2018 Per Diem Rates Announced

[OnTheShore]

Reviving an old thread here - I just had a slightly pushy caller place a reservation for next Saturday. She said she's traveling alone and that it's for government work, so she insisted on the government rate. I told her that I will need the necessary paperwork to support providing her tax exemption and the GSA rate.
So... what is the proper paperwork that we need from guests traveling for government work? It can't be as simple as photocopying an ID. Like Generic said, I think it would be necessary to have the person prove they're traveling on business..

What business is she conducting on a Saturday night?
You'll need her to show her government id. Other than that, I don't think there's much else you can ask for. You should check your state tax authority for what they require for proof to not charge lodging tax.
And, in future, say you only accept per diem rates during the work week.
.

"And, in future, say you only accept per diem rates during the work week." - That was my initial response. I told her that we will provide a government rate M - F provided the guest is actually staying with us to conduct government business. She insisted that she's traveling for work this Saturday, though she did not offer an explanation as to what requires her to work on a weekend.
Oh yeah, I most definitely charged her the breakfast M&IE, too. I stated during the call, "The government per diem room rate is $130, plus there's a per diem of $12 for breakfast." I even broke this out as a separate line item when I emailed her res confirmation
Unfortunately, this is one of those cases where the guest has already given me a bad impression during our brief 10 minute conversation. Not only was she pushy about the rate, she is also trying to bully me into giving her a free late check-out. When I told her check-out is at 11 and anything later than that will cost $25 (on my website it says $50 for up to 2pm, but I was giving her a break), she said she wants to check out at noon. She muttered something about avoiding a hassle at the airport, which really doesn't make any sense because she lives 45 miles from the B&B and is driving to get here. She said, "Well, I guess we'll just see how things are on Sunday morning, how many rooms you have, and then see about me checking out at noon." I met this statement with dead silence.
.

Geez Louise! It has nothing to do with how many rooms you have! She could be the only person in the joint and it's still the same price and rules!
Yes, not an auspicious beginning.
.

I wonder what this guest's thinking is here regarding number of rooms (I presume she is meaning the number of rooms occupied or turning over, not just the number of rooms overall) --
(a) if you have a lot of rooms to turnover, you can't do them all at once, so you can do my room last and I can stay later; or
(b) if mine is the only room to turnover, you can delay your start time until I am ready to leave and still get it done before the deadline (next check-in)....

 

[JimBoone]

Reviving an old thread here - I just had a slightly pushy caller place a reservation for next Saturday. She said she's traveling alone and that it's for government work, so she insisted on the government rate. I told her that I will need the necessary paperwork to support providing her tax exemption and the GSA rate.
So... what is the proper paperwork that we need from guests traveling for government work? It can't be as simple as photocopying an ID. Like Generic said, I think it would be necessary to have the person prove they're traveling on business..

she insisted on the government rate. I told her that I will need the necessary paperwork to support providing her tax exemption and the GSA rate.

At one point I worked for a local government agency in NC, in that case we paid sales taxes and requested an annual reimbursement.
I accept that I'm odd, but I don't play the discount game, a discount/price reduction needs to benefit me on my schedule.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

Reviving an old thread here - I just had a slightly pushy caller place a reservation for next Saturday. She said she's traveling alone and that it's for government work, so she insisted on the government rate. I told her that I will need the necessary paperwork to support providing her tax exemption and the GSA rate.
So... what is the proper paperwork that we need from guests traveling for government work? It can't be as simple as photocopying an ID. Like Generic said, I think it would be necessary to have the person prove they're traveling on business..

Isn't this kind of her problem to manage? Our rooms are priced by the market, not by the payment type. Credit card, cash, voucher - whatever - the room is worth what it's worth. If you're traveling on business, manage the money with your employer, not with me.

 

[Morticia]

Reviving an old thread here - I just had a slightly pushy caller place a reservation for next Saturday. She said she's traveling alone and that it's for government work, so she insisted on the government rate. I told her that I will need the necessary paperwork to support providing her tax exemption and the GSA rate.
So... what is the proper paperwork that we need from guests traveling for government work? It can't be as simple as photocopying an ID. Like Generic said, I think it would be necessary to have the person prove they're traveling on business..

What business is she conducting on a Saturday night?
You'll need her to show her government id. Other than that, I don't think there's much else you can ask for. You should check your state tax authority for what they require for proof to not charge lodging tax.
And, in future, say you only accept per diem rates during the work week.
.

"And, in future, say you only accept per diem rates during the work week." - That was my initial response. I told her that we will provide a government rate M - F provided the guest is actually staying with us to conduct government business. She insisted that she's traveling for work this Saturday, though she did not offer an explanation as to what requires her to work on a weekend.
Oh yeah, I most definitely charged her the breakfast M&IE, too. I stated during the call, "The government per diem room rate is $130, plus there's a per diem of $12 for breakfast." I even broke this out as a separate line item when I emailed her res confirmation
Unfortunately, this is one of those cases where the guest has already given me a bad impression during our brief 10 minute conversation. Not only was she pushy about the rate, she is also trying to bully me into giving her a free late check-out. When I told her check-out is at 11 and anything later than that will cost $25 (on my website it says $50 for up to 2pm, but I was giving her a break), she said she wants to check out at noon. She muttered something about avoiding a hassle at the airport, which really doesn't make any sense because she lives 45 miles from the B&B and is driving to get here. She said, "Well, I guess we'll just see how things are on Sunday morning, how many rooms you have, and then see about me checking out at noon." I met this statement with dead silence.
.

Geez Louise! It has nothing to do with how many rooms you have! She could be the only person in the joint and it's still the same price and rules!
Yes, not an auspicious beginning.
.

I wonder what this guest's thinking is here regarding number of rooms (I presume she is meaning the number of rooms occupied or turning over, not just the number of rooms overall) --
(a) if you have a lot of rooms to turnover, you can't do them all at once, so you can do my room last and I can stay later; or
(b) if mine is the only room to turnover, you can delay your start time until I am ready to leave and still get it done before the deadline (next check-in)....
.

I wonder what this guest's thinking is here regarding number of rooms (I presume she is meaning the number of rooms occupied or turning over, not just the number of rooms overall) --
(a) if you have a lot of rooms to turnover, you can't do them all at once, so you can do my room last and I can stay later; or
(b) if mine is the only room to turnover, you can delay your start time until I am ready to leave and still get it done before the deadline (next check-in)....

Yes, the parts that are all about me. Not that the innkeeper might have made plans based on occupancy!

 

[notAgrandma]

Reviving an old thread here - I just had a slightly pushy caller place a reservation for next Saturday. She said she's traveling alone and that it's for government work, so she insisted on the government rate. I told her that I will need the necessary paperwork to support providing her tax exemption and the GSA rate.
So... what is the proper paperwork that we need from guests traveling for government work? It can't be as simple as photocopying an ID. Like Generic said, I think it would be necessary to have the person prove they're traveling on business..

What business is she conducting on a Saturday night?
You'll need her to show her government id. Other than that, I don't think there's much else you can ask for. You should check your state tax authority for what they require for proof to not charge lodging tax.
And, in future, say you only accept per diem rates during the work week.
.

"And, in future, say you only accept per diem rates during the work week." - That was my initial response. I told her that we will provide a government rate M - F provided the guest is actually staying with us to conduct government business. She insisted that she's traveling for work this Saturday, though she did not offer an explanation as to what requires her to work on a weekend.
Oh yeah, I most definitely charged her the breakfast M&IE, too. I stated during the call, "The government per diem room rate is $130, plus there's a per diem of $12 for breakfast." I even broke this out as a separate line item when I emailed her res confirmation
Unfortunately, this is one of those cases where the guest has already given me a bad impression during our brief 10 minute conversation. Not only was she pushy about the rate, she is also trying to bully me into giving her a free late check-out. When I told her check-out is at 11 and anything later than that will cost $25 (on my website it says $50 for up to 2pm, but I was giving her a break), she said she wants to check out at noon. She muttered something about avoiding a hassle at the airport, which really doesn't make any sense because she lives 45 miles from the B&B and is driving to get here. She said, "Well, I guess we'll just see how things are on Sunday morning, how many rooms you have, and then see about me checking out at noon." I met this statement with dead silence.
.

Geez Louise! It has nothing to do with how many rooms you have! She could be the only person in the joint and it's still the same price and rules!
Yes, not an auspicious beginning.
.

I wonder what this guest's thinking is here regarding number of rooms (I presume she is meaning the number of rooms occupied or turning over, not just the number of rooms overall) --
(a) if you have a lot of rooms to turnover, you can't do them all at once, so you can do my room last and I can stay later; or
(b) if mine is the only room to turnover, you can delay your start time until I am ready to leave and still get it done before the deadline (next check-in)....
.

I wonder what this guest's thinking is here regarding number of rooms (I presume she is meaning the number of rooms occupied or turning over, not just the number of rooms overall) --
(a) if you have a lot of rooms to turnover, you can't do them all at once, so you can do my room last and I can stay later; or
(b) if mine is the only room to turnover, you can delay your start time until I am ready to leave and still get it done before the deadline (next check-in)....

Yes, the parts that are all about me. Not that the innkeeper might have made plans based on occupancy!
.

I think OnTheShore may have hit upon whatever her reasoning is, but Morticia has definitely nailed it on my way of thinking!