We had a guest who left a very small item here a couple of months ago. Missed it immediately and called to ask if we could send it on. Popped it in the mail next day. Yesterday got a check in the mail for the postage. Never asked for the money but am wondering if the item JUST got to them! 2 months later! It just seemed so odd to send a check for so little (less than a dollar).
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Spare me the perky.
I was playing a game today (board game) where one question was "Things send at the Post Office?" I yelled out (part of the game is yelling out) "Shoes, Pants, Belts and Phone Chargers!"
Yeah I got a couple odd looks.
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Kindness not only makes the coffee. Kindness says good morning.
When I worked in the hotel, we would only send things back to them if they called and privided a credit card # and sent it out fedx.
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Carolyn
Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
Mark Twain
Order Priority Mail boxes for FREE from the post office. Print postage online and give to your mailman. This is how I sold on ebay for years. Never had to go to the post office, and customers paid for all postage.
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The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue and gives kisses freely and enthusiastically to everyone!
I recall a similar discussion where it was discussed making contact with the departed guest.....a phone call, email......
As for shipping and handling costs.......I don't understand why some would chose not to get reimbursed?
I've got the picture of the daily activity of the innkeeper.......that extra destination to the post office, or UPS.....would seem to be as if throwing a wrench in a machine.....I couldn't imagine not recovering postage and time served...............if it's a letter type thing..fine...........if it's a box package......$2,3 or even $10 in postage + time should be recovered.
I understand..........$.88 or a buck or two is not going to make the sky fall..........What, when the years total amounts to $50, $100 or more ?
And in the thread regarding pricing rooms..........I mentioned labor, broken down to the hour..........add that to the years total..........so it's not just $50 or more for the year.......it can then be $ hundreds
Everyone pays for a service.......house cleaning, car washing, rug cleaning, lawn care, plumbing, electrical, and so on...........handling a lost item for a guest is a service................a service not described in the ammenities for the establishment.
Everyone pays for a service.......house cleaning, car washing, rug cleaning, lawn care, plumbing, electrical, and so on...........handling a lost item for a guest is a service................a service not described in the ammenities for the establishment.
I'm not saying to not be kind or compassionate, but quit giving away the farm!
I recall a similar discussion where it was discussed making contact with the departed guest.....a phone call, email......
As for shipping and handling costs.......I don't understand why some would chose not to get reimbursed?
I've got the picture of the daily activity of the innkeeper.......that extra destination to the post office, or UPS.....would seem to be as if throwing a wrench in a machine.....I couldn't imagine not recovering postage and time served...............if it's a letter type thing..fine...........if it's a box package......$2,3 or even $10 in postage + time should be recovered.
I understand..........$.88 or a buck or two is not going to make the sky fall..........What, when the years total amounts to $50, $100 or more ?
And in the thread regarding pricing rooms..........I mentioned labor, broken down to the hour..........add that to the years total..........so it's not just $50 or more for the year.......it can then be $ hundreds
Everyone pays for a service.......house cleaning, car washing, rug cleaning, lawn care, plumbing, electrical, and so on...........handling a lost item for a guest is a service................a service not described in the ammenities for the establishment.
iloveyou...oops did I just type that out loud? ha ha Just kidding...no you are not on your own on this one, not sure why anyone would mail something and not charge the guest? I have said this for years, charge them, they THINK you are charging them, they are not expecting you to pay for it to be returned.
Why are you NOT charging them is the real question? A spanner in the works is correct, going to the post office is not a big deal, but it upsets the machine.
Don't give comp .25 cent sodas but mail stuff back for free? Nope, makes no sense to my thinking.
the funnyest one we had was a whole warrobe of stuff was left by some australians (we are in the Uk) would have cost about $160 to post luckily her sister was visiting her later in the year so she paid for postage to the sister $30 who then took it out with her but you would think you would notice you had half as much stuff as you came with. Also one of our guests was her room mate packed up for her and left her blackberry charger and packed the flex of one of my lamps instead! so I posted the charger and she posted the lamp flex LOL
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Don't mess with me today or I will kill you!!!!
but you would think you would notice you had half as much stuff as you came with.
Perhaps she did some shopping. My daughter just had to ship 3 boxes of clothes via mail because she did so much shopping. She could not fit everything into her luggage to go home on the plane. Of couse, the 4 dozen pepperoni rolls she had to take back for friends did take up a lot of her backpack.
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One of our first guests was here with family. Oddest bunch we've ever had. The one sister and her husband snuck out the front door everyday, never said a word to us. Being new, we waited breakfast for them and they never showed. The other 2 family members took separate rooms because they don't like to share a bathroom. And the third sister got so sick she ended up in the hospital.
They were all hush hush about what was wrong with her so we totally disinfected the room when she left. BUT, because they took her to the hospital, all of her stuff was left behind.
One sister (not anyone who was staying with us) came to pack her things and took all of our room amenities (blow dryer, hangers, etc) thinking they belonged to her sister.
The one who snuck out everyday LEFT all of her clothes here even tho her husband's clothes and all the suitcases were gone. Very odd family.
WE had someone leave a whole closet full of clothes. Cost me $9 to mail them back.
RIki
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Riki Goodell
Arcady Vineyard Bed & Breakfast
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While accompanying one daughter off to an out of state school, I was so upset over her leaving that I left about everything we had in the drawers. Just not in my right mind, and forgot to check. Fortunately, I was able to retrieve the items after a cell phone call from the hotel. Most of my kids, I cried all day when they moved out. A couple of them, I didn't!
Most of my kids, I cried all day when they moved out. A couple of them, I didn't!
I did the Victory Dance! They managed to grow up to move out - that meant they did not kill each other and I did not kill them. VICTORY!! And after the middle son moved back in (he did ask first), we had a family meeting to announce the new rule - The door swings one way and one way only. You had best be set because when you leave you do not come back to live - visits only. We stuck to it also!
I had a freebie that left MEDICATIONS - a huge amount of them - in a dresser drawer. I sent them immediately. No reimburse. I HAVE had people send checks for postage, but it is a rare and wonderful thing when it happens.
I HAVE had people send checks for postage, but it is a rare and wonderful thing when it happens.
Sadly it's very rare, but I don't think it's wonderful when they do. Isn't it just a common courtesy and indication of gratitude that someone at the B&B took the time and effort to return the item?
It should be something valuable to ask me to stand in line at the post office. 
I like the "If you need something returned via mail there is a $20 service fee in addition to the postage" My gas, my time.
I won't send anything without charging the guests credit card. I have not had to send anything back for a while, I am accumulating goodwill stuff, I hold onto it for about 30 days then give it away. We have more belts and cell phone chargers at our goodwill than any in our area. LOL!
Right now, sitting on my side table, waiting to be relegated to the cellar (next stop Goodwill) are:
In the cellar are quite a few insulated lunch 'boxes', a pillow (in a plastic bag, but they haven't called for it) and a t-shirt & shorts which also haven't been called for.
Oh, and a very nice pair of men's shoes which I'll donate because they were deliberately left behind.
But, really, it was the idea of the check for such a little bit of money that started this. And me wondering if what I sent JUST got there, 2 months after I sent it. Or, did the owner read up somewhere that the proper thing to do is pay for it? But, he'd have to know the postage which makes me think he just got it. And it's been 2 months!
Probably just slipped their mind, but how nice of them to acknowledge that you sent something back and to pay you for the postage!
I kept things found in the room and waited to hear from the guest, unless I knew that there would probably not be a problem emailing them to let them know they left something behind. Have had things left after "flings" and didn't contact the guests....those items went to the donation box, if appropriate.
Had a gentleman leave some clothing when he stayed here & contacted him and offered to return it and would charge his credit card for the postage. He said that he would send a postage paid mailer. I guess he thought that I'd charge him a whole lot more than it cost to return the item?? The pre-paid mailer worked out well. After that, that's the direction I took for most people with larger items. Send me a mailer and I'll return your item.
I had a lady leave a small jewelry case here and FINALLY got the daughter (who had booked the rooms for her parents) to respond to my repeated emails with an address to send it to. I don't think the jewelry was that expensive but I sent it insured & delivery confirmation, which I received. Never heard back from the mother that she received it, even after enclosing a note thanks for your stay & to please email me that it arrived safely. Didn't receive payment for the mailing either. This made me change my procedure to get addresses on everyone in our rooms, even when booked by someone else staying here.
A guest lost a necklace somewhere here in town that had sentimental value & I felt so bad for her! Probably lost it while walking around and taking photos. 
Our guest registration form (which is generated by the rez system) had a note that read something like "XYZ Inn not responsible for lost or stolen items"...taken right from some hotel registration form.
A guest that takes the time to send back the postage, no matter when, is a nice guest!!
A guest that takes the time to send back the postage, no matter when, is a nice guest!!
Yes, but a check for 87 cents? Just send the woman a buck, for crying out loud!
Asked one lady at checkout if everything was OK, she said "Yes, but the rubber sheet on one of the beds was very warm in the night". We both looked at each other and said "What rubber sheet?".
Sure enough when we checked the room under the matress protector was a rubber sheet, no idea where it came from or who left it there.
On another occasion an Oriental lady checked in and then came down and said "One of the draws in our room is full of ladies underwear". Must have forgotten to check all the draws that day, needless to say the owner never got in touch.
Coincidentally, just this week friends of ours had guests go out to dinner and when they got back the lady said she'd left her "Lucky" hat in the restaurant and would they get it back. Lucky hat ?
As others have said, we keep things for a couple of weeks and if no-one asks for them back they go in the bin or charity box.
Sound like we all need to add still ANOTHER disclaimer to our policies about lost or left items. Not that anyone would read it, but spell out that left items will only be returned with valid credit card information and that a service fee will be levied on top of the actual shipping charges.
There is being nice then there is being walked upon. I'm nicely trying to run a business.
Sound like we all need to add still ANOTHER disclaimer to our policies about lost or left items.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
I tend to balance it our with how long they stayed. More than 2 nights? Ship for free unless it's very expensive. 1 night? Depends on what it will cost me. Under $5? No problem. PITA? Does not matter how long they stayed or what they paid or how much it will cost to ship it back...they pay.
It's like a logic problem. 
I find it very amazing you recieved a check for such a little amount... and after 2 months why bother. But it is very nice that they did remember. So many do not! In fact I think some think it is your obligation to return their property left behind.
I do not return things unless they have called and requested. Mostly it is the usual charger left behind and many of those are never requested as I think it is cheaper to go to wally world or the local cell store and get a replacement.
I do not keep undies, they are tossed in the garbage that day, never thinking anyone would request them to be returned.... BUT it DID happen! A couple of days after departure, a lady called and said her husband left a pair of boxers in the bathroom and these were a special pair, so wanted them sent back. I had to dig through the garbage, luckily the bag was near the top and the other garbage in the bag was paper products. Not a single word of thanks.
Since then, if they want anything sent, they pay for the packaging and postage via credit card charge. Since they are paying, I always ask if they want ins. on the package. I always get the tracking and send them an email with the amount of the charge and the tracking number.
I had one guy leave a umbrella - expensive golf style. He called and asked for me to hold it for him as he was sure he would be traveling through again. That umbrella sat here for 10 months and finally one day he called and asked if he could stop by.
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"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2
We took the vacuum bag apart looking for a diamond earring. Did not find it. Guest thought we did and kept it. Like I need ONE diamond earring. I understand the stress because I have a pair of diamond earrings Gomez gave me on our wedding day. I'd be unahppy if I lost one. And it was this woman's 25th anniversary.
The only times we have charged or been sticklers was one kid whose shirt needed to go to the UK. And the girl who snuck the extra people into her room- she had to send a prepaid mailer to get her stuff back. Otherwise, we get relatively few calls for left-behinds and what we do send back is usually under $5.
Some people swing back for stuff.
I was just amazed someone would wait 2 months to mail me a check for 87 cents. Or whatever it was.
I don't send anything back anymore, or contact the guest about it either. Have had all kinds of things left behind, I just put them all in a box. If they call, I have it......if they don't, I donate everything decent at the end of the year.
I donate at the end of each month as you would not believe the amount of t-shirts, shoes, pants one chap left 8 hankershiefs all folded up all sorts they go in the box then off to the charity shop (luckily there are 3 in the next street very convenient) People shoudn't leave things or should ring up straight away for them. My last call was from a chap who stayed about 3 weeks ago any longer and they would be off.
Over the first few years I sent a number of items back to people, and not one of them acknowledged receipt or paid me a penny compensation.
Don't do that anymore.
Had a lady from the US leave a wash bag recently, full of toiletries and contact lens cases, all sorts. Asked for it to be mailed to her, got it priced at the Post Office, told her it would be £35, never heard from her again.
I keep everything for a month as once one lady left a half used lipstick and my chamber maid threw it away as it was in a drawer and assumed she had left it on purpose and she rang for it and threw a wobbley about it! so my chamber maid brings me everything now even hair bobbles and all sorts but that is it any longer and it is off to the charity shop.
threw a wobbley about it!
Love that expression.
We had the same thing...a shower cap for pity's sake. We figured she only needed it the once, no big deal, we threw it out. She called and got all upset saying it was new and she had to buy another one and were we sure she didn't leave it with us she couldn't find it anywhere.
just sent some trousers back took them a month to ring up and ask (he was lucky cos we don't keep things for ever it had very nearly gone to goodwill) took a credit card and sent it back and just charged for the jiffy bag, postage, and $2 for my time. Think that was reasonable. I always charge as people say they will send a cheque and don't and or they just send for postage and I have to pay for the jiffy bag to send it in. Some places charge a standard $10 charge whatever it is. Think that is a bit harsh as it my only be a small thing. I charge what I think is reasonable. also if it is an expensive item I have it insured just in case.
A local bnb charges $20! I have NEVER been reimbursed for postage sending something back. A recent guest forgot something, and sent the return envelope post-paid. Unfortunately, I received it postage due and she will have to pay postage too, too. Never got reimbursed. Once I left a swim suit at a bnb, but sent the innkeeper $5 to forward it to me, back when postage was about 1/2 of that.
We had a guest on a motorcycle on the first leg of a week-long trip leave his wallet. He was a Houston police officer and was packing heat. His credit card, drivers license and gun permit were all in the wallet. We had to overnight fedex the wallet to his next destination some 400 miles away. I think it cost about $70 to ship it. I paid for the shipping and just added it to his bill.