Refunds? Discounts? For things out of your control (but not weather)

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Morticia

Morticia

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We've been down this road before but it's always a lively topic. Do you offer discounts or other perks if the guests do not get the best experience due to some 'event' occurring that you had no control over (but not weather)?
Examples would be loss of services such as heat or water (due to an internal failure, not a town wide event), no coffee because the coffee machine broke, being awakened by the fire alarm when there was no fire just a malfunction in the system.
Perks might include offering the guests a refund comparable to getting breakfast at the local diner (no coffee situation) or a discount off a next stay (no heat or water or the fire alarm goes off).
Does anyone do this? Or is the stay 'as is, use at your own risk'?
 
I consider the cost as including the full package. If the full package isn't available, I'm not charging full price.
For example, I had guests who left a note that they loved the place, but there was a buzz in the heating system that made it hard to sleep. I checked, and indeed there was a occasional sound kind of like a bug zapper makes when it fries a bug.
So I called the repair man and refunded $25 on their one-night stay. About a week later they posted a perfect 5-bubble review on TA and didn't mention the bug zapper feature. Everybody happy!
 
2007 I had one rez for my budget room. That evening had walk-ins for the other 2 rooms so now there is on private and one shared bathroom. This set-up is important.
The walk-in shared is taking a shower. I am in the kitchen making breakfast and hear water dripping. I run upstairs and knock on the bathroom door thinking water is coming out onto the floor. Occupant wraps up, check floor. No water. She goes back to showering and I continue to hear water. Then the ceiling tile comes down and I can SEE the problem.
The drain pipe divorced the shower stall. The others in their 2-room party took showers in the private bath. The ONLY person who did noty get a shower was the lady with the reservation. I tried to comp the room but she refused. Said she had been military and taking a bath in a basin was nothing new. She finally agreed to 50% off.
 
gillumhouse said:
2007 I had one rez for my budget room. That evening had walk-ins for the other 2 rooms so now there is on private and one shared bathroom. This set-up is important.
The walk-in shared is taking a shower. I am in the kitchen making breakfast and hear water dripping. I run upstairs and knock on the bathroom door thinking water is coming out onto the floor. Occupant wraps up, check floor. No water. She goes back to showering and I continue to hear water. Then the ceiling tile comes down and I can SEE the problem.
The drain pipe divorced the shower stall. The others in their 2-room party took showers in the private bath. The ONLY person who did noty get a shower was the lady with the reservation. I tried to comp the room but she refused. Said she had been military and taking a bath in a basin was nothing new. She finally agreed to 50% off..
Click to expand...
gillumhouse said:
Said she had been military and taking a bath in a basin was nothing new. She finally agreed to 50% off.
Click to expand...
I stayed in a really nice guesthouse in Lima, Peru, a few years ago. Had to get up at 5 a.m. to make an early plane flight. No water. Sahara desert. I bathed/washed my hair using the one bottle of drinking water I had with me. It can definitely be done...by a trooper.
Went down for breakfast and they apologized, saying the city doesn't make water available between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.!
Signed, Arks. Trooper.
 
What I want to know if how everyone figured out so quickly that I had no hot water yesterday, thus the question? ;-)
 
We keep a few things around the house in case we might need to smooth something over.... mostly bottles of wine, jam, chocolates and other personal gifts. And yes, sometimes we offer a discount. But most of the time the guests are understanding that things happen. Like when the power company shut off the power because of a fire up the street. We handed out flashlights and apologized, but they knew it wasn't our fault. People for the most part are forgiving.
 
We had a situation a couple of years ago that resulted in a major inconvenience to one of our guests. We offered a significant refund, but they ultimately refused our check, asking instead that we apply it as a credit toward a future stay. Of course, they haven't come back.... yet.
 
We had a water heater choose to stop working on a cold night in mid-February a number of years ago, found it after supper, alerted our guests and refunded those that chose not to stay. Still filled all the rooms for Saturday night with no hot water. Took to Wednesday to get the needed part shipped in to us, borrowed a shower from a local motel so our family could get a bath after cleaning rooms on Sunday, it is bound to happen to all of us at some point.
 
Morticia said:
What I want to know if how everyone figured out so quickly that I had no hot water yesterday, thus the question? ;-).
Click to expand...
Morticia said:
What I want to know if how everyone figured out so quickly that I had no hot water yesterday, thus the question? ;-)
Click to expand...
Showers is the most common problem that would cause thoughts of discounts/refunds from an innkeeper. It is the one thing each of us has most likely had to deal with so that was the issue that came to mind. Mine was not lack of water - it was water in the wrong place. Water - the universal issue.
 
Yes, if the problem is our fault - equipment mishap or error - I discount, refund or offer something on the next stay. We have had things like power out for a time due to a storm, tree limb down or something like that and I have not discounted in that situation or been asked to. I did have one person leave once for a power out and I did only charge him for the days he was actually here. We have had some crazy situations with people trapped due to flooding and when that has happened thankfully, the people were all really great about it.
Some even returned to book a family reunion - go figure!
 
Morticia said:
What I want to know if how everyone figured out so quickly that I had no hot water yesterday, thus the question? ;-).
Click to expand...
My guess is ... they tell each other before coming to you. 'Do you have hot water? We don't'
Morticia said:
What I want to know if how everyone figured out so quickly that I had no hot water yesterday, thus the question? ;-)
Click to expand...
 
i offered partial refunds depending on the situation.
our guests were great and took it all in stride when we had a huge rain storm and the power went off everywhere. we lit candles all over the place, shared our wine with them in the common areas (and they with us). they came running from a church where they were rehearsing songs for a wedding. i pulled out every spare towel for people to dry off. that was a fun time. i did not offer discounts as it was not just the b&b.
i stayed at a b&b in new hampshire (you might recall) ... power went out and we were sitting in a dark bedroom for quite a while ... had to give a shout and make our way down a dark corridor and first flight of stairs to ask for a flashlight. (they had a pile of them) i thought that was bad form. i thought the innkeepers should have gone to all the rooms with flashlights and whatever info they could offer. it bothered me that they did not come up to our room - nor to anyone else's. not to check, not to offer flashlights, not to give info. odd ...
maybe they were scared of the storm.
 
seashanty said:
i offered partial refunds depending on the situation.
our guests were great and took it all in stride when we had a huge rain storm and the power went off everywhere. we lit candles all over the place, shared our wine with them in the common areas (and they with us). they came running from a church where they were rehearsing songs for a wedding. i pulled out every spare towel for people to dry off. that was a fun time. i did not offer discounts as it was not just the b&b.
i stayed at a b&b in new hampshire (you might recall) ... power went out and we were sitting in a dark bedroom for quite a while ... had to give a shout and make our way down a dark corridor and first flight of stairs to ask for a flashlight. (they had a pile of them) i thought that was bad form. i thought the innkeepers should have gone to all the rooms with flashlights and whatever info they could offer. it bothered me that they did not come up to our room - nor to anyone else's. not to check, not to offer flashlights, not to give info. odd ...
maybe they were scared of the storm..
Click to expand...
If the power goes out I don't go to the rooms to tell guests. They may be sleeping or not even there.
If many are out I will leave a note on the counter under the Coleman lantern.
We do keep flashlights in the night stands for emergencies. The emergency lighting in the hallway comes on if the power goes out.
BTW, I was away the other day. I was a victim of no hot water, not the innkeeper on the hook. ;-)
It must be me. No heat, no hot water, fire alarms, burnt breakfast, parakeets flying around the dining room, dogs begging at the table. It's a wonder anyone will travel with me!
 
well it was only 7 pm - so I felt a knock on the door in a pitch black b&b would've been nice.
no emergency lighting came on in the hallways which is odd - we had to have ours inspected every year.
parakeets!?
haha
 
seashanty said:
well it was only 7 pm - so I felt a knock on the door in a pitch black b&b would've been nice.
no emergency lighting came on in the hallways which is odd - we had to have ours inspected every year.
parakeets!?
haha.
Click to expand...
seashanty said:
parakeets!?
haha
Click to expand...
This is why I am surprised our friends still want me to plan the vacation every year.
 
Morticia said:
seashanty said:
i offered partial refunds depending on the situation.
our guests were great and took it all in stride when we had a huge rain storm and the power went off everywhere. we lit candles all over the place, shared our wine with them in the common areas (and they with us). they came running from a church where they were rehearsing songs for a wedding. i pulled out every spare towel for people to dry off. that was a fun time. i did not offer discounts as it was not just the b&b.
i stayed at a b&b in new hampshire (you might recall) ... power went out and we were sitting in a dark bedroom for quite a while ... had to give a shout and make our way down a dark corridor and first flight of stairs to ask for a flashlight. (they had a pile of them) i thought that was bad form. i thought the innkeepers should have gone to all the rooms with flashlights and whatever info they could offer. it bothered me that they did not come up to our room - nor to anyone else's. not to check, not to offer flashlights, not to give info. odd ...
maybe they were scared of the storm..
Click to expand...
If the power goes out I don't go to the rooms to tell guests. They may be sleeping or not even there.
If many are out I will leave a note on the counter under the Coleman lantern.
We do keep flashlights in the night stands for emergencies. The emergency lighting in the hallway comes on if the power goes out.
BTW, I was away the other day. I was a victim of no hot water, not the innkeeper on the hook. ;-)
It must be me. No heat, no hot water, fire alarms, burnt breakfast, parakeets flying around the dining room, dogs begging at the table. It's a wonder anyone will travel with me!
.
Click to expand...
Morticia said:
It must be me. No heat, no hot water, fire alarms, burnt breakfast, parakeets flying around the dining room, dogs begging at the table. It's a wonder anyone will travel with me!
Click to expand...
How does this happen, but it does. We have some great friends that always have things happen at restaurants. The stories they tell. And at times we have been with. I still go out with them, it makes for good stories.
 
Copperhead said:
Morticia said:
seashanty said:
i offered partial refunds depending on the situation.
our guests were great and took it all in stride when we had a huge rain storm and the power went off everywhere. we lit candles all over the place, shared our wine with them in the common areas (and they with us). they came running from a church where they were rehearsing songs for a wedding. i pulled out every spare towel for people to dry off. that was a fun time. i did not offer discounts as it was not just the b&b.
i stayed at a b&b in new hampshire (you might recall) ... power went out and we were sitting in a dark bedroom for quite a while ... had to give a shout and make our way down a dark corridor and first flight of stairs to ask for a flashlight. (they had a pile of them) i thought that was bad form. i thought the innkeepers should have gone to all the rooms with flashlights and whatever info they could offer. it bothered me that they did not come up to our room - nor to anyone else's. not to check, not to offer flashlights, not to give info. odd ...
maybe they were scared of the storm..
Click to expand...
If the power goes out I don't go to the rooms to tell guests. They may be sleeping or not even there.
If many are out I will leave a note on the counter under the Coleman lantern.
We do keep flashlights in the night stands for emergencies. The emergency lighting in the hallway comes on if the power goes out.
BTW, I was away the other day. I was a victim of no hot water, not the innkeeper on the hook. ;-)
It must be me. No heat, no hot water, fire alarms, burnt breakfast, parakeets flying around the dining room, dogs begging at the table. It's a wonder anyone will travel with me!
.
Click to expand...
Morticia said:
It must be me. No heat, no hot water, fire alarms, burnt breakfast, parakeets flying around the dining room, dogs begging at the table. It's a wonder anyone will travel with me!
Click to expand...
How does this happen, but it does. We have some great friends that always have things happen at restaurants. The stories they tell. And at times we have been with. I still go out with them, it makes for good stories.
.
Click to expand...
We once knew a family that travelled under a black cloud. People would ask them when they had their camping trip planned so that they could plan a different time. True story.
 
Copperhead said:
Morticia said:
seashanty said:
i offered partial refunds depending on the situation.
our guests were great and took it all in stride when we had a huge rain storm and the power went off everywhere. we lit candles all over the place, shared our wine with them in the common areas (and they with us). they came running from a church where they were rehearsing songs for a wedding. i pulled out every spare towel for people to dry off. that was a fun time. i did not offer discounts as it was not just the b&b.
i stayed at a b&b in new hampshire (you might recall) ... power went out and we were sitting in a dark bedroom for quite a while ... had to give a shout and make our way down a dark corridor and first flight of stairs to ask for a flashlight. (they had a pile of them) i thought that was bad form. i thought the innkeepers should have gone to all the rooms with flashlights and whatever info they could offer. it bothered me that they did not come up to our room - nor to anyone else's. not to check, not to offer flashlights, not to give info. odd ...
maybe they were scared of the storm..
Click to expand...
If the power goes out I don't go to the rooms to tell guests. They may be sleeping or not even there.
If many are out I will leave a note on the counter under the Coleman lantern.
We do keep flashlights in the night stands for emergencies. The emergency lighting in the hallway comes on if the power goes out.
BTW, I was away the other day. I was a victim of no hot water, not the innkeeper on the hook. ;-)
It must be me. No heat, no hot water, fire alarms, burnt breakfast, parakeets flying around the dining room, dogs begging at the table. It's a wonder anyone will travel with me!
.
Click to expand...
Morticia said:
It must be me. No heat, no hot water, fire alarms, burnt breakfast, parakeets flying around the dining room, dogs begging at the table. It's a wonder anyone will travel with me!
Click to expand...
How does this happen, but it does. We have some great friends that always have things happen at restaurants. The stories they tell. And at times we have been with. I still go out with them, it makes for good stories.
.
Click to expand...
Copperhead said:
Morticia said:
It must be me. No heat, no hot water, fire alarms, burnt breakfast, parakeets flying around the dining room, dogs begging at the table. It's a wonder anyone will travel with me!
Click to expand...
How does this happen, but it does. We have some great friends that always have things happen at restaurants. The stories they tell. And at times we have been with. I still go out with them, it makes for good stories.
Click to expand...
That's what our friends say, "you have to plan the vacation, we talk about it for a year after!"
 
2cat_lady said:
Copperhead said:
Morticia said:
seashanty said:
i offered partial refunds depending on the situation.
our guests were great and took it all in stride when we had a huge rain storm and the power went off everywhere. we lit candles all over the place, shared our wine with them in the common areas (and they with us). they came running from a church where they were rehearsing songs for a wedding. i pulled out every spare towel for people to dry off. that was a fun time. i did not offer discounts as it was not just the b&b.
i stayed at a b&b in new hampshire (you might recall) ... power went out and we were sitting in a dark bedroom for quite a while ... had to give a shout and make our way down a dark corridor and first flight of stairs to ask for a flashlight. (they had a pile of them) i thought that was bad form. i thought the innkeepers should have gone to all the rooms with flashlights and whatever info they could offer. it bothered me that they did not come up to our room - nor to anyone else's. not to check, not to offer flashlights, not to give info. odd ...
maybe they were scared of the storm..
Click to expand...
If the power goes out I don't go to the rooms to tell guests. They may be sleeping or not even there.
If many are out I will leave a note on the counter under the Coleman lantern.
We do keep flashlights in the night stands for emergencies. The emergency lighting in the hallway comes on if the power goes out.
BTW, I was away the other day. I was a victim of no hot water, not the innkeeper on the hook. ;-)
It must be me. No heat, no hot water, fire alarms, burnt breakfast, parakeets flying around the dining room, dogs begging at the table. It's a wonder anyone will travel with me!
.
Click to expand...
Morticia said:
It must be me. No heat, no hot water, fire alarms, burnt breakfast, parakeets flying around the dining room, dogs begging at the table. It's a wonder anyone will travel with me!
Click to expand...
How does this happen, but it does. We have some great friends that always have things happen at restaurants. The stories they tell. And at times we have been with. I still go out with them, it makes for good stories.
.
Click to expand...
We once knew a family that travelled under a black cloud. People would ask them when they had their camping trip planned so that they could plan a different time. True story.
.
Click to expand...
2cat_lady said:
We once knew a family that travelled under a black cloud. People would ask them when they had their camping trip planned so that they could plan a different time. True story.
Click to expand...
My oldest daughter has more trouble with airplanes. When she had her destination wedding it was at the airport that I realized we were all getting on the same plane. Yikes!
I also won't travel by car with her.
 
just re-read your original post. if a place had 'stay at your own risk' posted, i don't think i'd stay there!
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