My wife and I recently attended a destination wedding at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico. The wedding was lovely, and the downtime we did have was very relaxing.
I travel pretty regularly for work, and we try to take family vacation at least once a year, but staying at this all-inclusive was a first for us. While I enjoyed it, I can't say that I necessarily prefer it to a European-model resort, but I'd certainly go again. My wife, however, loved it, and we've talked about future trips and destinations.
We were advised to settle our bill the night before to make our check-out in the morning faster and easier, and that was indeed the case. With minutes to go before our van to the airport arrived, we were given a sales pitch for a future stay within the brand's all-inclusive portfolio at a seemingly pretty decent discount. For a down payment of several hundred dollars, we could lock in a rate and have up to three years to decide.
But we had to make a decision right then. To add to the pressure, our van had just arrived, the drive to the airport would take about an hour or so.
So, we said no.
If you know me, you know I like to think things through. If you know me well, you know I tend to overthink things. My wife has the spontaneity gene that I lack, but even she didn't feel comfortable saying yes with the little amount of time we had to decide.
Like I said, we both enjoyed our time at this resort and would likely stay at an all-inclusive again, whether it was that one or any other. A deal like this company was offering may have been a great one, but there was no time to think it over.
I get that giving consumers a quickly approaching deadline is generally a tried-and-true tactic in sales. This offer will magically disappear in moments unless you say yes. The customer panics over the thought of losing this chance and says yes.
When I'm in that situation, I usually feel more like I'm about to be scammed than getting the deal of a lifetime. How true that actually is, I don't know, but I have a hard time trusting any sales pitch where the time limit feels artificial.
Because it didn't have to be. As part of the resort package we chose, we had a concierge we could contact with any questions or problems. The concierge was the one who recommended we settle our bill the night before, and he was also the one who directed us over to the sales pitch in the morning. He knew when we were heading down to the lobby and when our van was supposed to arrive.
At any point the night before our departure, from the advice about settling the bill to actually settling the bill at the front desk, someone could have told us about a deal for a future stay or to come down a bit early to learn more about it.
If they had given us some time, even as little as just the night before, my wife and I could have had the chance to look at the details and talk it over and possibly go for it, but it's too late now, so we'll never know.
And I get it. I'm not the target customer for a pitch like that, but I'm curious if there's a better way to do that. I know it's a numbers game, but how many people actually say yes in a situation like this? It must be enough if they keep doing it. How many say no, though? Could there be a way to identify people like me who might say yes but need a little more time? Or is it that time and a chance to review the details will show the deal's not that great?
You can reach me at bwroten@hotelnewsnow.com as well as LinkedIn.
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