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Copperhead

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Ideas PLEASE! What do you do if someone you do not want back calls or books online?
My Don't Book Again list is very short even with 13+ years under my belt. So you must know that this person deserves to be on the list. He stayed here this past summer, cursed my other guests, called my son the servant, had a gun (which he left on the nightstand), took things from our private cabinets, lit candles on the balcony after being told not to.... the list is long.
 
I would tell that one the truth.
I am terribly sorry but we really are not a good fit for your needs. (If he presses - tell him firearms left on nightstands is unacceptable and you feel he would be better served at one of your area hotels.)
With that list of infractions, I would not take him either.
 
I would ring and say I am sorry but your behaviour last time was such that we feel you are not a suitable match for us. These places would be better X Y Z and have phone numbers. I would also try and find somewhere cheaper as that usually shuts them up,
 
I'm with the others in this one, there is no way I'd take this person back. My house, my rules.
I'd also use the "I don't think xx is suitable for your requirements......" line.
After 8 summer seasons I have 11 on my DBA list.
 
You could also mention that you had complaints from other guests, and that you can't jeopardize the comfort and safety of your other guests. Once I had to evict someone, and that is what we said - the behavior was unacceptable and upsetting to our other guests.
Some B&Bs now have a booking policy that if you disturb other guests to the extent that the owner must financially compensate them, those comp charges will be paid by you.
 
Or simply say "We do not have a room available." He will say "I see that you do." and state firmly "I am sorry we do not have a room available." Which is true, no room for YOU.
That is what I would do, no semantics, no lesson teaching, this one is beyond that and it aggressive in nature anyway.
 
Yes, this is essentially the question I asked a few weeks ago, when I asked if ReservationKey has a way to flag an e-mail address or other identifier as DNB.
Most said it had never come up for them, they've never had a DNB try to book again. But obviously it can and does happen, rarely. I'd say the problem is that these are such miserable people that they don't even know they're horrible. What the innkeeper takes as them hating their stay may just be a normal day for them (what a life).
Yes, this is a case, and thank goodness they're rare, when you'll have to cope with the unpleasantness of direct confrontation, but if you're lucky, you can handle it by e-mail, or dump the job in someone else's lap (my own usual, spineless, method).
 
I like muirford's take on it. But I wouldn't give him any other reasons. Don't mention anything he can say he won't do again. He was absolutley a horror and you don't need the aggro.
Practice what you want to say, out loud to DH or to the mirror so you don't founder when he calls again. You want it to sound like you have this down pat! (The out loud part is important, you have to hear yourself.)
 
Yes, this is essentially the question I asked a few weeks ago, when I asked if ReservationKey has a way to flag an e-mail address or other identifier as DNB.
Most said it had never come up for them, they've never had a DNB try to book again. But obviously it can and does happen, rarely. I'd say the problem is that these are such miserable people that they don't even know they're horrible. What the innkeeper takes as them hating their stay may just be a normal day for them (what a life).
Yes, this is a case, and thank goodness they're rare, when you'll have to cope with the unpleasantness of direct confrontation, but if you're lucky, you can handle it by e-mail, or dump the job in someone else's lap (my own usual, spineless, method)..
Arkansawyer said:
Yes, this is essentially the question I asked a few weeks ago, when I asked if ReservationKey has a way to flag an e-mail address or other identifier as DNB.
Most said it had never come up for them, they've never had a DNB try to book again. But obviously it can and does happen, rarely. I'd say the problem is that these are such miserable people that they don't even know they're horrible. What the innkeeper takes as them hating their stay may just be a normal day for them (what a life).
Yes, this is a case, and thank goodness they're rare, when you'll have to cope with the unpleasantness of direct confrontation, but if you're lucky, you can handle it by e-mail, or dump the job in someone else's lap (my own usual, spineless, method).
Arkie, this is the situation you can't develop a whole system around one bad apple. Seriousely, you do what you do, that is what we said, most of the time the baddies never knock on your door and when they do you deal with it. Being careful to deal with it in a legal maner, and not calling the guy a wanker.
 
Yes, this is essentially the question I asked a few weeks ago, when I asked if ReservationKey has a way to flag an e-mail address or other identifier as DNB.
Most said it had never come up for them, they've never had a DNB try to book again. But obviously it can and does happen, rarely. I'd say the problem is that these are such miserable people that they don't even know they're horrible. What the innkeeper takes as them hating their stay may just be a normal day for them (what a life).
Yes, this is a case, and thank goodness they're rare, when you'll have to cope with the unpleasantness of direct confrontation, but if you're lucky, you can handle it by e-mail, or dump the job in someone else's lap (my own usual, spineless, method)..
Arkansawyer said:
Yes, this is essentially the question I asked a few weeks ago, when I asked if ReservationKey has a way to flag an e-mail address or other identifier as DNB.
Most said it had never come up for them, they've never had a DNB try to book again. But obviously it can and does happen, rarely. I'd say the problem is that these are such miserable people that they don't even know they're horrible. What the innkeeper takes as them hating their stay may just be a normal day for them (what a life).
Yes, this is a case, and thank goodness they're rare, when you'll have to cope with the unpleasantness of direct confrontation, but if you're lucky, you can handle it by e-mail, or dump the job in someone else's lap (my own usual, spineless, method).
Arkie, this is the situation you can't develop a whole system around one bad apple. Seriousely, you do what you do, that is what we said, most of the time the baddies never knock on your door and when they do you deal with it. Being careful to deal with it in a legal maner, and not calling the guy a wanker.
.
Joey Bloggs said:
and not calling the guy a wanker.
You might be able to do that here...not sure how many would know what it meant. They'd definitely get it wasn't a compliment, tho.
 
Thanks! Hoping this jerk was just wondering about one of the local events - wondering if it was worth the 2hr drive, and not wanting to book. But I am not calling this jerk, he will have to call back.
Madie, yes I will need to practice, my tongue likes to waggle too much!
embaressed_smile.gif
 
As far as online reservations, we have a canned response when they make their reservation: "Thank you for your reservation request. THIS IS NOT YOUR CONFIRMATION. After we have reviewed your request, we will send you your confirmation."
This allows us the opportunity to accept or reject the reservation. I they are on the DNB list, instead of a confirmation, they will receive a detailed letter telling them why their reservation is being rejected. That's why it's important to keep guest notes especially on PITAS.
 
Yes, this is essentially the question I asked a few weeks ago, when I asked if ReservationKey has a way to flag an e-mail address or other identifier as DNB.
Most said it had never come up for them, they've never had a DNB try to book again. But obviously it can and does happen, rarely. I'd say the problem is that these are such miserable people that they don't even know they're horrible. What the innkeeper takes as them hating their stay may just be a normal day for them (what a life).
Yes, this is a case, and thank goodness they're rare, when you'll have to cope with the unpleasantness of direct confrontation, but if you're lucky, you can handle it by e-mail, or dump the job in someone else's lap (my own usual, spineless, method)..
Arkansawyer said:
Yes, this is essentially the question I asked a few weeks ago, when I asked if ReservationKey has a way to flag an e-mail address or other identifier as DNB.
Most said it had never come up for them, they've never had a DNB try to book again. But obviously it can and does happen, rarely. I'd say the problem is that these are such miserable people that they don't even know they're horrible. What the innkeeper takes as them hating their stay may just be a normal day for them (what a life).
Yes, this is a case, and thank goodness they're rare, when you'll have to cope with the unpleasantness of direct confrontation, but if you're lucky, you can handle it by e-mail, or dump the job in someone else's lap (my own usual, spineless, method).
Arkie, this is the situation you can't develop a whole system around one bad apple. Seriousely, you do what you do, that is what we said, most of the time the baddies never knock on your door and when they do you deal with it. Being careful to deal with it in a legal maner, and not calling the guy a wanker.
.
Joey Bloggs said:
Arkie, this is the situation you can't develop a whole system around one bad apple.
Definitely true. There are so many laws on the books to fix things that have only happened once or twice.
I think it's a mistake to put up a new sign for every once-in-a-blue-moon thing that happens. If it's a frequent problem, find a solution. If it's the first time it's come up in 5 years, it doesn't need a lot of fixing unless the fix is simple and unobtrusive.
And I really don't think it would work very well to try and have the online reservation system screen them out. You couldn't go by name because people share the same names, and don't always enter them the same way. Same with e-mail addresses and phone numbers. People change them all the time so it would be hard to rely on that.
 
As far as online reservations, we have a canned response when they make their reservation: "Thank you for your reservation request. THIS IS NOT YOUR CONFIRMATION. After we have reviewed your request, we will send you your confirmation."
This allows us the opportunity to accept or reject the reservation. I they are on the DNB list, instead of a confirmation, they will receive a detailed letter telling them why their reservation is being rejected. That's why it's important to keep guest notes especially on PITAS..
Proud Texan said:
As far as online reservations, we have a canned response when they make their reservation: "Thank you for your reservation request. THIS IS NOT YOUR CONFIRMATION. After we have reviewed your request, we will send you your confirmation."
You know and I know and everyone on here knows to read that stuff. Guests don't. I can't count the number of walk-ins we have had over the years who went to 'their' B&B only to find out they didn't have a reservation there. They would show the 'confirmation' to the innkeepers and would be told, 'It says right here you have to wait to get a confirmation, this is only a request.'
Now why the innkeepers never sent them anything else saying they did not have a reservation, I don't know. Spam filter got it? The inn didn't send it? Not a clue. But it has been a measurable number of disappointed guests who have asked me if I thought they had a rez ('Look at this, do we have a rez or not???') and if I thought the places charged them and were scamming them (one place was doing this, now out of business)?
I don't know the way around that. With me, unless you're a returning jerk, you've got a reservation as soon as you hit 'submit' and you get your confirmation information on the screen. (I do send a confirmation email with the policies and all the date info as well.) Returning jerks get cancelled, get a cancellation email and a follow-up phone call just to be sure.
 
I like muirford's take on it. But I wouldn't give him any other reasons. Don't mention anything he can say he won't do again. He was absolutley a horror and you don't need the aggro.
Practice what you want to say, out loud to DH or to the mirror so you don't founder when he calls again. You want it to sound like you have this down pat! (The out loud part is important, you have to hear yourself.).
Madeleine said:
I like muirford's take on it. But I wouldn't give him any other reasons. Don't mention anything he can say he won't do again. He was absolutley a horror and you don't need the aggro.
That's interesting that you should say that, because one lesson I've learnt running this place is that too often when I ( and I suspect most people) want to say no to someone we feel compelled to then give a reason for saying no, they then come back with an argument against that reason. I still catch myself doing this, but I'm much better at simply saying no and then there's less grounds for an argument/discussion.
 
As far as online reservations, we have a canned response when they make their reservation: "Thank you for your reservation request. THIS IS NOT YOUR CONFIRMATION. After we have reviewed your request, we will send you your confirmation."
This allows us the opportunity to accept or reject the reservation. I they are on the DNB list, instead of a confirmation, they will receive a detailed letter telling them why their reservation is being rejected. That's why it's important to keep guest notes especially on PITAS..
Proud Texan said:
As far as online reservations, we have a canned response when they make their reservation: "Thank you for your reservation request. THIS IS NOT YOUR CONFIRMATION. After we have reviewed your request, we will send you your confirmation."
You know and I know and everyone on here knows to read that stuff. Guests don't. I can't count the number of walk-ins we have had over the years who went to 'their' B&B only to find out they didn't have a reservation there. They would show the 'confirmation' to the innkeepers and would be told, 'It says right here you have to wait to get a confirmation, this is only a request.'
Now why the innkeepers never sent them anything else saying they did not have a reservation, I don't know. Spam filter got it? The inn didn't send it? Not a clue. But it has been a measurable number of disappointed guests who have asked me if I thought they had a rez ('Look at this, do we have a rez or not???') and if I thought the places charged them and were scamming them (one place was doing this, now out of business)?
I don't know the way around that. With me, unless you're a returning jerk, you've got a reservation as soon as you hit 'submit' and you get your confirmation information on the screen. (I do send a confirmation email with the policies and all the date info as well.) Returning jerks get cancelled, get a cancellation email and a follow-up phone call just to be sure.
.
Ive said this before but its an example of this we use lat e rooms and you can set your room number to 0 and then its reservation requests ie do you have it click yes to accept or no to reject or say you have 1 room showing and they want 4 they can ask incase you have more avaliability than you are showing. Reservation request came through for 4 rooms we only had 1 so rejected it. 2 days later same thing - same name and 4 rooms same date so I remembered it thinking what idiots if I didn't have 4 rooms 2 days ago for a very busy saturday I certainly am not now. Anyhow the day came that they had wanted and I can't remember why but we were out and my mum was sitting in when the first of these 4 rooms arrived. Luckily we came back then in the middle of all this and I recognised the name and everything and we got them all rooms however the chap in charge of booking was dislexic (so why they put him in charge I don't know) and never read the rejection. Luckly they were all good sports and wern't even surprised he had cocked it all up (hence again why was he in charge?) trouble is people just don't read the rejection its that simple.
 
I like muirford's take on it. But I wouldn't give him any other reasons. Don't mention anything he can say he won't do again. He was absolutley a horror and you don't need the aggro.
Practice what you want to say, out loud to DH or to the mirror so you don't founder when he calls again. You want it to sound like you have this down pat! (The out loud part is important, you have to hear yourself.).
Madeleine said:
I like muirford's take on it. But I wouldn't give him any other reasons. Don't mention anything he can say he won't do again. He was absolutley a horror and you don't need the aggro.
That's interesting that you should say that, because one lesson I've learnt running this place is that too often when I ( and I suspect most people) want to say no to someone we feel compelled to then give a reason for saying no, they then come back with an argument against that reason. I still catch myself doing this, but I'm much better at simply saying no and then there's less grounds for an argument/discussion.
.
Highlands John said:
Madeleine said:
I like muirford's take on it. But I wouldn't give him any other reasons. Don't mention anything he can say he won't do again. He was absolutley a horror and you don't need the aggro.
That's interesting that you should say that, because one lesson I've learnt running this place is that too often when I ( and I suspect most people) want to say no to someone we feel compelled to then give a reason for saying no, they then come back with an argument against that reason. I still catch myself doing this, but I'm much better at simply saying no and then there's less grounds for an argument/discussion.
Raising kids will do that...train you I mean. They'll try anything if you give them a chance to argue!
 
As far as online reservations, we have a canned response when they make their reservation: "Thank you for your reservation request. THIS IS NOT YOUR CONFIRMATION. After we have reviewed your request, we will send you your confirmation."
This allows us the opportunity to accept or reject the reservation. I they are on the DNB list, instead of a confirmation, they will receive a detailed letter telling them why their reservation is being rejected. That's why it's important to keep guest notes especially on PITAS..
Proud Texan said:
As far as online reservations, we have a canned response when they make their reservation: "Thank you for your reservation request. THIS IS NOT YOUR CONFIRMATION. After we have reviewed your request, we will send you your confirmation."
This allows us the opportunity to accept or reject the reservation. I they are on the DNB list, instead of a confirmation, they will receive a detailed letter telling them why their reservation is being rejected. That's why it's important to keep guest notes especially on PITAS.
They do not read! Case in point - caller 5 minutes ago... 'Just received the confirmation email but it didn't provide the information we requested' They did not READ the email.. as it states something like yours, PT. They did not see the tour info and all else just went right through the eyes without making it to their pea brain.
 
I like muirford's take on it. But I wouldn't give him any other reasons. Don't mention anything he can say he won't do again. He was absolutley a horror and you don't need the aggro.
Practice what you want to say, out loud to DH or to the mirror so you don't founder when he calls again. You want it to sound like you have this down pat! (The out loud part is important, you have to hear yourself.).
Madeleine said:
I like muirford's take on it. But I wouldn't give him any other reasons. Don't mention anything he can say he won't do again. He was absolutley a horror and you don't need the aggro.
That's interesting that you should say that, because one lesson I've learnt running this place is that too often when I ( and I suspect most people) want to say no to someone we feel compelled to then give a reason for saying no, they then come back with an argument against that reason. I still catch myself doing this, but I'm much better at simply saying no and then there's less grounds for an argument/discussion.
.
Highlands John said:
Madeleine said:
I like muirford's take on it. But I wouldn't give him any other reasons. Don't mention anything he can say he won't do again. He was absolutley a horror and you don't need the aggro.
That's interesting that you should say that, because one lesson I've learnt running this place is that too often when I ( and I suspect most people) want to say no to someone we feel compelled to then give a reason for saying no, they then come back with an argument against that reason. I still catch myself doing this, but I'm much better at simply saying no and then there's less grounds for an argument/discussion.
Raising kids will do that...train you I mean. They'll try anything if you give them a chance to argue!
.
Madeleine said:
Highlands John said:
Madeleine said:
I like muirford's take on it. But I wouldn't give him any other reasons. Don't mention anything he can say he won't do again. He was absolutley a horror and you don't need the aggro.
That's interesting that you should say that, because one lesson I've learnt running this place is that too often when I ( and I suspect most people) want to say no to someone we feel compelled to then give a reason for saying no, they then come back with an argument against that reason. I still catch myself doing this, but I'm much better at simply saying no and then there's less grounds for an argument/discussion.
Raising kids will do that...train you I mean. They'll try anything if you give them a chance to argue!
Yes, agreed. Whatever you say will give them fodder to sue you, just say no. Your place, your decision, that is the way it is.
 
Thank you for your reservation request however unfortunately I am unable to accept your reservation.
My business is also my home, and unfortunately I feel that as a guest, you did not show the respect it deserves during your previous stay. As a result, I sincerely regret but am unable to accept any future reservations from you.
(Telling them you are booked will just keep them trying for another reservation. I did the above and it worked and I did not have any comeback - you are a private establishment and have the right to refuse)
 
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