Guests trashed the room

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BNcruzIng

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Do you charge the guest on their credit card after they check out if the room is a big mess with vomit all over the place? What the appropriate amount? And after you charged on the card, what are their reactions and the legitimate responsees to fight chargeback from credit card company?
Thank you!
 
Do you have a policy in place that states guests will be charged for damages, etc?
Did they agree to the policies on the website/online reservations when they booked, or in person?
Sorry this happened, it is disgusting, and we all feel for you!
 
I hope you have some kind of policies written some where about damagesand responsiablities.!
Also take pictures of what you found and make sure your date is marked on your photos. Our camera can be set to show what date you have taken the picture.
When they complain you have the poof. That is all it took in our case of some one trashing ours.
 
Besides the extra cleaning which is bad enough, did they actually do damage to furnishings? If you charge and they dispute it (written policy or not), the credit card company will probably side with them. You then can proceed to small claims court.
 
I would definitely write them a letter explaining why you have charged them, send it registered because it will be backup for you if they try to dispute the charge. Thank God I never had to deal with THAT kind of damage.....
 
yuck
i sure do hope you have a policy in place for this.
my first big group we had two brothers vomit all over the bathroom and they snuck out before i was even up ... either because they were embarrassed or ... who knows why.
my two chambermaids refused to clean that bathroom, one threatened to quit over it.
i had to do the first cleaning
then the second cleaning
was nearly sick myself, it was so horrible.
then the three of us together cleaned the third time.
awful, awful, awful. it wasn't on purpose but really bad all the same.
i charged and sent them a letter explaining.
 
Let me suggest that you also photograph all damage immediately in detail. Buy a decent dslr (around $900 w/ lens and on-board flash) and DOCUMENT the damage. These same cameras also take VERY VERY GOOD video, which, since it is so easy and convenient, you should also video w/ narration the scope of the damage.
We recently had human excretion on a pillow, broken bed frames, broken shutters, etc. and it was a NIGHTMARE! Photographed it all. Got in a fight with the guests and when I showed them the evidence I never heard from them again. We charged their card for the costs.
 
Let me suggest that you also photograph all damage immediately in detail. Buy a decent dslr (around $900 w/ lens and on-board flash) and DOCUMENT the damage. These same cameras also take VERY VERY GOOD video, which, since it is so easy and convenient, you should also video w/ narration the scope of the damage.
We recently had human excretion on a pillow, broken bed frames, broken shutters, etc. and it was a NIGHTMARE! Photographed it all. Got in a fight with the guests and when I showed them the evidence I never heard from them again. We charged their card for the costs..
tar4heel2 said:
Let me suggest that you also photograph all damage immediately in detail. Buy a decent dslr (around $900 w/ lens and on-board flash) and DOCUMENT the damage.
For those folks not about to go out and drop $900 on a camera to take pix of $100 in damages, a good point and click will work just fine. You just need the date and time to show up in the photo. Take close ups and distance shots. Then send a bill to the guest with the amount in damages and ask how they will be paying for this. Do they want it on their cc? Once you have them agreeing to pay, then run the card for the amount agreed on.
 
Let me suggest that you also photograph all damage immediately in detail. Buy a decent dslr (around $900 w/ lens and on-board flash) and DOCUMENT the damage. These same cameras also take VERY VERY GOOD video, which, since it is so easy and convenient, you should also video w/ narration the scope of the damage.
We recently had human excretion on a pillow, broken bed frames, broken shutters, etc. and it was a NIGHTMARE! Photographed it all. Got in a fight with the guests and when I showed them the evidence I never heard from them again. We charged their card for the costs..
tar4heel2 said:
Let me suggest that you also photograph all damage immediately in detail. Buy a decent dslr (around $900 w/ lens and on-board flash) and DOCUMENT the damage.
For those folks not about to go out and drop $900 on a camera to take pix of $100 in damages, a good point and click will work just fine. You just need the date and time to show up in the photo. Take close ups and distance shots. Then send a bill to the guest with the amount in damages and ask how they will be paying for this. Do they want it on their cc? Once you have them agreeing to pay, then run the card for the amount agreed on.
.
Good suggestion, Madelaine. I was thinking in terms of having a camera that does both video and still photos, thereby making it at least a bit more cost efficient and very convenient to use. The latest DSLRs in that price range do an incredible job on video in low lights if needed. Take your stills, flip a switch and begin a short 2 minute video you can get in one take. And with such detail and quality that there can be no dispute about the situation. A good point-and-shoot will work, but not as well.
 
Let me suggest that you also photograph all damage immediately in detail. Buy a decent dslr (around $900 w/ lens and on-board flash) and DOCUMENT the damage. These same cameras also take VERY VERY GOOD video, which, since it is so easy and convenient, you should also video w/ narration the scope of the damage.
We recently had human excretion on a pillow, broken bed frames, broken shutters, etc. and it was a NIGHTMARE! Photographed it all. Got in a fight with the guests and when I showed them the evidence I never heard from them again. We charged their card for the costs..
tar4heel2 said:
Let me suggest that you also photograph all damage immediately in detail. Buy a decent dslr (around $900 w/ lens and on-board flash) and DOCUMENT the damage.
For those folks not about to go out and drop $900 on a camera to take pix of $100 in damages, a good point and click will work just fine. You just need the date and time to show up in the photo. Take close ups and distance shots. Then send a bill to the guest with the amount in damages and ask how they will be paying for this. Do they want it on their cc? Once you have them agreeing to pay, then run the card for the amount agreed on.
.
Good suggestion, Madelaine. I was thinking in terms of having a camera that does both video and still photos, thereby making it at least a bit more cost efficient and very convenient to use. The latest DSLRs in that price range do an incredible job on video in low lights if needed. Take your stills, flip a switch and begin a short 2 minute video you can get in one take. And with such detail and quality that there can be no dispute about the situation. A good point-and-shoot will work, but not as well.
.
My $100 point and shoot takes videos. Heck, my daughter's iPhone takes videos. Just saying that an innkeeper who only needs to show damage doesn't need to run out and buy an expensive camera. We all try to keep things in perspective. If the innkeeper NEEDS a high end camera, they already have one.
See, we're not talking here about taking these movies and still shots to court. Just to show the guest the damages, in case they forgot what the room looked like after they walked out.
Not that ANY of it would hold up. All the guest has to say is, 'I didn't do that. Someone must have gone into the room after I left and did that.' And that's the end of it. No cc company will allow the charges to go thru.
Which is why you need the guest to agree to pay the charges. And then you get their ugly brother calling and saying you'd better remove that charge from the cc or things are going to get nasty for you and your inn. (Seriously.)
 
OMG, I am reading all of this in disbelief. Sometimes I wonder how any of us can welcome strangers into our homes. I feel really bad for you having to go through all this. And even worse, I feel bad for anyone who has had to clean up this kind of disrespectful mess and then welcome, with an open heart, new guests without feeling paranoid that they will do the same shameful things.
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After reading this one I double-checked the terms the guests agree to when reserving, and it does say that damages that cannot be easily repaired may result in a charge to their credit card.
I may need to make the language a little stronger, but didn't want to come across as too tough. I guess we need language that covers us, but in the friendliest way possible.
 
OMG, I am reading all of this in disbelief. Sometimes I wonder how any of us can welcome strangers into our homes. I feel really bad for you having to go through all this. And even worse, I feel bad for anyone who has had to clean up this kind of disrespectful mess and then welcome, with an open heart, new guests without feeling paranoid that they will do the same shameful things.
cry_smile.gif
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This is why I absolutely NEED to have a housekeeper in season. She hauls the dirty linen out of the rooms and hands it to me to get clean again. But, if I came across this after 6 hours of being 'on' I would scream. (I know, I have.)
Today it was cleaning a bloody track that went up the stairs and into a guest room. Did they not see one of them was bleeding??? How could you miss that???
So there I am cleaning the carpet on the stairs as other guests are trying to come and go and the nice ones wondering if THEY had tracked something!
Someone broke a curtain rod on a door last week by slamming the door open and crushing the rod into the wall.
 
Let me suggest that you also photograph all damage immediately in detail. Buy a decent dslr (around $900 w/ lens and on-board flash) and DOCUMENT the damage. These same cameras also take VERY VERY GOOD video, which, since it is so easy and convenient, you should also video w/ narration the scope of the damage.
We recently had human excretion on a pillow, broken bed frames, broken shutters, etc. and it was a NIGHTMARE! Photographed it all. Got in a fight with the guests and when I showed them the evidence I never heard from them again. We charged their card for the costs..
As I said a while back pictures speak louder then any words. Even if they threaten you by saying they will take you to court. You have it all on film and well documented.Our camera was not expensive and it does video and snap shots. On our registration card we have In the top below our logo the following statement:
Guest will be responsible for any damages they may cause .They fill out the card and sign the card with their name ,address ,make and license of car. It is their hand writting.
 
Thank you for all your suggestions! I did mentioned to the manager about taking photos before having the maid cleaning up the place, but it was too late. Lessons learned!
 
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