Cheap guests

[megan]

Is anyone else having a summer filled with cheap guests? Guests who are told they are getting a discount for booking a suite who then ask if they can have a discount for being in the Navy. And then ask for another discount because they have AAA membership, and just picked up the book!
What about the fella who is booking a friends getaway stay who has one person drop out and has to then cancel 2 rooms and try to put 3 adults into one room? This is the one that bothers me the most. He wants to have the inn to himself and was doing fine with that by booking 4 rooms. Now he has 3 so he is below the 50% point so I will need to try to get other guests in for the other rooms. This could have been let slide with 4 rooms booked, but not 3. And at what point do I take away his discount for booking so many rooms?
Please, spend a few dollars so everyone is happy.
Then the guests who book a very inexpensive room but do not bother to find out why it is inexpensive and then are shocked to find out the bathroom is not in the room.

 

[Sanctuary]

"And at what point do I take away his discount for booking so many rooms?"
When he falls below the threshold for getting the discount in the first place.

 

[swirt]

Sounds like you have a real cheapskate on your hands.
If the discount is for booking all rooms, you stop giving the discount when he is no longer paying for all rooms. It all comes down to the wording.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I remember this exact post on the old forum. Is this a deja-vu or a cut n paste?

 

[megan]

I remember this exact post on the old forum. Is this a deja-vu or a cut n paste?.

The same thing happening again? Didn't mean to ask the same question that had been asked before.
I just took over here and I don't know what arrangements were made with the fella who is giving me cancelation problems. I may need to make my own rules for him if he persists in canceling. There is a handwriten note in the book "15% discount". That should not apply if he continues to drop rooms. Only my opinion.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I remember this exact post on the old forum. Is this a deja-vu or a cut n paste?.

The same thing happening again? Didn't mean to ask the same question that had been asked before.
I just took over here and I don't know what arrangements were made with the fella who is giving me cancelation problems. I may need to make my own rules for him if he persists in canceling. There is a handwriten note in the book "15% discount". That should not apply if he continues to drop rooms. Only my opinion.
.

The same thing happening again? Didn't mean to ask the same question that had been asked before.
I just took over here and I don't know what arrangements were made with the fella who is giving me cancelation problems. I may need to make my own rules for him if he persists in canceling. There is a handwriten note in the book "15% discount". That should not apply if he continues to drop rooms. Only my opinion.

No discount when you cancel or drop rooms! What is your cancellation policy - does it cover all of this? Don't get taken advantage of.

 

[noodle-inn]

there are some travelers who play this game ....
how much can i get for the money? or
how little can i pay? can i talk the hotel/b&b/restaurant/store/you-name-it into giving me a better deal?
if i want to play, i will play. if i don't, i simply say 'no, i'm sorry.'
make your own rules and policies and stick to them. don't waver unless YOU want to. don't be bullied. that's how it feels to me when someone pushes for more more more.

 

[EmptyNest]

You need to make your OWN rules...especially if this guy is trying to bend them. You owe them NO DISCOUNTS especially in peak season. And, if you don't have room for 3 in a room..tell them so..tell them state health regs..or something like that. If he cancels, then charge a cancellation fee.

 

[Willowpondgj]

When we first opened, we did not have an extra person charge, so we were getting groups who wanted to cram as many people as possible in the rooms. I had a call from a man who wanted to put 4 people in one of our rooms, it sleeps four, but we intended for it to be for a couple and their two children...Anyway, the cost for four adults in this room would have been $37.50 per person. I told him the price ($150, it is our biggest and nicest room) he asks for a senior discount!! I said sorry, no. He didn't book, it was too expensive. Give me a break!
Now, we have a $50, yes, $50 per person charge for adults +18, beyond double occupancy, and yes, we get it!
You have to prepare the extra meals, wash the extra towels, bedding, extra everything, refreshments, etc and deal with extra people. it has to be worth your time and money. And the more people try to cram, the more potential for PITA behavior.

 

[noodle-inn]

When we first opened, we did not have an extra person charge, so we were getting groups who wanted to cram as many people as possible in the rooms. I had a call from a man who wanted to put 4 people in one of our rooms, it sleeps four, but we intended for it to be for a couple and their two children...Anyway, the cost for four adults in this room would have been $37.50 per person. I told him the price ($150, it is our biggest and nicest room) he asks for a senior discount!! I said sorry, no. He didn't book, it was too expensive. Give me a break!
Now, we have a $50, yes, $50 per person charge for adults +18, beyond double occupancy, and yes, we get it!
You have to prepare the extra meals, wash the extra towels, bedding, extra everything, refreshments, etc and deal with extra people. it has to be worth your time and money. And the more people try to cram, the more potential for PITA behavior..

also, in your policies you need the words ... 'cannot be combined with other specials or discounts'
if i want to rent a car or a hotel room or whatever, i look to see what i might qualify for like AAA or some other group ... what is my best deal, if any ... and i book. i can't then say, 'i also qualify for this discount' .... it doesn't work that way.
it's great to get a deal.
it's great that you offer special rates ....
just as long as YOU are the one setting them.
i have a special ... for last minute availability. but when someone asks for a discount on top of that, the answer is 'no ... i'm sorry' always said with a smile (even if it's through gritted teeth)

 

[Cathy]

We had an inquiry about booking a room for over a month... she wanted a discount for blessing us with her presence so many days. She said she would not require breakfast. We replied giving her a nice discount on the small house that has a kitchenette. No breakfast suites me fine.
She came back with ... still too expensive, What if I only stayed a week, can you do anything better?
Reply to her ... no.

 

[Morticia]

We had an inquiry about booking a room for over a month... she wanted a discount for blessing us with her presence so many days. She said she would not require breakfast. We replied giving her a nice discount on the small house that has a kitchenette. No breakfast suites me fine.
She came back with ... still too expensive, What if I only stayed a week, can you do anything better?
Reply to her ... no..

I get a lot of inquiries about the winter months...it's 'off season' we must be 'cheap' they're doing us a favor by giving us an income when we 'need' it. And that translates into about $25/day in their minds. Sorry, in the winter they would use more heat/hot water/electricity than that would cover.
Hubs had one the other day...woman at door wants to rent a room for her teenage daughter. Hey, mom, how about putting her up at YOUR house. Hubs told her that even with a DEEP discount she was looking at $3000 for the month and it would be easier to find her an apt.

 

[Cathy]

maybe throw in a nice lunch and or dinner every now and then.

 

[seashanty]

We had an inquiry about booking a room for over a month... she wanted a discount for blessing us with her presence so many days. She said she would not require breakfast. We replied giving her a nice discount on the small house that has a kitchenette. No breakfast suites me fine.
She came back with ... still too expensive, What if I only stayed a week, can you do anything better?
Reply to her ... no..

I get a lot of inquiries about the winter months...it's 'off season' we must be 'cheap' they're doing us a favor by giving us an income when we 'need' it. And that translates into about $25/day in their minds. Sorry, in the winter they would use more heat/hot water/electricity than that would cover.
Hubs had one the other day...woman at door wants to rent a room for her teenage daughter. Hey, mom, how about putting her up at YOUR house. Hubs told her that even with a DEEP discount she was looking at $3000 for the month and it would be easier to find her an apt.
.

bree .... but then she would be unsupervised ..... you wouldn't mind just making sure she comes in at night, doesn't have overnite visitors, etc. would you?

 

[Morticia]

We had an inquiry about booking a room for over a month... she wanted a discount for blessing us with her presence so many days. She said she would not require breakfast. We replied giving her a nice discount on the small house that has a kitchenette. No breakfast suites me fine.
She came back with ... still too expensive, What if I only stayed a week, can you do anything better?
Reply to her ... no..

I get a lot of inquiries about the winter months...it's 'off season' we must be 'cheap' they're doing us a favor by giving us an income when we 'need' it. And that translates into about $25/day in their minds. Sorry, in the winter they would use more heat/hot water/electricity than that would cover.
Hubs had one the other day...woman at door wants to rent a room for her teenage daughter. Hey, mom, how about putting her up at YOUR house. Hubs told her that even with a DEEP discount she was looking at $3000 for the month and it would be easier to find her an apt.
.

bree .... but then she would be unsupervised ..... you wouldn't mind just making sure she comes in at night, doesn't have overnite visitors, etc. would you?

.

bree .... but then she would be unsupervised ..... you wouldn't mind just making sure she comes in at night, doesn't have overnite visitors, etc. would you?

Do you know how many times I say to guests, 'Hey, I'm not your mother!' I have enough kids of my own without taking on 'guest children'.