- 10% of Britons make friends solely to get a better deal
- More men than women flirt for a discount
- The majority don’t get the discount they are after
Reflecting the current age of austerity, new research has found that a third (33%) of Britons are taking unusual measures to get discounts on things they buy*.
Those who have found a new best friend recently should consider their new pal’s motives – the study for Kwik Fit revealed that one in 10 (10%) Britons admit to making friends with someone for the sole intention of getting a discount on a product or service. The simple cuppa is the most widely used approach to try to get lower prices – one in seven (14%) offer tradesmen lots of tea or coffee with the aim of getting a sweeter deal. 5% of Brits go even further and make them something to eat.
Surprisingly, when it comes to fluttering their eyelashes, it’s the men who take the lead. 9% of British adults admit to flirting to try to get a better deal, with more men than women trying to use their wiles to get a discount (11% vs 8%).
The bad news for all those attempting any tactic to try to get “mates’ rates” is that in spite of making all this effort, the majority of people (55%) didn’t get the discount they were after.
This is especially bad news for those in the North East, where people are most likely to go out of their way to try and get a discount, with a whopping 45% admitting to trying it on at least once. However, only one in four (28%) in the region got the discount they wanted.
The research demonstrates that many attempts to get a discount are often unsuccessful and ties into Kwik Fit’s new advertising campaign which reminds customers that they don’t need to go out of their way to get great rates at Kwik Fit.
| Region | Percentage of the public that have taken some action to try and get a discount | Percentage of those that were successful in getting the discount they wanted |
| North East | 45% | 34% |
| South East | 40% | 34% |
| West Midlands | 37% | 48% |
| London | 36% | 56% |
| Yorkshire & Humberside | 35% | 44% |
| East Midlands | 32% | 52% |
| South West | 32% | 50% |
| East of England | 31% | 55% |
| North West | 30% | 31% |
| National average | 33% | 40% |
Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit, said: “Many people think that they have to try unusual tactics to get a good deal. With our latest advertising campaign, we wanted to reassure drivers that our prices are a great deal – available to all without needing any extra effort from their part.
“We think the idea of mates’ rates sends out the wrong signals to the average customer – it makes them feel like someone else is getting a better deal than they are. That’s why we have transparent pricing at Kwik Fit and many of our services are fixed-price and exceptional value. This means customers can be sure that they are getting a great deal, without having to flirt with anyone, offer biscuits or pretend to be their new best friend.”
