This doesn't help

[JBloggs]

Did William Shatner write that AARP article??!.

Did William Shatner write that AARP article??!

You mean "The Negotiator"?
Just saw this one
.

Did William Shatner write that AARP article??!

You mean "The Negotiator"?
Just saw this one

I think a lot of seasoned innkeepers are able to 'walk away' from a guest's offer of 'something is better than nothing'. Where I think I miss out is the ability to find a common ground where everyone is happy. And that's where Quit Taking It Personally has to come in. Maybe this is the year I start treating my business as if I just work here instead of owning the place.
.

Did William Shatner write that AARP article??!

You mean "The Negotiator"?
Just saw this one

I think a lot of seasoned innkeepers are able to 'walk away' from a guest's offer of 'something is better than nothing'. Where I think I miss out is the ability to find a common ground where everyone is happy. And that's where Quit Taking It Personally has to come in. Maybe this is the year I start treating my business as if I just work here instead of owning the place.

When you find that secret, can you please share it with us. I would also like that in my life, but i am here 24/7 and it is harder to detach.

 

[Samster]

I am toying with the idea of telling them when they ask for a deal: My best deal is 5% off paid in cash. I'll give it to you instead of the credit card processor.
RIki.

What I have found with the 'pay cash for a discount' crowd is they expect a substantial discount and no taxes. And the reason for this is they do not expect anyone who takes cash to claim it on their taxes so it is 'free money'. I have had guests say that to me at the door. 'We'll pay cash.' I always say, 'Thanks, we appreciate that.' Then there's a pause and the guest asks why then are we charging them the sales tax?
It's tough facing that kind of mentality because I always sound smug and pompous when I explain we claim everything because someday we want to sell this business for what it's worth. Which we can't do if we don't show a decent income.
.

Plus, even though many small business owners do it, it is unethical not to claim cash income and also not charge and submit the appropriate taxes. So those types of guests are actually trying to encourage you not to do the right thing!

 

[JBloggs]

Update from a person trying to book a room, aka "I NEED IT NOW!"
I made a reservation over the phone. I know, stop the presses! Only because a big flag came up online and it would not complete the process and I had to call. It was not fun. After reserving, and I even gave my email addie, I hung up and went HUH! I didn't even get a confirmation #! So I then waited, nothing, no email, waited some more, nothing, and got to CALL AGAIN.
Now you all think of me as ADHD innkeeper at times, but I mean dang it, I have DH on the I.M. line waiting for get the time off work, he has his employees on another waiting to confirm (a Friday) with them, and his boss on another. Meanwhile I have ONE finger on the BLOCK OFF THE REZ calendar online to make sure we can get a way, and the phone book out and about to call the kennel to lodge the pup.
I need to know NOW. This is how we live, not just innkeepers. Our plans are NOW, RIGHT NOW. If I am here making the plans now, I need it now.
So they confirmed it is reserved, I got a confirmation #, and I made them spell out my email addie, and it is still not here. (and yes I checked my junk filter!)

 

[Madeleine]

Update from a person trying to book a room, aka "I NEED IT NOW!"
I made a reservation over the phone. I know, stop the presses! Only because a big flag came up online and it would not complete the process and I had to call. It was not fun. After reserving, and I even gave my email addie, I hung up and went HUH! I didn't even get a confirmation #! So I then waited, nothing, no email, waited some more, nothing, and got to CALL AGAIN.
Now you all think of me as ADHD innkeeper at times, but I mean dang it, I have DH on the I.M. line waiting for get the time off work, he has his employees on another waiting to confirm (a Friday) with them, and his boss on another. Meanwhile I have ONE finger on the BLOCK OFF THE REZ calendar online to make sure we can get a way, and the phone book out and about to call the kennel to lodge the pup.
I need to know NOW. This is how we live, not just innkeepers. Our plans are NOW, RIGHT NOW. If I am here making the plans now, I need it now.
So they confirmed it is reserved, I got a confirmation #, and I made them spell out my email addie, and it is still not here. (and yes I checked my junk filter!)

.

Thank you for that. I always sent the confirms out immediately when I saw the pending rez. If there was a problem, I sent an email asking for clarification. Mostly because guests who book in the middle of the day online are probably not home (the phone number they give) or don't want to answer their cell at work (the alternate number).
However, now that we are doing deposits the day you reserve, I don't send the confirm until the card clears and I can't always run out to the card machine to do it immediately.

 

[gillumhouse]

Update from a person trying to book a room, aka "I NEED IT NOW!"
I made a reservation over the phone. I know, stop the presses! Only because a big flag came up online and it would not complete the process and I had to call. It was not fun. After reserving, and I even gave my email addie, I hung up and went HUH! I didn't even get a confirmation #! So I then waited, nothing, no email, waited some more, nothing, and got to CALL AGAIN.
Now you all think of me as ADHD innkeeper at times, but I mean dang it, I have DH on the I.M. line waiting for get the time off work, he has his employees on another waiting to confirm (a Friday) with them, and his boss on another. Meanwhile I have ONE finger on the BLOCK OFF THE REZ calendar online to make sure we can get a way, and the phone book out and about to call the kennel to lodge the pup.
I need to know NOW. This is how we live, not just innkeepers. Our plans are NOW, RIGHT NOW. If I am here making the plans now, I need it now.
So they confirmed it is reserved, I got a confirmation #, and I made them spell out my email addie, and it is still not here. (and yes I checked my junk filter!)

.

RezKey sends an e-mail you will be called within 24 hours but I am USUALLY at the computer and do the call immediately. After I have the cc#, they are told they are confirmed and will get a confirm letter before the day is over. In your case I would have sent an immediate confirm e-mail with the letter to follow since you needed it NOW. I tell them when I get the cc# they are confirmed. Back in the old days (before online reservations), that is all I did.

 

[Copperhead]

AARP is just getting on the perverbial bandwagon... and why not - it seems to be working for pric eline and pro gres sive ins.

 

[Samster]

Madeleine, I guess you don't even want to know how beautiful the Marriott hotel room is that I'm sitting in and all the amenities it has for $99/night.

It's a group rate for our BIG EVENT! But, the hotel is currently running a special for anyone (which includes all the same things) for $105/night.
There are a couple of B&Bs in this city, but their websites are atrocious so unfortunately it's difficult to even see what they are all about!

 

[JBloggs]

I like to type the info in myself and make my own reservations, to make sure it is correct.
I called again and read them my email address again, third phone call. Yes that is what we have, yes yes yes. I got the confirmation# and went into the system myself with the confirmation # they gave me, and there it is "Inkeeperva" one N.
And the real reason we (ahem, I am) are total control funkyfreakamaniacs. We have to do everything ourselves or they won't be done properly, sorry there it is. If it stuffs up my day, my plans, then it is no good, let me do it. Here, gimmee that!

 

[Arks]

I like to type the info in myself and make my own reservations, to make sure it is correct.
I called again and read them my email address again, third phone call. Yes that is what we have, yes yes yes. I got the confirmation# and went into the system myself with the confirmation # they gave me, and there it is "Inkeeperva" one N.
And the real reason we (ahem, I am) are total control funkyfreakamaniacs. We have to do everything ourselves or they won't be done properly, sorry there it is. If it stuffs up my day, my plans, then it is no good, let me do it. Here, gimmee that!.

we (ahem, I am) are total control funkyfreakamaniacs.

JB! We never would have guessed!! ;-) Deleting those garnish photos was certainly no indication of you wanting total control over your threads!
I know how you feel. I've been tempted before to drive to Little Rock (3 hour drive) just to go into a state office and personally walk them through the steps of doing something that should have been, but wasn't, easily managed with a single short phone call.

 

[Madeleine]

I like to type the info in myself and make my own reservations, to make sure it is correct.
I called again and read them my email address again, third phone call. Yes that is what we have, yes yes yes. I got the confirmation# and went into the system myself with the confirmation # they gave me, and there it is "Inkeeperva" one N.
And the real reason we (ahem, I am) are total control funkyfreakamaniacs. We have to do everything ourselves or they won't be done properly, sorry there it is. If it stuffs up my day, my plans, then it is no good, let me do it. Here, gimmee that!.

It's odd how I need to control stuff and other stuff I can just let go. DH cannot let anything go. He's always wanting me to verify everything with everybody. I say, 'Just let them do their job.' As you know, they don't always do their job!
You do realize that even tho they got the info wrong they are sitting around telling each other, 'Do you know how many times she has called? Oh boy, a real PITA!'

 

[Copperhead]

I like to type the info in myself and make my own reservations, to make sure it is correct.
I called again and read them my email address again, third phone call. Yes that is what we have, yes yes yes. I got the confirmation# and went into the system myself with the confirmation # they gave me, and there it is "Inkeeperva" one N.
And the real reason we (ahem, I am) are total control funkyfreakamaniacs. We have to do everything ourselves or they won't be done properly, sorry there it is. If it stuffs up my day, my plans, then it is no good, let me do it. Here, gimmee that!.

It's odd how I need to control stuff and other stuff I can just let go. DH cannot let anything go. He's always wanting me to verify everything with everybody. I say, 'Just let them do their job.' As you know, they don't always do their job!
You do realize that even tho they got the info wrong they are sitting around telling each other, 'Do you know how many times she has called? Oh boy, a real PITA!'
.

You do realize that even tho they got the info wrong they are sitting around telling each other, 'Do you know how many times she has called? Oh boy, a real PITA!'

BHAAAA HA HA