[Aquakleen Restoration Services]

Hi all,

At the moment I have "10% off for senior citizens" on my leaflets.

Because I target private areas I am just wondering wether it is worth offering 10% off when the vast majority of OAPs I do work for can more than afford it!

I am thinking of removing this offer altogether.

What do you guys think?

John

[sherco]

I never offer 10% discounts because people know its been added onto the price. Best thing to do is when you finish a job say to the customer it was easier to clean and knock £10 off the original price they are chuffed then say can you recommend me to your friends and family...that works

[Joe H]

good one Sherco

[richy27]

I alwys offer a 10 per disc where possible in between survey and quote till when i do the job for a referal i always say even if i do a quote for one of your friends or family even if they dont take me up on the job right away many do though. I like growing mushrooms

[derek west]

sherco.
understand what your saying and its a good idea, but the 10% off is to encourage customers to ring in the first place.

i'm doing 10% for everyone, my thinking is, if an old person see's 10% off for oaps she'll go for it just as much as 10% off for anyone, if your trying to encourage people to phone then why alienate the rest of society.
just my way of thinking, be it right or wrong, its an option to mull over.
derek

[Mike Halliday]

Sherco, how do they know it's added onto the price? are they mind readers? what if you genuinely do give them 10% off?

I give a genuine 10% off my prices to all OAPs, not all carpet cleaners are out to rip off the customers some are actually honest

60%+ of my customers are OAPs I can't be sure but perhaps its because I give a 10% discount, and they are easier to clean for, (never that dirty)

[clinton]

Hi john

I also put the discount on my leaflets for retired persons and that was part of the design that mike gave me and it gets them to ring.

[Tony Gill Carpet Smart]

Mine been a COPY of some of Mikes Offers i give a genuine 10% of my prices for my oap's.

Thanks Mike x

TONY

[Susan Dean (1stclean)]

i wont do discounts for the old people sorry but most of them have more money then us , my old mother bangs on to builders about haveing no cash when she was doing a old town house up to live in and she got some work done cheap ! but she forgot to tell them two years ago she sold the family farm for and lot of cash

[spindle]

discount=cash     

[Len Gribble]

My mother (god rest her sole) always moaned about the amount of tax she paid on her pensions, but the mother-in-law who lived with us never said a word (I miss the free TV licenses)

Len

[Mike Halliday]

most of the OAPs i give a discount to have tonnes of cash, they don't need a discount, but what you have got to remember a lot of them wont be getting any more cash, what they have has to last them until they die. they will get interest on their savings, but slowly there money dwindles away.

also why are we giving them a discount? is it because they are old? or is it because they are excellent people to clean for, they never go out so you can book them in to suit yourself and they tend to be generous with the tea & biscuits

[Ricky M]

Not yet done any sort of discounts yet .

" Get your carpets cleaned and pay up or I will send BIG Clinton and Dereks ego to collect "

 Sharp and to the point I thought IMO .

BOGTF Pay for 1 carpet cleaned and get 3 cleaned for free !!

1st carpet £150 , any marks or stains Extra , pre vac Extra , conversation Extra

Call 01782 274647 for a full on aggressive over the phone sales pitch
  Have a nice day on your stinking , flee ridden , cheap Nylon worn 1980s throw back of a carpet !!

                                               ABILITY - Where we used to care

Ricky 

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Why would you give 10% off?

answer: to get extra work!!

Sometimes it can make all of the difference between you cleaning a suite at £150 less 10% and Mr. Cheapo that doesn't offer it but only charges £50. You are compassionately offering a discount to our older friends.

It's a pull to get more business abit like offering 10% off if you book online.

Shaun

[Doctor Carpet (Ret'd)]

Never offered it.

Some of us have been known to take offence when some (allegedly) non-natives of this country ask for discount. So why should I offer discount to OAP's? It's patronising. It could be  implying "you are poor and haven't had the foresight to save for your retirement." OAP's often have more disposable income because they have finished with all the day-to-day liabilities that we tend to have (mortgages, loans, dependent children etc). If they are that poor anyway then that is not necessarily the target market I am looking at anyway.

We talk about it because ultimately we are trying to generate extra income. But pensioners can often feel more vulnerable and therefore if we have the right interaction with them in their homes- taking time to talk to them, answering their questions and worries, making them feel special, anticipating their worries- then they will often be the first to recommend you onto fellow pensioners and friends and family and neighbours. Thus you actually achieve your aim.

Having said all that one of my ploys is to quote over the phone and then delight customers when I turn up and announce that the price is (ever so) slightly less than quoted. (albeit in most cases by accident.)

[Mike Osbourne]

I think they should be charged 10% more.

They have lots of delicate nick nacks to move (and break), you have to say everything twice and they won't stop talking.

[Jim_77]

  With you on that one Mike!

I don't offer OAP discounts, for the same reasons as stated above.

If I can't sell my services at the price I want to work for, I don't want the customer.  Simple as that!