How do you strike a deal?

[London1983]

So after weeks of planning and budget setting me and the boys have finally agreed on venues and budgets for our upcoming trip.

Before I dive into contacting a host I wanted to ask what approach should I take?

Should I just request a quote for our group and ask where our table would be and work from there untill we strike a deal?

or

Am I best laying all my cards on the table and saying '10 guys our budget for the night is 2,500 and we want to sit in this area of the club can you hook this up?

The good thing with the second option is I am getting down to business in terms of table location but at the same time I will never know if I could have got our desired table for a lower minimum.

How do you go about getting the deal that you want?

[Chuck]

So after weeks of planning and budget setting me and the boys have finally agreed on venues and budgets for our upcoming trip.

Before I dive into contacting a host I wanted to ask what approach should I take?

Should I just request a quote for our group and ask where our table would be and work from there untill we strike a deal?

or

Am I best laying all my cards on the table and saying '10 guys our budget for the night is 2,500 and we want to sit in this area of the club can you hook this up?

The good thing with the second option is I am getting down to business in terms of table location but at the same time I will never know if I could have got our desired table for a lower minimum.

How do you go about getting the deal that you want?

When I negotiate anything I always want the other person to name their price first and respond. However, there's not really a lot of room to negotiate here, and you don't want to give the host a bad impression or be annoying.

From what I've learned the minimums are pretty well set in stone unless you drop a big tip on the host, AND they've got open tables when you arrive.

I'd do it like this:

"Hi Mr. Smith, I'm looking at options for (date) with a group of 9 guys for a table reservation. I'd like to get a main room table with a spending minimum of $$$$. I will tip $$$$ for a good main-room table. Please let me know if this sounds reasonable. Thank you for your time."

I think the key is making a good impression, not wasting their time, and being up-front with everything. They can not, and will not guarantee a table location before hand. However, they should be able to tell you if you'll be in the main room or not. Hope that helps...

[London1983]

Sounds like having an open policy is the best way to go.

Thanks for the advice Chuck its much appreciated!

[ambrose132]

More high fives. Everyone loves a high five. The fist bump is dead.