Rewarding return.
THE RISK
Training customers to wait for a discount.
WHAT TO AVOID
Routine discounts for everyone Discounts that become the expected price
WHAT WORKS BETTER
An occasional unexpected discount A discount tied to something specific Better terms rather than lower prices
THE UNEXPECTED DISCOUNT
Given without being asked, it produces goodwill.
Expected, it produces nothing.
BETTER TERMS INSTEAD OF DISCOUNTS
Priority booking Free delivery Extended payment terms for reliable customers A small extra
Those cost less than a price reduction and are valued similarly.
FOR LONG-STANDING CUSTOMERS
Honouring an old price is a form of loyalty reward.
State it as a deliberate concession.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Give your best price to the customer who complains hardest.
That rewards pressure and punishes loyalty.
WHAT TO TRACK
Whether discounted customers buy more, or simply pay less.