Ever had a business complain they can't make money off of you? (price, sell)

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by SifuPhil

I understand not wanting to get ripped off and holding a large company to their advertisements, but as a partner in a strip-club I can tell you that sometimes bargain hunters can be a real PITA for small-business owners.

We have free admission Sunday through Wednesday, along with drink specials and $1 draft beer. We get a few guys that come in for free, spend a dollar for a beer, and proceed to nurse that beer (and watch the girls dancing) for a few hours, without tipping either bartenders or the dancers.

Although legally I can't do anything about it I constantly brainstorm as to what I could do, short of convincing my partner to end the free admission. I've had some success in shaming the guys, but some just don't seem to have any shame.

I know the economy is tough, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth when I see this happening. There's a difference between being frugal and being downright cheap.

Support your local small-businesses, or you'll be shopping for EVERYTHING at Wal-Mart one day soon...

I used to work in banking at a small local bank, and one thing we figured out quickly was free checking was a huge cost and nothing but aggravation for us. It's different if the checking was tied to a loan, or was free is you had some sort of obligations to us (like online bill pay, or ATM restrictions) but merely free checking brought out the dregs -- people that wouldn't have an account if it wasn't free and treated it (and the bank) as trash.

I've worked at two small banks, both of them tried it and both of them regretted it and both of them cancelled it.

And both of them found out it did nothing to the bottom line to have it or not.

And there is your line in the sand. You can have these discounts, but tie it a certain number of drink purchases. Comedy clubs do it -- ever hear of the series two drink minimum? Because they all have two drink minimums! And if you are losing money on that dollar draft -- kick it to the curb.

[slackjaw]

Originally Posted by SifuPhil

We have free admission Sunday through Wednesday, along with drink specials and $1 draft beer. We get a few guys that come in for free, spend a dollar for a beer, and proceed to nurse that beer (and watch the girls dancing) for a few hours, without tipping either bartenders or the dancers.

I'd be curious as to whether you've calculated, or if it is possible to calculate whether you've actually lost money on the beer nursers. I'm pretty sure you're fine on $1 draft beer, but the cost of your building/insurance/utilities/dancers/barkeep divided among those guys as an aggregate of profits is it truly a negative since you'd be open anyway and the girls would be dancing anyway. Maybe a fuller parking lot has value, I don't know.

Also - your user name sounds kinda like the Chinese word for "master" (师傅) except maybe pronounced with a Taiwanese accent, is there is a relation?

[ragnarkar]

Originally Posted by killer2021

You can't change your own oil?

Why should I when I can regularly find deals to have it changed for less than the cost of parts?

[Ticatica]

Originally Posted by henry1

when i do go to the gentlemen clubs i do tip the girls but i do not buy dances to me they are a complete waste of time of the who thing of look do not touch thing going on for i go for the lunch special that they have and i sit at the bar and order through the bartender my drinks and food so they get tiped and when the girls come by i know i buy them a drink and they sit for a second and say hello and tell me what is going on in the business . .

so they know i work in the casino business and it allways the standard joke trade a dance for a free meal ticket or free special that we have running at the time ..most of the time i just give them tickets anyway and tell them enjoy them

they understand that i do come into the place for a little piece and quiet for most people would not look for me there .

That had me rolling! You came for a little free "piece" and quiet in a loud flashy club? And the lunch specials? Suuuuure. Sounds like you go to look for free and hand out coupons to further insult the workers. Classy!
So how would casino workers like it if dudes came in to get the complimentary drinks and watch the social scene but not bet?

[henry1]

Originally Posted by Ticatica

That had me rolling! You came for a little free "piece" and quiet in a loud flashy club? And the lunch specials? Suuuuure. Sounds like you go to look for free and hand out coupons to further insult the workers. Classy!
So how would casino workers like it if dudes came in to get the complimentary drinks and watch the social scene but not bet?

i do not get table dances for i feel that they are waste of time and money spent on them it would have been better spent on a call girl for my end needs to happen than a girl rubbing on me and not getting the one thing i want in the end along with going up to the casino and pulling the one arm bandit and hitting it rich it not worth the time or the money to go and play the things ..

the other reason i go into there it piece is the owner comes into the casino all the time and we became bar friends in a sense ..

how i met the guy was he goes into the one bar one morning that was open siaght into men bathroom to hideing out from the people and there was this nice looking lady about 1 min behind him came in and asking if we had seen this guy come in here and our basic standard answer in the business what guy and she goes off somewhere else looking for the guy and he come out of the bathroom and walks saight up to the bar and orders three shots of jack saight up .

i walked over after it was said and done to say this to hm .. ..hey just give us a heads up on the way in and we would been able to help with the wife looking for you ..he goes not my wife she my office worker and i did not want to deal with her just yet this early in the morning before i had my coffee and shot ..since there was no coffee in front of him i figure it was the three shots lined up before him he was talking about and after that he would say you should come down for lunch sometimes and i did and make it a regular friday afternoon deal for me to go have a soda and a buger and talk to the girls i met over the couple of years plus i seen enough naked ladys in my life to know what a naked women looks like ..

[Ticatica]

Originally Posted by henry1

i do not get table dances for i feel that they are waste of time and money spent on them it would have been better spent on a call girl for my end needs to happen than a girl rubbing on me and not getting the one thing i want in the end along with going up to the casino and pulling the one arm bandit and hitting it rich it not worth the time or the money to go and play the things ..

the other reason i go into there it piece is the owner comes into the casino all the time and we became bar friends in a sense ..

how i met the guy was he goes into the one bar one morning that was open siaght into men bathroom to hideing out from the people and there was this nice looking lady about 1 min behind him came in and asking if we had seen this guy come in here and our basic standard answer in the business what guy and she goes off somewhere else looking for the guy and he come out of the bathroom and walks saight up to the bar and orders three shots of jack saight up .

i walked over after it was said and done to say this to hm .. ..hey just give us a heads up on the way in and we would been able to help with the wife looking for you ..he goes not my wife she my office worker and i did not want to deal with her just yet this early in the morning before i had my coffee and shot ..since there was no coffee in front of him i figure it was the three shots lined up before him he was talking about and after that he would say you should come down for lunch sometimes and i did and make it a regular friday afternoon deal for me to go have a soda and a buger and talk to the girls i met over the couple of years plus i seen enough naked ladys in my life to know what a naked women looks like ..

That was a long-ass story to obfuscate the fact that you could go to a regular bar but choose to take advantage and see the ladies on the cheap.

[rfr69]

Originally Posted by snofarmer

Then you need to pay better attention.

Most of the road side signs at these places don't mention that all, all they say is
"today's special $19.595 oil changes"
and I hold them to it.
They don't mention that there will be an additional charge. In the print add in the news paper yes, but not on the roadside signs.

And the 5qt limit is a quart short for most v8's.
So it is still a ploy.

Your not a customer I would wnt in my store. If they print the fine print in the newspaper but not no the sign the teenage kid is holding on the roadside your ging to put up a stink?

First off the small print woudl be so small you couldn't read it drivnig by anyway plus the sign needs to be smaller, plus as a consumer in this day and age I expect fine print and a catch and am not surprised by it at all.

Also, to anyone wining about smart cars or other cars, you get a wierd car your going to pay more for parts, labor, oil chane. Mercedes and range rover oil changes can run into the hundreds of dollars at dealerships. You wanna drive a nice luxury car your gonna pay for that, if you dont like it buy a camry.

[Mathguy]

<shrug> Businesses do loss leaders all the time.

If they don't like it they shouldn't offer it and if people choose to only take advantage of the loss leader then that's also just a reality of doing business.

By the same token, people should scream that the grocery store has 200% mark-ups on gum because they have to make their money *somewhere* after selling staples like milk etc. near cost.

Gas stations often sell gas at close to cost to drive volume and make their profits off sales of beer, soda, snacks and lottery tix.

[FauxPas]

Originally Posted by rfr69

Your not a customer I would wnt in my store.

Please tell me the name of your store, so I can oblige you, sir

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by FauxPas

Please tell me the name of your store, so I can oblige you, sir

I wouldn't bother -- he won't be able to spell it.