Jul
14
One of the most frustrating things a hotel can do on the internet is to start a price war.
It does nobody any good.
It doesn't help the hotel - because you'll rarely get the additional business necessary to make up for the discounts you're offering.
It doesn't help the customer - because the discounted price means either they'll get bad service because you can't afford to staff the place properly, or because you're so annoyed they've bought "cheap" that you'll give them that grotty room next to the lift, on the top floor of the annexe with the banging fire door right outside - just like Thistle hotels did to me in London last year (not afraid to name names here - did I get a good nights' sleep? I think not.).
Suicidal discounting is not the way forward. Taks a look at Laterooms pages for any location where demand is weak and you'll see prices dropping like lead balloons. Yes, I know all about hotel rooms and their perishable nature. If you're promoting your rooms at crazy disounts it's because you've forgotten why people want to buy them in the first place.
It does nobody any good.
It doesn't help the hotel - because you'll rarely get the additional business necessary to make up for the discounts you're offering.
It doesn't help the customer - because the discounted price means either they'll get bad service because you can't afford to staff the place properly, or because you're so annoyed they've bought "cheap" that you'll give them that grotty room next to the lift, on the top floor of the annexe with the banging fire door right outside - just like Thistle hotels did to me in London last year (not afraid to name names here - did I get a good nights' sleep? I think not.).
Suicidal discounting is not the way forward. Taks a look at Laterooms pages for any location where demand is weak and you'll see prices dropping like lead balloons. Yes, I know all about hotel rooms and their perishable nature. If you're promoting your rooms at crazy disounts it's because you've forgotten why people want to buy them in the first place.
Continue reading "People don't buy things because they're cheap"
