Different rates for peak and off-peak hours

[BCMan]

I’m curious if any providers offer different rates for “busy hours” vs. “non-busy” hours? In other words, less expensive on Tuesday at 10AM vs Friday at 8pm? Or whatever busy/non-busy activity they see? Have any clients seen this? If not, why not? Many businesses do this. Just curious. Thanks. 

[mike carey]

I'm not a provider, but to this outsider it's not difficult to imagine reasons this may be the case. Some business have staff on duty who are able to work for clients during set hours of the day. If they can fill all those hours with work they'd offer no discounts, if there were quiet periods when staff were not engaged with clients, then they might offer price reductions (assuming there were not routine preparation/administrative tasks they needed to perform). Airlines and hotels offer discounts (or more accurately use dynamic pricing) to match demand for a service that needs to be sold when it's available or remain unused.

Providers are not those sorts of businesses. Generally they are able to see clients for a limited number of hours during a day. If they offer discounts during perceived quiet periods they may not be confident to provide a service at a later 'busier' time. I'd suggest they are more likely to save their energy for busy (perhaps 'premium') hours. Providers are owner-operated small businesses, their time is flexible (not infinitely so) and they can manage the hours they work during the time they are available, to maximise their earnings. That may, but more likely would not involve variable pricing.

[+ PhileasFogg]

4 hours ago, BCMan said:

I’m curious if any providers offer different rates for “busy hours” vs. “non-busy” hours? In other words, less expensive on Tuesday at 10AM vs Friday at 8pm? Or whatever busy/non-busy activity they see? Have any clients seen this? If not, why not? Many businesses do this. Just curious. Thanks. 

Then of course there’s the higher rate for jerk clients vs non jerk clients.   Or safe vs anything goes.   Or…well the list goes on…

[+ RyanDean]

I recently encountered this with a gent, who indicated that my preferred time (later on a weekend evening) would be at a premium rate. This gent also noted that a similar booking at other times/days could happen at their base rate. I acknowledged this but declined the premium-rate booking. As the weekend-evening approached, this gent contacted me to let me know that he could be available at my preferred time for his base rate, should I still be interested in setting something up. 

The whole exchange was easygoing, forthright, and professional and, though new to me, it made sense.

[+ Pensant]

I’ve never encountered this over 20 years, but I’m sure it occurs.

[+ Jamie21]

I don’t do it. It’s a flat price regardless of when the client wants. There aren’t really busy or quiet periods and you quickly get used to being available at random times. Basically all my time is worth the same during the periods I’m inclined to work. If there’s a time of week or day when I don’t want to work I just decline the business rather than price it high. 

The price is more likely to vary based on if the client wants more unusual services. Plus there’s sometimes an asshole premium, for example if a client regularly enquires about availability and prevaricates endlessly about booking and regularly books then cancels those guys get quoted an asshole rate. 
 

[Mark_fl]

2 hours ago, Jamie21 said:

I don’t do it. It’s a flat price regardless of when the client wants. There aren’t really busy or quiet periods and you quickly get used to being available at random times. Basically all my time is worth the same during the periods I’m inclined to work. If there’s a time of week or day when I don’t want to work I just decline the business rather than price it high. 

The price is more likely to vary based on if the client wants more unusual services. Plus there’s sometimes an asshole premium, for example if a client regularly enquires about availability and prevaricates endlessly about booking and regularly books then cancels those guys get quoted an asshole rate. 
 

I've seen other providers quote an asshole rate, but it was a different thing entirely.

[+ JamesB]

The only place where I usually see time based discounts is on MF. Something like 10% off on weekdays before 10:00 a.m.

[nate_sf]

48 minutes ago, JamesB said:

The only place where I usually see time based discounts is on MF. Something like 10% off on weekdays before 10:00 a.m.

Yes, my understanding is Masseurfinder strongly encourages masseurs to offer discounts on certain days or times. And if they don’t, they get dinged by being moved down in the search results. 

[liubit]

22 hours ago, BCMan said:

I’m curious if any providers offer different rates for “busy hours” vs. “non-busy” hours? In other words, less expensive on Tuesday at 10AM vs Friday at 8pm? Or whatever busy/non-busy activity they see? Have any clients seen this? If not, why not? Many businesses do this. Just curious. Thanks. 

The Uber rating method. NO, thank you. 🤭

Edited 12 hours ago by liubit