Unwanted guests

[Sappho]

I need some advice. I had some folks stay with us three years ago. They stayed in one of our cabins and things were fine. The next year they rented all four of my cabins, showed up with all kinds of extra people, even more came later, trashed the place, paid me the last years rates in cash (they didn't include the extra person fees) and left. I thought good riddance; it took me three days to clean and fix everything (cigarette burns, trash in the flower beds, etc.) Now they call and want to come back again; it's giving me anxiety. I know I was too nice, but I'm going to have to tell them my rates have gone up, etc. I guess I just need some experienced input. It's only my seventh year ! . Okay, I sound like a cry baby.

 

[gillumhouse]

Since you are cabins, do you have a "cleaning deposit"? If not put one on your web site and THEN inform them due to costs going up, there has been a rate increase. Unfortunately, some of our guests in the past have been inconsiderate and we have had to institute a cleaning deposit which is refunded upon checkout after inspection of the cabins
Question, don't you take credit cards? Charge the card and the deposit on arrival. Some of you with cabins, step up and help me out with this. There should be no way any guest would hand you cash and leave you hanging.

 

[Generic]

Two choices...
1. Take them, tell them the new rates, the extras per person and the deposit for cleaning.
2. Refuse them saying "We think you will be better served elsewhere." or "Unfortunately we don't think that our service level is what you are looking for, can we suggest ________ instead." or send them to Air, where the abusers are supposed to go.

 

[Sappho]

You make a good point. I only took one person's credit card (and didn't feel I could charge it for damages in another cabin). I just need to get one from each cabin and make sure everyone reads my policies. It was so okay the year before I didn't expect the blizkrieg! I haven't charged a deposit only because I've never had this problem. I guess that's how we learn. Thank you!

 

[Sappho]

I guess I can't delete my comment and move it to a reply?

 

[Jcam]

with groups we make everyone sign (or as many as we can get) to sign a terms and conditions - makes them a bit more aware that they WILL be charged on their card for any extra cleaning time billed by the hour and mess and damage charges. - you might have had people waiting to come in for all they know

 

[OnTheShore]

For us, with family groups taking multiple cottages, whoever made the reservation is the responsible party for all of the cottages in the group -- they are almost always the one who pays the balance. If it is not a family group, then each separate household (or by cottage) in the group would be responsible for their own reservation, paying their own way.
We do not collect any kind of security or damage deposit except from wedding groups. Our terms, to which our guests agree, do say:
The renter agrees to pay in whole the costs of repair or replacement due to any damages determined by us to be caused by willful misconduct or blatant misuse, as a consequence of intentional act(s), gross negligence, or willful and wanton conduct of the renter, member of the renter’s party, or visitors to the renter or the renter’s party, and all costs of recovery including attorneys’ fees and costs.
We have not yet had to go after anyone under these terms. Accidents do happen, we don't hold guests responsible for those, although they tend to volunteer. Our cottages are pretty simple and "robust," hard to really do a lot of incidental damage to ....
We do require a reservation confirmation deposit, with the balance of the rent paid upon arrival. There is no way our guests could come in without having been made aware of what our current rates are.
In case of guests wanting to come back who we wouldn't welcome, we haven't really faced that exact situation, but I think we would just have to be honest with them and explain what the issues were with their previous stay and thus why we would be reluctant to accept them this time around. They may be totally oblivious that there was an issue with their last stay.
edited to add: I don't see any reason why you couldn't ask them for a damage deposit -- you don't necessarily have to institute this as an across the board policy for all guests, just add a line to your policies that you will require a damage deposit from guests who wish to return but who did not acquit themselves well on their previous visit (or something like that).

 

[Morticia]

No matter how many years you do this, there's always something new that pops up.
IF you want to give them another chance, and you certainly don't have to, then you'll need to steel yourself and either reply to their email or return their call using the good advice others have given -

• There is a damage deposit
• The rates have gone up
• There are no 'friends of guests' without prior notice
• There are fees for extra people
• There is a deposit required

They may opt out.
We had a guest who had run thru every other inn in town before he got to us. Something he said made me call around. Everyone advised us not to take him. But, it was off season, so we did. We told him the house rules and we had no problems. We made our presence known throughout the stay. Still, he got a discount he didn't deserve because he changed the number of rooms he booked. Everyday is a learning experience.

 

[GoodScout]

Two choices...
1. Take them, tell them the new rates, the extras per person and the deposit for cleaning.
2. Refuse them saying "We think you will be better served elsewhere." or "Unfortunately we don't think that our service level is what you are looking for, can we suggest ________ instead." or send them to Air, where the abusers are supposed to go..

... or send them to Air, where the abusers are supposed to go.

Bonus points for Generic.

 

[Generic]

Two choices...
1. Take them, tell them the new rates, the extras per person and the deposit for cleaning.
2. Refuse them saying "We think you will be better served elsewhere." or "Unfortunately we don't think that our service level is what you are looking for, can we suggest ________ instead." or send them to Air, where the abusers are supposed to go..

Forgot my favourite way of dealing with things, fees built into the reservation. Extra guest $15. Extra guest with under 24 hours notice $25. Extra guest exceeding room capacity $250. Somehow it just seems cheaper to fix the original confirmation.
My other favourite Breakfast, included. Breakfast delivered to room $25. Special request breakfasts $50. Somehow, no one ever makes special requests, they just take what's in season.

 

[MtnKeeper]

I would start by saying that you've put new policies in place over this past year and that you'd be happy to send them a rental agreement. In it outline the new rates, the damage deposit required, etc. If they won't sign it then good riddance. (I say that of course unless you really need the money to survive, then you should do what you need to do, I realize that's sometimes the case.) But I've gotten to the point that I turn people down if I don't want them. Had a woman yelling at my husband because she wanted 4 of the 9 rooms for her husbands 60th birthday party and we told her she needed to rent the whole place. She was fuming and could not believe that we turned down her business. Of course what she didn't realize is that I can look back every year and see that at that time I'm completely full every weekend with couples who don't have the group mentality and bother other guests. Check your prior bookings and hopefully you'll see that you don't really need them. Good luck.

 

[Sappho]

I would start by saying that you've put new policies in place over this past year and that you'd be happy to send them a rental agreement. In it outline the new rates, the damage deposit required, etc. If they won't sign it then good riddance. (I say that of course unless you really need the money to survive, then you should do what you need to do, I realize that's sometimes the case.) But I've gotten to the point that I turn people down if I don't want them. Had a woman yelling at my husband because she wanted 4 of the 9 rooms for her husbands 60th birthday party and we told her she needed to rent the whole place. She was fuming and could not believe that we turned down her business. Of course what she didn't realize is that I can look back every year and see that at that time I'm completely full every weekend with couples who don't have the group mentality and bother other guests. Check your prior bookings and hopefully you'll see that you don't really need them. Good luck..

This makes sense; our place will be booked regardless of these folks and it's just not worth it to have them here. I ended up e-mailing her and letting her know about the change in rates, that I need for each cabin to book seperately, so that I know who is staying and in which cabin and that that the maximum is strictly enforced. I haven't heard back, so maybe the problem is solved. This is the very reason that we don't do weddings! I just need to toughen up a bit. Thank you!

 

[Sappho]

Thank you everybody for the encouragement! It really helped.

 

[Copperhead]

Two choices...
1. Take them, tell them the new rates, the extras per person and the deposit for cleaning.
2. Refuse them saying "We think you will be better served elsewhere." or "Unfortunately we don't think that our service level is what you are looking for, can we suggest ________ instead." or send them to Air, where the abusers are supposed to go..

Forgot my favourite way of dealing with things, fees built into the reservation. Extra guest $15. Extra guest with under 24 hours notice $25. Extra guest exceeding room capacity $250. Somehow it just seems cheaper to fix the original confirmation.
My other favourite Breakfast, included. Breakfast delivered to room $25. Special request breakfasts $50. Somehow, no one ever makes special requests, they just take what's in season.
.

Forgot my favourite way of dealing with things, fees built into the reservation. Extra guest $15. Extra guest with under 24 hours notice $25. Extra guest exceeding room capacity $250. Somehow it just seems cheaper to fix the original confirmation.
My other favourite Breakfast, included. Breakfast delivered to room $25. Special request breakfasts $50. Somehow, no one ever makes special requests, they just take what's in season.

Wise man! Now to go place this in my notes. Wish this topic had come up a couple of weeks ago, I would have been collecting this fee at the door.