Asking for an Extra Discount

(New York Times) — As holiday shopping season kicks into high gear, here’s a reminder to always ask for a discount on top of whatever price an item or service is selling for.  As I recently learned in my business school negotiations class, there are often two prices for every good or service. There’s the full price for easy-to-satisfy customers who take it as given and there’s the discount price for customers  willing to ask for it.  I’ve learned how true this is many times. Recently, for instance, for a negotiations class assignment, I was able to negotiate a lower price for a horse-drawn trolley tour around Stanley Park in Vancouver simply by repeatedly asking the ticket seller for the best discount she could give me. I noted how much I wanted to take the tour but added that the ticket prices were just too much for me. She first told me about discounts offered to AAA members and eventually directed me to coupons at the park information booth offering an even better deal.

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