Rules, rules and then some more rules

[Morticia]

If you use the "N" word or the "R" word, you could be turning away your perfect customers.
Here's our policies page
http://www.kau-hawaii.com/review-our-policies/.

Nicely laid out and very upbeat.
Do you get push back on your cancellation policy? We're in entirely different markets so I know the 30 days would never fly here but I'm looking at the voucher idea.

 

[happykeeper]

If you use the "N" word or the "R" word, you could be turning away your perfect customers.
Here's our policies page
http://www.kau-hawaii.com/review-our-policies/.

Nicely laid out and very upbeat.
Do you get push back on your cancellation policy? We're in entirely different markets so I know the 30 days would never fly here but I'm looking at the voucher idea.
.

Thanks Mort. No push back for two reasons.
1) It is clear.
2) It is actually quite generous. The Four Seasons here uses 3 weeks but offers no credit.
Be careful about he voucher idea. Make sure it meets your businesses criteria. We do not offer a voucher. It is a credit that can be applied to a future reservation. This is very important. Rates go up, people stay for less nights, things get added on, but most important- when they make a NEW reservation, they assume the same liability they assumed when they made the previous reservation. Were they to cancel, they would be obligated to pay for the new reservation and would receive another credit, most likely to leave the first credit to expire. It is a non-transferable credit as well. You can not give it to your cousin to use when it's about to expire.

 

[Morticia]

If you use the "N" word or the "R" word, you could be turning away your perfect customers.
Here's our policies page
http://www.kau-hawaii.com/review-our-policies/.

Nicely laid out and very upbeat.
Do you get push back on your cancellation policy? We're in entirely different markets so I know the 30 days would never fly here but I'm looking at the voucher idea.
.

Thanks Mort. No push back for two reasons.
1) It is clear.
2) It is actually quite generous. The Four Seasons here uses 3 weeks but offers no credit.
Be careful about he voucher idea. Make sure it meets your businesses criteria. We do not offer a voucher. It is a credit that can be applied to a future reservation. This is very important. Rates go up, people stay for less nights, things get added on, but most important- when they make a NEW reservation, they assume the same liability they assumed when they made the previous reservation. Were they to cancel, they would be obligated to pay for the new reservation and would receive another credit, most likely to leave the first credit to expire. It is a non-transferable credit as well. You can not give it to your cousin to use when it's about to expire.
.

Not having people screaming on the phone at me is my business goal. (Which is a negative goal rather than a positive one.) The easiest way is to just give them the refund, but then what's the sense of even having a cancellation policy?!
I actually use the deposit for cash flow. The good side effect is screening out place holders who don't want to lose the $25.

 

[Silverspoon]

I, too, dislike a lot of rules. I joke with guests and tell them that I only really have two: no smoking in the house and no beating up on other guests (even if you arrived with them)

.
Had guests on Friday text me several times regarding their Saturday arrival. Said that they would be 'arriving between 10 and 11' and asked if they could have breakfast. Uh, no....and no.... I explained in the text that breakfast is at 9 for guests that have stayed the night before and the absolute earliest I could do a check in would be noon (only because the room they had was not occupied the night before). Anyway, they seemed happy with the noon check-in time. Fortunately I had no where to go and plenty to occupy myself, as they sauntered in at 2:45!!
Oh wait...it gets better...
Then this morning, all the other guests have breakfast at 9 and the last one is checking out a little after 10. We were heading to church since we had no check-ins this afternoon and only 2 stay-overs. Well, at 10:15, in come the late arriving guests from the day before wanting to have breakfast. I AGAIN explained that breakfast is at 9 and I would be glad to serve them something, but everything was cleaned up and put away. They seemed surprised by this, but went somewhere else for breakfast. They're staying over again tonight, but fortunately leaving very early in the morning. These people just don't get it. How the he!! do they function?
All this to say, that I really don't mind an early check-in, but at least 1/2 the time that someone asks for it, they end up being late and not calling so I have to sit around and wait. I hate that!!
So, DH says that we should offer a $35 'early check-in' option. Yes, you can check in 2 hours early, but you're paying the $35 whether you show up or not! Maybe if people have some skin in the game, they will take it more seriously!!.

That is exactly why we do not do early arrivals. Isn't it funny how the people who start out looking for the most accommodation in their arrival end up being the ones who continue to expect their host to arrange their schedules around their whims? These are usually hotel people don't you think?
I know that when we travel to the "big city" we sometimes request an early check-in at the big hotel. They have always accommodated us without blinking. We order our breakfast in the hotel restaurant whenever we get up and going. It is a totally different experience than staying at a B+B... we expect to pay for it.
We have one stand-alone cottage for guests that has a kitchenette with microwave. When we get inquiries from folks who ask for late breakfast we suggest they stay in the cottage and have their breakfast delivered for an additional $25/day. We bring the entire hot breakfast out to them at the regular breakfast time. They can eat it whenever they want, reheating the hot entree in the microwave. This has worked well for us.

 

[TheBeachHouse]

I would not enjoy staying at a place that didn't allow drinking in the room? Wine and coffee are my very good friends.
I tell people, we only have a couple house rules, no smoking and no loud parties. Generally our guests are not the loud party type.
We don't have a 'rule' list posted. I've seen them and I don't like the look of them.

 

[Jcam]

See it will seem daft but I am the reverce of a lot of your policies
(1) come early - im here or the chamber maid is here and while I don't want her interrupted every 5 mins id rather have them in and have the key then have my dinner interrupted when they don't come back till 5 and I have better things to do.
(2) I allow food in rooms - I just ask that you dont' try and stuff pizza boxes or curry's in the bin just leave out on the surface for us to throw away for you - We deal with a lot of people on business they don't want to eat out all the time and or are on a budget so they choose me - very little extra cleaning.
(3) in the UK it is basic standard to have tea and coffee making facilities in every room or you have to provide room service (which i ain't doing) to get even 2 stars or above in the rating schemes and people expect it as absolute basic.
(4) late check in 's can jigger off.
(5) what my mainia is people who leave all the ruddy doors open - would you do this at home? I have a closer and a yale so all you have to do is pull it behind you - and I have a HUGE sign on front and back which says (this door must be kept locked and please allow staff to answer the door and greet incoming guests as people letting other people in really winds me up.

 

[April]

You can always tell what's gone wrong by the policies page. ;-) Or, in some cases, what the owner's beliefs are. (Mostly around alcohol.)
We realize we can't 'legislate stupid' so we try to have a behind the scenes plan in place. We stopped talking pets rather than try to keep up with all the pet owner's shenanigans.
Our policy for wedding groups is designed to make them select elsewhere. Rather than a list of rules they have to follow.
I think the rules come into play around year two and hang on until you're just tired of playing cop all the time.
For the PO's, that was about year 4 when they threw in the towel because they couldn't keep up with the constant push back from guests.
I just don't have the stamina to enforce too many rules.
I should do a cross stitch of the basic one - Be respectful - that covers so much territory..

That's a great idea about the cross stitch idea. Too bad most people have a very skewed idea of what "respectful" means.
It's funny that you mentioned the pets thing. We considering doing that in the future because we get a lot of people asking us about it. There is only one place in town that allows pets and it is a Best Western. I don't think it's worth it. We would have to renovate a room to have a hard wood floor. And we just really aren't that desperate. We tell people that we are thinking about it, but we just aren't set up to allow that. I think we'll continue that line for the next, oh, say...20 years or so.
.

We do not accept dogs- I am always worry that they will pee indoor or bring fleas. Plus the particular bedroom will not be suitable to rent to all allergic guests.

 

[April]

I, too, dislike a lot of rules. I joke with guests and tell them that I only really have two: no smoking in the house and no beating up on other guests (even if you arrived with them)

.
Had guests on Friday text me several times regarding their Saturday arrival. Said that they would be 'arriving between 10 and 11' and asked if they could have breakfast. Uh, no....and no.... I explained in the text that breakfast is at 9 for guests that have stayed the night before and the absolute earliest I could do a check in would be noon (only because the room they had was not occupied the night before). Anyway, they seemed happy with the noon check-in time. Fortunately I had no where to go and plenty to occupy myself, as they sauntered in at 2:45!!
Oh wait...it gets better...
Then this morning, all the other guests have breakfast at 9 and the last one is checking out a little after 10. We were heading to church since we had no check-ins this afternoon and only 2 stay-overs. Well, at 10:15, in come the late arriving guests from the day before wanting to have breakfast. I AGAIN explained that breakfast is at 9 and I would be glad to serve them something, but everything was cleaned up and put away. They seemed surprised by this, but went somewhere else for breakfast. They're staying over again tonight, but fortunately leaving very early in the morning. These people just don't get it. How the he!! do they function?
All this to say, that I really don't mind an early check-in, but at least 1/2 the time that someone asks for it, they end up being late and not calling so I have to sit around and wait. I hate that!!
So, DH says that we should offer a $35 'early check-in' option. Yes, you can check in 2 hours early, but you're paying the $35 whether you show up or not! Maybe if people have some skin in the game, they will take it more seriously!!.

For early check in before 11 am we charge full day's rate as we will not be able to rent that bedroom night before. For arrivals after 11 am and before 2 pm we charge $25+ tax- have to say over the years we did not have many takers-just fine with us.

 

[MtnKeeper]

If you use the "N" word or the "R" word, you could be turning away your perfect customers.
Here's our policies page
http://www.kau-hawaii.com/review-our-policies/.

Nicely laid out and very upbeat.
Do you get push back on your cancellation policy? We're in entirely different markets so I know the 30 days would never fly here but I'm looking at the voucher idea.
.

Thanks Mort. No push back for two reasons.
1) It is clear.
2) It is actually quite generous. The Four Seasons here uses 3 weeks but offers no credit.
Be careful about he voucher idea. Make sure it meets your businesses criteria. We do not offer a voucher. It is a credit that can be applied to a future reservation. This is very important. Rates go up, people stay for less nights, things get added on, but most important- when they make a NEW reservation, they assume the same liability they assumed when they made the previous reservation. Were they to cancel, they would be obligated to pay for the new reservation and would receive another credit, most likely to leave the first credit to expire. It is a non-transferable credit as well. You can not give it to your cousin to use when it's about to expire.
.

Not having people screaming on the phone at me is my business goal. (Which is a negative goal rather than a positive one.) The easiest way is to just give them the refund, but then what's the sense of even having a cancellation policy?!
I actually use the deposit for cash flow. The good side effect is screening out place holders who don't want to lose the $25.
.

Totally agree - if you're more seasonal you need the deposit to keep a cash flow and I'd so rather guests not book if they aren't willing to lose $25 - that means they probably want to cancel at the last minute and they should find somewhere else to stay instead.

 

[YellowSocks]

No smoking/open flames in the house.
No pets.
Check-in is whenever you schedule it to be, with a note on the confirmation to let me know if you're running early/late. If you're not here within 30-45 min of that time, I'm calling you. Breakfast at whatever time you tell me you want it. Check-out whenever. (The website says 11, but that's only if there's another guest coming in.)
One night deposit.
Don't trash my house and enjoy your stay.
=)
Kk.