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mooseberry

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Oh how I love it when No shows request to get a refund on their credit card.....then they try to blackmail me because I stand my ground...
He supposedly never received a confirmation, that's his grounds for not showing up...
How do you handle them ?
 
Send a copy of the reservation with the copy of the credit card receipt. If you have a copy of the confirmation sent, include that also. You cannot take responsibility for anything that goes into HIS junk mail or wherever. He gave you the address (how else would you have it?) mailing and e-mail. HIS problem.
Added: send copy of cancel policy from your web site also.
 
Well then how did YOU get his credit card number? That is what I would say, you booked it buddy. I didn't go to your house and get your cc out of your wallet!
 
I have been trying to reply to this thread many times.....and as soon as i click save, it is all gone......
 
Sooooo, did you contact him, or did he contact you after the no-show?.
He contacted me after he found a credit card charge that he did not recognize....
He still keeps emailing me , telling me i have to refund his money or he'll post bad cmments about me allover.....( i am shaking in my boots).....
It has gotten to the point that I actually blocked his emails.
 
Sorry you're going through this!
As others have said, send him a copy of the reservation confirmation e-mail you sent him, a copy of your inn's policies and if it was a phone reservation, a copy of the form you fill in when you take his info.
Good for you for not quaking in your boots about a bad review. Be aware though that if you don't have his signature on the credit card slip and he does a charge back, the credit card company will probably go in his favor. This just happened to me (different circumstance, mine was a guest who showed, but had dogs which is against our policies). The credit card company sided with the card holder and we took them to small claims and won. Oh yeah, they did a bad review also.
I'm definitely not advising you to take this all the way, but it's your decision how far you want to go with it.
 
Sorry you're going through this!
As others have said, send him a copy of the reservation confirmation e-mail you sent him, a copy of your inn's policies and if it was a phone reservation, a copy of the form you fill in when you take his info.
Good for you for not quaking in your boots about a bad review. Be aware though that if you don't have his signature on the credit card slip and he does a charge back, the credit card company will probably go in his favor. This just happened to me (different circumstance, mine was a guest who showed, but had dogs which is against our policies). The credit card company sided with the card holder and we took them to small claims and won. Oh yeah, they did a bad review also.
I'm definitely not advising you to take this all the way, but it's your decision how far you want to go with it..
He is a big bully and he can't bully me into submission :)
I only once before had to deal with a charge back for a no show and I won that one.
It should be simple; he made the reservation and agreed to the policy. He was the one not showing, not me not keeping his room. The only leg he has to stand on is that he claims that he never received a confirmation. As I said before, he could have called to double check.
Now on top of that he is herassing me via email. I blocked him, but saved all the emails for prove.
 
I would NOT block him - you need to have a copy of every email he sends - even if you choose to ignore it or send a "standard" reply to each one.
 
I would NOT block him - you need to have a copy of every email he sends - even if you choose to ignore it or send a "standard" reply to each one..
Oh, I blocked him from my personal email since once I accidentally replyd from it. He is still on my business email.
 
Stand your ground and be prepared to supply all necessary information to the CC co. if they do a charge back. I know BD had a bad experience and the CC co sided for the card holder, but this is not always the case - I have won a couple of them with no signature. Prepare now, have all the paperwork handy in case that happens.
If they post a nasty review, have a very well written reply to what they state. Of course you can't compose until you see what they write... sure there will be untruths.
 
thats exactly what we did if there was a no-show, we charged them, sent the credit card receipt copy, the policy sheet and the reservation...duh-like joey said-how did you get his cc number-he knows exactly what he was doing...stick to your guns and policies.
 
Question: Was this reservation made over the phone with you? If it was made online, do you have a policies box they need to tick? That in itself should be proof. If they ticked it.
This is why, people, I prefer online rez 10 to 1, I WILL GIVE the discount for them to book online, I know they have read the policies, even if they put the wrong email address in and never get their confirmation, THEY HAVE PUT IN THE CC DETAILS, and TICKED THE BOX agreeing to our policies.
 
Question: Was this reservation made over the phone with you? If it was made online, do you have a policies box they need to tick? That in itself should be proof. If they ticked it.
This is why, people, I prefer online rez 10 to 1, I WILL GIVE the discount for them to book online, I know they have read the policies, even if they put the wrong email address in and never get their confirmation, THEY HAVE PUT IN THE CC DETAILS, and TICKED THE BOX agreeing to our policies..
Joey Bloggs said:
Question: Was this reservation made over the phone with you? If it was made online, do you have a policies box they need to tick? That in itself should be proof. If they ticked it.
This is why, people, I prefer online rez 10 to 1, I WILL GIVE the discount for them to book online, I know they have read the policies, even if they put the wrong email address in and never get their confirmation, THEY HAVE PUT IN THE CC DETAILS, and TICKED THE BOX agreeing to our policies.
With only two rooms to fill, I can tell them they have to fill out the online request. I basically tell them that will take the room they want off availability. They seem to believe me. It IS true, since I only take if off once they fill out the form. I am too afraid to take phone reservations as I have NO proof that they understand the policies.
RIki
 
Question: Was this reservation made over the phone with you? If it was made online, do you have a policies box they need to tick? That in itself should be proof. If they ticked it.
This is why, people, I prefer online rez 10 to 1, I WILL GIVE the discount for them to book online, I know they have read the policies, even if they put the wrong email address in and never get their confirmation, THEY HAVE PUT IN THE CC DETAILS, and TICKED THE BOX agreeing to our policies..
Joey Bloggs said:
Question: Was this reservation made over the phone with you? If it was made online, do you have a policies box they need to tick? That in itself should be proof. If they ticked it.
This is why, people, I prefer online rez 10 to 1, I WILL GIVE the discount for them to book online, I know they have read the policies, even if they put the wrong email address in and never get their confirmation, THEY HAVE PUT IN THE CC DETAILS, and TICKED THE BOX agreeing to our policies.
With only two rooms to fill, I can tell them they have to fill out the online request. I basically tell them that will take the room they want off availability. They seem to believe me. It IS true, since I only take if off once they fill out the form. I am too afraid to take phone reservations as I have NO proof that they understand the policies.
RIki
.
egoodell said:
Joey Bloggs said:
Question: Was this reservation made over the phone with you? If it was made online, do you have a policies box they need to tick? That in itself should be proof. If they ticked it.
This is why, people, I prefer online rez 10 to 1, I WILL GIVE the discount for them to book online, I know they have read the policies, even if they put the wrong email address in and never get their confirmation, THEY HAVE PUT IN THE CC DETAILS, and TICKED THE BOX agreeing to our policies.
With only two rooms to fill, I can tell them they have to fill out the online request. I basically tell them that will take the room they want off availability. They seem to believe me. It IS true, since I only take if off once they fill out the form. I am too afraid to take phone reservations as I have NO proof that they understand the policies.
RIki
We are entirely on the same page. Why give yourself added risk. I concurr 100%.
 
Question: Was this reservation made over the phone with you? If it was made online, do you have a policies box they need to tick? That in itself should be proof. If they ticked it.
This is why, people, I prefer online rez 10 to 1, I WILL GIVE the discount for them to book online, I know they have read the policies, even if they put the wrong email address in and never get their confirmation, THEY HAVE PUT IN THE CC DETAILS, and TICKED THE BOX agreeing to our policies..
With phone reservations we now have them click on our home page "reservation confirmation". They're taken to a new window where they have to enter name and the passcode I give them. When they click "submit", they are accepting our policies. This was extremely easy to add on because we already had it there for our Intell-a-keeper reservation tracking system (acorn-is.com). All Acorn had to do was add the new text that when they submit, they are agreeing to our policies. The system then tracks where they found us on the internet and we have proof they agree to our policies.
 
Unfortunately, we've run into this one multiple times. Learning as we go, we've had to update policies, verbiage on Guest communications, etc. in order to avoid situations like this in the future. Yes, if they book online, it's very easy to prove that they agreed to the policies (cancellation policies included), as they cannot make a reservation without doing so. But you shouldn't have to be afraid of taking reservations over the phone! This is where you can do a lot of good by drumming up your place, giving restaurant or activiy suggestions, upselling some add-ons and packages, etc. This is GOLD! And they're already pleased with the service before they arrive. So how to avoid policy ignorance?
Couple of steps: 1) Always repeat the email address back to them using the phonetic alphabet (or one that makes sense to you and the customer alike) so that they are sure to get the confirmation once it's sent. 2) Put some verbiage in the confirmation email, the same one that goes to each and every customer, about agreeing to your policies and where to view them (not rubbing it in their face, but mentioning it on the sly so that if they were really THAT concerned, they could look them up). We end our sentence by adding in all the other wonderful things you can view on the website, so it immediately takes them from an uncomfortable subject to something that piques their interest. 3) Always, always, always copy yourself on the confirmation email. This is your proof that it was sent, when it was sent, and to what email address. Yes, many reservation systems will keep a copy of all correspondence to your Guests sent through the system, BUT there's not really an easy way to show this information to anyone without letting them in on the backside.
This has saved us a lot of headache, especially with folks who, for instance, booked the 26th thinking that it was a Saturday... and that's somehow our fault because they didn't read the confirmation email to check for accuracy? I don't think so! We all have our policies for a reason, so stand your ground and fight the good fight against those that would just as soon take advantage as look at you!
 
Unfortunately, we've run into this one multiple times. Learning as we go, we've had to update policies, verbiage on Guest communications, etc. in order to avoid situations like this in the future. Yes, if they book online, it's very easy to prove that they agreed to the policies (cancellation policies included), as they cannot make a reservation without doing so. But you shouldn't have to be afraid of taking reservations over the phone! This is where you can do a lot of good by drumming up your place, giving restaurant or activiy suggestions, upselling some add-ons and packages, etc. This is GOLD! And they're already pleased with the service before they arrive. So how to avoid policy ignorance?
Couple of steps: 1) Always repeat the email address back to them using the phonetic alphabet (or one that makes sense to you and the customer alike) so that they are sure to get the confirmation once it's sent. 2) Put some verbiage in the confirmation email, the same one that goes to each and every customer, about agreeing to your policies and where to view them (not rubbing it in their face, but mentioning it on the sly so that if they were really THAT concerned, they could look them up). We end our sentence by adding in all the other wonderful things you can view on the website, so it immediately takes them from an uncomfortable subject to something that piques their interest. 3) Always, always, always copy yourself on the confirmation email. This is your proof that it was sent, when it was sent, and to what email address. Yes, many reservation systems will keep a copy of all correspondence to your Guests sent through the system, BUT there's not really an easy way to show this information to anyone without letting them in on the backside.
This has saved us a lot of headache, especially with folks who, for instance, booked the 26th thinking that it was a Saturday... and that's somehow our fault because they didn't read the confirmation email to check for accuracy? I don't think so! We all have our policies for a reason, so stand your ground and fight the good fight against those that would just as soon take advantage as look at you!.
This has saved us a lot of headache, especially with folks who, for instance, booked the 26th thinking that it was a Saturday... and that's somehow our fault because they didn't read the confirmation email to check for accuracy? I don't think so! We all have our policies for a reason, so stand your ground and fight the good fight against those that would just as soon take advantage as look at you!
That is why in my confirmation letter that I e-mail, I list the arrival as Friday, mm/dd/yy departing Saturday, mm/dd/yy...
 
Unfortunately, we've run into this one multiple times. Learning as we go, we've had to update policies, verbiage on Guest communications, etc. in order to avoid situations like this in the future. Yes, if they book online, it's very easy to prove that they agreed to the policies (cancellation policies included), as they cannot make a reservation without doing so. But you shouldn't have to be afraid of taking reservations over the phone! This is where you can do a lot of good by drumming up your place, giving restaurant or activiy suggestions, upselling some add-ons and packages, etc. This is GOLD! And they're already pleased with the service before they arrive. So how to avoid policy ignorance?
Couple of steps: 1) Always repeat the email address back to them using the phonetic alphabet (or one that makes sense to you and the customer alike) so that they are sure to get the confirmation once it's sent. 2) Put some verbiage in the confirmation email, the same one that goes to each and every customer, about agreeing to your policies and where to view them (not rubbing it in their face, but mentioning it on the sly so that if they were really THAT concerned, they could look them up). We end our sentence by adding in all the other wonderful things you can view on the website, so it immediately takes them from an uncomfortable subject to something that piques their interest. 3) Always, always, always copy yourself on the confirmation email. This is your proof that it was sent, when it was sent, and to what email address. Yes, many reservation systems will keep a copy of all correspondence to your Guests sent through the system, BUT there's not really an easy way to show this information to anyone without letting them in on the backside.
This has saved us a lot of headache, especially with folks who, for instance, booked the 26th thinking that it was a Saturday... and that's somehow our fault because they didn't read the confirmation email to check for accuracy? I don't think so! We all have our policies for a reason, so stand your ground and fight the good fight against those that would just as soon take advantage as look at you!.
MorrisonEscape said:
This has saved us a lot of headache, especially with folks who, for instance, booked the 26th thinking that it was a Saturday...
And another opportunity for "USA vs. the world" mixups. Our calendar begins with Sunday on the left and Saturday on the right. Europe's calendar starts with Monday on the left. I've booked dates on European websites more than once and caught myself getting mixed up on the day of the week I've booked because of the different calendar layout.
 
Unfortunately, we've run into this one multiple times. Learning as we go, we've had to update policies, verbiage on Guest communications, etc. in order to avoid situations like this in the future. Yes, if they book online, it's very easy to prove that they agreed to the policies (cancellation policies included), as they cannot make a reservation without doing so. But you shouldn't have to be afraid of taking reservations over the phone! This is where you can do a lot of good by drumming up your place, giving restaurant or activiy suggestions, upselling some add-ons and packages, etc. This is GOLD! And they're already pleased with the service before they arrive. So how to avoid policy ignorance?
Couple of steps: 1) Always repeat the email address back to them using the phonetic alphabet (or one that makes sense to you and the customer alike) so that they are sure to get the confirmation once it's sent. 2) Put some verbiage in the confirmation email, the same one that goes to each and every customer, about agreeing to your policies and where to view them (not rubbing it in their face, but mentioning it on the sly so that if they were really THAT concerned, they could look them up). We end our sentence by adding in all the other wonderful things you can view on the website, so it immediately takes them from an uncomfortable subject to something that piques their interest. 3) Always, always, always copy yourself on the confirmation email. This is your proof that it was sent, when it was sent, and to what email address. Yes, many reservation systems will keep a copy of all correspondence to your Guests sent through the system, BUT there's not really an easy way to show this information to anyone without letting them in on the backside.
This has saved us a lot of headache, especially with folks who, for instance, booked the 26th thinking that it was a Saturday... and that's somehow our fault because they didn't read the confirmation email to check for accuracy? I don't think so! We all have our policies for a reason, so stand your ground and fight the good fight against those that would just as soon take advantage as look at you!.
MorrisonEscape said:
But you shouldn't have to be afraid of taking reservations over the phone! This is where you can do a lot of good by drumming up your place, giving restaurant or activiy suggestions, upselling some add-ons and packages, etc. This is GOLD! And they're already pleased with the service before they arrive. So how to avoid policy ignorance
Sorry, no will do. I only have TWO rooms and will not take the risk of taking a phone reservation. I have NO PROOF to the credit card companies. It's not that they don't understand on the phone, it's giving them the opportunity to say they never agreed and there is NO PROOF.
I am able to make them feel comfortable and welcome via my email messages. I respond to every question right away and offer all kinds of advice and suggestions and many say they feel like they already know us when they get here. You have to realize that the phone conversation is passe for most - on line commuication is the "thing" now.
SO my paranoia looks to them like I'm simply "with it"
RIki
 
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