sometimes ask if they honor this or that. All they can say is no.

My experience is more with hotels than RV parks, since I rarely use an RV park, but I expect the experience to be very similar.

If I ask if they have a AAA discount, and they do, I will admit that I resent being asked to see my card. And in fact, I am almost never asked to actually show proof of AAA/AARP/GS, or any other. I can probably count on one hand the number of times that my word on the matter hasn't been satisfactory. It's not that they don't have the right to ask, it's just that 99 other places did not ask, and this one place thinks I am lying about it, which makes them a less enjoyable establishment than those other 99. Not a deal breaker by any stretch, just that it tells me something about the place.

[westernrvparkow]

2 Retired wrote:
If the camper has the information about possible discounts easily obtainable, the CG owner has covered his/her 'good faith' responsibilities. DH and I have been RVing for over 45 years and we always ask - I almost always do when making a reservation. Agree with others, however, that a detailed price list for each type of site should be readily available at the check-in desk so I can always be certain the applicable discount was properly given. As for extended-stay discounts, that should be simple. If the guest is staying for one day short of what is required, simply ask if they would like to extend for a better rate. Doubt that would happen too often. Sounds like you have been 'challenged' because someone didn't receive his 10%. Too bad, but not your fault IMHO.

Actually, there was another thread that ran about a customer not getting a discount when they forgot to mention they were Good Sam members and now want to get it retro-actively. But that thread was on life support and circling the drain, so I posted this one.

[2_Retired]

If the camper has the information about possible discounts easily obtainable, the CG owner has covered his/her 'good faith' responsibilities. DH and I have been RVing for over 45 years and we always ask - I almost always do when making a reservation. Agree with others, however, that a detailed price list for each type of site should be readily available at the check-in desk so I can always be certain the applicable discount was properly given. As for extended-stay discounts, that should be simple. If the guest is staying for one day short of what is required, simply ask if they would like to extend for a better rate. Doubt that would happen too often. Sounds like you have been 'challenged' because someone didn't receive his 10%. Too bad, but not your fault IMHO.

[Grit_dog]

Someone bitsched that they didn't get the discount after the fact...that's like going back to McDonalds 30 min later and telling them your fries are cold!

[BB_TX]

As long as available discounts are clearly posted on the park web site and at the check in counter, I think it is the customer responsibility to ask for the discount. Some discounts, especially senior, can be very touchy subjects as there are some who are easily offended if someone suggest they may be a senior, even though that person may be well past the effective age, and look it. And no doubt some anti military person may be offended if you ask that question.

I was first given a senior discount as I was still approaching 50 by a teeny bopper server at a Dennys restaurant. My hair was already turning grey by that time. She seem so pleased that she had given us that. I was surprised but more than happy to accept the discount. Some would have been livid.

[mich800]

No different than a coupon. The customer needs to present the evidence or request for the discount.

[bukhrn]

Yes, it is my responsibility to inform the park that I'm a member of GS, PA, AARP, Military or whatever, but it is nice if the park posts available discounts on their website, so I don't have to stand there and ask, Do you take this card, or this, or this, many parks do, some don't.
As to the 2nd part, I have had several parks make me aware different savings, ie; by staying longer, some I took advantage of, some I didn't, but I appreciate their effort.

[rk911]

IMO it should be sufficient if the park has prominently displayed the GS logo and/or other logos. our experience is that most park personnel will ask at check-in or when the reservation was made.

my biggest peeve is that most parks do not post a price sheet so there is really no way to *know* if the discount is actually being applied. when i ask the price the reply is usually the discounted rate. i'm of the belief that *most* park operators, like the population at large, are honest but a posted price sheet would be nice.

[gbopp]

I think if the park advertises discounts it is up to the customer to request it and show they qualify for the discount.

Good Sam members don't have a GS tattoo on their forehead. You can't tell the age of many people by their looks. Military members don't travel by RV while in uniform.
If you offered a discount for having two left feet, I would be barefoot while checking in for my stay.

Yes, I believe it's up to the customer to show/prove they are eligible for the discount.