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Madeleine

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Guests out all day after check-in, return late in the evening and want to leave now. Day 1 of 2-nighter. Will not tell me why.
 
Full charge for tonight (they've used the room and had it for the day whether they were in it or not) and whatever your cancellation policy is for tomorrow night. What would you normally charge if someone cancelled the day before a one-night stay?
 
Madeleine said:
Guests out all day after check-in, return late in the evening and want to leave now. Day 1 of 2-nighter. Will not tell me why.
I agree, today isn't refundable and your normal policy applies as normal in regards to the 2nd night. And they don't need to explain at all. You can ask "is it something that I did?" if you want, but if it is, it won't be pretty. Better to assume that something came up and they need to leave for an emergency.
A few nights ago, sitting in a restaurant, we got an emergency phone call. We had had our soup, but the main, was just delivered. We ate some, doggie bagged and left to go home. Nothing the waiter did or didn't do would have changed anything. We knew what we had to do and we did it. It's likely the same thing. They understand the costs and they won't quibble and it likely has nothing to do with you, at all.
 
It's their problem. They checked-in for a 2-night stay. They pay for a 2-night stay. That is exactly the reason we collect the entire balance at check-in and clearly state that we do not refund for shortened stays.
 
Only wanted to know why to see if it was something I could 'fix'. Different room or something like that.
 
I had this once and it is very uncomfortable. I think that is the issue more than anything else, and a sorry mate applies here. You can be tough and stick to your guns, she is not giving a sob story, so I would say "just charge her." to the rates she agreed to pay, which was two nights. But I know how it is, I would let her go, too.
 
An anecdote:
A couple of years ago we booked 3 rooms for 4 nights in Siena, Italy. After 2 days there we decided 3 nights would be plenty and there were other places we wanted to move on and see. The hotel said they need 5 days notice to cancel. We didn't bat an eye, paid for the 4th night we didn't use and moved on. It was our choice to leave and we didn't hold it against the hotel one bit that they had a policy and stuck to it. I'd certainly stay there again.
 
An anecdote:
A couple of years ago we booked 3 rooms for 4 nights in Siena, Italy. After 2 days there we decided 3 nights would be plenty and there were other places we wanted to move on and see. The hotel said they need 5 days notice to cancel. We didn't bat an eye, paid for the 4th night we didn't use and moved on. It was our choice to leave and we didn't hold it against the hotel one bit that they had a policy and stuck to it. I'd certainly stay there again..
Arkansawyer said:
It was our choice to leave and we didn't hold it against the hotel one bit that they had a policy and stuck to it. I'd certainly stay there again.
Most reasonable people feel that same way. The unreasonables, however.....
 
An anecdote:
A couple of years ago we booked 3 rooms for 4 nights in Siena, Italy. After 2 days there we decided 3 nights would be plenty and there were other places we wanted to move on and see. The hotel said they need 5 days notice to cancel. We didn't bat an eye, paid for the 4th night we didn't use and moved on. It was our choice to leave and we didn't hold it against the hotel one bit that they had a policy and stuck to it. I'd certainly stay there again..
Arkansawyer said:
It was our choice to leave and we didn't hold it against the hotel one bit that they had a policy and stuck to it. I'd certainly stay there again.
Most reasonable people feel that same way. The unreasonables, however.....
.
Penelope said:
Most reasonable people feel that same way. The unreasonables, however.....
I make an effort to not worry myself too much over a handful of unreasonables. It's not always easy, but when 1000 people are fine with things and 1 person complains, I do look at how to keep that 1 person happy, but try not to let it bother me if (when) I fail at that. "Unreasonable" pretty much says it all. THEY are the ones with the problem.
But it irks me that I lose sleep over one complainer, and never dwell on the multitudes who are happy with things. I have to work on that.
 
An anecdote:
A couple of years ago we booked 3 rooms for 4 nights in Siena, Italy. After 2 days there we decided 3 nights would be plenty and there were other places we wanted to move on and see. The hotel said they need 5 days notice to cancel. We didn't bat an eye, paid for the 4th night we didn't use and moved on. It was our choice to leave and we didn't hold it against the hotel one bit that they had a policy and stuck to it. I'd certainly stay there again..
Arkansawyer said:
It was our choice to leave and we didn't hold it against the hotel one bit that they had a policy and stuck to it. I'd certainly stay there again.
Most reasonable people feel that same way. The unreasonables, however.....
.
Penelope said:
Most reasonable people feel that same way. The unreasonables, however.....
I make an effort to not worry myself too much over a handful of unreasonables. It's not always easy, but when 1000 people are fine with things and 1 person complains, I do look at how to keep that 1 person happy, but try not to let it bother me if (when) I fail at that. "Unreasonable" pretty much says it all. THEY are the ones with the problem.
But it irks me that I lose sleep over one complainer, and never dwell on the multitudes who are happy with things. I have to work on that.
.
Arkansawyer said:
But it irks me that I lose sleep over one complainer, and never dwell on the multitudes who are happy with things. I have to work on that.
We all have to work on that.
We have a really yummy FT recipe. ONE guest made a comment prefaced with, 'I'm in the food biz...' wherein she proceeded to tell DH that her FT wasn't cooked properly and that there was a chance she would now get sick because of the uncooked eggs. (Uncooked eggs my Aunt Tillie.) He never made it again. However I make it when he's not here and everyone loves it.
Last time I suggested he make it and he hemmed and hawed I called the guest a bitch and asked why he was taking the word of ONE LOUSY BITCH over the wonderful comments by guests who love the dish???
It's now back on the rotation. Wife-1, Bitch- 0. As it should be.
 
We had guests who barely spoke to us other than to tell us the night before that they would not be joining us for breakfast. We thought maybe our place wasn't their cup of tea and just wanted to leave.
Turns out they left a very lengthy note telling us how much they loved the place and how they had been able to reconnect with each other without the distraction of TV and phones. They plan on returning.
My point is, don't try to read to much into it. Follow your cancellation policy and move on to the next guest.
 
It could totally have been something personal for them not with you, so I would not press them for any explanation. I hope you just advised them of your cancellation/early departure policy and bid them a safe journey home or to their next destination. Nothing else really to do.
 
We had guests who barely spoke to us other than to tell us the night before that they would not be joining us for breakfast. We thought maybe our place wasn't their cup of tea and just wanted to leave.
Turns out they left a very lengthy note telling us how much they loved the place and how they had been able to reconnect with each other without the distraction of TV and phones. They plan on returning.
My point is, don't try to read to much into it. Follow your cancellation policy and move on to the next guest..
To my face she said everything here was lovely and the room was wonderful and that they would try to come back when things were better. With them, not with us. It totally seemed like a breakdown in communication between them.
I rarely ask guests why they are cancelling but as she was here I needed to know if something we did or something with the room was not right.
 
We all know, or have had guests who are complete nightmares, they a toxic people, and everywhere they go there is drama. Yes, sometimes these guests go to B&B's. Remember my lady who came to the kitchen for one of us to go get her makeup, as she didn't want to wake her husband...and the story goes on from there. She was an absolute nightmare, I have never been around anyone like that in my life, close, but not to that extent.
But what it does is cause everyone turmoil, and plans change like the wind to accommodate the toxic effect.
 
We all know, or have had guests who are complete nightmares, they a toxic people, and everywhere they go there is drama. Yes, sometimes these guests go to B&B's. Remember my lady who came to the kitchen for one of us to go get her makeup, as she didn't want to wake her husband...and the story goes on from there. She was an absolute nightmare, I have never been around anyone like that in my life, close, but not to that extent.
But what it does is cause everyone turmoil, and plans change like the wind to accommodate the toxic effect..
We've always found that trying to get the toxic people to live up to the agreement results in more anxiety than letting them walk. I've mentioned the woman who showed up here in her pj's at 10 AM, dog tucked under her arm and a heart attack waiting to happen husband who walked across the street and immediately sat down on the steps he was so tired. She wanted to cancel her 3 day stay with us. Package and everything. After arguing with myself, I decided she would be too much stress IN the house than being out the money (because she would have stayed had I told her no refund).
As it turned out they didn't like anything they were served at the other B&B, came for breakfast 30 minutes late everyday and brought the dog into the dining room because they never went anywhere without her.
After the real winner from Switzerland last year, our take on it is that if you show up with an attitude we don't want you here making everyone else miserable. I'll keep the deposit, but be gone with you for the rest of the days.
I know we say life is too short, but life is really too long to have these stressful people at your table everyday.
 
It could totally have been something personal for them not with you, so I would not press them for any explanation. I hope you just advised them of your cancellation/early departure policy and bid them a safe journey home or to their next destination. Nothing else really to do..
I think partly it depends on what the situation is ie - I have a very good customer who comes to me twice a year for a trade show and spends a lot of money. He usually has 2 rooms but this year they have had 3 - however the chap in the 3rd room had to go home early - however Peter the chap in charge found me another chap who was the colleague of a friend etc to have the room and paid the extra for the changes - figure that was an excellent solution and every one was happy.
 
We all know, or have had guests who are complete nightmares, they a toxic people, and everywhere they go there is drama. Yes, sometimes these guests go to B&B's. Remember my lady who came to the kitchen for one of us to go get her makeup, as she didn't want to wake her husband...and the story goes on from there. She was an absolute nightmare, I have never been around anyone like that in my life, close, but not to that extent.
But what it does is cause everyone turmoil, and plans change like the wind to accommodate the toxic effect..
We've always found that trying to get the toxic people to live up to the agreement results in more anxiety than letting them walk. I've mentioned the woman who showed up here in her pj's at 10 AM, dog tucked under her arm and a heart attack waiting to happen husband who walked across the street and immediately sat down on the steps he was so tired. She wanted to cancel her 3 day stay with us. Package and everything. After arguing with myself, I decided she would be too much stress IN the house than being out the money (because she would have stayed had I told her no refund).
As it turned out they didn't like anything they were served at the other B&B, came for breakfast 30 minutes late everyday and brought the dog into the dining room because they never went anywhere without her.
After the real winner from Switzerland last year, our take on it is that if you show up with an attitude we don't want you here making everyone else miserable. I'll keep the deposit, but be gone with you for the rest of the days.
I know we say life is too short, but life is really too long to have these stressful people at your table everyday.
.
It happens. Better off to lose the money than to endure the torture.
 
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