Guest makes "best offer" regarding rates

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This thread made me laugh out loud. The Irony!
For the past 2 days I have been trying to reach this individual who tried to book online for a one night Saturday only stay in our cheapest room. I finally got him on the phone and explained that a 2 night min. was in effect and 1 night stays, WHEN THEY ARE AVAILABLE as this is our peak season are an additional $35 over standard rates.
Here is his emailed reply:
When we stay in Paris (Rome, Avalon, Cannes...), center of town, we rarely pay more than $100 and were willing to splurge for one night. But we aren't coming for 2 nights and a surcharge of $35 is more than we want to pay at this time. However, if you find your room is empty and want to call us we have a cell -- xxx xxx xxxx and may be able to entertain a negotiated rate.
The cherry on top is this man is a Doctor.
Hows that for arrogance?
 
What??? Arrogance is a good description.....that would bring the cuss -woman out in me!!
 
Mountain inn, gut instincts 101 aye. You nailed it on the head and knew what was coming. Who the heck do they think they are? See these are the times when you have guilt if you DON'T respond, but know in your gut nothing good will come of it, nothing. Doing you a favor? What a pack of losers.
I just read FD's email as well...see this is what I was speaking of with my B-I-L and that any hotel would be GLAD to have him stay there.
Now I am mad. The guests tonight from FLA called to change the date from SAT to TONIGHT and the room they chose was not available tonight, so they have a $5 more room (only one night and they save $10 online) they BETTER be happy about it. See we always EAT THE COST, WE NEED TO STOP EATING IT! IT TASTES TERRIBLE!
 
FD the losers we asked to leave who were miserable, he was also a doctor. Middle aged, arrogant, miserable... I will NEVER forget them, they did well. As I tell guests, after a while guests all blur together and become JOE GUEST, but the bad ones...they are most memorable.
 
For return guests, we are much more gracious in giving deeper discounts.
Having said that...I was at the dentist a half hour ago as saw the Director of the hospital to which I gave a BOGO to their best friends to come and visit. This same man called and demanded I give him the same discount on a one night as he was passing through and wanted to stop and visit his friend, so he wanted a one night stay on a weekend for half price. I told him no.
I orig gave this BOGO as I wanted to get my foot in the door at the hospital as it is part of a larger system with visiting dr's and nurses. I wanted to be their recommendation for lodging to put these contracted staff here. Never got anything else from it, not even a thank you.
As the saying goes Don't cut off your nose to spite your face. Don't shoot yourself in the foot. and all that fun stuff!.
Update: Perhaps my deeply ingrained Southern Hospitality sometimes keeps my gut responses in check, and I never wish to offend. But I was interrupted just as I was responding and got distracted...I confess, the first sentence doesn't sound southern. Better if I had used someone's recommendation to gently decline his "offer." So both the writer and I have left this email conversation with a bad taste in our mouths. He thinks I called him cheap and I think he thought we were. Who was it who said, "Cheap ain't nice, and nice ain't cheap?" I will try to do better next time. Nuff said. But here it is; I have answered the gentleman's email and received a response. Here they are:
My short message:
If you have interest, please contact me as soon as possible via email. I will check emails on Monday morning and make a decision with a phone call to you Early on Monday to make the arrangements.

Thanks for your inquiry. Seems our accommodations do not match your needs. In reading your note a second time, we see it appears you were actually intending to contact _______________ Bed and Breakfast in Asheville? Confident you will find the perfect spot!


His response:
Hello, Thank you for your reply. Yes, I have contacted several B&B places. I think we have found a VERY nice place to stay that would be willing to take our offer instead of not having someone at all. We certainly did not need to stay in the area, but thought that a 2 or 3 night stay would be nice and would also help out a local business. Seems you dont need the help, will make sure to let others know that you are not being hit by the Economy and dont need people to come stay with your B&B. Have a nice day, ______ (his first name I am omitting)
.
OMG...what a complete and utter jerk. You didn't want them there anyway. I think your response was professional, but yet friendly and helpful.
 
What kind of scam have you heard about that would make you alert to this? I would like to hear about that for my own reference.
Otherwise, I would think this is just a bargain hunter, although not a very organized one (if he mis-identified your rooms) and would do it or not do it based on how you feel about the offer..
Bargain hunter, yes, but lacking the skill and grace with which some of our guests and potential guests have. For instance, a previous guest left us a message that she and her sister wanted to come for two nights next week. Along with comments regarding the glowing compliments she had told her sister since her stay here last fall. She certainly knows about the online booking...she used it last time. Since she said in her phone message she would not be available for a couple of days, I sent her an email regarding availability along with a list of events and activities happening locally which she might be interested in. Today, I followed that up with a call since she said she would be available today. She had already received my email, but wanted to discuss options. She said she told her sister what a lovely time she and husband had here...again, lots of great compliments with mentions of what made her stay here so special. Then she pointed out she could stay in a bed and breakfast in nearby Asheville where her son lives. And, she had considered cashing in her hotel rewards points for a free stay. All this segued into her asking just how deep a discount we would be able to give to have them come here. I do understand all this, I even appreciate the frugality of the guests, but it sometimes makes all the extra things a great b and b add to a guest's stay get lost in the bargaining mix, don't you think? Oh, I forgot to tell you that last year, we gave them a complimentary upgrade at the last minute when a room unexpectedly became available.
.
I generally view that 'I can get a better deal, cash in points' conversation as one I do not want to have with a guest.
'I'm sorry we are unable to match those deeply discounted prices and continue to provide the service you so appreciated on your last visit. We understand you wish to use your hotel points and hope you will consider us again at another time.'
BTW, anyone who has enough hotel points to cash in for a free stay IS traveling all the rest of the time in order to earn those points so it's somewhat BS to tell you they're broke.
 
For return guests, we are much more gracious in giving deeper discounts.
Having said that...I was at the dentist a half hour ago as saw the Director of the hospital to which I gave a BOGO to their best friends to come and visit. This same man called and demanded I give him the same discount on a one night as he was passing through and wanted to stop and visit his friend, so he wanted a one night stay on a weekend for half price. I told him no.
I orig gave this BOGO as I wanted to get my foot in the door at the hospital as it is part of a larger system with visiting dr's and nurses. I wanted to be their recommendation for lodging to put these contracted staff here. Never got anything else from it, not even a thank you.
As the saying goes Don't cut off your nose to spite your face. Don't shoot yourself in the foot. and all that fun stuff!.
Update: Perhaps my deeply ingrained Southern Hospitality sometimes keeps my gut responses in check, and I never wish to offend. But I was interrupted just as I was responding and got distracted...I confess, the first sentence doesn't sound southern. Better if I had used someone's recommendation to gently decline his "offer." So both the writer and I have left this email conversation with a bad taste in our mouths. He thinks I called him cheap and I think he thought we were. Who was it who said, "Cheap ain't nice, and nice ain't cheap?" I will try to do better next time. Nuff said. But here it is; I have answered the gentleman's email and received a response. Here they are:
My short message:
If you have interest, please contact me as soon as possible via email. I will check emails on Monday morning and make a decision with a phone call to you Early on Monday to make the arrangements.

Thanks for your inquiry. Seems our accommodations do not match your needs. In reading your note a second time, we see it appears you were actually intending to contact _______________ Bed and Breakfast in Asheville? Confident you will find the perfect spot!


His response:
Hello, Thank you for your reply. Yes, I have contacted several B&B places. I think we have found a VERY nice place to stay that would be willing to take our offer instead of not having someone at all. We certainly did not need to stay in the area, but thought that a 2 or 3 night stay would be nice and would also help out a local business. Seems you dont need the help, will make sure to let others know that you are not being hit by the Economy and dont need people to come stay with your B&B. Have a nice day, ______ (his first name I am omitting)
.
Mountain Inn said:
His response:
Hello, Thank you for your reply. Yes, I have contacted several B&B places. I think we have found a VERY nice place to stay that would be willing to take our offer instead of not having someone at all. We certainly did not need to stay in the area, but thought that a 2 or 3 night stay would be nice and would also help out a local business. Seems you dont need the help, will make sure to let others know that you are not being hit by the Economy and dont need people to come stay with your B&B. Have a nice day, ______ (his first name I am omitting)
What an f'ing idiot. Pardon my swearing.
Oh yeah, you dodged a bullet on that one. Ego as big as the great outdoors and obviously he pulled that on a LOT of other places.
 
FD the losers we asked to leave who were miserable, he was also a doctor. Middle aged, arrogant, miserable... I will NEVER forget them, they did well. As I tell guests, after a while guests all blur together and become JOE GUEST, but the bad ones...they are most memorable..
Joey Bloggs said:
FD the losers we asked to leave who were miserable, he was also a doctor. Middle aged, arrogant, miserable... I will NEVER forget them, they did well. As I tell guests, after a while guests all blur together and become JOE GUEST, but the bad ones...they are most memorable.
Was he from MD or DC by any chance?
Even if I did have a room for Saturday, why let the devil in your front door when you don't need to? He would have a snowballs chance in He!! after that.
 
MI
We had new lovely guests from there a week after and redeemed it back.
 
FD the losers we asked to leave who were miserable, he was also a doctor. Middle aged, arrogant, miserable... I will NEVER forget them, they did well. As I tell guests, after a while guests all blur together and become JOE GUEST, but the bad ones...they are most memorable..
Joey Bloggs said:
FD the losers we asked to leave who were miserable, he was also a doctor. Middle aged, arrogant, miserable... I will NEVER forget them, they did well. As I tell guests, after a while guests all blur together and become JOE GUEST, but the bad ones...they are most memorable.
OMG! The guest we have been discussing with the resistable offer really is named "Joe." I deleted his name when I shared it.
 
Mountain inn, gut instincts 101 aye. You nailed it on the head and knew what was coming. Who the heck do they think they are? See these are the times when you have guilt if you DON'T respond, but know in your gut nothing good will come of it, nothing. Doing you a favor? What a pack of losers.
I just read FD's email as well...see this is what I was speaking of with my B-I-L and that any hotel would be GLAD to have him stay there.
Now I am mad. The guests tonight from FLA called to change the date from SAT to TONIGHT and the room they chose was not available tonight, so they have a $5 more room (only one night and they save $10 online) they BETTER be happy about it. See we always EAT THE COST, WE NEED TO STOP EATING IT! IT TASTES TERRIBLE!.
Our 'Joe" is from FLA.
 
For return guests, we are much more gracious in giving deeper discounts.
Having said that...I was at the dentist a half hour ago as saw the Director of the hospital to which I gave a BOGO to their best friends to come and visit. This same man called and demanded I give him the same discount on a one night as he was passing through and wanted to stop and visit his friend, so he wanted a one night stay on a weekend for half price. I told him no.
I orig gave this BOGO as I wanted to get my foot in the door at the hospital as it is part of a larger system with visiting dr's and nurses. I wanted to be their recommendation for lodging to put these contracted staff here. Never got anything else from it, not even a thank you.
As the saying goes Don't cut off your nose to spite your face. Don't shoot yourself in the foot. and all that fun stuff!.
Update: Perhaps my deeply ingrained Southern Hospitality sometimes keeps my gut responses in check, and I never wish to offend. But I was interrupted just as I was responding and got distracted...I confess, the first sentence doesn't sound southern. Better if I had used someone's recommendation to gently decline his "offer." So both the writer and I have left this email conversation with a bad taste in our mouths. He thinks I called him cheap and I think he thought we were. Who was it who said, "Cheap ain't nice, and nice ain't cheap?" I will try to do better next time. Nuff said. But here it is; I have answered the gentleman's email and received a response. Here they are:
My short message:
If you have interest, please contact me as soon as possible via email. I will check emails on Monday morning and make a decision with a phone call to you Early on Monday to make the arrangements.

Thanks for your inquiry. Seems our accommodations do not match your needs. In reading your note a second time, we see it appears you were actually intending to contact _______________ Bed and Breakfast in Asheville? Confident you will find the perfect spot!


His response:
Hello, Thank you for your reply. Yes, I have contacted several B&B places. I think we have found a VERY nice place to stay that would be willing to take our offer instead of not having someone at all. We certainly did not need to stay in the area, but thought that a 2 or 3 night stay would be nice and would also help out a local business. Seems you dont need the help, will make sure to let others know that you are not being hit by the Economy and dont need people to come stay with your B&B. Have a nice day, ______ (his first name I am omitting)
.
Mountain Inn said:
His response:
Hello, Thank you for your reply. Yes, I have contacted several B&B places. I think we have found a VERY nice place to stay that would be willing to take our offer instead of not having someone at all. We certainly did not need to stay in the area, but thought that a 2 or 3 night stay would be nice and would also help out a local business. Seems you dont need the help, will make sure to let others know that you are not being hit by the Economy and dont need people to come stay with your B&B. Have a nice day, ______ (his first name I am omitting)
see, this is the problem with responding to emails of this kind.
unless you are willing to 'bargain' with the potential guest, i would not answer. you were polite and gracious and got slapped because you did not give him what he wanted. it is your right, your decision, as innkeeper to offer a lower rate or not. seems this person was not content to simply stay at whatever other place paying 'his' choice of rate and be happy about that ... he had to stick out his tongue at you.
please, if you can, block any more emails from this person.
 
OMG!!! And we thought last year that the crazies had crawled out of the woodwork! MI & FD, you both dodged the bullet this time.
- I can only add my last phone call looking for a room tonight:
I give them my quick spiel of the rooms & breakfast and say I have 1 room at 109 and 1 room at 129. To which her reply: So what is the cost? I reply again and she says, Oh, I thought you were saying room numbers!!! - I guess once I said 3 digits that through her off!
whatchutalkingabout_smile.gif
 
Let me make YOU an offer you can't refuse...we will give you our family discount "DOUBLE the rate" :)
Give me a discount or I will go away and pout! Again...don't coddle these type guests, please everyone let them stew...let them go somewhere else.
 
Would have sent him an email back stating that a $5 discount is all I am authorized to provide....
Actualy this guy sounded interesting.........I would have tried to twist him all up in the email exchanges......
edited to add:.....
If one has a room that is $95 a night......or a room that is $105 a night........send email back stating that is the room he gets......for his $100
If the rooms are say $135 and up.......then the $5 only discount would apply
 
Let me make YOU an offer you can't refuse...we will give you our family discount "DOUBLE the rate" :)
Give me a discount or I will go away and pout! Again...don't coddle these type guests, please everyone let them stew...let them go somewhere else..
HEHEHE! Just had a booking by phone from a guest who knows a member of our family as a business acquaintance. He wanted to know what affect that has on the rates...I chuckled and told him oh, we charge MORE for those. Then we completed the booking, regular rates.
 
What kind of scam have you heard about that would make you alert to this? I would like to hear about that for my own reference.
Otherwise, I would think this is just a bargain hunter, although not a very organized one (if he mis-identified your rooms) and would do it or not do it based on how you feel about the offer..
Bargain hunter, yes, but lacking the skill and grace with which some of our guests and potential guests have. For instance, a previous guest left us a message that she and her sister wanted to come for two nights next week. Along with comments regarding the glowing compliments she had told her sister since her stay here last fall. She certainly knows about the online booking...she used it last time. Since she said in her phone message she would not be available for a couple of days, I sent her an email regarding availability along with a list of events and activities happening locally which she might be interested in. Today, I followed that up with a call since she said she would be available today. She had already received my email, but wanted to discuss options. She said she told her sister what a lovely time she and husband had here...again, lots of great compliments with mentions of what made her stay here so special. Then she pointed out she could stay in a bed and breakfast in nearby Asheville where her son lives. And, she had considered cashing in her hotel rewards points for a free stay. All this segued into her asking just how deep a discount we would be able to give to have them come here. I do understand all this, I even appreciate the frugality of the guests, but it sometimes makes all the extra things a great b and b add to a guest's stay get lost in the bargaining mix, don't you think? Oh, I forgot to tell you that last year, we gave them a complimentary upgrade at the last minute when a room unexpectedly became available.
.
I generally view that 'I can get a better deal, cash in points' conversation as one I do not want to have with a guest.
'I'm sorry we are unable to match those deeply discounted prices and continue to provide the service you so appreciated on your last visit. We understand you wish to use your hotel points and hope you will consider us again at another time.'
BTW, anyone who has enough hotel points to cash in for a free stay IS traveling all the rest of the time in order to earn those points so it's somewhat BS to tell you they're broke.
.
Just now received an email from her that yes, she wants the room for two night this coming weekend. No discount mentioned. And although my earlier email to her had reminded her she could book it on line...her booking it was just a short, Yes, we want the room sentence. So, I quickly emailed a complete confirmation with rates, etc., policies attached, too, and told her we would consider the reservation guaranteed with the same card she used when she was last here unless she notified us with a different one. Now, we black out card numbers in old records, so all I can see is the expiration date, which is next year, 2011. Her prior booking was an online reservation.
We will most cheerfully provide all the extras that she so enjoyed last time she was here...will probably manage to wow her sister as she had promised her. And our bank will be happy, too.
 
Was the TO: yourinn or was the TO: undisclosedrecipients - if the latter a definite scam. I also still think it has an aroma of a guest not desired......
Kathleen, it was addressed just to us individually. I didn't catch your question earlier today. Interestingly, this afternoon, I forwarded our three emails ( his first, my response, and his testy reply) to the inn with the rooms with the names the guest had indicated an interest in. That innkeeper quickly told me that they read the email (same one) but did not answer it and was not going to. Said something like "they who demand more always take more." I do answer most emails...unless they are the classic scams we all are familiar with. Often I simply say please call us to discuss.
 
Was the TO: yourinn or was the TO: undisclosedrecipients - if the latter a definite scam. I also still think it has an aroma of a guest not desired......
Kathleen, it was addressed just to us individually. I didn't catch your question earlier today. Interestingly, this afternoon, I forwarded our three emails ( his first, my response, and his testy reply) to the inn with the rooms with the names the guest had indicated an interest in. That innkeeper quickly told me that they read the email (same one) but did not answer it and was not going to. Said something like "they who demand more always take more." I do answer most emails...unless they are the classic scams we all are familiar with. Often I simply say please call us to discuss.
.
Mountain Inn said:
I do answer most emails...unless they are the classic scams we all are familiar with. Often I simply say please call us to discuss.
That's the best way; it's easier to be nasty by email than by telephone.
 
a guest who knows a member of our family as a business acquaintance.
they're out there.
 
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