Guests who request discounts after the fact

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Country Girl

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So, what would you do if you posted a "Special Discount" for a certain weekend, say Mother's Day, and in the ad for the discount you posted "Please mention Mother's Day Special when booking" and someone calls to stay that weekend and doesn't mention the special, do you offer them the discount anyway?
 
NO!! Hotels do not say - by the way we are having special.....
Mentionsing that Specail means they saw it and tells you where they found you. No mention, they do not know it exists. Now if you are going to post a sign in front of your inn saying Mother's Day Special then the answer is yes. IMNVHO
 
Yes.
Why? Trust me they always forget. You offered it, they booked, give it to them. You know as an innkeeper we need to pick our battles. Bad reviews? Angry guests who tell others? Or happy campers who spread the word how gracious you are? You decide.
Wait, countrygirl the title of the thread and what you put in the thread contradict. You wrote "guests who REQUEST after the fact" then the thread says the guest don't mention the special.
Whatever you meant by it, I stand by the first comment I wrote above this. Absolutely. You were willing to give it to all the guests that weekend - make THEIR weekend if they didn't know and also send a request for a review via email to them later after they check out!
 
Alos you said POSTED and IN THE AD. I guess I need to ask where it is posted, on your website? Or in a newspaper?
 
Sorry about the confusion. We posted a special on several different sites, including our own. Usually when someone calls I will mention that we are running a special for that weekend, and give the discount to them even if they didn't know about it prior to making the reservation. I just wondered if I should be doing that or only offer the discount if THEY mention it when booking, which means they saw it on our site or another site.
 
JBJ said something I glossed over - IF they request it - whenever they request it - give it. My answer was predicated on them being unaware that you had an offer.
 
Sorry about the confusion. We posted a special on several different sites, including our own. Usually when someone calls I will mention that we are running a special for that weekend, and give the discount to them even if they didn't know about it prior to making the reservation. I just wondered if I should be doing that or only offer the discount if THEY mention it when booking, which means they saw it on our site or another site..
Country Girl said:
Sorry about the confusion. We posted a special on several different sites, including our own. Usually when someone calls I will mention that we are running a special for that weekend, and give the discount to them even if they didn't know about it prior to making the reservation. I just wondered if I should be doing that or only offer the discount if THEY mention it when booking, which means they saw it on our site or another site.
I got the wrong email address and name again from an over the phone booking. Bad connections and accents can throw me.
I can let them do the work and they can book online to fill everything out and I have their "yes I agree to your policies" confirmed. I needed the "Yes I agreed to your policies" this week when someone cancelled. I never mention specials over the phone except "You can view our specials on our website and save $10" or whatever.
 
I had this in Feb. I was offering a FREE dinner to anyone who stayed 2 nights. One guy called and booked and never mentioned the special. I emailed and asked if he wanted the 'romance package' and he replied back 'NO'.
It's tough. You don't know if they saw it and don't want it or they didn't see it when they booked but WILL see it down the road. I guess the best thing is to reply back and ask if they want the special. Especially if it involves you having to do something extra that you won't be prepared for.
We had a couple who walked in the door and said they 'just' noticed the special on the website and could they have that? They had already checked in and paid and it was a dinner GC that I did not have enough of because they hadn't said they wanted to do that. So I told them no, but they were stand offish after that.
 
I had this in Feb. I was offering a FREE dinner to anyone who stayed 2 nights. One guy called and booked and never mentioned the special. I emailed and asked if he wanted the 'romance package' and he replied back 'NO'.
It's tough. You don't know if they saw it and don't want it or they didn't see it when they booked but WILL see it down the road. I guess the best thing is to reply back and ask if they want the special. Especially if it involves you having to do something extra that you won't be prepared for.
We had a couple who walked in the door and said they 'just' noticed the special on the website and could they have that? They had already checked in and paid and it was a dinner GC that I did not have enough of because they hadn't said they wanted to do that. So I told them no, but they were stand offish after that..
Bree said:
It's tough. You don't know if they saw it and don't want it or they didn't see it when they booked but WILL see it down the road. I guess the best thing is to reply back and ask if they want the special. Especially if it involves you having to do something extra that you won't be prepared for.
We had a couple who walked in the door and said they 'just' noticed the special on the website and could they have that? They had already checked in and paid and it was a dinner GC that I did not have enough of because they hadn't said they wanted to do that. So I told them no, but they were stand offish after that.
For that reason I have a line on my website (under the packages that require in-town stuff) stating packages must be booked 48 hours in advance. That's because for me to run all the way to town for various components at the last minute just wouldn't work. For your location in town, 24 hours might be fine. By having it on your website, you might avoid huffines from guests who expect to be able to order a la carte once they arrive.
 
I had this in Feb. I was offering a FREE dinner to anyone who stayed 2 nights. One guy called and booked and never mentioned the special. I emailed and asked if he wanted the 'romance package' and he replied back 'NO'.
It's tough. You don't know if they saw it and don't want it or they didn't see it when they booked but WILL see it down the road. I guess the best thing is to reply back and ask if they want the special. Especially if it involves you having to do something extra that you won't be prepared for.
We had a couple who walked in the door and said they 'just' noticed the special on the website and could they have that? They had already checked in and paid and it was a dinner GC that I did not have enough of because they hadn't said they wanted to do that. So I told them no, but they were stand offish after that..
Bree said:
It's tough. You don't know if they saw it and don't want it or they didn't see it when they booked but WILL see it down the road. I guess the best thing is to reply back and ask if they want the special. Especially if it involves you having to do something extra that you won't be prepared for.
We had a couple who walked in the door and said they 'just' noticed the special on the website and could they have that? They had already checked in and paid and it was a dinner GC that I did not have enough of because they hadn't said they wanted to do that. So I told them no, but they were stand offish after that.
For that reason I have a line on my website (under the packages that require in-town stuff) stating packages must be booked 48 hours in advance. That's because for me to run all the way to town for various components at the last minute just wouldn't work. For your location in town, 24 hours might be fine. By having it on your website, you might avoid huffines from guests who expect to be able to order a la carte once they arrive.
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happyjacks said:
Bree said:
It's tough. You don't know if they saw it and don't want it or they didn't see it when they booked but WILL see it down the road. I guess the best thing is to reply back and ask if they want the special. Especially if it involves you having to do something extra that you won't be prepared for.
We had a couple who walked in the door and said they 'just' noticed the special on the website and could they have that? They had already checked in and paid and it was a dinner GC that I did not have enough of because they hadn't said they wanted to do that. So I told them no, but they were stand offish after that.
For that reason I have a line on my website (under the packages that require in-town stuff) stating packages must be booked 48 hours in advance. That's because for me to run all the way to town for various components at the last minute just wouldn't work. For your location in town, 24 hours might be fine. By having it on your website, you might avoid huffines from guests who expect to be able to order a la carte once they arrive.
Good idea to put the time frame. I will mention that if it requires a cake or something else I might not be able to get quickly. Otherwise, yeah, it's wasy for me to get stuff picked up but this would have required me leaving, running down the street, getting the GC and charging them whatever extra it would have been, which defeats the purpose of packaging so the guest doesn't know the price of everything!
 
I don't know if they read or heard bout my specials, so I don't offer, but if they ask for a special that was advertised I will give it to them before they check out.
We just stayed at a hotel, no specials offered. we went and had dinner at their restaurant/bar and noticed a sign :"Don't want to drive home? Rooms are only $60.00 after 10:00 PM"
We checked in 15 minutes before 10 pm and no mentioning of the special. When we returned to the hotel I went to the front desk and asked about it. The Clerk said that the special only was valid "IF" the bar called in the room....then he winked and gave it to me anyways.
He did get lots of kudoos from us.....and I remember to eat first, then get a room :)
 
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