How many chances?

[Morticia]

Do you give someone who books and cancels? Just got a second rez for the same weekend guest cancelled last year. Usually I don't take deposits for repeats but they've never stayed. So, yes, I took a deposit.
Book. Cancel. Repeat.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

That would be it for me. If they wanted to make a reservation in the future they would need to make a non-refundable full payment.

 

[EmptyNest]

If you got a deposit book them and just confirm what they lose if they cancel again

 

[Highlands John]

I don't take any bookings without a deposit, I've been stitched up a couple of times by returnees cancelling last minute. One booked 7 nights in July and then emailed me a week before they were due to arrive telling me that her and her husband had decided to spend their week off at home in the garden rather than go away. Only time I've ever told someone that I would not take any future bookings from them.

 

[Jcam]

Depends on how far ahead - ie 6 months in advance cancellation I can deal with - 3 days before will not be booking again.

 

[Morticia]

Depends on how far ahead - ie 6 months in advance cancellation I can deal with - 3 days before will not be booking again..

Depends on how far ahead - ie 6 months in advance cancellation I can deal with - 3 days before will not be booking again.

Last cancellation was just a couple of days out. Took deposit birth times. Kept cancellation fee.

 

[Anon Inn]

Depends on how far ahead - ie 6 months in advance cancellation I can deal with - 3 days before will not be booking again..

Depends on how far ahead - ie 6 months in advance cancellation I can deal with - 3 days before will not be booking again.

Last cancellation was just a couple of days out. Took deposit birth times. Kept cancellation fee.
.

Up the cancellation fee. Someone on here recommended this and it put an end the the problem. Especially this time of year. You don't lack for bookings, and even though you will likely fill it with last minute people, this time of year none of us need added aggravation.

 

[Arks]

Usually I don't take deposits for repeats but they've never stayed.

Why oh why? I'm pretty sure it would not make one bit of difference if you'd treated repeats like new ones from the beginning. People are like dogs. They do what they're trained to do and don't give it a thought.
Now you've trained repeats that they don't have to make a deposit, and it will be hard to change. But I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered in the least if you'd taken the deposits all along. You're just too nice, and I think Empty Nest will agree!
EDIT: Just realized I didn't say how many chances. I take a deposit and get $25 when they cancel, or 100% if it's within a week, so I don't have to care, much, if they do it repeatedly.

 

[EmptyNest]

Usually I don't take deposits for repeats but they've never stayed.

Why oh why? I'm pretty sure it would not make one bit of difference if you'd treated repeats like new ones from the beginning. People are like dogs. They do what they're trained to do and don't give it a thought.
Now you've trained repeats that they don't have to make a deposit, and it will be hard to change. But I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered in the least if you'd taken the deposits all along. You're just too nice, and I think Empty Nest will agree!
EDIT: Just realized I didn't say how many chances. I take a deposit and get $25 when they cancel, or 100% if it's within a week, so I don't have to care, much, if they do it repeatedly..

I do agree

 

[Lee2014]

Usually I don't take deposits for repeats but they've never stayed.

Why oh why? I'm pretty sure it would not make one bit of difference if you'd treated repeats like new ones from the beginning. People are like dogs. They do what they're trained to do and don't give it a thought.
Now you've trained repeats that they don't have to make a deposit, and it will be hard to change. But I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered in the least if you'd taken the deposits all along. You're just too nice, and I think Empty Nest will agree!
EDIT: Just realized I didn't say how many chances. I take a deposit and get $25 when they cancel, or 100% if it's within a week, so I don't have to care, much, if they do it repeatedly..

I do agree
.

Yes! We try to act tough….. but we feel for them… so we return their money since their mother is in the hospital and they are going to need that money.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I used to not take a deposit from repeats. We saved on cc processing fees. Then the financial crunch happened and I got burned. After that, EVERYONE pays a deposit.
We have a 10 day cx policy. If people cx more than 10 days out, it's still very likely I won't be able to re-rent that room so if someone cx 2xs even with paying our $30 cx fee, I still would not allow them to book again without making it non-refundable. We get very few cx anymore.

 

[Lee2014]

We give too many chances except for the one air girl who got an invite to an island resort so would only come for the Sun, Mon instead of all four. Ok. Then she text back that she couldn't come at all since she was called back to work on Sunday. Nope. No refund.
But then we did a total refund on the poor girl who's mom had an heart attack the night before the girls weekend started. She called and left a message as she was driving. She didn't ask at all. We just did it and called her to tell her that we wish them the best and please use the money for gas, etc. Then I took a picture of all the girls so they could send their friend their well wishes and how they missed her.

 

[Morticia]

Usually I don't take deposits for repeats but they've never stayed.

Why oh why? I'm pretty sure it would not make one bit of difference if you'd treated repeats like new ones from the beginning. People are like dogs. They do what they're trained to do and don't give it a thought.
Now you've trained repeats that they don't have to make a deposit, and it will be hard to change. But I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered in the least if you'd taken the deposits all along. You're just too nice, and I think Empty Nest will agree!
EDIT: Just realized I didn't say how many chances. I take a deposit and get $25 when they cancel, or 100% if it's within a week, so I don't have to care, much, if they do it repeatedly..

Usually I don't take deposits for repeats but they've never stayed.

Why oh why? I'm pretty sure it would not make one bit of difference if you'd treated repeats like new ones from the beginning. People are like dogs. They do what they're trained to do and don't give it a thought.
Now you've trained repeats that they don't have to make a deposit, and it will be hard to change. But I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered in the least if you'd taken the deposits all along. You're just too nice, and I think Empty Nest will agree!
EDIT: Just realized I didn't say how many chances. I take a deposit and get $25 when they cancel, or 100% if it's within a week, so I don't have to care, much, if they do it repeatedly.

Because most of my repeats have paid my mortgage over and over. I'm not going to charge them a cancellation fee and lose all the goodwill built up over a decade. (If you only show up once every 5 years you don't get that. You show up every year, sometimes 2-3 times, there are perks.)

 

[Morticia]

I used to not take a deposit from repeats. We saved on cc processing fees. Then the financial crunch happened and I got burned. After that, EVERYONE pays a deposit.
We have a 10 day cx policy. If people cx more than 10 days out, it's still very likely I won't be able to re-rent that room so if someone cx 2xs even with paying our $30 cx fee, I still would not allow them to book again without making it non-refundable. We get very few cx anymore..

We get very few cx anymore.

Since we started taking the deposit the cancellation rate has dropped 90%.

 

[Lee2014]

Usually I don't take deposits for repeats but they've never stayed.

Why oh why? I'm pretty sure it would not make one bit of difference if you'd treated repeats like new ones from the beginning. People are like dogs. They do what they're trained to do and don't give it a thought.
Now you've trained repeats that they don't have to make a deposit, and it will be hard to change. But I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered in the least if you'd taken the deposits all along. You're just too nice, and I think Empty Nest will agree!
EDIT: Just realized I didn't say how many chances. I take a deposit and get $25 when they cancel, or 100% if it's within a week, so I don't have to care, much, if they do it repeatedly..

Usually I don't take deposits for repeats but they've never stayed.

Why oh why? I'm pretty sure it would not make one bit of difference if you'd treated repeats like new ones from the beginning. People are like dogs. They do what they're trained to do and don't give it a thought.
Now you've trained repeats that they don't have to make a deposit, and it will be hard to change. But I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered in the least if you'd taken the deposits all along. You're just too nice, and I think Empty Nest will agree!
EDIT: Just realized I didn't say how many chances. I take a deposit and get $25 when they cancel, or 100% if it's within a week, so I don't have to care, much, if they do it repeatedly.

Because most of my repeats have paid my mortgage over and over. I'm not going to charge them a cancellation fee and lose all the goodwill built up over a decade. (If you only show up once every 5 years you don't get that. You show up every year, sometimes 2-3 times, there are perks.)
.

Because most of my repeats have paid my mortgage over and over. I'm not going to charge them a cancellation fee and lose all the goodwill built up over a decade. (If you only show up once every 5 years you don't get that. You show up every year, sometimes 2-3 times, there are perks.)

Its the real estate tax for us… One person asked if we give discounts to repeats. (second stay) My aunt said, "Yes, very good discounts to those who have been loyal guests for the last 15 years."

 

[Silverspoon]

I used to not take a deposit from repeats. We saved on cc processing fees. Then the financial crunch happened and I got burned. After that, EVERYONE pays a deposit.
We have a 10 day cx policy. If people cx more than 10 days out, it's still very likely I won't be able to re-rent that room so if someone cx 2xs even with paying our $30 cx fee, I still would not allow them to book again without making it non-refundable. We get very few cx anymore..

We get very few cx anymore.

Since we started taking the deposit the cancellation rate has dropped 90%.
.

We always take at least a 2-night deposit. Since our cancellation period is 30 days, we give our regular returning guests up until the 30 days to fork it over. All reservations made within the 30 day cancellation period pay the deposit, regardless of whether they are repeats or newbies. We rarely get cancellations.

 

[Morticia]

Usually I don't take deposits for repeats but they've never stayed.

Why oh why? I'm pretty sure it would not make one bit of difference if you'd treated repeats like new ones from the beginning. People are like dogs. They do what they're trained to do and don't give it a thought.
Now you've trained repeats that they don't have to make a deposit, and it will be hard to change. But I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered in the least if you'd taken the deposits all along. You're just too nice, and I think Empty Nest will agree!
EDIT: Just realized I didn't say how many chances. I take a deposit and get $25 when they cancel, or 100% if it's within a week, so I don't have to care, much, if they do it repeatedly..

Usually I don't take deposits for repeats but they've never stayed.

Why oh why? I'm pretty sure it would not make one bit of difference if you'd treated repeats like new ones from the beginning. People are like dogs. They do what they're trained to do and don't give it a thought.
Now you've trained repeats that they don't have to make a deposit, and it will be hard to change. But I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered in the least if you'd taken the deposits all along. You're just too nice, and I think Empty Nest will agree!
EDIT: Just realized I didn't say how many chances. I take a deposit and get $25 when they cancel, or 100% if it's within a week, so I don't have to care, much, if they do it repeatedly.

Because most of my repeats have paid my mortgage over and over. I'm not going to charge them a cancellation fee and lose all the goodwill built up over a decade. (If you only show up once every 5 years you don't get that. You show up every year, sometimes 2-3 times, there are perks.)
.

Because most of my repeats have paid my mortgage over and over. I'm not going to charge them a cancellation fee and lose all the goodwill built up over a decade. (If you only show up once every 5 years you don't get that. You show up every year, sometimes 2-3 times, there are perks.)

Its the real estate tax for us… One person asked if we give discounts to repeats. (second stay) My aunt said, "Yes, very good discounts to those who have been loyal guests for the last 15 years."
.

Because most of my repeats have paid my mortgage over and over. I'm not going to charge them a cancellation fee and lose all the goodwill built up over a decade. (If you only show up once every 5 years you don't get that. You show up every year, sometimes 2-3 times, there are perks.)

Its the real estate tax for us… One person asked if we give discounts to repeats. (second stay) My aunt said, "Yes, very good discounts to those who have been loyal guests for the last 15 years."

She could add to that - And the clock started ticking for you last year.
Give them some hope!

 

[Lee2014]

Usually I don't take deposits for repeats but they've never stayed.

Why oh why? I'm pretty sure it would not make one bit of difference if you'd treated repeats like new ones from the beginning. People are like dogs. They do what they're trained to do and don't give it a thought.
Now you've trained repeats that they don't have to make a deposit, and it will be hard to change. But I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered in the least if you'd taken the deposits all along. You're just too nice, and I think Empty Nest will agree!
EDIT: Just realized I didn't say how many chances. I take a deposit and get $25 when they cancel, or 100% if it's within a week, so I don't have to care, much, if they do it repeatedly..

Usually I don't take deposits for repeats but they've never stayed.

Why oh why? I'm pretty sure it would not make one bit of difference if you'd treated repeats like new ones from the beginning. People are like dogs. They do what they're trained to do and don't give it a thought.
Now you've trained repeats that they don't have to make a deposit, and it will be hard to change. But I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered in the least if you'd taken the deposits all along. You're just too nice, and I think Empty Nest will agree!
EDIT: Just realized I didn't say how many chances. I take a deposit and get $25 when they cancel, or 100% if it's within a week, so I don't have to care, much, if they do it repeatedly.

Because most of my repeats have paid my mortgage over and over. I'm not going to charge them a cancellation fee and lose all the goodwill built up over a decade. (If you only show up once every 5 years you don't get that. You show up every year, sometimes 2-3 times, there are perks.)
.

Because most of my repeats have paid my mortgage over and over. I'm not going to charge them a cancellation fee and lose all the goodwill built up over a decade. (If you only show up once every 5 years you don't get that. You show up every year, sometimes 2-3 times, there are perks.)

Its the real estate tax for us… One person asked if we give discounts to repeats. (second stay) My aunt said, "Yes, very good discounts to those who have been loyal guests for the last 15 years."
.

Because most of my repeats have paid my mortgage over and over. I'm not going to charge them a cancellation fee and lose all the goodwill built up over a decade. (If you only show up once every 5 years you don't get that. You show up every year, sometimes 2-3 times, there are perks.)

Its the real estate tax for us… One person asked if we give discounts to repeats. (second stay) My aunt said, "Yes, very good discounts to those who have been loyal guests for the last 15 years."

She could add to that - And the clock started ticking for you last year.
Give them some hope!
.

Because most of my repeats have paid my mortgage over and over. I'm not going to charge them a cancellation fee and lose all the goodwill built up over a decade. (If you only show up once every 5 years you don't get that. You show up every year, sometimes 2-3 times, there are perks.)

Its the real estate tax for us… One person asked if we give discounts to repeats. (second stay) My aunt said, "Yes, very good discounts to those who have been loyal guests for the last 15 years."

She could add to that - And the clock started ticking for you last year.
Give them some hope!

The guest laughed about only 13 more years to go!

 

[OnTheShore]

To the opening question, we take a reservation deposit (25%) from all guests, and in the event of cancellation the deposit is non-refundable unless we succeed in renting the cottage to someone else. So a book-and-cancel guest can have as many chances as they can afford!
Now someone who makes a reservation but doesn't follow through with the deposit (since we take checks-in-the-mail, their reservation is "pending" while we wait) we will send them a follow-up e-mail and an online invoice after a week or so, and if they don't respond we will cancel their reservation. They are welcome to re-book, but will have to pay the deposit before we will enter the new reservation.
As to perks for returning guests, if they make a confirmed reservation for the next year before a certain date, they get the current year's rate, before any rate increases are implemented. They are also guaranteed "their" cottage for "their" week for the following year but they have to let us know their plans by a deadline, after which everything is first-come, first-served to all comers.