Wow....soooo surprised at some peoples attitudes. I guess I shouldn't be after all these years, but I still am.
I owned a business for a few years and had no problem with giving a discount IF their was a reason to. I was selling advertising. Someone taking a larger space got it for less per unit. Someone signing up for more than one location got a discount. Someone signing up for two campaigns in advance and not just the one I was working on, got a discount. First time customer got a discount IF he agreed to track results and advertise in another campaign if the response was "X" or more. It was MY business and it was MY decision if a situation was such that it was worth giving a discount.
Thus far, I have always traveled with my wife, who doesn't dive. So I am a single diver. If I am booking a two tank dive or two, I just pay for the trips. However, I often go in the off season and for extended periods of time. When I am going to be someplace for a month or two or three and want to dive two to three tanks a day, 5 to seven days a week for that long a period of time, I think that is a situation that might just call for a discount. So I ask. I specifically lay out those facts and ask what kind of a dive package they can give me. I also try to give give them a reason to give me a good package. Like, if you give me a good package price I have no problem with you telling me the boat filled that day. I will take that day off happily and see them the next day. Also, if they give me a good deal but I am the only one diving that day...just tell me and I have no problem not going out that day (or if there are only two or three of us for the day and they don't want to take the boat out). I ask for a great deal and I am willing to deal with not being able to dive some days if doing so is going to be a hardship for them.
My experience thus far has been that I am ALWAYS able to find a dive op that sees that this is a fair arrangement for both of us.
In one such case, the dive op actually insisted on taking me out on two, two tank dive trips when it was just me on the boat. I repeatedly said they didn't need to do that after they gave me a good deal, but they insisted. At the end of my time there, when I settled up my bill they also insisted on giving me a free video that included footage of some of the dives I was on that they normally charge for and then when there was a mix up and it wasn't ready before I left they shipped it to me at no chatrge (from Fiji).
Another time I called the day before I wanted to check into a resort and asked what kind of a deal they could give me. I made the manager of the resort laugh several times during the negotiations and I got a good deal on the stay and an unlimited dive package for the week at what I considered a pretty good price. Again, there were times when I was the only one wanting to dive on a particular trip out and I tried to beg off....they would have nothing of it and sent the boat out with just me and the DM and boat captain. Then at the end of the week we didnt want to leave we were having such a great time. So they said they would give me a great deal if I could get my flights changed. I did and they did. After that was a done deal, I brought up diving and wanted to know what kind of arrangement we could do for that. The first negotiation was for a one week stay and, due to the flight schedules, this time we had to extend for 10 more days and not the week we had planned on. I was told they had talked it over and the all you want to dive package they had sold me for the 1st week was technically for "my time at the resort". Since I had not left and was still at the resort they figured the package was still good for the next 10 days as well! Why did they do this?? Not because they were hurting for business. As a matter of fact they were so full that we ended up having to stay two nights in the last two beds available in the whole resort, which were in the backpackers dorm (beautiful dorms with the only Air Conditioning at the resort LOL) and the rest of the extension time in the owners Bure as that was all that was available.
These are just two of the times I have asked for and received "discounts" and I highly recommend the places that have treated me so well to anyone that asks. When I go back to those areas I will patronize these businesses without a doubt. These places know how to take care of customers and have very successful businesses. During the same trip I had contacted other businesses and was told that a package or deal was not available, or the deal that they presented wasnt as good as the ones I ended up taking. That's fine. I spent my money where I got the deal I wanted. I dont bad mouth any of the other places and certainly hold no ill will. they have every right to run their business as they see fit.
I am a laid back, easy to please guest and I generally liven up the lodge or dive trip with my particular brand of humor. I treat others as I would hope they would treat me and so far that has made me popular everyplace I have stayed and with every dive op I have done significant dive time with.
YMMV, but this approach has worked well for me and, as far as I know, everyone involved has always been happy with the way things worked out.
