Reply to a venue that asks for a retrospective discount or a special volume price, from your own floor price and terms

One broker's 2019 guide says that the more volume an account sells, the more the venue will expect from you, and that retrospective discounts and special prices for volume are part of that. The guide separately says market consolidation and the need for brand support are eroding margin. The Guardian reports that about 5% of SIBA members say large pub chains demand deep discounts that smaller brewers cannot afford. A reply written in a hurry either gives away margin or loses the account. AI can help you draft a calm reply with the options you have already decided, such as a firm no, a written tier tied to volume, or support that is not a price cut. You decide the numbers. AI does not work out margin, discount or duty.

An AI chat tool you already use, then your own email, spreadsheet or word processor (no customer, venue-staff or HMRC account details ever go into the AI tool)

Steps

1. Before you write, decide your position in private on a sheet of paper: your lowest price per unit for this account, what volume you expect, and what you would trade for it (for example a longer commitment, a fixed delivery day or a tasting night). Do the arithmetic yourself, with your accountant if needed.
2. Choose which of three replies you want: a polite no with a reason, a written offer that applies only above a volume you name, or a non-price offer such as point-of-sale, a staff tasting or an event. Write your terms in words and figures you typed.
3. Paste the venue's request in your own words (not their name) and your decision into the prompt. The AI drafts a reply of 120 to 150 words in the tone you choose, and a short list of the written terms to confirm. It must not offer any discount, price or volume that you did not give it.
4. Read it as the buyer would. Remove anything that sounds like a promise you have not priced. Check with your accountant how any retrospective discount would show in your invoices and records.
5. Send it by email so the terms are in writing, and note the date and what you agreed.

The exact prompt

I run a small independent brewery in the UK. A venue has asked for a retrospective discount or a special price for volume. Below is the request in my own words and the position I have decided. They contain no names or contact details.

Task: write a reply of 120 to 150 words in a calm, friendly, firm tone. Use only the position and terms I give. If I have said no, say no kindly and explain in one sentence, and offer only what I list. If I have given a volume tier, set it out in plain words exactly as I typed it. Then list, in bullets, the terms I will need to confirm in writing. Do not offer any discount, price, volume or support I have not given you, do not do any arithmetic, do not say what other brewers do, and do not say anything about the venue's finances. Use the blanks [BUYER], [VENUE], [MY NAME] and [DATE].

RULES FOR THIS CHAT: I will give you only my brewery's own facts, beers, prices, terms and dates. I have not included, and will not include, any customer, venue staff, drinker or employee name, phone number, email address or personal detail, and no HMRC login, reference number, bank or account detail. Do not ask for any, and do not invent any: use roles and blanks such as [BUYER], [VENUE] and [MY NAME]. Do not do arithmetic: copy every price, ABV, volume, date and figure exactly as I typed it, and never work out duty, VAT, a margin or a discount. Do not make any claim I have not given you: no award, health, mood, performance, social-success or strength claims, nothing that would appeal to under-18s, nothing that urges anyone to drink quickly or heavily, and never say that anything complies with a code, the law or HMRC's rules. If something is unclear write [FOR ME TO DECIDE] instead of guessing.

THE REQUEST IN MY WORDS: [PASTE]
MY POSITION, PRICES AND WHAT I CAN OFFER: [PASTE]
TONE: [warm / neutral / firm]