A grad-student blogger conducted a discount experiment. For a whole year, at least once a day she would ask shopkeepers, waiters, flight attendants – pretty much anyone she saw if they could give her discounts, upgrades, freebies, or any other kind of extras.
It turns out just asking can get you great perks.
At first, it may take a little bit of practice working up to it. What’s the worse that can happen? They could say no, but you could also score a great deal.
So, what types of businesses are most likely to bargain or give out extras? She almost always got a deal at Craigslist, estate sales, farmers markets. Stores like Macy’s, Best Buy, Fry’s, Ikea, Cost Plus, and Pier One were not flexible, but smaller stores gave more extras.
If you want to read more about this experiment check out this article on Time, Want a Discount? Just Use the Obvious But Magic Words