How would you handle this?

Frantic phone call from overbooked innkeeper (as I sit here with an empty house) - can I take their guest?
Sure, no problem. Then I think to ask what rate they charge, remembering they were pretty low last time I checked. Whew, close enough to my rate but still lower.
So, as the innkeeper with the overbooking, would you offer to make up the difference?
Guest checks in here, completely ok with situation. Turns out the room I gave them has a leaky sink. We move them to a better room, fix sink, hunky dory.
While all this is going on, a walk in rings the bell. Gomez quotes a very nice price to them, guy goes out to check with wife, comes back and says they have to eat at 6 AM. That means us getting up at 4:30. Gomez says he can do 7, but 6 in just too early. They leave.
I know Gillum does breakfast whenever you want it, but would anyone else?
If it helps, the other room is not eating until 9 and I have to drive 6 hours to NY tomorrow.
I think there are 2 scenarios and questions here: do you make up the difference when you screw up? Do you make breakfast when the guest wants it?
In a similar vein, as this has also happened - if you overbook an OTA guest do you pay the commission or do you expect the inn that saves your butt to pay it for you? (I think my opinion is probably clear on that one.)

#1 - I am small and the 4 AM is ONLY because I overnight horses that in the summer need to be on the road before the heat of the day. (thankfully totally rare)
#2 - I would pay the difference in rate gladly to someone who saved my tush.
#3 - Gratitude would have me covering ANY extra costs associated with saving my tush.
BTW - Hotels, when they "walk" someone (aka overbook) are required to pay for the room at the new hotel plus 1 phone call (now with cell phones unnecessary) to notify someone of their new location. At least that is how it was when I worked front desk eons ago.

1. I would pay the difference if it was my screw up. I think that is fair.
2. We've had people ask for early breakfasts several times. Shelley just makes like a breakfast sandwich for them to take with them from left over casserole. We just made some toast, microwaved some cheesy egg casserole (or scrambled up some eggs and cheese if no left overs), and made a sandwich. 5 minutes, done. Wrap it up nice and neat and put it in a nice little bag, and they have been appreciative. No complaints.

Overbooking, they pay the difference.
Breakfast at 6AM is muffins to go. Breakfast at 7AM is self serve continental.

ChrisandShelley said:

1. I would pay the difference if it was my screw up. I think that is fair.
2. We've had people ask for early breakfasts several times. Shelley just makes like a breakfast sandwich for them to take with them from left over casserole. We just made some toast, microwaved some cheesy egg casserole (or scrambled up some eggs and cheese if no left overs), and made a sandwich. 5 minutes, done. Wrap it up nice and neat and put it in a nice little bag, and they have been appreciative. No complaints..

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We've done to go breakfasts. She wanted a full, sit down meal.

Morticia said:

ChrisandShelley said:

1. I would pay the difference if it was my screw up. I think that is fair.
2. We've had people ask for early breakfasts several times. Shelley just makes like a breakfast sandwich for them to take with them from left over casserole. We just made some toast, microwaved some cheesy egg casserole (or scrambled up some eggs and cheese if no left overs), and made a sandwich. 5 minutes, done. Wrap it up nice and neat and put it in a nice little bag, and they have been appreciative. No complaints..

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We've done to go breakfasts. She wanted a full, sit down meal.
.

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I would have also let them go.

Morticia said:

ChrisandShelley said:

1. I would pay the difference if it was my screw up. I think that is fair.
2. We've had people ask for early breakfasts several times. Shelley just makes like a breakfast sandwich for them to take with them from left over casserole. We just made some toast, microwaved some cheesy egg casserole (or scrambled up some eggs and cheese if no left overs), and made a sandwich. 5 minutes, done. Wrap it up nice and neat and put it in a nice little bag, and they have been appreciative. No complaints..

Click to expand...

We've done to go breakfasts. She wanted a full, sit down meal.
.

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Oh yeah, that's a no go.

Morticia said:

ChrisandShelley said:

1. I would pay the difference if it was my screw up. I think that is fair.
2. We've had people ask for early breakfasts several times. Shelley just makes like a breakfast sandwich for them to take with them from left over casserole. We just made some toast, microwaved some cheesy egg casserole (or scrambled up some eggs and cheese if no left overs), and made a sandwich. 5 minutes, done. Wrap it up nice and neat and put it in a nice little bag, and they have been appreciative. No complaints..

Click to expand...

We've done to go breakfasts. She wanted a full, sit down meal.
.

Click to expand...

Breakfast would be a to go type...take it or leave it. I would not be making breakfast for anyone that early. If they don't like it, so be it.

The onus of additional cost falls to the innkeeper who overbooked. Settle it before accepting the reservation.
Breakfast is served between ...what ever your breakfast policy is. Guests requiring an early breakfast can request a to-go bag the night before. The bag, with their name on it placed in the guest refrigerator, can be picked up at their convenience on the morning they have an early departure.
Your Keurig would work nicely in this scenario.

EmptyNest said:

Morticia said:

ChrisandShelley said:

1. I would pay the difference if it was my screw up. I think that is fair.
2. We've had people ask for early breakfasts several times. Shelley just makes like a breakfast sandwich for them to take with them from left over casserole. We just made some toast, microwaved some cheesy egg casserole (or scrambled up some eggs and cheese if no left overs), and made a sandwich. 5 minutes, done. Wrap it up nice and neat and put it in a nice little bag, and they have been appreciative. No complaints..

Click to expand...

We've done to go breakfasts. She wanted a full, sit down meal.
.

Click to expand...

Breakfast would be a to go type...take it or leave it. I would not be making breakfast for anyone that early. If they don't like it, so be it.
.

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Ditto...no hot breakfast.

I was reading yesterday that big hotels routinely overbook now because there's an average 10% no show rate. In the rare cases where everybody shows up, they move the extra people to other hotels. The article didn't say but I'd assume the overbooked hotel pays the difference, unless they have some sort of advance reciprocation agreement worked out.
I'll bet they don't tell guests they overbooked. I'll bet they tell people they had to close rooms due to mechanical problems or some other made up excuse.
I've stayed at lots of B&Bs where we had to leave before breakfast, to make a plane or ferry departure. We either leave with no breakfast and find something later, or they tell us where to find the milk and cereal, coffee and sweet rolls, etc. I've never been any place that prepared an early cooked meal. Not THAT early, at least. Maybe a half hour early, but not hours early.

Yes, they should feel obligated to pay the difference. No, you should not feel obligated to cook breakfast at 6 AM.

Silverspoon said:

The onus of additional cost falls to the innkeeper who overbooked. Settle it before accepting the reservation.
Breakfast is served between ...what ever your breakfast policy is. Guests requiring an early breakfast can request a to-go bag the night before. The bag, with their name on it placed in the guest refrigerator, can be picked up at their convenience on the morning they have an early departure.
Your Keurig would work nicely in this scenario..

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I think the big problem was it was a walk in. We didn't have time to consult. At 8 pm there are no options for to go that don't involve either baking or going out to the store to buy yogurt, etc.
Neither of us is baking at that hour!
And, she wanted sit down, so the to go options didn't work. If course we wondered where they ended up!

Arks said:

I was reading yesterday that big hotels routinely overbook now because there's an average 10% no show rate. In the rare cases where everybody shows up, they move the extra people to other hotels. The article didn't say but I'd assume the overbooked hotel pays the difference, unless they have some sort of advance reciprocation agreement worked out.
I'll bet they don't tell guests they overbooked. I'll bet they tell people they had to close rooms due to mechanical problems or some other made up excuse.
I've stayed at lots of B&Bs where we had to leave before breakfast, to make a plane or ferry departure. We either leave with no breakfast and find something later, or they tell us where to find the milk and cereal, coffee and sweet rolls, etc. I've never been any place that prepared an early cooked meal. Not THAT early, at least. Maybe a half hour early, but not hours early..

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We have a lot of hotels and they do overbook on a regular basis. They don't call me because they don't want to pay the difference between their ,$99 special and my standard rate. But I know they've called a couple of other inns who have taken 4 guests in one room for $99 AND fed them a full, not continental, breakfast, which was not included at the hotel.
They will call me when their rates are over $200, tho, and they want to look good to the person they're sending on their way.

Arks said:

I was reading yesterday that big hotels routinely overbook now because there's an average 10% no show rate. In the rare cases where everybody shows up, they move the extra people to other hotels. The article didn't say but I'd assume the overbooked hotel pays the difference, unless they have some sort of advance reciprocation agreement worked out.
I'll bet they don't tell guests they overbooked. I'll bet they tell people they had to close rooms due to mechanical problems or some other made up excuse.
I've stayed at lots of B&Bs where we had to leave before breakfast, to make a plane or ferry departure. We either leave with no breakfast and find something later, or they tell us where to find the milk and cereal, coffee and sweet rolls, etc. I've never been any place that prepared an early cooked meal. Not THAT early, at least. Maybe a half hour early, but not hours early..

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The process is called being "walked" and the hotel is supposed to collect from you and they pay the other hotel, no matter the cost. Some hotels have a habit of letting you pay the hotel and the hotel billing them the extra, same thing really, but it's actually supposed to the be paid to who you contracted with.
We were once "walked" in Las Vegas. We had a confirmation, and had actually been at the hotel a few days earlier as we went to Utah and Arizona for a few days in between. They "walked" us (apparently they knew ahead of time because the whole packet of information was ready, they had a convention and needed the room) and not only picked up the difference, they paid the whole bill and moved us to a better hotel. (Harrah's to Monte Carlo)
I don't know if you remember the case where a reservation was "lost" in my system and I had a double booking. So I had to find the guest another place to stay and it was BK, so it was contractual. We contacted the guest, found her a place to stay that was comparable but less convenient. We charged her but paid her bill at the other place, left her our "gift", an apology along with cash to make up for the extra costs related to taking a taxi there, since it wasn't in the fixed price hotel zone. We texted to make sure that everything was fine and she was well taken care of.

Morticia said:

Silverspoon said:

The onus of additional cost falls to the innkeeper who overbooked. Settle it before accepting the reservation.
Breakfast is served between ...what ever your breakfast policy is. Guests requiring an early breakfast can request a to-go bag the night before. The bag, with their name on it placed in the guest refrigerator, can be picked up at their convenience on the morning they have an early departure.
Your Keurig would work nicely in this scenario..

Click to expand...

I think the big problem was it was a walk in. We didn't have time to consult. At 8 pm there are no options for to go that don't involve either baking or going out to the store to buy yogurt, etc.
Neither of us is baking at that hour!
And, she wanted sit down, so the to go options didn't work. If course we wondered where they ended up!
.

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Ahhh...well in that case it definitely is NOT your problem! Bye bye

You should expect to receive YOUR standard price for the room. Usually hotels that 'walk' guests when overbooked pay the total price, guest gets it free.
I do early breakfast sometimes but not 6am. I would provide them muffins, cereal etc for help yourself breakfast which I am sure you offered as well. If they walk so be it, we can not be 24/7 with our small places.
If another place saved my butt when I overbooked there is no way I would pay the commission! That is THEIR responsibility.

Copperhead said:

You should expect to receive YOUR standard price for the room. Usually hotels that 'walk' guests when overbooked pay the total price, guest gets it free.
I do early breakfast sometimes but not 6am. I would provide them muffins, cereal etc for help yourself breakfast which I am sure you offered as well. If they walk so be it, we can not be 24/7 with our small places.
If another place saved my butt when I overbooked there is no way I would pay the commission! That is THEIR responsibility..

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Copperhead said:

.
If another place saved my butt when I overbooked there is no way I would pay the commission! That is THEIR responsibility.

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You would think so but both times it happened the other place expected us to pay the commission because we got the money.
I told one that I would give the guest the room at their (lower price) but I was not paying $60 on top of that. The other place talked to Gomez, so you know who paid the commission that time, plus the guest paying less because our rates are so much lower. So yeah, we paid the commission on a higher rate and got a grumpy guest out of the bargain.
A guest who disassembled the second bed and used the duvet as a mattress pad because the bed was 'too hard.'
Never doing that again.
I'll take the guest at the better rate and not pay the commission. I've paid when I've made a mistake, that's called owning your mistake.

We have paid the difference when the overbook was on our side. We didn't pay the difference when the guest showed up on the wrong day and we found her a higher priced room. Decided that was her mistake.
We don't cook for very early requests, but we will set out juice, milk and muffins and cereal.

Something happened with B.oo.com and a booking never came through to us - I only caught it when we went to email everyone the night before to ask when they were coming. so booked a double room with my neighbour (had booked a small single so was an upgrade) and paid the first night and difference on the 2nd night. Lady was so pleased with her room (my neighbour is super nice so I knew she would go out of her way to look after her) woman paid what she would have paid instead so I was only out of pocket for the difference which wasn't much and chum came and gave me my money back (id gone straight round to her and paid as I like to be straight) so all worked out but I would have and did pay the first night (2 night stay) so lady would be as little inconvenienced as possible. But that is what I would expect to do (ie pay) also have taken book outs from others for various reasons and don't gouge as it could be me next time.