My friend just wanted to understand if there was room to negotiate. She was going to take it anyways even if they said they couldn't go higher. So are you saying people should not negotiate at all then?
Negotiating typically doesn't need to be cloak and dagger and being earnest builds trust and rapport. You can take a position and continue to negotiate. Even more so if you are asking them to match or get closer to your current comp. She left it open for retraction for hours.