Discount For Bringing Own Hookah

[ih303]

For the last several months now, my lounge has offered a 25% discount to customers who bring in their own hookah to smoke. My partners and I want to do away with this. Here's why.

1) Hassle. It only takes a few minutes to fill a base and assemble a hookah, but when it's real busy and you're in a groove making hookahs, it's annoying as hell to have to stop everything and deal with that.
2) Liability. If we break it, we buy or fix it. I'd prefer to just not take the risk in the first place.
3) Quality. We can guarantee quality in the hookahs we provide because we are familiar with them. This may not be the case with a personal hookah bought elsewhere.
4) Money. We lose money (relative to what we could have made) on every "own hookah" discount we give. Not only that, but we're giving a discount for added hassle which makes no sense to me.

The solution we came up with is to set a flat rate ($18) if someone brings in their own hookah and we provide a phunnel bowl and premium hose. This way, we won't look like dicks since we will still offer a slight discount, but deter them from bringing in the hookahs since the discount is so nominal.

My question is two-fold, what kind of "own hookah" policies do you guys see at the lounges you've been to, and what are your general thoughts on the issue?

[Stuie]

Never seen one personally. Why would I bring my own hookah? Part of the appeal to lounges to me is, I don't have to do prep or cleanup. If I take my own hookah I got to haul it around and clean it when I get home.

[ih303]

[quote name='Stuie' date='14 January 2010 - 08:58 AM' timestamp='1263484708' post='445279']
Never seen one personally. Why would I bring my own hookah? Part of the appeal to lounges to me is, I don't have to do prep or cleanup. If I take my own hookah I got to haul it around and clean it when I get home.
[/quote]


Good point. I'd feel the same way as a customer. I think people do it now to save money.

[Crys]

yeah that all sounds like a lot of work with little pay-off for you

part of the lounge experience is about not having to take care of the hookah personally....and a good lounge should be better than what one can achieve at home

I say scrap the policy and cite liability as the reason why to the current customers that do it

[Stuie]

what percentage actually brings hookahs?

[ih303]

[quote name='Stuie' date='14 January 2010 - 09:41 AM' timestamp='1263487265' post='445286']
what percentage actually brings hookahs?
[/quote]

Meh... maybe 5%.

[Twisted]

I agree with Crys, what would happen if someone knew their pipe was broken, brought it in, and blamed you for it? You'd get stuck with paying it. Unless you inspect their pipe before setting it up.

[Amn_sinclair]

i really think if anything. i dont know if you do or not but if you have sale hookahs, offer a discount for anyone that bring in a hookah that they have purchased from you. i mean that in the end could pay for itself because ppl would be paying for a whole hookah. then they save 2 dollars or something exery time they smoke there. it would encourage ppl to come back to you if they want to smoke in the lounge i dont know if it makes sense... makes sense to me lol

[ih303]

[quote name='Amn_sinclair' date='14 January 2010 - 10:48 AM' timestamp='1263491310' post='445303']
i really think if anything. i dont know if you do or not but if you have sale hookahs, offer a discount for anyone that bring in a hookah that they have purchased from you. i mean that in the end could pay for itself because ppl would be paying for a whole hookah. then they save 2 dollars or something exery time they smoke there. it would encourage ppl to come back to you if they want to smoke in the lounge i dont know if it makes sense... makes sense to me lol
[/quote]

Interestingly enough, that is exactly how we decided to do it. We offer a $2 discount if they bring in their own hookah that they bought from us. The only issue with that is trying to keep track of everyone who bought a hookah from us.

While I see the value in offering a discount on hookahs bought from us, I think I'd rather just nix the whole thing altogether and not allow outside hookahs at all. It just seems like the easiest thing to do. My partners' concern is that this might keep some people from coming in. I don't know if I believe that.

[shaffaaf27]

id prefer a discount from bringing my own shisha though

[fillup]

[quote name='ih303' date='14 January 2010 - 01:00 PM' timestamp='1263492050' post='445308']

My partners' concern is that this might keep some people from coming in. I don't know if I believe that.
[/quote]

Well, if you already told everyone if they bought a hookah from you they would get a discount and you took that discount away just imagine how mad they would be. You said you were going to do one thing and in turn do another. I think you should just do a 3 month promotional and see how it works. If it draws in more business great, if not oh well you tried it and it dident work.

[Tyler]

I have my own hookahs that I keep at the lounge but they own them, they just have them reserved for me only. Maybe do the same for regular customers?

[rahl071]

when you sell a hookah, give them a laminated, stamped business card. should be pretty cheap to make. Aforementioned business card can be carried in wallets for discounts.

[white_rabbit]

I wouldn't let outside hookahs in. The liability is too high. Now people can bring in their own hose thats cool but not their own hookah. If they purchased the hookah off of you chances are that it is usually similar to the ones you use in the lounge because you want to offer people that are wanting to buy a hookah the chance to have the same or similar hookahs because they are of good quality. Why would you let someone with the same/similar hookahs that you have in the lounge bring theirs in just to save a couple bucks... I wouldn't. I dunno what type of hookahs you use... but most lounges I have been to off pretty much sell what they use in the lounge - brand wise.

[sine]

[quote name='white_rabbit' date='14 January 2010 - 02:19 PM' timestamp='1263496777' post='445332']
I wouldn't let outside hookahs in. The liability is too high. Now people can bring in their own hose thats cool but not their own hookah. If they purchased the hookah off of you chances are that it is usually similar to the ones you use in the lounge because you want to offer people that are wanting to buy a hookah the chance to have the same or similar hookahs because they are of good quality. Why would you let someone with the same/similar hookahs that you have in the lounge bring theirs in just to save a couple bucks... I wouldn't. I dunno what type of hookahs you use... but most lounges I have been to off pretty much sell what they use in the lounge - brand wise.
[/quote]

The man has a point. If your pipes are adequately priced, you can just make it like a membership... if they buy a pipe, they get a membership card, and it gives them a discount whenever they come to the lounge. Screw bringing in hookahs, that sounds like all kinds of trouble just waiting to happen

[fillup]

[quote name='rahl071' date='14 January 2010 - 01:48 PM' timestamp='1263494905' post='445324']
when you sell a hookah, give them a laminated, stamped business card. should be pretty cheap to make. Aforementioned business card can be carried in wallets for discounts.
[/quote]

This sounds like a good idea. You could make a business card that has "Premium Member" stamped on the back than laminated. This way they wouldent be able to just take one of your cards and laminate it themselves. With the card you could offer monthly deals on smoking / containers of shisha.

[ih303]

We've talked about having some sort of membership program. I could see that working. There's still the liability issue, though.

What have you seen done at other lounges? Do they allow outside hookahs?

[delSol_si]

i have never been to a lounge, there are none near by. i think the closest one is like 60-70 miles away and im not willing to drive that far. but, if i ever do go to a lounge (hopefully i will be able to some day) the two things I plan to bring with me are my hose (because I like my hose, probably bring a rubber to just in case their's don't fit), and my own coals. i would prefer to use their coals, as coals cost money, but i have heard a lot of horror stories about a lot of lounges using shitty QL coals.

oh, and i might bring my windcover too, just because i think a bowl smokes better with one on to retain heat better. i would probably bring my own hookah, bowl, and shisha, but i would leave it all in the car. i would prefer to smoke their stuff since that is waht i would be paying for, but just incase they suck that bad, i would keep my hookah in the car and then just ask if i can bring it in if their hookah sucks. i wouldn't say that, i would jsut say "hey, i have my hookah in my car, wanna see it?" or something like that.

for your case, i think i would have a hard time letting people bring in their own hookahs. maybe have them sign a waiver releasing you from liability, or have a sign posted saying something like "bring your own hookah at your own risk" and then tell them its either all or none, they can either bring their own hookah, coals, and shisha, and pack it themselves, and you just charge them a fee for letting them smoke in your establishment, or maybe let them bring in their own hookah, or if you want to make a little more money, you could try letting them buy you shisha to smoke in their hookah, but tell them THEY have to pack it. that way if they have a crappy session, it is on them, not you.

i dunno, i think if i ever go to a lounge and bring my own hookah, if they said i couldn't bring it in, i would probably offer to pay them the regular price for whatever they charge for a bowl and if they let me use my own hookah. i dunno, if i owned a hookah lounge, i would be afraid to touch any hookah that anyone brought in to my place, id be afraid that if they brought their own hookah in and had a crappy session, they would blame in on me....that is unless i had them to EVERY including packing the bowl and all, that way it is on them. most people would realize that if they brought their own hookah in, it is their own fault for a crappy session, but unfortunately, morons are anywhere near the endangered species list.

[cnygaard]

None of the lounges I have been to have allowed outside hookahs to be brought in to smoke. I am friends with the owner of a lounge on the north side of Indianapolis who would let me bring my own tobacco in if I wanted to, and if I asked would let me bring my hookah in, would possibly allow it on an occasion. That place is REAL chill though. It's in the space of a former starbucks and they serve coffee and pastries with hookah. He's from Syria and knows his shit. makes his own shisha right there in the shop, he's showed it to me.

The other lounges in our area have more of a party atmosphere, one even attempts to be a club of sorts, my friends avoid those places because we know and prepare a better hookah than they do. Bringing your own hookah in seems kind of pointless and defeats the purpose of those kind of lounges.

The type of ppl that would bring their own hookah into a lounge and set it up to smoke, don't really want to go to the lounge in the first place. Ever since I gained the knowledge by prowling the boards, I've stopped by our tolerable local lounge twice and only because friends dragged me along.

A discount card for frequent visitors, however, is a great idea and something that isn't offered in my area. would have come in handy last year!

[sine]

I've never seen a lounge that allows outside hookahs to be brought in, and DEFINITELY never bowls/shisha. There's too much of a risk of the customer trying to slip some NHT into the mix. It happened at one of my local places and it caused a huge mess. I don't see any issues with bringing in a hose, though...

[Sonthert]

At the risk of sounding high-handed, people who really like their hookah don't like lounge hookahs. I've never been to your lounge, so this is directed at your lounge, but lounges in general. I don't blame them. Hookah lounges suck. The hookahs suck. The service sucks. The bowls suck. The only thing that generally doesn't suck are the hoses. By that I mean the hoses are lame...don't draw well. Its really hard to work to have hookahs that are worthy of the most critical tastes. I would never, for instance, smoke out of a Chinese hookah. I don't like them, I don't trust them and wouldn't custom an establishment that used them. They (and me) will be inclined to stay home with their hookah and not bring you any business at all. Worse still, they might opt to invite some of your customers over to their house to smoke their hookah. Even if they charge their friends a couple of bucks, its a better deal than going to the lounge. Can your hookahs compete with their hookah (that you ostensibly sold them?) if the answer is no or sometimes, then you should think about the practice. On the other hand, if your hookahs always smoke better than theirs do at home, they will be impelled to come to your establishment.

Why do people drink booze at bars (or smoke hookah at a hookah lounge)?
1. There are people there.
2. The bar has nominally a better selection of booze/tobacco than most people do at their own homes.
3. The products are better because the bar has all the little gadgets and garnishes that make it good.
4. The bar has nice equipment (glasses, hookahs, barware, whatever), better than the ones they have at home.

I used to discount #4 years ago...I don't anymore. Drinks will be better then, by default. Likewise for the hookah lounge. If you aren't making hookahs that are better than theirs at home, you are doing something wrong. You can try to sell point #1 to death...then they start having their friends (and your customers) over to their house. Scratch #1. Selection of tobacco (Re: Point #2) is a big one that can stave off the home-hookah drawback effect...but if they smoke the same thing most of the time...its spells trouble. Still people drink at home and at the bar. The lower your walk-out prices are for walk-off sales, the better it is for you. They will be impelled back to your establishment. Make a buck off of them rather than letting an internet retailer make $.50. Its better than them poaching your customers and smoking at home from stuff they got on the internet.

At Tangiers, we do this:

Hookah (Ours) $13
Just a bowl (Your hookah, hose, etc.) $7
If you make the bowl yourself, subtract a dollar. Only do this for trusted customers that bought the hookah from you. Our lounge is set up reasonably well so people can make their own hookah. If they want to use their own hose, thats fine chop a buck off or something. Thats one less use your hose is getting. Additionally, its an incentive for them to buy their own hose (hopefully from you). A lot of these aficionados who aren't regulars look real sad when they bring their hose in. They expect to be told no. A hose is like a friend. You wouldn't object to them bringing their friend in. Also, universally, people who carry their own hoses carry leather hoses. Just an observation.

Our hookahs are all different, so ours don't look like theirs. They all smoke quite well, if I do say so myself. I still have my own hookah and my own hose...several, for different flavors. They prep it, so its on them if there's a problem or there's a breakage. One customer had a jar break. In the parking lot, before they came in. I've only had four jars break in six years and all of those cleaning or prep mishaps (3 cleaning, 1 prep). A jar breaks, so what? Its ten bucks. They'll bring you ten times that amount in a month. If there are recurring problems, then you can ban certain people from prep and whatnot. If they prep their own hookah and bowl, they can't complain too much, can they?

+1 on the NHT problems. People are less likely to put NHT in their own pristine hookah than they are in your own.


You are a business, but if people feel like they have some "ownership" of the business, they will be more steadfast, more loyal and keep an eye out for problems. They can help you in a small fashion, why not accommodate them in return?

[delSol_si]

[quote name='cnygaard' date='14 January 2010 - 02:15 PM' timestamp='1263500159' post='445354'].

The type of ppl that would bring their own hookah into a lounge and set it up to smoke, don't really want to go to the lounge in the first place. Ever since I gained the knowledge by prowling the boards, I've stopped by our tolerable local lounge twice and only because friends dragged me along.

[/quote]

actually, not always true. i am in college, living in the dorms. I prefer smoking inside, but the dorms do not allow smoking in the dorms. there is a smoking lounge, but there is so much cigg smoke in it that it makes me sick, plus i hate smelling like a turd when im done smoking. So, i would love to have a building close by that i could go to smoke in without having to deal with the cigg smoke. so, if there was a local lounge (there isn't) i would probably visit it quite frequently....if they sucked, the it would be nice to bring my own so i could still have a good session while indoors. but ya, i know most people aren't in my position.

i really like to hear adrocks take on this, i know he is in college, though i am pretty sure he doens't live in the dorms...either way though.

but ya, i would only bring my own hookah if the lounge hookahs really sucked, id much rather have them to the clean up work.

[rahl071]

Sonthert, where is your bar @?

[Chreees]

The lounge next door, the guy told me I could bring in my own pipe, and the price would be half-off... For Starbuzz he charges $20 plus tax... So I'd have to pay $10... But the lounge sucks and I don't like SB anyway so it's an all-around fail for me... Hookah made at home ftw!

EDIT: The guy's "Commercial Egyptian" hookahs, as he calls them, suck ass... Thin wispy little clouds... And the two times I've been there he never came around to ash the coals.... I only stayed thirty minutes each time, and will never go back.

[delSol_si]

wow eric, you get a +1 for that. very well written, great business plan. This is why i don't like it when you keep quiet, you really have a lot of smart things to say.

I agree with Eric on most of his points. like with the jar breaking. if there was a hookah lounge i could go to, and i brought my own hookah and my jar breaks in the parking lot, then if the owner of the place replaces my jar for free, hell ya id be back there more a lot more, you don't see that kind of kindness often. he is right about the person coming more. if i came once a week, id probably try to up that a little, or maybe buy some more stuff off him, as long as his prices weren't ridiculous, which Eric's prices seems great from what i have heard.

as far as the hoses go, ya, i would be pretty upset if i couldn't use my own hose. i don't really care if they give me a discount for using it or not, doesn't matter, i just like my hose. plus, 95% of the hoses i have smoked out of that belong to other people are constrictive and i get a mouthful of rust every time i take a hit (usually no more than one because the rust taste like shit). but, my hose is not a leather hose, i like my razan quick connects. but, that is beside the point i guess.

eric brings up a very good point about the friends and such. the only time i go to a bar to drink is when i am invited by someone, which doesn't happen very often. i would feel awkward goign to a bar (even a hookah bar) by myself, at least the first couple times. the only lounges/bars i would visit by myself right now is Eric's, Mush's, and probably Wade's if i knew he was goingto be there.but, i live to far away anyway.