Instance when you had a bad vibe from a guest

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JBloggs

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...and what was the outcome?
Did you do anything about? Try to overcome your gut instinct? How did you feel and how could you explain it in "innkeeping" terms so we get it? ie made you feel uncomfortable, uneasy?
(This is spawned off that other kidnapping thread)
 
After reading that thread I am vowing to go with my instincts in the future. I generally think I am too harsh in judging, but not any longer.
Things I have 'let go' that didn't work out...a guest called during our first years here and was unsure of dates of arrival, departure, length of stay. We thought, at that time, that we had to take everyone, that we couldn't turn anyone away. Guest ultimately booked 5 nights. When she arrived she could only pay for 3 nights. Her cc was over extended, she had no cash card. We took the 3 nights' payment and told her she would need to figure out how to get the rest in 3 days.
She took over the inn. Used our phone, had calls coming in all day and night, her name on her luggage tags was not the name she gave to us, people were calling asking to speak with her, she had strangers coming and going, she told fantastic stories and the coup de grace (for me anyway) was that she dressed like a hooker.
Altho no one ever stayed overnight here, there were daily calls from different men and different men showed up at the door all day and night.
After 3 days she told us she had to go home. Her husband was willing to 'work on their relationship'. We took that as a sign that our prays had been answered and called her a cab. No idea how she paid the driver. Don't want to know.
Then there was the one recently who called 3 times at midnight and when I finally spoke to her said she 'forgot' that small places don't have staff at night. We went around in circles about how many nights, her bringing a dog, etc. I was getting worse and worse vibes with every contact. She showed up at the door at 10 AM dressed in her pajamas, with the dog tucked under her arm, trying to check-in. We were serving breakfast. We ended up cancelling her rez on the spot, forfeiting $800 just so we wouldn't have her in our house. (The person she stayed with is still talking about her.)
OTOH, I totally misread a wonderful family who came for a wedding. They were so discombobulated that it was hard to keep up with them. Son made all the arrangements and then mother called to change them. Then sister called to change what mother decided. Then we got into it by calling another sister to offer her a different room when we got a cancellation.
By the time they were due to arrive I was a basket case. They were some of the nicest people we have ever met and one of them got an Emmy for directing his TV show...Lost.
People at the door? Snap decisions. I like them or I don't (like the pajama-clad dog lady). I wish I could tell you what it is that raises the antennae but I can't. It's just a sense that something is off. Like a picture on the wall that is crooked. A perfectly clean room and then you notice a tissue in the corner or, more subtly, a crooked pillow.
 
this morning I had a bad vive!
Well now a guest upset me this morning as they checked out. She said to me as I wrote up her receipt that her room, said $79 on our website. I told her the room has always been $99 and that is what it says on the website. She said upsetingly that no, it is $79 and she will go home and check that. Also, before arrival, I had a total of 13 emails from her including many room changes she made as they originally booked 4 rooms and changed it to 3 rooms and added more people, etc. etc. and also was upset that I charged an additional $20 for a third guest in the 2 suites and I told her that is also on the website and the quote. I'm not giving her a discount because she doesn't like the price. We have not changed our rates in 1 1/2 years. See how just one guest can ruin your day.
 
this morning I had a bad vive!
Well now a guest upset me this morning as they checked out. She said to me as I wrote up her receipt that her room, said $79 on our website. I told her the room has always been $99 and that is what it says on the website. She said upsetingly that no, it is $79 and she will go home and check that. Also, before arrival, I had a total of 13 emails from her including many room changes she made as they originally booked 4 rooms and changed it to 3 rooms and added more people, etc. etc. and also was upset that I charged an additional $20 for a third guest in the 2 suites and I told her that is also on the website and the quote. I'm not giving her a discount because she doesn't like the price. We have not changed our rates in 1 1/2 years. See how just one guest can ruin your day..
We have a guest computer right next to the desk. I would have asked her to 'show me' right then and there. Because she's just going to keep it up when she gets home saying you changed it after she told you.
For the future, even if you collect payment at checkout, you probably might want to consider having a guest statement at check-in that the guest AGREES to pay. Do you send a confirmation with the details? That should serve as fair warning but no one reads them.
 
this morning I had a bad vive!
Well now a guest upset me this morning as they checked out. She said to me as I wrote up her receipt that her room, said $79 on our website. I told her the room has always been $99 and that is what it says on the website. She said upsetingly that no, it is $79 and she will go home and check that. Also, before arrival, I had a total of 13 emails from her including many room changes she made as they originally booked 4 rooms and changed it to 3 rooms and added more people, etc. etc. and also was upset that I charged an additional $20 for a third guest in the 2 suites and I told her that is also on the website and the quote. I'm not giving her a discount because she doesn't like the price. We have not changed our rates in 1 1/2 years. See how just one guest can ruin your day..
We have a guest computer right next to the desk. I would have asked her to 'show me' right then and there. Because she's just going to keep it up when she gets home saying you changed it after she told you.
For the future, even if you collect payment at checkout, you probably might want to consider having a guest statement at check-in that the guest AGREES to pay. Do you send a confirmation with the details? That should serve as fair warning but no one reads them.
.
yes, I sent her a full page email confirmation with the quote (which she did not read), directions, etc. I guess she thought she could change to 3 rooms so she could squeeze more people into a room and not have the fourth. Then was shocked that she was charged $20 for an extra guest in the room. That was all sent to her as well. You are right some guests do not read confirmations and she likely told her friends their room was $119 not $139 with the additional guest. She acted like she knew our rates better than we do. Some guests suck!
 
this morning I had a bad vive!
Well now a guest upset me this morning as they checked out. She said to me as I wrote up her receipt that her room, said $79 on our website. I told her the room has always been $99 and that is what it says on the website. She said upsetingly that no, it is $79 and she will go home and check that. Also, before arrival, I had a total of 13 emails from her including many room changes she made as they originally booked 4 rooms and changed it to 3 rooms and added more people, etc. etc. and also was upset that I charged an additional $20 for a third guest in the 2 suites and I told her that is also on the website and the quote. I'm not giving her a discount because she doesn't like the price. We have not changed our rates in 1 1/2 years. See how just one guest can ruin your day..
I usually have that crop up once a year. And of course, I get an email every once in a while stating that they don't want to pay the taxes. That's nice, can you get a note from the government saying I don't have to pay them either?
Speaking of bad vibe... we actually had someone from the government who wanted to stay here. By law they don't have to pay the sales taxes and she wanted to pay by PO. But I use the quick method and so I would have to pay the taxes in any case and I certainly am not willing to wait up to 180 days to be paid. We simply said that we require a credit card and we don't accept government POs. And all we could think of was that this was some sort of scam and we would never be paid.
Then there was a lady with the 19 foot long truck who didn't understand why we didn't have a place for her on the street. When told where there was a lot she looked at me and asked ".... and who's going to pay the $8 a day."
 
this morning I had a bad vive!
Well now a guest upset me this morning as they checked out. She said to me as I wrote up her receipt that her room, said $79 on our website. I told her the room has always been $99 and that is what it says on the website. She said upsetingly that no, it is $79 and she will go home and check that. Also, before arrival, I had a total of 13 emails from her including many room changes she made as they originally booked 4 rooms and changed it to 3 rooms and added more people, etc. etc. and also was upset that I charged an additional $20 for a third guest in the 2 suites and I told her that is also on the website and the quote. I'm not giving her a discount because she doesn't like the price. We have not changed our rates in 1 1/2 years. See how just one guest can ruin your day..
Victoria said:
See how just one guest can ruin your day.
pita.gif
Sorry!!! Now go read one of those raving reviews you have and think of those many delightful guests that pass through your doors. ---- Chocolate doesn't hurt either and it's Easter so there are lots of chocolate bunnies out there just waiting for you.
 
V, ya know I think $20 for addtl person is CHEAP! To complain about that would be insane, I would up the ante! Make it $35 or $40 per extra person. Then she will REMEMBER WHAT THE HECK SHE BOOKED AND HOW MUCH!!!
We're here for you V, don't let those snakes get to ya!
pita.gif
 
this morning I had a bad vive!
Well now a guest upset me this morning as they checked out. She said to me as I wrote up her receipt that her room, said $79 on our website. I told her the room has always been $99 and that is what it says on the website. She said upsetingly that no, it is $79 and she will go home and check that. Also, before arrival, I had a total of 13 emails from her including many room changes she made as they originally booked 4 rooms and changed it to 3 rooms and added more people, etc. etc. and also was upset that I charged an additional $20 for a third guest in the 2 suites and I told her that is also on the website and the quote. I'm not giving her a discount because she doesn't like the price. We have not changed our rates in 1 1/2 years. See how just one guest can ruin your day..
We have a guest computer right next to the desk. I would have asked her to 'show me' right then and there. Because she's just going to keep it up when she gets home saying you changed it after she told you.
For the future, even if you collect payment at checkout, you probably might want to consider having a guest statement at check-in that the guest AGREES to pay. Do you send a confirmation with the details? That should serve as fair warning but no one reads them.
.
yes, I sent her a full page email confirmation with the quote (which she did not read), directions, etc. I guess she thought she could change to 3 rooms so she could squeeze more people into a room and not have the fourth. Then was shocked that she was charged $20 for an extra guest in the room. That was all sent to her as well. You are right some guests do not read confirmations and she likely told her friends their room was $119 not $139 with the additional guest. She acted like she knew our rates better than we do. Some guests suck!
.
We had a delightful
sad_smile.gif
family reunion group here when we first took over. We had no info other than they booked the whole house. By the time they actually checked in, they were down to 3 rooms and they cancelled one when they walked in the door. Because it was late, there was no chance we could rebook that room so we told her that. In the middle of the night she went into the room she told us she didn't need and slept there. She all but laughed at us in the morning saying, 'Yeah, I'll pay because I used the room.'
But, it was the same thing...cram them all into 2 rooms instead of 3. The rest of them cancelled.
 
this morning I had a bad vive!
Well now a guest upset me this morning as they checked out. She said to me as I wrote up her receipt that her room, said $79 on our website. I told her the room has always been $99 and that is what it says on the website. She said upsetingly that no, it is $79 and she will go home and check that. Also, before arrival, I had a total of 13 emails from her including many room changes she made as they originally booked 4 rooms and changed it to 3 rooms and added more people, etc. etc. and also was upset that I charged an additional $20 for a third guest in the 2 suites and I told her that is also on the website and the quote. I'm not giving her a discount because she doesn't like the price. We have not changed our rates in 1 1/2 years. See how just one guest can ruin your day..
Victoria said:
See how just one guest can ruin your day.
pita.gif
Sorry!!! Now go read one of those raving reviews you have and think of those many delightful guests that pass through your doors. ---- Chocolate doesn't hurt either and it's Easter so there are lots of chocolate bunnies out there just waiting for you.
.
This has got to be the best answer! I love it Copperhead.
teeth_smile.gif

 
this morning I had a bad vive!
Well now a guest upset me this morning as they checked out. She said to me as I wrote up her receipt that her room, said $79 on our website. I told her the room has always been $99 and that is what it says on the website. She said upsetingly that no, it is $79 and she will go home and check that. Also, before arrival, I had a total of 13 emails from her including many room changes she made as they originally booked 4 rooms and changed it to 3 rooms and added more people, etc. etc. and also was upset that I charged an additional $20 for a third guest in the 2 suites and I told her that is also on the website and the quote. I'm not giving her a discount because she doesn't like the price. We have not changed our rates in 1 1/2 years. See how just one guest can ruin your day..
We have a guest computer right next to the desk. I would have asked her to 'show me' right then and there. Because she's just going to keep it up when she gets home saying you changed it after she told you.
For the future, even if you collect payment at checkout, you probably might want to consider having a guest statement at check-in that the guest AGREES to pay. Do you send a confirmation with the details? That should serve as fair warning but no one reads them.
.
yes, I sent her a full page email confirmation with the quote (which she did not read), directions, etc. I guess she thought she could change to 3 rooms so she could squeeze more people into a room and not have the fourth. Then was shocked that she was charged $20 for an extra guest in the room. That was all sent to her as well. You are right some guests do not read confirmations and she likely told her friends their room was $119 not $139 with the additional guest. She acted like she knew our rates better than we do. Some guests suck!
.
they really don't read I had 4 rooms try and check in with me when I had rejected their reservation request becuase I only had one room they hadnt read the email that came back to them saying request denied due to not enough rooms and just turned up!
 
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