Deposits for cashflow

[Morticia]

i took deposits - always.
for one to three nites, $100 or one night's stay (during the slow season, the low rates were around $100 a nite ... so ...)
for four or more nites, $100 etc., then remainder of 1/2 was due 30 days before checkin, balance at checkin.
i also eventually put in an administrative fee for cancellations and refunds to cover the cc charges and also the time to take the reservation out of the system and out of the bookkeeping. (hopefully we'd get a new booking.)
i did not have a lot of cancellations. those that did cancel, it was usually when it was 'too late' to get a refund. i mostly offered to apply the deposit to a later stay - and this usually was acceptable. and they did come. unless they were just coming to the area for a wedding or something. then they wanted the refund.
i did NOT accept checks as the deposit, only credit cards. when i first opened i tried accepting checks. but then a check wouldn't come in the mail, i wouldn't know if the person was going to show up or not, didn't know if they'd mailed it or not, once i reached them by phone to say the deposit hadn't come they'd say they sent it ... or maybe they'd say they forgot to send it and maybe didn't know if they were coming, or well, they weren't coming. oops forgot to tell you. nightmare!
like bree, i would catch all the flack when not refunding a deposit, but unlike bree i would say 'i will have to check with the owner' or 'with my business partner', in order to deflect the heat away from me ... i did have a business partner/boss, but she was not ever involved in any decisions like this. i would use the time to decide what i wanted to do..

like bree, i would catch all the flack when not refunding a deposit, but unlike bree i would say 'i will have to check with the owner' or 'with my business partner', in order to deflect the heat away from me ... i did have a business partner/boss, but she was not ever involved in any decisions like this. i would use the time to decide what i wanted to do.

I did that the time the guy was screaming at me on the phone, like I wanted him to show up at that point. Yeesh. But I said, 'You'll have to speak with the manager, please call back tomorrow.' This was a guy who wasn't sure he was going to show up but wanted me to hold the room for him until the next day (day of arrival) so he had time to make up his mind. Went thru the cancel policy with him explaining it's like booking a plane ticket, no refund. He started screaming I was an awful person to take advantage of him and his poor wife, what kind of person was I and besides which, 'You're no G-D airline, you're a pissant little B&B.'
Yeah, like I really wanted him to show up. Which he did, the following week...treated his wife like she wasn't even in the room and was weird as could be. 4 years later this conversation still makes me sick.
I'm not sure how other innkeepers can stand this side of the business.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

This thread is worrying me as I haven't had an bad guest or cancellation for a long time...the tide must be rolling me way soon...yikes

 

[gillumhouse]

i took deposits - always.
for one to three nites, $100 or one night's stay (during the slow season, the low rates were around $100 a nite ... so ...)
for four or more nites, $100 etc., then remainder of 1/2 was due 30 days before checkin, balance at checkin.
i also eventually put in an administrative fee for cancellations and refunds to cover the cc charges and also the time to take the reservation out of the system and out of the bookkeeping. (hopefully we'd get a new booking.)
i did not have a lot of cancellations. those that did cancel, it was usually when it was 'too late' to get a refund. i mostly offered to apply the deposit to a later stay - and this usually was acceptable. and they did come. unless they were just coming to the area for a wedding or something. then they wanted the refund.
i did NOT accept checks as the deposit, only credit cards. when i first opened i tried accepting checks. but then a check wouldn't come in the mail, i wouldn't know if the person was going to show up or not, didn't know if they'd mailed it or not, once i reached them by phone to say the deposit hadn't come they'd say they sent it ... or maybe they'd say they forgot to send it and maybe didn't know if they were coming, or well, they weren't coming. oops forgot to tell you. nightmare!
like bree, i would catch all the flack when not refunding a deposit, but unlike bree i would say 'i will have to check with the owner' or 'with my business partner', in order to deflect the heat away from me ... i did have a business partner/boss, but she was not ever involved in any decisions like this. i would use the time to decide what i wanted to do..

like bree, i would catch all the flack when not refunding a deposit, but unlike bree i would say 'i will have to check with the owner' or 'with my business partner', in order to deflect the heat away from me ... i did have a business partner/boss, but she was not ever involved in any decisions like this. i would use the time to decide what i wanted to do.

I did that the time the guy was screaming at me on the phone, like I wanted him to show up at that point. Yeesh. But I said, 'You'll have to speak with the manager, please call back tomorrow.' This was a guy who wasn't sure he was going to show up but wanted me to hold the room for him until the next day (day of arrival) so he had time to make up his mind. Went thru the cancel policy with him explaining it's like booking a plane ticket, no refund. He started screaming I was an awful person to take advantage of him and his poor wife, what kind of person was I and besides which, 'You're no G-D airline, you're a pissant little B&B.'
Yeah, like I really wanted him to show up. Which he did, the following week...treated his wife like she wasn't even in the room and was weird as could be. 4 years later this conversation still makes me sick.
I'm not sure how other innkeepers can stand this side of the business.
.

In hopes of making you feel better reading a nice, we saw our pharmacist tonight and she said she stayed in a B & B for a pharmacist conference last week and it was lovely. She enjoyed it immensely.

 

[user 26]

bree, that is just a sick, angry person. probably spends his life being angry. how sad. sadder still for his wife.
here is your deposit back and an extra 10 bucks to go SOMEPLACE ELSE. eek!

 

[user 26]

makes me tempted to post a 'worst guest experience' but that might be too negative. might bring them on. have to focus on all those nice, happy people that come in the door. like me!