Finessing the unhappy customer.

[Innkeeper To Go]

FD, I always stick to my guns, too. But guests somehow walk away thinking I'm doing them a favor and don't get mad. Really.
Basically what I tell them, whatever their reason is, that I'm going to try my best to rebook the room. And that there's every possibility that I will. I always keep waiting lists and try those first but most of the time the waiting list folks will have already booked elsewhere.
Still I try. And I let the guests know that I'm trying. I call other inns to let them know I have a room and let the guest know other innkeepers are also trying to help them.
I let them know that I will let them know at the end of the day they were supposed to arrive how successful I was.
Most of the time, in fact, I am able to rebook. When I can't, though, guests don't kick up a stink because they know I tried as hard as I could to avoid it.
I don't do the GC substitution myself unless I'm innsitting at a place and that's their policy. I just think then you're still losing the revenue by giving a room away another night. And the guest is generally not really happy either. Everyone still loses a little bit and I think it's better just to cut the losses altogether if you have to.
So I give rebooking my best shot. Let them know that. And then charge them if I have to..

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)
But for FD, I guess the best you can do is to let the guest vent and then re-state your policies which you've already sent to the guest in their confirmation. I think we often can tend to get drawn into an emotional discussion when it's really just the facts, ma'am. It's hard as owners who are so vested in our properties for us not to express our disappointment when we see dinero which will help pay our bills slipping through our fingers.
FD, hang in there!
.

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)

Actually I made the time to do it with an inn running 81% annual occupancy. Of course it wasn't running anything like that before I took it over and implemented my guest-focused policies.
Innkeepers are always short of time. But it's how they use that time that determines whether their inn will be successful or not.
.

I will say that there is a big difference betweening running an inn and owning a successful inn. And I've done both. I worked as the innkeeper of a 12 room inn that ran at over 80% occupancy year-round. There is no comparison to being the sole proprietor of a busy property vs being an employee.
I guess that the members of this forum are indeed fortunate that you are here to contribute all your knowledge and wisdom to us and we look forward to you instructing us on how best to use our time.
.

Samster, your experience is not mine. You seem to have a great need to discount mine in multiple threads. I realize closing your inn was difficult. But discounting my very valid experience that is quite different from yours is not fruitful to anyone.

 

[Samster]

FD, I always stick to my guns, too. But guests somehow walk away thinking I'm doing them a favor and don't get mad. Really.
Basically what I tell them, whatever their reason is, that I'm going to try my best to rebook the room. And that there's every possibility that I will. I always keep waiting lists and try those first but most of the time the waiting list folks will have already booked elsewhere.
Still I try. And I let the guests know that I'm trying. I call other inns to let them know I have a room and let the guest know other innkeepers are also trying to help them.
I let them know that I will let them know at the end of the day they were supposed to arrive how successful I was.
Most of the time, in fact, I am able to rebook. When I can't, though, guests don't kick up a stink because they know I tried as hard as I could to avoid it.
I don't do the GC substitution myself unless I'm innsitting at a place and that's their policy. I just think then you're still losing the revenue by giving a room away another night. And the guest is generally not really happy either. Everyone still loses a little bit and I think it's better just to cut the losses altogether if you have to.
So I give rebooking my best shot. Let them know that. And then charge them if I have to..

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)
But for FD, I guess the best you can do is to let the guest vent and then re-state your policies which you've already sent to the guest in their confirmation. I think we often can tend to get drawn into an emotional discussion when it's really just the facts, ma'am. It's hard as owners who are so vested in our properties for us not to express our disappointment when we see dinero which will help pay our bills slipping through our fingers.
FD, hang in there!
.

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)

Actually I made the time to do it with an inn running 81% annual occupancy. Of course it wasn't running anything like that before I took it over and implemented my guest-focused policies.
Innkeepers are always short of time. But it's how they use that time that determines whether their inn will be successful or not.
.

I will say that there is a big difference betweening running an inn and owning a successful inn. And I've done both. I worked as the innkeeper of a 12 room inn that ran at over 80% occupancy year-round. There is no comparison to being the sole proprietor of a busy property vs being an employee.
I guess that the members of this forum are indeed fortunate that you are here to contribute all your knowledge and wisdom to us and we look forward to you instructing us on how best to use our time.
.

Samster, your experience is not mine. You seem to have a great need to discount mine in multiple threads. I realize closing your inn was difficult. But discounting my very valid experience that is quite different from yours is not fruitful to anyone.
.

Not discounting you at all, but you seem to continue to post things that do not value the experience of a variety of successful owners/innkeepers on this forum. All I'm saying is that everyone here has something valuable to say and perhaps you do not have all the answers? I was in fact sharing that I have not just owned my own property but also worked as an employee of a large inn. That is a similar experience to yours, is it not?
The closing of our inn was not difficult at all for us, it was the best decision possible for our lives! We are blessed to have been very successful at this venture through our own hard work and investment of time, energy, and resources. It's just time to move on to another chapter.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

FD, I always stick to my guns, too. But guests somehow walk away thinking I'm doing them a favor and don't get mad. Really.
Basically what I tell them, whatever their reason is, that I'm going to try my best to rebook the room. And that there's every possibility that I will. I always keep waiting lists and try those first but most of the time the waiting list folks will have already booked elsewhere.
Still I try. And I let the guests know that I'm trying. I call other inns to let them know I have a room and let the guest know other innkeepers are also trying to help them.
I let them know that I will let them know at the end of the day they were supposed to arrive how successful I was.
Most of the time, in fact, I am able to rebook. When I can't, though, guests don't kick up a stink because they know I tried as hard as I could to avoid it.
I don't do the GC substitution myself unless I'm innsitting at a place and that's their policy. I just think then you're still losing the revenue by giving a room away another night. And the guest is generally not really happy either. Everyone still loses a little bit and I think it's better just to cut the losses altogether if you have to.
So I give rebooking my best shot. Let them know that. And then charge them if I have to..

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)
But for FD, I guess the best you can do is to let the guest vent and then re-state your policies which you've already sent to the guest in their confirmation. I think we often can tend to get drawn into an emotional discussion when it's really just the facts, ma'am. It's hard as owners who are so vested in our properties for us not to express our disappointment when we see dinero which will help pay our bills slipping through our fingers.
FD, hang in there!
.

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)

Actually I made the time to do it with an inn running 81% annual occupancy. Of course it wasn't running anything like that before I took it over and implemented my guest-focused policies.
Innkeepers are always short of time. But it's how they use that time that determines whether their inn will be successful or not.
.

I will say that there is a big difference betweening running an inn and owning a successful inn. And I've done both. I worked as the innkeeper of a 12 room inn that ran at over 80% occupancy year-round. There is no comparison to being the sole proprietor of a busy property vs being an employee.
I guess that the members of this forum are indeed fortunate that you are here to contribute all your knowledge and wisdom to us and we look forward to you instructing us on how best to use our time.
.

Samster, your experience is not mine. You seem to have a great need to discount mine in multiple threads. I realize closing your inn was difficult. But discounting my very valid experience that is quite different from yours is not fruitful to anyone.
.

Not discounting you at all, but you seem to continue to post things that do not value the experience of a variety of successful owners/innkeepers on this forum. All I'm saying is that everyone here has something valuable to say and perhaps you do not have all the answers? I was in fact sharing that I have not just owned my own property but also worked as an employee of a large inn. That is a similar experience to yours, is it not?
The closing of our inn was not difficult at all for us, it was the best decision possible for our lives! We are blessed to have been very successful at this venture through our own hard work and investment of time, energy, and resources. It's just time to move on to another chapter.
.

Samster, so glad to hear that you've come to terms with closing your inn. I know that when you first discussed it on the forum, you were rather heartbroken about it. If you've found it to be a good thing, I would say that all of us here would be happy for you.

 

[user 26]

this is going off topic but ... if someone is really sick in your b&b, is there anything you can do to stop the spread of the germs throughout the heating/cooling system? would changing the system filter and spraying the vent in each room help?

 

[Samster]

FD, I always stick to my guns, too. But guests somehow walk away thinking I'm doing them a favor and don't get mad. Really.
Basically what I tell them, whatever their reason is, that I'm going to try my best to rebook the room. And that there's every possibility that I will. I always keep waiting lists and try those first but most of the time the waiting list folks will have already booked elsewhere.
Still I try. And I let the guests know that I'm trying. I call other inns to let them know I have a room and let the guest know other innkeepers are also trying to help them.
I let them know that I will let them know at the end of the day they were supposed to arrive how successful I was.
Most of the time, in fact, I am able to rebook. When I can't, though, guests don't kick up a stink because they know I tried as hard as I could to avoid it.
I don't do the GC substitution myself unless I'm innsitting at a place and that's their policy. I just think then you're still losing the revenue by giving a room away another night. And the guest is generally not really happy either. Everyone still loses a little bit and I think it's better just to cut the losses altogether if you have to.
So I give rebooking my best shot. Let them know that. And then charge them if I have to..

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)
But for FD, I guess the best you can do is to let the guest vent and then re-state your policies which you've already sent to the guest in their confirmation. I think we often can tend to get drawn into an emotional discussion when it's really just the facts, ma'am. It's hard as owners who are so vested in our properties for us not to express our disappointment when we see dinero which will help pay our bills slipping through our fingers.
FD, hang in there!
.

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)

Actually I made the time to do it with an inn running 81% annual occupancy. Of course it wasn't running anything like that before I took it over and implemented my guest-focused policies.
Innkeepers are always short of time. But it's how they use that time that determines whether their inn will be successful or not.
.

I will say that there is a big difference betweening running an inn and owning a successful inn. And I've done both. I worked as the innkeeper of a 12 room inn that ran at over 80% occupancy year-round. There is no comparison to being the sole proprietor of a busy property vs being an employee.
I guess that the members of this forum are indeed fortunate that you are here to contribute all your knowledge and wisdom to us and we look forward to you instructing us on how best to use our time.
.

Samster, your experience is not mine. You seem to have a great need to discount mine in multiple threads. I realize closing your inn was difficult. But discounting my very valid experience that is quite different from yours is not fruitful to anyone.
.

Not discounting you at all, but you seem to continue to post things that do not value the experience of a variety of successful owners/innkeepers on this forum. All I'm saying is that everyone here has something valuable to say and perhaps you do not have all the answers? I was in fact sharing that I have not just owned my own property but also worked as an employee of a large inn. That is a similar experience to yours, is it not?
The closing of our inn was not difficult at all for us, it was the best decision possible for our lives! We are blessed to have been very successful at this venture through our own hard work and investment of time, energy, and resources. It's just time to move on to another chapter.
.

Samster, so glad to hear that you've come to terms with closing your inn. I know that when you first discussed it on the forum, you were rather heartbroken about it. If you've found it to be a good thing, I would say that all of us here would be happy for you.
.

Well, it's always sad to give up something which you were good at and enjoyed, isn't it? That would not be an unusual reaction for most folks. We have an abundance of good memories and true friends!

 

[Samster]

this is going off topic but ... if someone is really sick in your b&b, is there anything you can do to stop the spread of the germs throughout the heating/cooling system? would changing the system filter and spraying the vent in each room help?.

We're already side tracked....haha!
Don't know if it would really help with something that's already airborne, but it couldn't hurt don't you think? Handwashing is so important. How to get the germs off all those wood railings though? ;-)

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

FD, I always stick to my guns, too. But guests somehow walk away thinking I'm doing them a favor and don't get mad. Really.
Basically what I tell them, whatever their reason is, that I'm going to try my best to rebook the room. And that there's every possibility that I will. I always keep waiting lists and try those first but most of the time the waiting list folks will have already booked elsewhere.
Still I try. And I let the guests know that I'm trying. I call other inns to let them know I have a room and let the guest know other innkeepers are also trying to help them.
I let them know that I will let them know at the end of the day they were supposed to arrive how successful I was.
Most of the time, in fact, I am able to rebook. When I can't, though, guests don't kick up a stink because they know I tried as hard as I could to avoid it.
I don't do the GC substitution myself unless I'm innsitting at a place and that's their policy. I just think then you're still losing the revenue by giving a room away another night. And the guest is generally not really happy either. Everyone still loses a little bit and I think it's better just to cut the losses altogether if you have to.
So I give rebooking my best shot. Let them know that. And then charge them if I have to..

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)
But for FD, I guess the best you can do is to let the guest vent and then re-state your policies which you've already sent to the guest in their confirmation. I think we often can tend to get drawn into an emotional discussion when it's really just the facts, ma'am. It's hard as owners who are so vested in our properties for us not to express our disappointment when we see dinero which will help pay our bills slipping through our fingers.
FD, hang in there!
.

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)

Actually I made the time to do it with an inn running 81% annual occupancy. Of course it wasn't running anything like that before I took it over and implemented my guest-focused policies.
Innkeepers are always short of time. But it's how they use that time that determines whether their inn will be successful or not.
.

I will say that there is a big difference betweening running an inn and owning a successful inn. And I've done both. I worked as the innkeeper of a 12 room inn that ran at over 80% occupancy year-round. There is no comparison to being the sole proprietor of a busy property vs being an employee.
I guess that the members of this forum are indeed fortunate that you are here to contribute all your knowledge and wisdom to us and we look forward to you instructing us on how best to use our time.
.

Samster, your experience is not mine. You seem to have a great need to discount mine in multiple threads. I realize closing your inn was difficult. But discounting my very valid experience that is quite different from yours is not fruitful to anyone.
.

Not discounting you at all, but you seem to continue to post things that do not value the experience of a variety of successful owners/innkeepers on this forum. All I'm saying is that everyone here has something valuable to say and perhaps you do not have all the answers? I was in fact sharing that I have not just owned my own property but also worked as an employee of a large inn. That is a similar experience to yours, is it not?
The closing of our inn was not difficult at all for us, it was the best decision possible for our lives! We are blessed to have been very successful at this venture through our own hard work and investment of time, energy, and resources. It's just time to move on to another chapter.
.

Samster, so glad to hear that you've come to terms with closing your inn. I know that when you first discussed it on the forum, you were rather heartbroken about it. If you've found it to be a good thing, I would say that all of us here would be happy for you.
.

Well, it's always sad to give up something which you were good at and enjoyed, isn't it? That would not be an unusual reaction for most folks. We have an abundance of good memories and true friends!
.

Very true. Maybe you'll have luck finding work and becoming an innkeeper once again at an inn in your area.

 

[user 26]

i don't know! maybe put out the hand sanitizer.
went on a cruise and the man i was with said, don't use the handrails ... every time we went up and down the stairs. well, i always put out my hand and used the rails ... habit ... and i was afraid i might stumble and go splat! he never did ... so i probably should have held onto him instead. guess who got sick a couple days after the cruise? me.

hmmmm

 

[Samster]

FD, I always stick to my guns, too. But guests somehow walk away thinking I'm doing them a favor and don't get mad. Really.
Basically what I tell them, whatever their reason is, that I'm going to try my best to rebook the room. And that there's every possibility that I will. I always keep waiting lists and try those first but most of the time the waiting list folks will have already booked elsewhere.
Still I try. And I let the guests know that I'm trying. I call other inns to let them know I have a room and let the guest know other innkeepers are also trying to help them.
I let them know that I will let them know at the end of the day they were supposed to arrive how successful I was.
Most of the time, in fact, I am able to rebook. When I can't, though, guests don't kick up a stink because they know I tried as hard as I could to avoid it.
I don't do the GC substitution myself unless I'm innsitting at a place and that's their policy. I just think then you're still losing the revenue by giving a room away another night. And the guest is generally not really happy either. Everyone still loses a little bit and I think it's better just to cut the losses altogether if you have to.
So I give rebooking my best shot. Let them know that. And then charge them if I have to..

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)
But for FD, I guess the best you can do is to let the guest vent and then re-state your policies which you've already sent to the guest in their confirmation. I think we often can tend to get drawn into an emotional discussion when it's really just the facts, ma'am. It's hard as owners who are so vested in our properties for us not to express our disappointment when we see dinero which will help pay our bills slipping through our fingers.
FD, hang in there!
.

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)

Actually I made the time to do it with an inn running 81% annual occupancy. Of course it wasn't running anything like that before I took it over and implemented my guest-focused policies.
Innkeepers are always short of time. But it's how they use that time that determines whether their inn will be successful or not.
.

I will say that there is a big difference betweening running an inn and owning a successful inn. And I've done both. I worked as the innkeeper of a 12 room inn that ran at over 80% occupancy year-round. There is no comparison to being the sole proprietor of a busy property vs being an employee.
I guess that the members of this forum are indeed fortunate that you are here to contribute all your knowledge and wisdom to us and we look forward to you instructing us on how best to use our time.
.

Samster, your experience is not mine. You seem to have a great need to discount mine in multiple threads. I realize closing your inn was difficult. But discounting my very valid experience that is quite different from yours is not fruitful to anyone.
.

Not discounting you at all, but you seem to continue to post things that do not value the experience of a variety of successful owners/innkeepers on this forum. All I'm saying is that everyone here has something valuable to say and perhaps you do not have all the answers? I was in fact sharing that I have not just owned my own property but also worked as an employee of a large inn. That is a similar experience to yours, is it not?
The closing of our inn was not difficult at all for us, it was the best decision possible for our lives! We are blessed to have been very successful at this venture through our own hard work and investment of time, energy, and resources. It's just time to move on to another chapter.
.

Samster, so glad to hear that you've come to terms with closing your inn. I know that when you first discussed it on the forum, you were rather heartbroken about it. If you've found it to be a good thing, I would say that all of us here would be happy for you.
.

Well, it's always sad to give up something which you were good at and enjoyed, isn't it? That would not be an unusual reaction for most folks. We have an abundance of good memories and true friends!
.

Very true. Maybe you'll have luck finding work and becoming an innkeeper once again at an inn in your area.
.

Nope, not interested. I might go back to university and get a second Masters in a totally different field than my original profession. Or not....
One never knows........

 

[Samster]

i don't know! maybe put out the hand sanitizer.
went on a cruise and the man i was with said, don't use the handrails ... every time we went up and down the stairs. well, i always put out my hand and used the rails ... habit ... and i was afraid i might stumble and go splat! he never did ... so i probably should have held onto him instead. guess who got sick a couple days after the cruise? me.

hmmmm.

Still side tracking.... We went on a short cruise last Fall and they had those sanitizing wipes everywhere! That was after they had all those folks sick on one of the cruise ships, I think. That would stink. OK...must work on this paperwork........

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

FD, I always stick to my guns, too. But guests somehow walk away thinking I'm doing them a favor and don't get mad. Really.
Basically what I tell them, whatever their reason is, that I'm going to try my best to rebook the room. And that there's every possibility that I will. I always keep waiting lists and try those first but most of the time the waiting list folks will have already booked elsewhere.
Still I try. And I let the guests know that I'm trying. I call other inns to let them know I have a room and let the guest know other innkeepers are also trying to help them.
I let them know that I will let them know at the end of the day they were supposed to arrive how successful I was.
Most of the time, in fact, I am able to rebook. When I can't, though, guests don't kick up a stink because they know I tried as hard as I could to avoid it.
I don't do the GC substitution myself unless I'm innsitting at a place and that's their policy. I just think then you're still losing the revenue by giving a room away another night. And the guest is generally not really happy either. Everyone still loses a little bit and I think it's better just to cut the losses altogether if you have to.
So I give rebooking my best shot. Let them know that. And then charge them if I have to..

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)
But for FD, I guess the best you can do is to let the guest vent and then re-state your policies which you've already sent to the guest in their confirmation. I think we often can tend to get drawn into an emotional discussion when it's really just the facts, ma'am. It's hard as owners who are so vested in our properties for us not to express our disappointment when we see dinero which will help pay our bills slipping through our fingers.
FD, hang in there!
.

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)

Actually I made the time to do it with an inn running 81% annual occupancy. Of course it wasn't running anything like that before I took it over and implemented my guest-focused policies.
Innkeepers are always short of time. But it's how they use that time that determines whether their inn will be successful or not.
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I will say that there is a big difference betweening running an inn and owning a successful inn. And I've done both. I worked as the innkeeper of a 12 room inn that ran at over 80% occupancy year-round. There is no comparison to being the sole proprietor of a busy property vs being an employee.
I guess that the members of this forum are indeed fortunate that you are here to contribute all your knowledge and wisdom to us and we look forward to you instructing us on how best to use our time.
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Samster, your experience is not mine. You seem to have a great need to discount mine in multiple threads. I realize closing your inn was difficult. But discounting my very valid experience that is quite different from yours is not fruitful to anyone.
.

Not discounting you at all, but you seem to continue to post things that do not value the experience of a variety of successful owners/innkeepers on this forum. All I'm saying is that everyone here has something valuable to say and perhaps you do not have all the answers? I was in fact sharing that I have not just owned my own property but also worked as an employee of a large inn. That is a similar experience to yours, is it not?
The closing of our inn was not difficult at all for us, it was the best decision possible for our lives! We are blessed to have been very successful at this venture through our own hard work and investment of time, energy, and resources. It's just time to move on to another chapter.
.

Samster, so glad to hear that you've come to terms with closing your inn. I know that when you first discussed it on the forum, you were rather heartbroken about it. If you've found it to be a good thing, I would say that all of us here would be happy for you.
.

Well, it's always sad to give up something which you were good at and enjoyed, isn't it? That would not be an unusual reaction for most folks. We have an abundance of good memories and true friends!
.

Very true. Maybe you'll have luck finding work and becoming an innkeeper once again at an inn in your area.
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Nope, not interested. I might go back to university and get a second Masters in a totally different field than my original profession. Or not....
One never knows........
.

Best of luck to you in whatever direction your life takes you next.

 

[Samster]

FD, I always stick to my guns, too. But guests somehow walk away thinking I'm doing them a favor and don't get mad. Really.
Basically what I tell them, whatever their reason is, that I'm going to try my best to rebook the room. And that there's every possibility that I will. I always keep waiting lists and try those first but most of the time the waiting list folks will have already booked elsewhere.
Still I try. And I let the guests know that I'm trying. I call other inns to let them know I have a room and let the guest know other innkeepers are also trying to help them.
I let them know that I will let them know at the end of the day they were supposed to arrive how successful I was.
Most of the time, in fact, I am able to rebook. When I can't, though, guests don't kick up a stink because they know I tried as hard as I could to avoid it.
I don't do the GC substitution myself unless I'm innsitting at a place and that's their policy. I just think then you're still losing the revenue by giving a room away another night. And the guest is generally not really happy either. Everyone still loses a little bit and I think it's better just to cut the losses altogether if you have to.
So I give rebooking my best shot. Let them know that. And then charge them if I have to..

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)
But for FD, I guess the best you can do is to let the guest vent and then re-state your policies which you've already sent to the guest in their confirmation. I think we often can tend to get drawn into an emotional discussion when it's really just the facts, ma'am. It's hard as owners who are so vested in our properties for us not to express our disappointment when we see dinero which will help pay our bills slipping through our fingers.
FD, hang in there!
.

There's no way as the owner/innkeeper that I would have had time to take all those steps to try to re-book one of our cancelled rooms. Of course, we had very few cancellations that were outside our cancellation policy which was 72 hours because of the volume of business guests we had here. Of the few cancellations that we did have that were not change of plans type cancellations for biz guests, most were because folks needed more rooms than we could accommodate and they wanted to keep their entire party together at the same lodging property. Because of my love of large parties taking over the inn, I would let them happily go to a hotel. ;-)

Actually I made the time to do it with an inn running 81% annual occupancy. Of course it wasn't running anything like that before I took it over and implemented my guest-focused policies.
Innkeepers are always short of time. But it's how they use that time that determines whether their inn will be successful or not.
.

I will say that there is a big difference betweening running an inn and owning a successful inn. And I've done both. I worked as the innkeeper of a 12 room inn that ran at over 80% occupancy year-round. There is no comparison to being the sole proprietor of a busy property vs being an employee.
I guess that the members of this forum are indeed fortunate that you are here to contribute all your knowledge and wisdom to us and we look forward to you instructing us on how best to use our time.
.

Samster, your experience is not mine. You seem to have a great need to discount mine in multiple threads. I realize closing your inn was difficult. But discounting my very valid experience that is quite different from yours is not fruitful to anyone.
.

Not discounting you at all, but you seem to continue to post things that do not value the experience of a variety of successful owners/innkeepers on this forum. All I'm saying is that everyone here has something valuable to say and perhaps you do not have all the answers? I was in fact sharing that I have not just owned my own property but also worked as an employee of a large inn. That is a similar experience to yours, is it not?
The closing of our inn was not difficult at all for us, it was the best decision possible for our lives! We are blessed to have been very successful at this venture through our own hard work and investment of time, energy, and resources. It's just time to move on to another chapter.
.

Samster, so glad to hear that you've come to terms with closing your inn. I know that when you first discussed it on the forum, you were rather heartbroken about it. If you've found it to be a good thing, I would say that all of us here would be happy for you.
.

Well, it's always sad to give up something which you were good at and enjoyed, isn't it? That would not be an unusual reaction for most folks. We have an abundance of good memories and true friends!
.

Very true. Maybe you'll have luck finding work and becoming an innkeeper once again at an inn in your area.
.

Nope, not interested. I might go back to university and get a second Masters in a totally different field than my original profession. Or not....
One never knows........
.

Best of luck to you in whatever direction your life takes you next.
.

Thanks, same to you!

 

[Samster]

FD, I always stick to my guns, too. But guests somehow walk away thinking I'm doing them a favor and don't get mad. Really.
Basically what I tell them, whatever their reason is, that I'm going to try my best to rebook the room. And that there's every possibility that I will. I always keep waiting lists and try those first but most of the time the waiting list folks will have already booked elsewhere.
Still I try. And I let the guests know that I'm trying. I call other inns to let them know I have a room and let the guest know other innkeepers are also trying to help them.
I let them know that I will let them know at the end of the day they were supposed to arrive how successful I was.
Most of the time, in fact, I am able to rebook. When I can't, though, guests don't kick up a stink because they know I tried as hard as I could to avoid it.
I don't do the GC substitution myself unless I'm innsitting at a place and that's their policy. I just think then you're still losing the revenue by giving a room away another night. And the guest is generally not really happy either. Everyone still loses a little bit and I think it's better just to cut the losses altogether if you have to.
So I give rebooking my best shot. Let them know that. And then charge them if I have to..

FD, I always stick to my guns, too. But guests somehow walk away thinking I'm doing them a favor and don't get mad. Really.

Wow. Never have any of them get mad? You must be some kind of guest whisperer. In seven years I've had less than a handful of cancellations I've had to charge, but some of them were still po'd. Didn't really matter how much I explained how hard I'd work to fill the room - had someone say to me how do I know you are even going to try, when it's just easier to take my money. You clearly have some amazing telephone skills. Or the most unbelievably generous guests.
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It is a blessing, in fact, that I am something of a whisperer on the phone. Don't know how it came to be, but it is the truth.
And yes, I'm able to convince them (possibly because it's true) that I am really working for them. And no, they don't get mad.
I have never had 1 bad online review. Ever. Never had a guest who I had to charge a fee not come back another time and actually thank me for trying for them.
Really it's true.
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Really it's true.

I'll just go to bed tonight and try to figure out why I shouldn't just hand my keys over to you, then. I've met a lot of people in the industry, including some of the most socially skilled people I know (one of which I am not) and I've never heard another innkeeper - or, sorry, innsitter - make that kind of claim. So consider me amazed. Are you really Don Farrell?
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No need at all to apologize for calling me an innkeeper. It's what I am.
And yes, the phone thing is something that, when I first discovered it, amazed me, too. It is, as I said, a blessing. Don't know where it came from but I do have it.
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No need at all to apologize for calling me an innkeeper. It's what I am.
And yes, the phone thing is something that, when I first discovered it, amazed me, too. It is, as I said, a blessing. Don't know where it came from but I do have it.

Maybe you can sell recordings to all of us that lack this talent.
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That's what Don Farrell does! He has been the speaker at one or two of the conferences I've been to. Pretty good, actually - and here's a link to his blog.
.

Thanks for the link, I will check it out!

 

[gillumhouse]

A guest this morning at breakfast was sick as a dog. She had to cancel the rest of her stay as she is here working in the Pharmacy at our hospital. She left, she paid for her stay to this point, no fees or charge. I am not happy to lose revenue but she is sick, and stuff happens. I will wait a few before I go Lysol her room..

A guest this morning at breakfast was sick as a dog. She had to cancel the rest of her stay as she is here working in the Pharmacy at our hospital. She left, she paid for her stay to this point, no fees or charge. I am not happy to lose revenue but she is sick, and stuff happens. I will wait a few before I go Lysol her room.

Lysol it immediately. Germs/viruses are airborne!
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A guest this morning at breakfast was sick as a dog. She had to cancel the rest of her stay as she is here working in the Pharmacy at our hospital. She left, she paid for her stay to this point, no fees or charge. I am not happy to lose revenue but she is sick, and stuff happens. I will wait a few before I go Lysol her room.

Lysol it immediately. Germs/viruses are airborne!

This is why I am not going in right now. It will have to wait.
.

A guest this morning at breakfast was sick as a dog. She had to cancel the rest of her stay as she is here working in the Pharmacy at our hospital. She left, she paid for her stay to this point, no fees or charge. I am not happy to lose revenue but she is sick, and stuff happens. I will wait a few before I go Lysol her room.

Lysol it immediately. Germs/viruses are airborne!

This is why I am not going in right now. It will have to wait.

If it gets into your vents, it will be distributed throughout your place via the heating system.
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We do not have vents in our rooms either. Each room is "self-contained" in that respect with electric baseboard heating in cool times and window units in hot. It does make it easier to "contain" anything if guests are ill. Downstairs does have ductwork.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

this is going off topic but ... if someone is really sick in your b&b, is there anything you can do to stop the spread of the germs throughout the heating/cooling system? would changing the system filter and spraying the vent in each room help?.

this is going off topic but ... if someone is really sick in your b&b, is there anything you can do to stop the spread of the germs throughout the heating/cooling system? would changing the system filter and spraying the vent in each room help?

You can put some peroxide in a humidifier (I use 1 cap of peroxide to 1 litre of water) and place it near the intake vent. It pretty much cleans up any bacteria in the air. I leave it overnight and let it do its work.

 

[Eleanor Brown]

FD, I always stick to my guns, too. But guests somehow walk away thinking I'm doing them a favor and don't get mad. Really.
Basically what I tell them, whatever their reason is, that I'm going to try my best to rebook the room. And that there's every possibility that I will. I always keep waiting lists and try those first but most of the time the waiting list folks will have already booked elsewhere.
Still I try. And I let the guests know that I'm trying. I call other inns to let them know I have a room and let the guest know other innkeepers are also trying to help them.
I let them know that I will let them know at the end of the day they were supposed to arrive how successful I was.
Most of the time, in fact, I am able to rebook. When I can't, though, guests don't kick up a stink because they know I tried as hard as I could to avoid it.
I don't do the GC substitution myself unless I'm innsitting at a place and that's their policy. I just think then you're still losing the revenue by giving a room away another night. And the guest is generally not really happy either. Everyone still loses a little bit and I think it's better just to cut the losses altogether if you have to.
So I give rebooking my best shot. Let them know that. And then charge them if I have to..

Don't you have to go with whatever the policy is of the B&B/inn for which you're working? I would think this would be spelled out by your employers on how to handle cancellations according to their policies.
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Only if I am innsitting. I am very often in a mentoring role with a new inn owner or an inn owner struggling to survive. They look to me for guidance in those situations, which are by far the norm for me, than the other way around.
When I manage an inn it thrives. I specialize in turning around underperforming properties. And to be as successful as I am with that I do require that the policies and procedures put in place are those that will work.
.

So you're the Gordon Ramsay of B&Bs!

 

[Joey Camb]

We have quite a liberal cancellation policy of 48 hours but if people just don't turn up we charge them in full. If they ring we do our best to re-sell but it depends on the circumstances. For example we have a lady who comes to us every year for a show in town however on the morning of the day the band cancelled we let her off as she was going to find out when they were rebooking to do the show and then booked immediately for then. However some people have this attitude that B&B makes tons of money and you can afford to stand the cost as well as the fact they don't think for a minute you could have sold to someone else. It is an arragant attitude which makes me really angry. HOwever you do get some business people who couldn't care less as it all goes on account. If they ring with what seems to be a reasonable excuse (you would not believe how many people have sick or dead relatives!) then I will take off breakfast, laundry, toiletries and chambermaid costs. But that is as far as I will go. If they get angry and shout I charge the full whack if they seem nice I am willing to budge!

 

[JBloggs]

We have quite a liberal cancellation policy of 48 hours but if people just don't turn up we charge them in full. If they ring we do our best to re-sell but it depends on the circumstances. For example we have a lady who comes to us every year for a show in town however on the morning of the day the band cancelled we let her off as she was going to find out when they were rebooking to do the show and then booked immediately for then. However some people have this attitude that B&B makes tons of money and you can afford to stand the cost as well as the fact they don't think for a minute you could have sold to someone else. It is an arragant attitude which makes me really angry. HOwever you do get some business people who couldn't care less as it all goes on account. If they ring with what seems to be a reasonable excuse (you would not believe how many people have sick or dead relatives!) then I will take off breakfast, laundry, toiletries and chambermaid costs. But that is as far as I will go. If they get angry and shout I charge the full whack if they seem nice I am willing to budge!.

I think it is quite over the top for any innkeeper to even attempt to resell the cancelled guests room. I also think it is way over the top to allow a gift cert for another stay. Often they are not redeemed, but if you go to sell your place you bet you will be paying the new owners for any outstanding GC's. Another reason handing them out 'willy nilly' (hey it must be Friday, I think I used that term last Friday) is not a good idea.
Guests book a room, give you their cc details, and it is a done deal if they cancel last minute.
48 hours is indeed very very liberal, I hope your guests appreciate that. Welcome to the forum.

 

[Copperhead]

We have quite a liberal cancellation policy of 48 hours but if people just don't turn up we charge them in full. If they ring we do our best to re-sell but it depends on the circumstances. For example we have a lady who comes to us every year for a show in town however on the morning of the day the band cancelled we let her off as she was going to find out when they were rebooking to do the show and then booked immediately for then. However some people have this attitude that B&B makes tons of money and you can afford to stand the cost as well as the fact they don't think for a minute you could have sold to someone else. It is an arragant attitude which makes me really angry. HOwever you do get some business people who couldn't care less as it all goes on account. If they ring with what seems to be a reasonable excuse (you would not believe how many people have sick or dead relatives!) then I will take off breakfast, laundry, toiletries and chambermaid costs. But that is as far as I will go. If they get angry and shout I charge the full whack if they seem nice I am willing to budge!.

I think it is quite over the top for any innkeeper to even attempt to resell the cancelled guests room. I also think it is way over the top to allow a gift cert for another stay. Often they are not redeemed, but if you go to sell your place you bet you will be paying the new owners for any outstanding GC's. Another reason handing them out 'willy nilly' (hey it must be Friday, I think I used that term last Friday) is not a good idea.
Guests book a room, give you their cc details, and it is a done deal if they cancel last minute.
48 hours is indeed very very liberal, I hope your guests appreciate that. Welcome to the forum.
.

I do attempt to rebook the room but do not go the distance that another does on this forum... They book, they know the policy! If it rebooks I am happy as I really do not want to charge anyone for something they did not use BUT I am not going to let it go just because! If it does not sell, they are charged just as my policy says.
On the GC subject, if they are pleasent and understanding, I have not quarms with sending them a GC - good for 6 months tops! It makes for a good jesture and most likely will not be used. If I had my place up for sale or thinking of doing so in near future, I would not be doing this but for a 6 mth period, there really is no consern that I would be selling this place with lots of GC floating about.

 

[gillumhouse]

We have quite a liberal cancellation policy of 48 hours but if people just don't turn up we charge them in full. If they ring we do our best to re-sell but it depends on the circumstances. For example we have a lady who comes to us every year for a show in town however on the morning of the day the band cancelled we let her off as she was going to find out when they were rebooking to do the show and then booked immediately for then. However some people have this attitude that B&B makes tons of money and you can afford to stand the cost as well as the fact they don't think for a minute you could have sold to someone else. It is an arragant attitude which makes me really angry. HOwever you do get some business people who couldn't care less as it all goes on account. If they ring with what seems to be a reasonable excuse (you would not believe how many people have sick or dead relatives!) then I will take off breakfast, laundry, toiletries and chambermaid costs. But that is as far as I will go. If they get angry and shout I charge the full whack if they seem nice I am willing to budge!.

Welcome to the Forum. I also have a 48 hour cancellation other than special events. I do not attempt to rebook and I do not give a GC for the charge I post.
I do not attempt to rebook for 2 reasons: #1 it is not my responsibility to work my butt off because THEY stiffed me and no hotel will not charge even if the room IS rebooked. I agree we are better than hotels but that policy should be universal and maybe the reason we get treated as we do with cancels is because we are foolish enough to try to be "Good Guys" and be "helpful". #2 I am in Podunk and the chances of a rebook are slim and none. I RARELY get a walk-in.