Do you send a confirmation to all your guests?

Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Samster

Well-known member
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
6,478
Reaction score
16
Location
South Carolina
I am curious if there are innkeepers here that do not send a confirmation. We have several trips coming up over the next several months and none of the places send a confirm! I had to book one place over the phone instead of online (it's for a wedding with a group rate) and they gave me a confirmation number. Another place just took my name, phone number, credit card #, dates, and the room I wanted. (I had to call this place also because the online booking didn't work for me.) I went back in today to see if their online booking worked and our room still shows available for our dates!! I sent the inn an email because that does bother me a little.......
 
Yes! Everyone who makes a resservation gets an emailed confirmation. There are few instances when I have to snail mail them if they don't want to give out their email or if I simply can't get the email to go through.
 
I can't stand not getting a confirmation. If I couldn't get one, I'd cancel and look elsewhere. This is because, more than once, I've walked into a place I'd booked in advance, given my name, and they never heard of me and had no rooms available.
That hasn't happened to me in years, though. I think computers have really helped a lot in that respect.
 
Yes. If they call to book, I email a confirmation or if they book online, the Rezovation booking engine sends them one for me.
 
In my early days I did not. I now have sent confirmation letters for years. In it I spell out exactly what is included in the reservation - especially if it is a package. There have been several times I had to go to that confirmation letter (I have them in a file) to refresh my memory if there was a dinner or not. So it works both ways as a confirmation. I also include directions to the inn - from where they will be coming from which sometimes is not from home.
 
I not only send a confirmation, I request a quick reply so I know it was received. If they call to book, I tell them I will be sending it and request a reply and if they have not received it by ____ time to please either call or send ME and email. We have a lot of gov. employees book and some of the agencies systems bounce any email that give the appearence of a canned message. If I reply to THEIR message, it will go though. If I do not receive a reply within 24 hrs, they get a call. For those that call to book, this provides me with their acceptance that they did receive my policies.
 
Yes, I always send a confirmation, but do they read it?? Often no.
I've had people turn up on the wrong day, or even the wrong month, because they booked the wrong date online and didn't bother to check the confirmation.
I've had people turn up at 1pm while we are out and when they complain that they had to wait around I point out that in their confirmation it said check in was after 4.30 except by prior arrangement because we may be out in the afternoon.
I frequently get people arrive and then they're annoyed because they have to drive 10 miles to Inverness to get something to eat beause the only local Inn is fully booked, despite the fact that confirmation told them that there is only one place to eat within walking distance and it gets busy so they must book in advance.
You can lead a horse to water......................
 
Yes, we do send a confirm to everyone. They don't all get them, tho, due to spam blockers. However, most of the places we have ever stayed never sent one, or they sent a very basic- you have a room on this date, it costs this much, thank you- kind of email.
That calendar avail one would bother me, too!
 
Yes, I always send a confirmation, but do they read it?? Often no.
I've had people turn up on the wrong day, or even the wrong month, because they booked the wrong date online and didn't bother to check the confirmation.
I've had people turn up at 1pm while we are out and when they complain that they had to wait around I point out that in their confirmation it said check in was after 4.30 except by prior arrangement because we may be out in the afternoon.
I frequently get people arrive and then they're annoyed because they have to drive 10 miles to Inverness to get something to eat beause the only local Inn is fully booked, despite the fact that confirmation told them that there is only one place to eat within walking distance and it gets busy so they must book in advance.
You can lead a horse to water.......................
I had one of those wrong month ones this month...booked on Tues for Thurs and then emailed on Thurs that he wanted to add the previous Wed! Never checked what month he booked online, never looked at the confirm even tho he replied back that the confirm was correct.
 
Yes everyone who books online or over the phone gets an email confirmation. Only same day walk ins (rare at that) do not.
 
Yes, we always send a confirmation by email. We stayed at several hotels recently and they all gave us a confirmation number only.
 
We send a confirmation and then a few days ahead of arrival we send a directions and restaurant list email.
Riki
 
Yes, all email confirmations. And the confirmation email states that you MUST bring it along with you for check-in. That way, on the very few occasions that there is a date mix-up or a misunderstood policy it's right there in front of them in writing.
 
Yes, all email confirmations. And the confirmation email states that you MUST bring it along with you for check-in. That way, on the very few occasions that there is a date mix-up or a misunderstood policy it's right there in front of them in writing..
Rupert said:
Yes, all email confirmations. And the confirmation email states that you MUST bring it along with you for check-in. That way, on the very few occasions that there is a date mix-up or a misunderstood policy it's right there in front of them in writing.
Rupert!!! Long time no hear from!
 
Yes, all email confirmations. And the confirmation email states that you MUST bring it along with you for check-in. That way, on the very few occasions that there is a date mix-up or a misunderstood policy it's right there in front of them in writing..
Rupert said:
Yes, all email confirmations. And the confirmation email states that you MUST bring it along with you for check-in. That way, on the very few occasions that there is a date mix-up or a misunderstood policy it's right there in front of them in writing.
Rupert!!! Long time no hear from!
.
Howdy LB! Hope you're doing well. We are busy but I miss all you crazies so I've started checking in again
teeth_smile.gif
Love, love, love your new "innkeeper philosophy" I was just reading about on another thread...good for you!!!
 
Yeah, see I don't get this either. We sent email confirmations on every rez and had them marked "return receipt" and asked for them to reply to us also by return email. (Not many did.) And with SuperInn it added the policies as well. I even set up reminders to re-confirm at about a week out. We had very few walk-ins and of course those didn't get a confirm, but they signed the policies on check-in.
I find this very odd in both instances. And neither asked for any other info, like our address. Both places are highly rated on Trip Advisor though. This goes back to what we've talked about before about how the innkeepers on this forum are up-to-date!
If I don't hear back from the innkeeper that I emailed, I will call back and tell them that I noticed that our room is still available online!!
 
Yes, all email confirmations. And the confirmation email states that you MUST bring it along with you for check-in. That way, on the very few occasions that there is a date mix-up or a misunderstood policy it's right there in front of them in writing..
Rupert said:
Yes, all email confirmations. And the confirmation email states that you MUST bring it along with you for check-in. . .
What happens if they don't bring it?
 
Yeah, see I don't get this either. We sent email confirmations on every rez and had them marked "return receipt" and asked for them to reply to us also by return email. (Not many did.) And with SuperInn it added the policies as well. I even set up reminders to re-confirm at about a week out. We had very few walk-ins and of course those didn't get a confirm, but they signed the policies on check-in.
I find this very odd in both instances. And neither asked for any other info, like our address. Both places are highly rated on Trip Advisor though. This goes back to what we've talked about before about how the innkeepers on this forum are up-to-date!
If I don't hear back from the innkeeper that I emailed, I will call back and tell them that I noticed that our room is still available online!!.
It's really crazy in this day and age not to send a written confirmation.
Not to mention the fact that absent a written confirmation there is no guaranteed reservation.
Visa, MasterCard, and Amex all require written confirmations for any charges to be honored.
 
We email everyone or if no email (these are few and far between) as we put all our policies on the bottom so they cannot say they have not seen/read found them whatever. The only ones I don't are if they are comming the same day but I will know soon enough if something happens. If people book through laterooms or booking.com the site automatically confirms to them but I like to send one of ours as well as I put town maps and how to get into the car park maps on as attachments which people appreciate.
If I do a written one I had some postcards made up with a picture of the B&B on the front and then
Date of Arrival, date of departure, amount etc on and our policies which look smart and only take a second to fill out. They then go in an envelope with a map so that the postman can't read the dates they are away etc.
 
Yes, all email confirmations. And the confirmation email states that you MUST bring it along with you for check-in. That way, on the very few occasions that there is a date mix-up or a misunderstood policy it's right there in front of them in writing..
Hi Rupert! Glad to see you are doing well.
 
Back
Top