Some interesting comments on about haggling with the front desk for a better room rate: http://bit.ly/fQ5L4khttp://bit.ly/fQ5L4k
from Hotel Chatter.com
from Hotel Chatter.com
you can use you facebook account if you have one to reply to the articleI'd like to leave a comment but they haven't sent my email to sign up..
I will ask if there are any discounts or packages available as not every website is up to date. I've gotten grumpy innkeepers telling me 'all the discounts are on the website, that's it, nothing else'. What I was trying to confirm in that case was if they would extend the discount one day (into the next month as it ended at the end of the month). No, they would not. OK, that's fair, but I kept looking.I like the "called five plus hotels and finally saved $20". Real big pay out.
A big part of the problem is that some, generally younger, but not always, customers think they are supposed to haggle. It is the mind set on TV, Priceline and now Groupon: don't ever pay the list price or you are a chump. We don't haggle and in large measure we won't so we don't undercut our customers who pay our listed price without complaint.
It gets tiresome, though to have to spend time on the phone being polite when you know the person will not pay your price. They try to be endearing, or pushy, or ... anything other than be a customer.
Recently, after being told that our low winter mid-week rate is $150 for two, a caller said another B&B in town had offered her and her friend $50/night. Great, I say, knowing that there is no such B&B - maybe a room for rent, but not B&B - but she tells me they don't have room for the nights in question, can I match that rate? I advise her to keep looking, I'm sure she will find a place.
Just not mine. Why would I want to get up in the dark and fix a nice breakfast for someone who doesn't want to be here?.
At least most of them go at it with decorum. They praise the building, how lovely it is, how perfect it would be to stay, how they are sure the meals are wonderful. Not, 'What's your best deal,' when you open the door! (Yes, I know some are just rude, but they are easier to rebuff by quoting a ridiculously high price to start.)Again to beat the same drum I always do, foreign guests feel they are expected to haggle at hotels and never pay "rack rate" it is the norm in Europe and Australia..
I guess the attitude is the same in that email as it is here at the door, but it goes down so much better in Italian!I just received an e-mail saying how she fell in love with our b&b from the website, but our prices were a bit high for her. States she found a b&b that was offering rooms for $100 a night, including champagne and chocolate dip strawberries! She's looking at the weekend closest to Valentine's Day. Oh.....and she wants our most expensive cottage!
I wrote back that there will be no discounts for that weekend, we'll be fully booked, so she should consider one of the lesser expense rooms.
Nope....It's insulting and I'm not playing that game. Let her stay at the other place. You get what you pay for..
Also true now that most folks here in the States do NOT expect to pay the published or "rack" rate at hotels. There is usually some kind of discount or package running. We were told the special at the desk last weekend, we did not even ask for anything up front.Again to beat the same drum I always do, foreign guests feel they are expected to haggle at hotels and never pay "rack rate" it is the norm in Europe and Australia..
I think you make a really good point that innkeepers do not need to be grumps when guests inquire about discounts. How many times have we discussed here on this forum that many B&B/inn websites are not the most up-to-date? Or even that they don't have online booking or availability?I will ask if there are any discounts or packages available as not every website is up to date. I've gotten grumpy innkeepers telling me 'all the discounts are on the website, that's it, nothing else'. What I was trying to confirm in that case was if they would extend the discount one day (into the next month as it ended at the end of the month). No, they would not. OK, that's fair, but I kept looking.I like the "called five plus hotels and finally saved $20". Real big pay out.
A big part of the problem is that some, generally younger, but not always, customers think they are supposed to haggle. It is the mind set on TV, Priceline and now Groupon: don't ever pay the list price or you are a chump. We don't haggle and in large measure we won't so we don't undercut our customers who pay our listed price without complaint.
It gets tiresome, though to have to spend time on the phone being polite when you know the person will not pay your price. They try to be endearing, or pushy, or ... anything other than be a customer.
Recently, after being told that our low winter mid-week rate is $150 for two, a caller said another B&B in town had offered her and her friend $50/night. Great, I say, knowing that there is no such B&B - maybe a room for rent, but not B&B - but she tells me they don't have room for the nights in question, can I match that rate? I advise her to keep looking, I'm sure she will find a place.
Just not mine. Why would I want to get up in the dark and fix a nice breakfast for someone who doesn't want to be here?.
I know I go through the same thing here, so I understand, but you don't have to grump at me.
Anyone who tells me they are getting some fantastic deal somewhere else can go and stay there. Like those hotel people in the article, I know who is charging what around here and if someone told them $50 on the phone they should jump on it.
Like you, why bother getting out of bed for $50 and guests who will then be set that that is the price and will never spend a dime more anywhere? Sometimes they can really be insulting. I want to say, 'By the way, when you get your paycheck this week? It'll be short $100 because the boss found someone else who will work for 1/3 of what you do.'
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Yes, it is so much easier to give them the number than to get upset with them. Generally, if I can (as in they don't hang up or just walk away from the door), I give them places with much better rates than they asked for. At least someone in town will make some money!I think you make a really good point that innkeepers do not need to be grumps when guests inquire about discounts. How many times have we discussed here on this forum that many B&B/inn websites are not the most up-to-date? Or even that they don't have online booking or availability?I will ask if there are any discounts or packages available as not every website is up to date. I've gotten grumpy innkeepers telling me 'all the discounts are on the website, that's it, nothing else'. What I was trying to confirm in that case was if they would extend the discount one day (into the next month as it ended at the end of the month). No, they would not. OK, that's fair, but I kept looking.I like the "called five plus hotels and finally saved $20". Real big pay out.
A big part of the problem is that some, generally younger, but not always, customers think they are supposed to haggle. It is the mind set on TV, Priceline and now Groupon: don't ever pay the list price or you are a chump. We don't haggle and in large measure we won't so we don't undercut our customers who pay our listed price without complaint.
It gets tiresome, though to have to spend time on the phone being polite when you know the person will not pay your price. They try to be endearing, or pushy, or ... anything other than be a customer.
Recently, after being told that our low winter mid-week rate is $150 for two, a caller said another B&B in town had offered her and her friend $50/night. Great, I say, knowing that there is no such B&B - maybe a room for rent, but not B&B - but she tells me they don't have room for the nights in question, can I match that rate? I advise her to keep looking, I'm sure she will find a place.
Just not mine. Why would I want to get up in the dark and fix a nice breakfast for someone who doesn't want to be here?.
I know I go through the same thing here, so I understand, but you don't have to grump at me.
Anyone who tells me they are getting some fantastic deal somewhere else can go and stay there. Like those hotel people in the article, I know who is charging what around here and if someone told them $50 on the phone they should jump on it.
Like you, why bother getting out of bed for $50 and guests who will then be set that that is the price and will never spend a dime more anywhere? Sometimes they can really be insulting. I want to say, 'By the way, when you get your paycheck this week? It'll be short $100 because the boss found someone else who will work for 1/3 of what you do.'
.
There are always people out there that think they can call at the last minute and try to get a super cheap rate, even at a B&B. They're not educated about how B&Bs usually operated. I would give them the phone number for a local "economy" hotel if they told me that they were just traveling through and wanted a clean bed for under $100/night. No biggie...
Those folks are not looking for the B&B "experience" and extra value........
.
hahaha.... Yeah, again...it's that people don't understand that small B&B owners are usually the only "employees" and that we close and/or block availability for renovations or "vacations". Even with a message on the machine when we were closed, it always baffled me when people would leave a message looking for a room for sometime in the range of our closed dates. huh?Yes, it is so much easier to give them the number than to get upset with them. Generally, if I can (as in they don't hang up or just walk away from the door), I give them places with much better rates than they asked for. At least someone in town will make some money!I think you make a really good point that innkeepers do not need to be grumps when guests inquire about discounts. How many times have we discussed here on this forum that many B&B/inn websites are not the most up-to-date? Or even that they don't have online booking or availability?I will ask if there are any discounts or packages available as not every website is up to date. I've gotten grumpy innkeepers telling me 'all the discounts are on the website, that's it, nothing else'. What I was trying to confirm in that case was if they would extend the discount one day (into the next month as it ended at the end of the month). No, they would not. OK, that's fair, but I kept looking.I like the "called five plus hotels and finally saved $20". Real big pay out.
A big part of the problem is that some, generally younger, but not always, customers think they are supposed to haggle. It is the mind set on TV, Priceline and now Groupon: don't ever pay the list price or you are a chump. We don't haggle and in large measure we won't so we don't undercut our customers who pay our listed price without complaint.
It gets tiresome, though to have to spend time on the phone being polite when you know the person will not pay your price. They try to be endearing, or pushy, or ... anything other than be a customer.
Recently, after being told that our low winter mid-week rate is $150 for two, a caller said another B&B in town had offered her and her friend $50/night. Great, I say, knowing that there is no such B&B - maybe a room for rent, but not B&B - but she tells me they don't have room for the nights in question, can I match that rate? I advise her to keep looking, I'm sure she will find a place.
Just not mine. Why would I want to get up in the dark and fix a nice breakfast for someone who doesn't want to be here?.
I know I go through the same thing here, so I understand, but you don't have to grump at me.
Anyone who tells me they are getting some fantastic deal somewhere else can go and stay there. Like those hotel people in the article, I know who is charging what around here and if someone told them $50 on the phone they should jump on it.
Like you, why bother getting out of bed for $50 and guests who will then be set that that is the price and will never spend a dime more anywhere? Sometimes they can really be insulting. I want to say, 'By the way, when you get your paycheck this week? It'll be short $100 because the boss found someone else who will work for 1/3 of what you do.'
.
There are always people out there that think they can call at the last minute and try to get a super cheap rate, even at a B&B. They're not educated about how B&Bs usually operated. I would give them the phone number for a local "economy" hotel if they told me that they were just traveling through and wanted a clean bed for under $100/night. No biggie...
Those folks are not looking for the B&B "experience" and extra value........
.
We're not home right now and the phone keeps ringing for one nighters for 'tonight'! I'm keeping one B&B in town busy with phone calls if not reservations! They all want to know what's going on in town that no one has any openings! I told the last caller that a lot of us are on vacation right now as there is a professional innkeeping convention going on. (Not where I am at the moment, but some of the B&B's in town that are closed are there.)
.
We have been closed for 3 1/2 years and still get people calling us. I try and ask how they got our number so I can go to some obscure site and ask them to remove it. Some can tell me, others say..they have a 5 year old directory they are using :-(hahaha.... Yeah, again...it's that people don't understand that small B&B owners are usually the only "employees" and that we close and/or block availability for renovations or "vacations". Even with a message on the machine when we were closed, it always baffled me when people would leave a message looking for a room for sometime in the range of our closed dates. huh?Yes, it is so much easier to give them the number than to get upset with them. Generally, if I can (as in they don't hang up or just walk away from the door), I give them places with much better rates than they asked for. At least someone in town will make some money!I think you make a really good point that innkeepers do not need to be grumps when guests inquire about discounts. How many times have we discussed here on this forum that many B&B/inn websites are not the most up-to-date? Or even that they don't have online booking or availability?I will ask if there are any discounts or packages available as not every website is up to date. I've gotten grumpy innkeepers telling me 'all the discounts are on the website, that's it, nothing else'. What I was trying to confirm in that case was if they would extend the discount one day (into the next month as it ended at the end of the month). No, they would not. OK, that's fair, but I kept looking.I like the "called five plus hotels and finally saved $20". Real big pay out.
A big part of the problem is that some, generally younger, but not always, customers think they are supposed to haggle. It is the mind set on TV, Priceline and now Groupon: don't ever pay the list price or you are a chump. We don't haggle and in large measure we won't so we don't undercut our customers who pay our listed price without complaint.
It gets tiresome, though to have to spend time on the phone being polite when you know the person will not pay your price. They try to be endearing, or pushy, or ... anything other than be a customer.
Recently, after being told that our low winter mid-week rate is $150 for two, a caller said another B&B in town had offered her and her friend $50/night. Great, I say, knowing that there is no such B&B - maybe a room for rent, but not B&B - but she tells me they don't have room for the nights in question, can I match that rate? I advise her to keep looking, I'm sure she will find a place.
Just not mine. Why would I want to get up in the dark and fix a nice breakfast for someone who doesn't want to be here?.
I know I go through the same thing here, so I understand, but you don't have to grump at me.
Anyone who tells me they are getting some fantastic deal somewhere else can go and stay there. Like those hotel people in the article, I know who is charging what around here and if someone told them $50 on the phone they should jump on it.
Like you, why bother getting out of bed for $50 and guests who will then be set that that is the price and will never spend a dime more anywhere? Sometimes they can really be insulting. I want to say, 'By the way, when you get your paycheck this week? It'll be short $100 because the boss found someone else who will work for 1/3 of what you do.'
.
There are always people out there that think they can call at the last minute and try to get a super cheap rate, even at a B&B. They're not educated about how B&Bs usually operated. I would give them the phone number for a local "economy" hotel if they told me that they were just traveling through and wanted a clean bed for under $100/night. No biggie...
Those folks are not looking for the B&B "experience" and extra value........
.
We're not home right now and the phone keeps ringing for one nighters for 'tonight'! I'm keeping one B&B in town busy with phone calls if not reservations! They all want to know what's going on in town that no one has any openings! I told the last caller that a lot of us are on vacation right now as there is a professional innkeeping convention going on. (Not where I am at the moment, but some of the B&B's in town that are closed are there.)
.
My dh just talked to someone on the phone last night who was totally confused about the whole concept that we would actually have closed our business last year. What??? I guess it's that whole thing of living on the Internet for awhile. But, c'mon folks, if we're closed, we're closed! We're not trying to kid you.
.
It's not really that bad...it is what it is, as they say. The part that I find funny is that they almost seem offended that we had the nerve to close the biz! haha....We have been closed for 3 1/2 years and still get people calling us. I try and ask how they got our number so I can go to some obscure site and ask them to remove it. Some can tell me, others say..they have a 5 year old directory they are using :-(hahaha.... Yeah, again...it's that people don't understand that small B&B owners are usually the only "employees" and that we close and/or block availability for renovations or "vacations". Even with a message on the machine when we were closed, it always baffled me when people would leave a message looking for a room for sometime in the range of our closed dates. huh?Yes, it is so much easier to give them the number than to get upset with them. Generally, if I can (as in they don't hang up or just walk away from the door), I give them places with much better rates than they asked for. At least someone in town will make some money!I think you make a really good point that innkeepers do not need to be grumps when guests inquire about discounts. How many times have we discussed here on this forum that many B&B/inn websites are not the most up-to-date? Or even that they don't have online booking or availability?I will ask if there are any discounts or packages available as not every website is up to date. I've gotten grumpy innkeepers telling me 'all the discounts are on the website, that's it, nothing else'. What I was trying to confirm in that case was if they would extend the discount one day (into the next month as it ended at the end of the month). No, they would not. OK, that's fair, but I kept looking.I like the "called five plus hotels and finally saved $20". Real big pay out.
A big part of the problem is that some, generally younger, but not always, customers think they are supposed to haggle. It is the mind set on TV, Priceline and now Groupon: don't ever pay the list price or you are a chump. We don't haggle and in large measure we won't so we don't undercut our customers who pay our listed price without complaint.
It gets tiresome, though to have to spend time on the phone being polite when you know the person will not pay your price. They try to be endearing, or pushy, or ... anything other than be a customer.
Recently, after being told that our low winter mid-week rate is $150 for two, a caller said another B&B in town had offered her and her friend $50/night. Great, I say, knowing that there is no such B&B - maybe a room for rent, but not B&B - but she tells me they don't have room for the nights in question, can I match that rate? I advise her to keep looking, I'm sure she will find a place.
Just not mine. Why would I want to get up in the dark and fix a nice breakfast for someone who doesn't want to be here?.
I know I go through the same thing here, so I understand, but you don't have to grump at me.
Anyone who tells me they are getting some fantastic deal somewhere else can go and stay there. Like those hotel people in the article, I know who is charging what around here and if someone told them $50 on the phone they should jump on it.
Like you, why bother getting out of bed for $50 and guests who will then be set that that is the price and will never spend a dime more anywhere? Sometimes they can really be insulting. I want to say, 'By the way, when you get your paycheck this week? It'll be short $100 because the boss found someone else who will work for 1/3 of what you do.'
.
There are always people out there that think they can call at the last minute and try to get a super cheap rate, even at a B&B. They're not educated about how B&Bs usually operated. I would give them the phone number for a local "economy" hotel if they told me that they were just traveling through and wanted a clean bed for under $100/night. No biggie...
Those folks are not looking for the B&B "experience" and extra value........
.
We're not home right now and the phone keeps ringing for one nighters for 'tonight'! I'm keeping one B&B in town busy with phone calls if not reservations! They all want to know what's going on in town that no one has any openings! I told the last caller that a lot of us are on vacation right now as there is a professional innkeeping convention going on. (Not where I am at the moment, but some of the B&B's in town that are closed are there.)
.
My dh just talked to someone on the phone last night who was totally confused about the whole concept that we would actually have closed our business last year. What??? I guess it's that whole thing of living on the Internet for awhile. But, c'mon folks, if we're closed, we're closed! We're not trying to kid you.
.
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