Clubs, do Negotiating tactics help or hurt?

[BB28403]

Anyone have good/bad experiences negotiating your initial member fees? Or perhaps when you renewed?

Thoughts? Experiences?

[Schley]

Most clubs (except those with waiting lists) have promotions going pretty consistently based on the season. Also the initiation fee can be spread out in terms of payments, but in some places maybe they would allow a lower one perhaps. However, the dues will be what they are.

[theebdk]

I tell my kids; it never hurts to negotiate. With the exception of the elite clubs, I am willing to bet that membership directors have quotas or incentives to make money. At the very least they worry about losing their job if they do not bring in members. So ask. They may tell you about the annual membership campaign that gives you some free months, payment terms, or etc.

[burnsniper]

One thing to keep in mind is that the healthiest clubs (those with financial stability/history) usually do not negotiate.

[farmer]

> @burnsniper said:

> One thing to keep in mind is that the healthiest clubs (those with financial stability/history) usually do not negotiate.

 

Might even be a truism that if a club is willing to negotiate, you don't want to be a member.

[Bonneville85308]

deleted

[dasams]

> @farmer said:

> Might even be a truism that if a club is willing to negotiate, you don't want to be a member.

^^ This

 

[act0fgod]

> @farmer said:

> > @burnsniper said:

> > One thing to keep in mind is that the healthiest clubs (those with financial stability/history) usually do not negotiate.

>

> Might even be a truism that if a club is willing to negotiate, you don't want to be a member.

 

I was also thinking that attempting to negotiate might be a sign an individual isn't the type of member the club wants.

 

I don't mean this as a slight because I'm certainly not the type of person many clubs want.

[bazinky]

If a private club is willing to negotiate, take a long, hard look at their financials.

 

In my experience, the only time a healthy club will give you a better deal than what everyone else can get is when you are coming in as a group (several people/families joining at once) .

[cma8516]

I was able to negotiate my dues when i was in a transition year from a young professional membership (under 30) into a full membership. I simply told them i wasnt sure that i'd play enough to make it worth it anymore as i was having my second child that year, they agreed to give me an additional year at my previous rate almost as a trial run.

[az2au]

I always hear these tales of people negotiating the dues/initiation and I just haven't experienced it myself or belonged to a club where it was ever even possible as far as I can tell. I just "joined" another club with a waiting list. I say "joined" because it is not exactly known when I'll be a member. To even get into an estimated 6-8 month queue, I had to pay my full (significant) initiation up front in addition to having two references and a formal meeting for my wife and I with the membership committee. I can't imagine a scenario where a club in that type of situation would be even remotely interested in negotiating fees.

 

Now, I have seen a promotion or two along the way. For instance at one of the clubs I already belong to, we were professional members instead of "full" members because our age allowed for it. They introduced a bunch of new benefits for "full" members and gave us the option of paying ~2/3 of the fee we'd need to pay when we hit the age limit to convert to "full" now but keep our dues the same as the professional status until we age out.. We jumped on that because there was no real downside to it given we had the cash on hand to pay the difference. Honestly, it is like we got 3 years of free dues with the savings so it was quite the deal.

 

[cbbaron]

If something is too good to be true well it usually is. Like az2au said if a club is willing to give you a break there is probably a reason for it

[golfandfishing]

I wouldn’t be turned off by an “offer” if it were a formal membership drive or promotion they make public - this is just marketing and incenting legitimate prospects to convert in a specified time frame, in a large number and on one set of common terms. But, BUT ..... if the GM or Membership Director is willing to sit down with and negotiate fees individually, this is a bad sign. They are grabbing members one at a time by any means necessary, your bill will never be correct, the management team is going to turnover and your feeling of getting a great deal fades into an unwelcome frustration.

[MaxBuck]

> @golfandfishing said:

> I wouldn’t be turned off by an “offer” if it were a formal membership drive or promotion they make public - this is just marketing and incenting legitimate prospects to convert in a specified time frame, in a large number and on one set of common terms. But, BUT ..... if the GM or Membership Director is willing to sit down with and negotiate fees individually, this is a bad sign. They are grabbing members one at a time by any means necessary, your bill will never be correct, the management team is going to turnover and your feeling of getting a great deal fades into an unwelcome frustration.

 

Like most generalities, this may frequently be true, but it isn't always. I've had good success negotiating with two separate clubs, both of which are very healthy and competent.

[BB28403]

> @MaxBuck said:

> > @golfandfishing said:

> > I wouldn’t be turned off by an “offer” if it were a formal membership drive or promotion they make public - this is just marketing and incenting legitimate prospects to convert in a specified time frame, in a large number and on one set of common terms. But, BUT ..... if the GM or Membership Director is willing to sit down with and negotiate fees individually, this is a bad sign. They are grabbing members one at a time by any means necessary, your bill will never be correct, the management team is going to turnover and your feeling of getting a great deal fades into an unwelcome frustration.

>

> Like most generalities, this may frequently be true, but it isn't always. I've had good success negotiating with two separate clubs, both of which are very healthy and competent.

 

What was your strategy?

I for one think people should learn this skill more often. Because perhaps it does not help in the initial sign up when rates are at a low entry level. However, it will help immensely when they choose to hit you with a rate increase .

[MaxBuck]

> @BB28403 said:

>

> What was your strategy?

> I for one think people should learn this skill more often. Because perhaps it does not help in the initial sign up when rates are at a low entry level. However, it will help immensely when they choose to hit you with a rate increase .

Probably would need to check with my wife. B)

 

[BB28403]

> @MaxBuck said:

> > @BB28403 said:

> >

> > What was your strategy?

> > I for one think people should learn this skill more often. Because perhaps it does not help in the initial sign up when rates are at a low entry level. However, it will help immensely when they choose to hit you with a rate increase .

> Probably would need to check with my wife. B)

>

 

Lol!

[third-times-a-charm]

Wouldnt want to be part of a club that needed to 'negotiate' fees