Discount nights

[SCfearfarm]

Have many of you had good luck offering discount nights on your slow nights? We were thinking of doing the first weekend and the 2 sundays that we are opening as either discount nights or offering a coupon that is only good on those nights. We are hoping to shift some people to those slower nights to cut the wait times down and help with parking. Do people take advantage of the discount? Does the coupons only being valid on certain nights confuse customers? We did coupons good on any night last year and only about 25% took advantage of them.

[Howie Slobber Erlich]

We were the first in the area to offer what we call Discount Preview Nights. It is usually our opening weekend or first two weekends depending on how the calendar works out for that year. Our tickets are usually around $15.00 for adults. We give a discount of $5.00 off each adult ticket and allow them to go through as many times that night as they like up till closing time. It has worked very well for us in the past. We have noticed that the years we did not offer this discount we only saw about 50% of the numbers from the years we had the promotion. We have also offered a Customer Appreciation Night several years mid season. Offering the first 666 customers of the night $5.00 off each adult ticket. When we have done this promotion we had sold out of discount tickets by 10pm at the latest. It can work very well if promoted correctly. We have never had great luck with coupons, however, we usually do offer coupons good on week nights and Sunday's not able to be combined with any other discounts.

Hope that helps a bit,

Howie "Slobber" Erlich
Deadly Intentions Haunted Attraction
www.deadlyintentionshaunt.com

[HauntedPaws]

Of course people will take a discount especially families who wanna do something but $60 is to much for 4. Offering 50% off a 2nd ticket is gonna work better I think cuz then you get 2 tickets that way or BOGO "Buy One Get one"

[Wellinton]

We think coupons are fantastic! We offered $2.00 off between 4:00 and 6:00 ( our quiet time) and business was steady.
We will definitely continue to offer coupons.

[Haunted Prints (EOM)]

Coupons and special offers can work wonders for attendance. Try to think of ways to pull in patrons who wouldn't normally visit your haunt or ones you think could be on the fence. I stay away from promotions directed toward those who you know will visit your haunt.

Another promotion that could boost attendance is repeat business. Offer discount tickets to visit again during a special night "lights out night" or during a slower time, like mentioned previously 4pm - 6pm.

Some haunts have had success with giveaways over discounts. First 100 people on certain nights get a free t-shirt.

[Jim Warfield]

My Competitors

Have admission prices several dollars below my price, so they are the discounted ticket.
Unfortunately with many people once you give them a discount, they will expect it everytime afterwards until they are 90 years old, then they want the senoir discount!

[drfrightner]

We have decided to no longer open on slow nights. Most of the money goes to labor and it seems like all the problems happen on slow nights, not to mention all the wear and tear on your equipment and staff. Not sure about Darkness but Lemp and CW will open almost half the nights they opened last year. Going to focus on the big nights only.

Larry

[Jim Warfield]

That is just opposite of here, Larry.

Those very busy nights will always be when the drunks make it into the house because they hide in a crowd, or a sober person in the drunk's group buys all the tickets for them.
Slow nights we can watch everybody very closely.
Tonight is a slow night. I will be watching myself very closely.
"OWW! Hit my nose on the mirror!"