Question about refusing a reservation

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Red Handed Jill

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Okay, in my naïveté, before I was actually dealing with guests, I thought when "that" guest rolls back around, I just click on "reservation denied" (or whatever it says), and that's it. they get the message we have no availability. I don't have to deal with them, they don't need to know that they aren't welcome, there's just not a room available. (For them.)
But I find the few (lucky me - really, we've been soooo lucky) who meet my criteria for DNBA don't use the website. They call. And call and call and try the website and screwup and call again (you know the drill). So, when they call to book the next time, the easy thing is to say that there's no availability, right?
Except I realized today (when taking a phone rez), that I generally don't get the guest name until after they've asked whether or not we have availability.
When you have one of these folks on the phone, how do you handle it? (This is assuming I don't see the name on Caller ID.)
TIA
 
Guest: Do you have any availability for this date?
You: Hold on while I take a look at my book. Have you stayed with us before? (chipper tone of voice, like you're flipping pages and just wanting to keep the dead air to a minimum)
Guest: Yes, you might remember us, we never left you alone for a minute. Everywhere else we call is full, what's going on there?
You: Oh, yes, the Sniths. Very busy weekend, we seem to be full as well.
 
"My name is x - may I ask with whom I am speaking"
now (1) they don't have to give you their name (if they ask why you are asking say because I like to address my guests by name) and (2) they can give you another name and (3) WHY are you refusing them anyway? Of course you are a private business and reserve the right to refuse but why are you in this case
Other good questions
"what bring you to the area" or "are you coming to the area for something special?"
what does "meet your criteria" mean? Most people's money is as green as anyone else's ... unless you have had an experience with them?
 
Yes, we all may have different criteria. If a guest goes past my check-out hour, I am the first up to their room to remind them, but it wouldn't bother me at all if they booked again.
Now, the college kids who drank too much and made noise at 2AM and the one who threw-up (ie left a biological) all over my comforter and floor.... he's not coming back. Especially after I read him the riot act, explained that under Quebec law I was entitled to call a hazmat team and present him with the bill. I doubt they would ever book again, in any case.
I have had a person or two who is too much trouble to bother booking again. As far as breaking things, I'm perfectly fine if it's normal wear and tear and it was an accident and they tell me. It's the ones that don't tell me or worse... the lady who actually disassembled the shower faucet and broke it. What the heck you are doing with a screwdriver in my shower, I just don't know!
 
Yes, we all may have different criteria. If a guest goes past my check-out hour, I am the first up to their room to remind them, but it wouldn't bother me at all if they booked again.
Now, the college kids who drank too much and made noise at 2AM and the one who threw-up (ie left a biological) all over my comforter and floor.... he's not coming back. Especially after I read him the riot act, explained that under Quebec law I was entitled to call a hazmat team and present him with the bill. I doubt they would ever book again, in any case.
I have had a person or two who is too much trouble to bother booking again. As far as breaking things, I'm perfectly fine if it's normal wear and tear and it was an accident and they tell me. It's the ones that don't tell me or worse... the lady who actually disassembled the shower faucet and broke it. What the heck you are doing with a screwdriver in my shower, I just don't know!.
GBManor said:
It's the ones that don't tell me or worse... the lady who actually disassembled the shower faucet and broke it. What the heck you are doing with a screwdriver in my shower, I just don't know!
Wife of my cousin? He always travels with tools to disassemble shower heads that have flow restrictors in them.
 
I am a bit odd in that if there is an obviously accidental breakage and they come to me and tell me I am more inclined to let it go. If they sneek off without then they will be charged in full.
 
But I find the few (lucky me - really, we've been soooo lucky) who meet my criteria for DNBA don't use the website. They call.
Like you, I have had VERY few DNBA. For me it would be someone who decided to take a nap after breakfast and did not bother to leave until after 1 (we are small and I am not going to raise a rumpus if I do not have inn-coming for that room - just do not want them back) or the guy who broke my cute little pottery "house" toilet brush holder and tried to put the blame on one of the other 2 brother's-in-law. Never even offered to pay for it either. I understand your criteria is YOUR criteria (we each have outr own "one last nerve" as teh Duchess put it. Money is not everything.Sanity comes first.
Edited to add: It was not the breakage that got me, it was the trying to blame others. I have never charged for breakage. I have a dent in my foyer floor from the vase that was knocked off a ledge in the curve of the railing (protected by the railing) - the vase DH bought me as an anniversary gift on a trip. Have no idea HOW the man managed to knock it over with his luggage. He offered to pay for it and I said Stuff happens. Tell me and no problem. Offer to pay for it - stuff happens. Break and sneak away or try to blame someone else - do not darken my door again pleasse.
 
Yes, we all may have different criteria. If a guest goes past my check-out hour, I am the first up to their room to remind them, but it wouldn't bother me at all if they booked again.
Now, the college kids who drank too much and made noise at 2AM and the one who threw-up (ie left a biological) all over my comforter and floor.... he's not coming back. Especially after I read him the riot act, explained that under Quebec law I was entitled to call a hazmat team and present him with the bill. I doubt they would ever book again, in any case.
I have had a person or two who is too much trouble to bother booking again. As far as breaking things, I'm perfectly fine if it's normal wear and tear and it was an accident and they tell me. It's the ones that don't tell me or worse... the lady who actually disassembled the shower faucet and broke it. What the heck you are doing with a screwdriver in my shower, I just don't know!.
We had a guest who mucked around with a tub faucet diverter and broke it. That tub faucet worked for over a year prior to that with my son using it (not the most careful) and almost a year of guests. We had to replace the entire faucet which luckily was under warranty since we had renovated the house.
The only thing that I charged for was a set of sheets that were horribly stained and the guest offered to pay for them.
 
Yes, we all may have different criteria. If a guest goes past my check-out hour, I am the first up to their room to remind them, but it wouldn't bother me at all if they booked again.
Now, the college kids who drank too much and made noise at 2AM and the one who threw-up (ie left a biological) all over my comforter and floor.... he's not coming back. Especially after I read him the riot act, explained that under Quebec law I was entitled to call a hazmat team and present him with the bill. I doubt they would ever book again, in any case.
I have had a person or two who is too much trouble to bother booking again. As far as breaking things, I'm perfectly fine if it's normal wear and tear and it was an accident and they tell me. It's the ones that don't tell me or worse... the lady who actually disassembled the shower faucet and broke it. What the heck you are doing with a screwdriver in my shower, I just don't know!.
GBManor said:
It's the ones that don't tell me or worse... the lady who actually disassembled the shower faucet and broke it. What the heck you are doing with a screwdriver in my shower, I just don't know!
Wife of my cousin? He always travels with tools to disassemble shower heads that have flow restrictors in them.
.
Alibi Ike said:
GBManor said:
It's the ones that don't tell me or worse... the lady who actually disassembled the shower faucet and broke it. What the heck you are doing with a screwdriver in my shower, I just don't know!
Wife of my cousin? He always travels with tools to disassemble shower heads that have flow restrictors in them.
Well, all my shower heads are low-flow. But I guess they thought that they could get more pressure that way. They lost a part, so now my shower handle revolves 360 degrees and closes at two spots instead of simply going 180 degrees. I will eventually have to replace it, but I haven't yet.
 
Yes, we all may have different criteria. If a guest goes past my check-out hour, I am the first up to their room to remind them, but it wouldn't bother me at all if they booked again.
Now, the college kids who drank too much and made noise at 2AM and the one who threw-up (ie left a biological) all over my comforter and floor.... he's not coming back. Especially after I read him the riot act, explained that under Quebec law I was entitled to call a hazmat team and present him with the bill. I doubt they would ever book again, in any case.
I have had a person or two who is too much trouble to bother booking again. As far as breaking things, I'm perfectly fine if it's normal wear and tear and it was an accident and they tell me. It's the ones that don't tell me or worse... the lady who actually disassembled the shower faucet and broke it. What the heck you are doing with a screwdriver in my shower, I just don't know!.
We had a guest who mucked around with a tub faucet diverter and broke it. That tub faucet worked for over a year prior to that with my son using it (not the most careful) and almost a year of guests. We had to replace the entire faucet which luckily was under warranty since we had renovated the house.
The only thing that I charged for was a set of sheets that were horribly stained and the guest offered to pay for them.
.
Samster said:
We had a guest who mucked around with a tub faucet diverter and broke it. That tub faucet worked for over a year prior to that with my son using it (not the most careful) and almost a year of guests. We had to replace the entire faucet which luckily was under warranty since we had renovated the house.
The only thing that I charged for was a set of sheets that were horribly stained and the guest offered to pay for them.
I had to give away a comforter after a guest spilled on it. It appeared to be coffee and I treated it as coffee. Unfortunately it was red wine. Had I known it was red wine, I could have treated it and save the comforter. Instead it ended up as a dog bed.
I'm afraid to even ask... what could they have horribly stained a sheet with that wouldn't come out?
 
Last night the phone rang about 1:00 AM. We were reading so it did not wake us up. DH answered. I heasrd him say I am sorry, we do not have that many rooms, we only have half that. Then I hear the voice saying s e x, sex party. DH told him the name of a local motel, call them. Then I hear the guy telling DH it is discrimination. DH had already had a bad day and did not need this. I took the phone and told him we are not that kind of establishment go away and hung up. About a half hour later, he called again giving me that discrimination crap - I told him it was not discrimination that I did not allow that kind of crap in my home and he was NOT covered by discrimination laws. Goodbye. We sorrt of expected to be hassled by this idjit all night but thankfully, he gave up. (He was gracious about it - he invited me to join them in this party. Now wasn't that generous of him! EEEeeeewWWWWWW!)
 
Yes, we all may have different criteria. If a guest goes past my check-out hour, I am the first up to their room to remind them, but it wouldn't bother me at all if they booked again.
Now, the college kids who drank too much and made noise at 2AM and the one who threw-up (ie left a biological) all over my comforter and floor.... he's not coming back. Especially after I read him the riot act, explained that under Quebec law I was entitled to call a hazmat team and present him with the bill. I doubt they would ever book again, in any case.
I have had a person or two who is too much trouble to bother booking again. As far as breaking things, I'm perfectly fine if it's normal wear and tear and it was an accident and they tell me. It's the ones that don't tell me or worse... the lady who actually disassembled the shower faucet and broke it. What the heck you are doing with a screwdriver in my shower, I just don't know!.
We had a guest who mucked around with a tub faucet diverter and broke it. That tub faucet worked for over a year prior to that with my son using it (not the most careful) and almost a year of guests. We had to replace the entire faucet which luckily was under warranty since we had renovated the house.
The only thing that I charged for was a set of sheets that were horribly stained and the guest offered to pay for them.
.
Samster said:
We had a guest who mucked around with a tub faucet diverter and broke it. That tub faucet worked for over a year prior to that with my son using it (not the most careful) and almost a year of guests. We had to replace the entire faucet which luckily was under warranty since we had renovated the house.
The only thing that I charged for was a set of sheets that were horribly stained and the guest offered to pay for them.
I had to give away a comforter after a guest spilled on it. It appeared to be coffee and I treated it as coffee. Unfortunately it was red wine. Had I known it was red wine, I could have treated it and save the comforter. Instead it ended up as a dog bed.
I'm afraid to even ask... what could they have horribly stained a sheet with that wouldn't come out?
.
It was lots & lots of blood and serous drainage. The guest was recuperating after outpatient surgery. The guest offered to pay for the sheets because they were so mortified and insisted because they didn't know if it would all come out.
 
Last night the phone rang about 1:00 AM. We were reading so it did not wake us up. DH answered. I heasrd him say I am sorry, we do not have that many rooms, we only have half that. Then I hear the voice saying s e x, sex party. DH told him the name of a local motel, call them. Then I hear the guy telling DH it is discrimination. DH had already had a bad day and did not need this. I took the phone and told him we are not that kind of establishment go away and hung up. About a half hour later, he called again giving me that discrimination crap - I told him it was not discrimination that I did not allow that kind of crap in my home and he was NOT covered by discrimination laws. Goodbye. We sorrt of expected to be hassled by this idjit all night but thankfully, he gave up. (He was gracious about it - he invited me to join them in this party. Now wasn't that generous of him! EEEeeeewWWWWWW!).
He was obviously an idiot who rings that time of night anyway? whatever reason they are booking for?
 
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