In some cultures it is expected to negotiate the price of an item before a purchase; it is the way of life. The Seller starts with a higher quote (knowing the lowest price he/she would accept) and the Customer offers a lower number (all the while having a higher price they are prepared to pay). Depending on the skill of each, they would negotiate a price that is closer to what the seller wanted and the customer was prepared to pay. At the end, the seller makes a profit which allows him/her to keep the business going.
In US, in general, negotiations are not a part of the everyday business. There is a certain price that the vendor must get for an item and it is up to the customer to choose which vendor to go to. You could say that vendors entice the customer to shop with them by offering:
- Discounts: SALE 50%
- Special financing: 0% APR for 6 months
- Coupons $10 off $50 purchase
- Special offers (Buy 1 get 1 free).
You cannot really call it negotiations because the vendor made a calculated decision to offer the deal to all the customers. There are various reasons: reduce stock merchandise, increase cash flow, etc. We all know that the customers goes inside the store for a specific deal but ends up buying a lot more than he/she expected.
When it comes to the limousine service industry,
- We cannot negotiate the price of the gas we fuel our limousines with
- Our insurance company would not negotiate on the premium rates we pay per each limousine
- Our chauffeurs expect a payment for their services and would not accept “work one hour for pay and work one hour for free”
- etc
Keeping all that in mind, please understand that we do not negotiate on the rate. If we were to negotiate if would imply we inflated the rate to begin with and tried to overcharge you. That is not how we do business. We offer the most affordable rates to all our customers!
(limousine rental prices)
4 comments on “Negotiating limousine rental prices”
Great article!
I agree totally. “As limousine owners we have set prices for a reason”. We know our fixed cost and we average those cost into our pricing structure. Most people are used to haggling with vendors when spending their money.
I agree as well, we have set prices on rentals as well, which include our inventory, fuel, employees and other business related fees. I have heard that offering them a coupon to use in the future for another service (ex. golf lessons, oil change, starbucks gift cards etc) might help increase customer satisfaction and give them something else to look forward to for future cost savings to their pockets.
Fair article. I think set rates are one thing that normally isn’t going to be negotiated much since they are…set rates. But do also agree that discounts and special offers (especially during slow season for different types of businesses) can be very useful and effective.