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!

YANBU. These people are being really cheeky and entitled. You are a small business trying to stay afloat in difficult times while they are on a guaranteed salary often with overtime. While some don’t earn a lot, others will be on a pretty decent wage and they will have received it throughout unlike many of the rest of the population. If they want your product they can pay for it like everyone else. The NHS is a huge organisation; if you discount to every employee, you risk the viability of your business.

I think you're overthinking it. If someone asks just say sorry we don't offer any discounts (presumably you don't, or if you do then just say sorry that's not a discount we offer). I know what you meant by the 'hero worship' comment, you weren't implying that the staff felt that way, but there was a feeling of guilt if you said no due to the narrative pushed by the media and government. Discounts aren't indicative of the level of respect you have for a profession, they're a business decision, and saying no doesn't mean you think any less of NHS staff, just that it's not something you can afford to do, and that's okay.

Don't do the discount - I've a small business myself and I to find it awkward to say no. I think there is a lot of support for small businesses at the moment so don't even hesitate.

Interestingly I'm the only one in my family not part of the NHS none of them would ever ask for a discount or queue jump. Well the only one that has done that got moved to an at home admin position before the pandemic started - so make of that what you will.

I work for the NHS and I don’t see why I should get a discount above others.
Please don’t worry about it.

YANBU .

I'm getting fed up with the hero worship too.

I got an email from British Airways a few months ago asking me to consider donating my airmiles to nhs staff so they can have a holiday after all their hard work.

Fuck. Off.

I appreciate the nhs but this has got out of hand.

They do a job that they chose to do. They are better paid and have better benefits than the rest of us and they are not going to lose their jobs.

People are losing their jobs everywhere or being on reduced wages due to furlough but NHS staff get discounts when they are perhaps the only ones assured of job security.

I got my pay cut for several months during lockdown 1.

One of my friends is a NHS consultant and he told me the hospital was empty of normal patients and he did absolutely nothing for 6 months as they cancelled most routine treatment he said it was like study leave.

Hero indeed

I work for the nhs and I would never ask a small business for discount. Really rude. Please stop doing it. There’s no need.

Sadly, if you're in the business of giving 10% discounts, you have to up your base price by 10% so you can continue to make a living.

There are plenty of people going through hard times, and they aren't all health workers.

BTW I know some people who voted against pay rises for public sector workers, and cheered themselves for doing so.

By total coincidence, some of them have old school chums and donors who have made millions out of PPE contracts without competitive tendering.

Just reply politely with a general email saying you are unable to offer discounts as you are a small business in a challenging time, your products are reasonably priced and your business can't absorb discounts.

I work for the NHS and I have sometimes asked if a larger company offers NHS discount, as sometimes I've found out that companies offer discounts later that aren't obvious on their website. I would not be at all upset if the answer is no.

I wouldn't usually ask a small business as usually their discounts are obvious from their website, but I don't think you should feel you need to say yes if somebody does ask.

Showing gratitude for the hard work done by NHS staff through the pandemic is best shown by supporting political decisions to improve the NHS for both patients and staff, and being polite to individual NHS workers (not taking out frustrations about the system on the individual). Rather than feeling obliged to give discounts on random items they might buy.

If anyone is offered a discount, and the retailer can afford it, it should be a loyal and regular customer who is trying to manage on a reduced wage; not someone who is fully employed on 100% of their salary.

I,m Nhs frontline ( ICU) Have never took a discount and tbh even though its been shit for the last 8 months. I,ve been paid. Funnily enough the people I,ve seen lapping up the discounts wouldnt know what the inside of a ward looked like if it slapped them in the face.
Just say no. they are chancers trying it on.
Its nice that businesses offered but the nurses and doctors didnt ask for these discounts, businesses offered them, whether it was in genuine gratitude or because it looked good for their business, who knows. I,m more bothered by the backlash against NHS staff for something they didnt ask for.

@LottieLot

It just seems a bit rude imo, to ask when it's not offered iyswim? Especially of a small business just trying to sell a niche product. Surely it's quite obvious that these sorts of business will have struggled throughout. I feel like there are people trying to take advantage essentially of the current public appreciation for keyworkers. I was never asked before all this.

Certain people with no morals will always try to take the piss. Just stand up to them with a straight NO. The more people let them get away with it the more they’ll think it’s fine to do it. They don’t give a second thought to businesses like yours struggling at all.

I do my best to avoid businesses that have started giving NHS discounts during the pandemic. Carers going from service user to service user (or working in a care home) don’t get a discount, yet some admin NHS worker working from home does. Well, if a business can take the loss of the discount they give them then they can take the loss of me not shopping there 👍

We live in a free market economy. You sell we buy. You plan to make as much money as possible off of us and we plan to save as much money as we possibly can. Feelings simply don’t matter in such basic financial transactions. So maybe toughen up a little and just say no. Getting offended is a waste of your time and energy. If your products are worth buying than people will.

I got an email from British Airways a few months ago asking me to consider donating my airmiles to nhs staff so they can have a holiday after all their hard work.

😱 Holy Cow 😱

You would end up putting prices up for everyone else, including those who have been financially affected this year, to cover the discounts. If they ask could you do an 'NHS deal' rather than discount, like a multi buy, so it looks like they are getting something?

I work for the NHS.
We get a decent wage. We were not furloughed or made redundant. We didn't have our hours cut.
The first wave was hard for many but not all.
Don't give the NHS discount.

Stop the discounts! Why should they get a discount for just doing their job? This covid hero crap has gone too far now.

@Billben @Newuser991 you do realise this is just virtual signalling from British airways and no nhs worker asked for this?

I work in a London trust - we had no quiet areas. This idea that nhs we’re starting around drinking free coffees is not correct.

@ftm202020

Stop the discounts! Why should they get a discount for just doing their job? This covid hero crap has gone too far now.

And good morning to you, you little ray of sunshine!

*the idea thar nhs staff were sitting around drinking free coffee is not correct

I got an email from British Airways a few months ago asking me to consider donating my airmiles to nhs staff so they can have a holiday after all their hard work

That is outrageous. I'm actually better off financially than I would have been, as obviously had no reduction in pay and my holidays keep getting cancelled and.refunded . I would imagine for many NHSworkers it's been the same.

It is you choice as to what discounts and special offers you do. It is your potential customers' choice where they spend their money.

Many businesses offering these discounts do so because it positively affects their business.

I worked for NHS all of 2019, never once had an opportunity to use my discount. Quite intrigued to know what OP sells. Must have a lot of trade with so many queries.

I'd also say it is not cheek or rude to ask for discounts. OP is running a business and she should expect this.

I would love to work for the NHS right now - no chance of being made redundant, decent pensions, job security.

Now that the country is going into recession I think the resentment towards this attitude is starting to bubble over.

The fact is, those that work for the NHS, in any capacity, are in a much better position than many people in the private sector. Even the cleaners have better pay, job security and pensions etc than, eg a self employed cleaner who's likely to be struggling to make ends meet. People are not more deserving because of the organisation they work for.

And whilst I don't hold this against the workers but I'm certainly not clapping for the NHS that's ignored every single health problem other than covid for nearly a year now.