Many companies offer money-saving discounts and benefits to their customers. It might sound strange to hear that many customers that can use these discounts and benefits rarely use them. There are a few reasons for this, including that customers actually don’t know about what are available for discounts and benefits, they forget that they have that discount or loyalty card tucked away in their wallet – or on an app they don’t frequently look at, and sometimes, customers are simply too afraid to ask if the company offers discounts or benefits.
I’m going to talk about the last reason listed above. People miss out on benefits and discounts because they are afraid to ask for them. I think we have all been in a situation where we have felt awkward about asking for something whether it is a discount, asking someone out on a date, or even asking for help with something you thought you could handle on your own. Sure, it can be weird, awkward, uncomfortable or embarrassing. Often it ends up not being that bad and occasionally it ends up being a big win.
I love discounts and benefits. One of my favorites is the big discount I get at a coffee shop next to my gym [perk of the gym membership]. A few weeks ago, I was going there for my daily visit for a cup of coffee and to get out of the apartment to work for a couple of hours. I noticed someone from the gym was also there with coffee in hand camped out working at his laptop. We got to talking and I mentioned that I love the coffee and the discount here. When I asked him if he got the gym discount, he said he was afraid to ask about it and paid full price.
We have all been in a situation where we were not comfortable asking for something but this completely surprised me. This guy is a monster in the gym, built like a tank and was getting coffee with this woman that was basically model material. Honestly, he lifts weight equal to three times my bodyweight as if he were lifting a small child. It goes to show that we are all humans and that I am not the only one that feels uncomfortable when asking for things.
Getting back to our conversation, I encouraged him to mention it next time because it is a great discount on awesome coffee and the staff here are all kinds of awesome.
Do you know of other great discount or benefit programs? A colleague of mine mentions she is a AAA member and is often surprised to learn she is eligible for hotel or other travel discounts when she mentions this when planning a vacation. Are you active duty or retired military? Ask stores and vendors if they provide a military discount; lots of major retailers (and small businesses too) offer 10% off if you provide proof of military service.
Don’t miss out on your discounts and benefits just because you are uncomfortable asking for them – especially when you are entitled to them (and they save you money!). Asking for things is just like working a muscle, the more you ask, the stronger the skill will get over time!
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