what do people expect you to say to this?

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Joey Camb

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Lady is booked with us 4 nights till tomorro morning. This is the tale has been staying with my friend marie (another B&B) while flat hunting said "Oh i'll see you in july" "Oh just give us a call when you know your dates" never called till 5 days ago "see you tomorro" WHAT! said marie who is booked up as we have had a local racing event on this weekend and very busy. Called me I could get her in for 4 nights but she wanted 5 marie said she would tell her but at least it was a good start as Monday is a very busy day as the start of a big show (160 thousand people expected over 3 days) found her a single for Monday night and she moves into the flat tuesday. Tell her all this, "oh but its such a faff to move" WHAT DO THEY EXPECT? you didn't book properly are ruddy lucky to have not had to move several times or be homeless! What i think they expect you to say is "oh well ill just pop you in somewhere" or do they expect you to book someone else out? then she followed this up with one of my majour bug bears "do you just take bookings when you feel like it?" feel like saying "I don't think my bank manager would like that very much!" do they think the mortgage pays itself? She is a nice lady but I have a low threshold for idiots. I really do!
 
We had one just show up last night who thought they had booked. Nope. At least they were gracious about taking what's left for the nights they thought they had booked!
 
then she followed this up with one of my majour bug bears "do you just take bookings when you feel like it?"
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When they say things like that it drives me spare! think she had a husband who has died who looked after all the practicalities as she is under the impression $60 for single is expensive. Round here $140 for a single is expensive about $100 is about the norm.
 
Yes, they do seem to think we have a "spare" room tucked in our back pocket, don't they? WE'RE BUSY, GET IT?!?!?!?!
 
When they say things like that it drives me spare! think she had a husband who has died who looked after all the practicalities as she is under the impression $60 for single is expensive. Round here $140 for a single is expensive about $100 is about the norm..
BTW, I have had guests suggest I move someone else to accommodate them.
 
they also always seem baffled when they ring and you say sorry we are full they just don't seem to process it in their minds that other people might have been more organised and booked first!
 
I had two calls this weekend asking for a single Saturday night reservation (because the website won't take the reservation, we have a two night minimum) and didn't seem to understand why I wouldn't want to rent Saturday night and create an orphan Friday night and an orphan Sunday night.
 
You mean you don't have anything???
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Why don't you just build an anex before she checks in!
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Once after getting this repeatedly with a caller I said if I had the right license they could pitch a tent but I can't even do that!!! Of course that ended the conversation - finally!
 
was speaking to my friend at another B&B the Dales last night she wonders if they think we all do it as a hobby and never think about the practicalities. For example found here property prices are high so whopping mortgages which is why accommodation prices are higher (ie we have to pay the mortgage) don't think that translates in their brain at all.
 
was speaking to my friend at another B&B the Dales last night she wonders if they think we all do it as a hobby and never think about the practicalities. For example found here property prices are high so whopping mortgages which is why accommodation prices are higher (ie we have to pay the mortgage) don't think that translates in their brain at all..
I don't believe they understand that at all. Our local real estate prices are going up all the time and so our the rates in town. We are now more expensive that many other cities. And the historic centre of the city is small, crowded and of course, some of the most expensive real estate in all of North America. And yet some people are surprised that $120 gets them a non-refundable room at goo.gl/b0oqh because the normal rate that is cancellable is $220 a night. Or that for a mere $70 a night they could be staying at goo.gl/4S9JM which has been rated as the worst hotel in Canada. And after all that, I get 4/5 on value and breakfast is included.
As you have said before, some people are just daft. Many of them don't realize the value they are getting when they stay in smaller establishments with personal touches.
 
was speaking to my friend at another B&B the Dales last night she wonders if they think we all do it as a hobby and never think about the practicalities. For example found here property prices are high so whopping mortgages which is why accommodation prices are higher (ie we have to pay the mortgage) don't think that translates in their brain at all..
I don't believe they understand that at all. Our local real estate prices are going up all the time and so our the rates in town. We are now more expensive that many other cities. And the historic centre of the city is small, crowded and of course, some of the most expensive real estate in all of North America. And yet some people are surprised that $120 gets them a non-refundable room at goo.gl/b0oqh because the normal rate that is cancellable is $220 a night. Or that for a mere $70 a night they could be staying at goo.gl/4S9JM which has been rated as the worst hotel in Canada. And after all that, I get 4/5 on value and breakfast is included.
As you have said before, some people are just daft. Many of them don't realize the value they are getting when they stay in smaller establishments with personal touches.
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I think the whole thing is perception. Guest who do not think they got value for their money feel that way (I think) because they feel they are in your/my house. And I'm feeding them food I had to buy for myself anyway. So, unless they see fabulous decor, a handful of staff and the owners just swanning thru the inn bowing and nodding and dropping a few precious words at each table it's just my house. Why pay a lot of money for that?
After all, if I live here I must not have a mortgage so why charge so much? I don't know of any way I can get them to think outside that box. We're very casual here and I don't swan very well and sometimes the guests see me making beds. It ruins the image for them. (Which goes right into my usual rant about not showing up early!)
 
was speaking to my friend at another B&B the Dales last night she wonders if they think we all do it as a hobby and never think about the practicalities. For example found here property prices are high so whopping mortgages which is why accommodation prices are higher (ie we have to pay the mortgage) don't think that translates in their brain at all..
I don't believe they understand that at all. Our local real estate prices are going up all the time and so our the rates in town. We are now more expensive that many other cities. And the historic centre of the city is small, crowded and of course, some of the most expensive real estate in all of North America. And yet some people are surprised that $120 gets them a non-refundable room at goo.gl/b0oqh because the normal rate that is cancellable is $220 a night. Or that for a mere $70 a night they could be staying at goo.gl/4S9JM which has been rated as the worst hotel in Canada. And after all that, I get 4/5 on value and breakfast is included.
As you have said before, some people are just daft. Many of them don't realize the value they are getting when they stay in smaller establishments with personal touches.
.
I think the whole thing is perception. Guest who do not think they got value for their money feel that way (I think) because they feel they are in your/my house. And I'm feeding them food I had to buy for myself anyway. So, unless they see fabulous decor, a handful of staff and the owners just swanning thru the inn bowing and nodding and dropping a few precious words at each table it's just my house. Why pay a lot of money for that?
After all, if I live here I must not have a mortgage so why charge so much? I don't know of any way I can get them to think outside that box. We're very casual here and I don't swan very well and sometimes the guests see me making beds. It ruins the image for them. (Which goes right into my usual rant about not showing up early!)
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Trouble is we are caught in a trap of our own success - it is part of the mistique that we make it look easy so people think it is easy its like a vicious cycle
 
We had one just show up last night who thought they had booked. Nope. At least they were gracious about taking what's left for the nights they thought they had booked!.
We had a couple request a room online. The automatic response to them is an email that "this is NOT a confirmation. if we can accommodate your request you will receive a confirmation email..." I promptly sent an email apologizing that we could NOT accommodate them. Tho I did not mention in the email, we were going to be closed as we had a personal event to attend that evening and would not be returning till next afternoon... Well, waddaya know??!! They showed up as we were walking out the door to leave (also about 1 hr AFTER our normal checkin period) ... They were quite upset and had driven a long way and everything in town was full b/c of an event... my very, very, very DH offered to return home that evening and prepare breakfast the next morning so that they could stay .... (I had a committment that I could not avoid so I absolutely couldn't stay). Anyway, they acted and spoke the whole two days they were here as tho WE had somehow done something wrong and OWED them special treatment to make up for "our error" regarding their reservation!! Ugghhh....
 
We had one just show up last night who thought they had booked. Nope. At least they were gracious about taking what's left for the nights they thought they had booked!.
We had a couple request a room online. The automatic response to them is an email that "this is NOT a confirmation. if we can accommodate your request you will receive a confirmation email..." I promptly sent an email apologizing that we could NOT accommodate them. Tho I did not mention in the email, we were going to be closed as we had a personal event to attend that evening and would not be returning till next afternoon... Well, waddaya know??!! They showed up as we were walking out the door to leave (also about 1 hr AFTER our normal checkin period) ... They were quite upset and had driven a long way and everything in town was full b/c of an event... my very, very, very DH offered to return home that evening and prepare breakfast the next morning so that they could stay .... (I had a committment that I could not avoid so I absolutely couldn't stay). Anyway, they acted and spoke the whole two days they were here as tho WE had somehow done something wrong and OWED them special treatment to make up for "our error" regarding their reservation!! Ugghhh....
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These situations make me crazy. The other half and I would have continued on our merry way as the couple did not have a confirmed reservation. If it was a same day request or even the day before, I would call to tell them. I've seen too many upset guests who did not read that what they had was a REQUEST for a room show up at my door because the place they thought they booked wouldn't take them because they never confirmed a rez for them.
Guests have to learn to read.
You did a very nice thing for them and they treated your DH no better than they would have had you shown them the door when they showed up.
 
We had one just show up last night who thought they had booked. Nope. At least they were gracious about taking what's left for the nights they thought they had booked!.
We had a couple request a room online. The automatic response to them is an email that "this is NOT a confirmation. if we can accommodate your request you will receive a confirmation email..." I promptly sent an email apologizing that we could NOT accommodate them. Tho I did not mention in the email, we were going to be closed as we had a personal event to attend that evening and would not be returning till next afternoon... Well, waddaya know??!! They showed up as we were walking out the door to leave (also about 1 hr AFTER our normal checkin period) ... They were quite upset and had driven a long way and everything in town was full b/c of an event... my very, very, very DH offered to return home that evening and prepare breakfast the next morning so that they could stay .... (I had a committment that I could not avoid so I absolutely couldn't stay). Anyway, they acted and spoke the whole two days they were here as tho WE had somehow done something wrong and OWED them special treatment to make up for "our error" regarding their reservation!! Ugghhh....
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we had this in march we use a service where if you are not showing enough avaliability ie guest wants 4 rooms you are only showing 1 they will send you a request to check. request came through 4 rooms we only had one so rejected it.next day same name 4 rooms same service rejected it again remmber thinking duh if I didn't have 4 rooms yesterday i am not going to have them today. anyhow two weeks later all 4 turned up. chap who made the booking (or tried to) was dislexic so hadn't read anything he had gotten back! sorry why did you give him the chore of sorting this? we had one twin and sorted out the others but at least they were good sports and said it was completely his fault.
 
We had one just show up last night who thought they had booked. Nope. At least they were gracious about taking what's left for the nights they thought they had booked!.
We had a couple request a room online. The automatic response to them is an email that "this is NOT a confirmation. if we can accommodate your request you will receive a confirmation email..." I promptly sent an email apologizing that we could NOT accommodate them. Tho I did not mention in the email, we were going to be closed as we had a personal event to attend that evening and would not be returning till next afternoon... Well, waddaya know??!! They showed up as we were walking out the door to leave (also about 1 hr AFTER our normal checkin period) ... They were quite upset and had driven a long way and everything in town was full b/c of an event... my very, very, very DH offered to return home that evening and prepare breakfast the next morning so that they could stay .... (I had a committment that I could not avoid so I absolutely couldn't stay). Anyway, they acted and spoke the whole two days they were here as tho WE had somehow done something wrong and OWED them special treatment to make up for "our error" regarding their reservation!! Ugghhh....
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That is why I go in and make our rooms unavailable for times like that. I just went in this morning to block the travel day and my seminar day so they cannot be booked online. It worked out to be lovely timing - travel day w/overnight is DH's BD. We are leaving early to have a pleasant day of travel (although we may leave even earlier so I can attend a City Clerk meeting at 8 AM 3 hours away from here). If I do the Clerks meeting, we will be set up for a bookstore he has wanted to checkout.
We will go to the Seminar location and check it out so we have no surprises the day of the class and then visit some innkeepers before going to our B &B for the night - one we have never visited before. Last count 11 had signed up for the class.
 
When they say things like that it drives me spare! think she had a husband who has died who looked after all the practicalities as she is under the impression $60 for single is expensive. Round here $140 for a single is expensive about $100 is about the norm..
BTW, I have had guests suggest I move someone else to accommodate them.
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Alibi Ike said:
BTW, I have had guests suggest I move someone else to accommodate them.
Me too and they just wanted 1 night the other had booked 3!
 
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