To not give NHS discounts?

[LottieLot]

I own a small business making and selling a product.

As you can imagine it's been quite tough during Covid but we've stayed afloat and things are picking up a little thanks to Christmas. It's been hard going though and a bit worrying at times.

I seem to have a lot of people messaging me asking for discounts for NHS staff and I've felt under pressure to agree most of the time.

AIBU to stop though now? I am of course appreciative of everything NHS workers do, but I have struggled to get my business through this pandemic and I could do without offering discounts frankly.

Is it rude to ask a small business this in your opinion? I personally cant imagine ever doing so. I'm not a huge franchise, I am a genuine small business which is obvious from my page!

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

Maybe get a notice for your window so people don’t ask.

The problem with that is that some people would see it as a negative and judge you a dreadful person for your honesty - even non-NHS people who wouldn't have asked in the first place. The same as the people who went around harassing neighbours who weren't banging pots for the NHS - even those who were comforting terrified children and those actually away working for the NHS or sleeping in advance of a night shift.

[katy1213]

Doesn't hurt to ask - doesn't hurt to say no.

[katy1213]

And don't feel guilty - those NHS workers have secure jobs, steady incomes, paid holidays and pensions. Which I'm guessing you don't.

[Burnout101]

I love my BLC and use it where possible but wouldn't dream of asking for a discount where one wasn't offered - ridiculously cheeky! Don't offer a discount unless you want to, there shouldn't be any pressure.

[Pomegranatespompom]

All jobs have positives and negatives, being self employed probably gave more pleasure and freedom than a rostered job like the nhs. So yes while nhs jobs are secure at the moment, they have awful moments too, many staff had a truly terrible time when redeployed to covid wards. I don't however think a discount is expected or required. As you are not being asked in person, surely easier to say no?

[Nsky]

I totally agree, I work fir s great company y, yes certain nhs discounts, gone on too long now.
And what if everyone else, sop workers, firemen, and the rest

[HumanFemale1]

YANVU. I would not ask a small business for discounts, unless they are offering of course

[RattleOfBars]

I think NHS staff got used to being offered NHS discounts since the start of the pandemic so it’s almost automatic to ask ‘do you do NHS discount?’ and produce your ID badge. Do you have a lot of custom from NHS workers? If so I’d consider offering the discount as so many other places do it, your customers might go elsewhere.

I’m frontline NHS and have worked throughout the pandemic, at the start it was terrifying and confusing. Now it’s stressful and exhausting as we’re in full PPE all day and rushed off our feet.

Sometimes I envy people who were furloughed in the first lockdown or worked from home. They had the time and freedom to spend with their kids, home schooling, no commute, only leaving the house for essential shopping or exercise.

I think NHS discount is a nice thing to offer as it shows appreciation for all the staff working in units with covid-positive patients (and there are a lot of us) especially those in low paid high risk jobs like hospital cleaners, healthcare assistants, students etc. Not all NHS jobs are well paid or secure.

[Notnownotneverever]

You don't have to offer a discount and certainly should not bow to pressure from individuals who ask. I get rather frustrated with the amount of discounts on offer to NHS workers over and above other key workers who work just as hard and on the front line.
Wishing you all the best with your small business OP.

[GabsAlot]

nah youre a small business you cant afford it-stop saying yes

[namechanger0989]

It's difficult isn't it and I absolutely apppreciate everything the nhs are doing but many of them aren't working frontline and so are at no extra risk than other key workers and it's possibly awful to say but they are almost the lucky ones to still have jobs and income etc.
Near us lots of businesses have been delivering huge amounts of food to the local police headquarters, which is a lovely gesture but... half the staff in there are high up on wages of 60k plus, They don't work on the front line as they are all office staff, and they can afford to eat. Also they have a cafe in the building that is independent so the people delivering food are affectively killing someone else's business.
Why not help people who need the help instead??

[HappyPumpkin81]

I worked for the NHS for 16 years and never asked for or used an NHS discount as I was well aware that I was well paid for the area I lived in. As a student I took advantage of any discounts I could but I didn't have two pennies to rub together!

[PuzzledObserver]

“I really appreciate everything NHS staff are doing - but I’m afraid my business is only just hanging on and I don’t have the scope to offer discounts at the moment.”

After all - NHS staff haven’t had their income cut, have they?

[SentientAndCognisant]

You’re online only so no face to face request to decline. That makes it much easier to say NO

[KEA321]

As an NHS worker, I wouldn't dream of asking. Especially a small business. I am sorry you were put in that position.

[rainkeepsfallingdown]

@LottieLot Has it occurred to you that people with the same employer talk? There may be word of mouth that if you ask, you'll get a secret discount. Or, worse, if you're not asking for proof, you may be down on MoneySavingExpert or HotUKDeals as some random business who gives a percentage off to anyone who messages.

It wouldn't occur to me to ask for a discount, but if I was told that all I had to do was message for a code, then I probably would! No one likes losing out on a bargain.

What you need is a stock message you can copy and paste explaining that you are a small business, your profit margins are very low, trading conditions are challenging given due to the pandemic, and you cannot afford to offer discounts in this climate, but you very much hope they will choose to support you anyway, a small retailer, during these tough times. Spend some time writing something you're happy with; then you have something ready to go when you need it.

[Ellapaella]

I work for NHS and don't expect to be getting any discounts from any business no matter how big or small, it's not necessary.

[independentfriend]

Work out the circumstances when you're happy to offer a discount - students / unemployed people / pensioners / key workers / mates rates / groups/ large purchases etc and set it out on your website. You might increase your prices to allow you room to offer more discounts, or might say 'no discounts - my costs are carefully calculated to allow me to meet my own bills' or similar.

You can say "normally I only give these discounts, if you're in financial hardship and consider I should make an exception for you please email me". That should stop lots of requests for a generic NHS discount.

[ShopTattsyrup]

I'm an NHS nurse, I do use an NHS discount if it's a well known one (Nandos for example) but have never bothered to ask outside of that. I was too chicken shit to try and queue jump back in the spring at the supermarkets, I can't imagine anything cringier than flashing my badge infront of a load of strangers!

[oknowimscared]

I’ve not RTFT, but stop the discounts. They’re getting paid (unlike a lot of people) and the ones I know are embarrassed by the special treatment

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

I'm being asked, usually by message on social media. I don't have a physical shop, just online

I thought you meant the messages were from some "pressure group" asking you to do this, but if you mean it's coming from the actual staff that's not on ... fair enough if your site offered this, but otherwise no (and I'd say the same whether it was a small trader or Amazon)

Unfortunately you get CFs everywhere, and while NHS staff are valuable they're just another diverse group of people, some wonderful and some not

[CoffeeRunner]

I work for the NHS on a Covid Ward no less.

I have never asked anyone for a discount & never will.

My income has been very stable this year. I’m sure not many small business owners have been so lucky.

[trixiebelden77]

I think it’s very unlikely that the people who actually have been ‘frontline’ are the people asking for discounts. IME it’s the people much further away from what we’re dealing with.

As an ICU dr I don’t know anyone who asked to be hero-worshipped as you charmingly put it or who refers to themselves as a ‘key worker’. The contempt you and others seem to be feeling is a shame and I hope it’s appropriately reserved for those taking the piss who frankly are simply not those working alongside me.

You will usually find that this referring to themselves as key workers, frontline NHS etc are being hazy about their exact role for a reason.

[trixiebelden77]

Just saw the posts about our enormous luck.....

It’s great that most of us have jobs although many of our spouses do not. The risks that we’ve been exposed to whilst living amongst people who can’t wear a mask for ten minutes without frothing at the mouth are less great. Fortunately only one of my colleagues had to be ventilated due to a workplace exposure that he would have avoided in a less lucky job.

Those envious of our luck are welcome to join us.

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

I think NHS discount is a nice thing to offer as it shows appreciation for all the staff working in units with covid-positive patients (and there are a lot of us) especially those in low paid high risk jobs like hospital cleaners, healthcare assistants, students etc. Not all NHS jobs are well paid or secure

But how would OP know who works where, what their pay structure is or anything else?
She's there to run a business, not to engage in "twenty questions" with all who ask - and as the PP said, the claims can sometimes be a little, shall we say, generic