"He's paying." "She's paying."

[Morticia]

OK, I took a rez this afternoon from a couple on the road coming in tonight. She gave me the cc number and said his name was on the card. He arrives without her while I'm not here, gets the key and tells hubs, "She's paying."
So now what?
They have the key and I have no payment.
What I did do was run the card and then void it out so I know the card is good.
I told hubs that if this happens again, just say, 'OK, that's fine, we'll give you the keys when she pays.' And let him go back to the car or back to wherever she is and get her to pay.

 

[Morticia]

How it worked out...
She needed some ice and didn't know where it was so she rang the bell. I came out to show her where everything was and said I would take care of the bill now as well. Good thing. They left at 7 AM.

 

[user 26]

How it worked out...
She needed some ice and didn't know where it was so she rang the bell. I came out to show her where everything was and said I would take care of the bill now as well. Good thing. They left at 7 AM..

i would have run the card that someone gave ...
i don't like to put suspicion into this, but i had a couple do that dance ... never could get them together, each said the other would pay ... one was in the car, one was taking a walk, one was up in the room, one was over at the store ... blahblahblah ... all the while being nice as pie ... so i put it on the credit card they reserved with.
then i waited.
neither one approached me about paying, neither one contacted me later on to protest that i had billed the wrong card
so i started wondering if they do this on purpose
left me wondering what the deal was and if they did it on purpose hoping i'd get muddled and not bill them ... i can see that happening! and them triumphant as they scan their credit card bills, noting the ones they 'skipped' on. does that sound awful? what was in my oatmeal this morning?

 

[Morticia]

How it worked out...
She needed some ice and didn't know where it was so she rang the bell. I came out to show her where everything was and said I would take care of the bill now as well. Good thing. They left at 7 AM..

i would have run the card that someone gave ...
i don't like to put suspicion into this, but i had a couple do that dance ... never could get them together, each said the other would pay ... one was in the car, one was taking a walk, one was up in the room, one was over at the store ... blahblahblah ... all the while being nice as pie ... so i put it on the credit card they reserved with.
then i waited.
neither one approached me about paying, neither one contacted me later on to protest that i had billed the wrong card
so i started wondering if they do this on purpose
left me wondering what the deal was and if they did it on purpose hoping i'd get muddled and not bill them ... i can see that happening! and them triumphant as they scan their credit card bills, noting the ones they 'skipped' on. does that sound awful? what was in my oatmeal this morning?
.

Because a couple of folks here have been getting bum cards and then no shows, I figured if I ran it and it was bad, I would park myself in the living room until they returned. It was good, so I voided the transaction and went about my day. BUT, they weren't planning on being around for breakfast, so when were they planning on paying, is my wonder.
And why, if SHE was paying did SHE give me HIS cc number?
Unless the $100 is bogus, I'm ok.

 

[user 26]

How it worked out...
She needed some ice and didn't know where it was so she rang the bell. I came out to show her where everything was and said I would take care of the bill now as well. Good thing. They left at 7 AM..

i would have run the card that someone gave ...
i don't like to put suspicion into this, but i had a couple do that dance ... never could get them together, each said the other would pay ... one was in the car, one was taking a walk, one was up in the room, one was over at the store ... blahblahblah ... all the while being nice as pie ... so i put it on the credit card they reserved with.
then i waited.
neither one approached me about paying, neither one contacted me later on to protest that i had billed the wrong card
so i started wondering if they do this on purpose
left me wondering what the deal was and if they did it on purpose hoping i'd get muddled and not bill them ... i can see that happening! and them triumphant as they scan their credit card bills, noting the ones they 'skipped' on. does that sound awful? what was in my oatmeal this morning?
.

Because a couple of folks here have been getting bum cards and then no shows, I figured if I ran it and it was bad, I would park myself in the living room until they returned. It was good, so I voided the transaction and went about my day. BUT, they weren't planning on being around for breakfast, so when were they planning on paying, is my wonder.
And why, if SHE was paying did SHE give me HIS cc number?
Unless the $100 is bogus, I'm ok.
.

hmmmm
see, if they behaved that way at a hotel, they'd be standing in the lobby until payment went through before they'd be handed a key
and they were last minute ...... which really makes me wonder
i am NOT saying we have to be suspicious of our guests, but we have to keep in mind that there are a few scammers out there.
did you see the reports of that couple a few months back who were using all kinds of bogus credit card info (including their FRIENDS' credit cards) and went on trips, led a lavish lifestyle, nice clothes, cars, home, and bought all kinds of stuff? ... looked like an 'all american couple'. jeez!

 

[YellowSocks]

I've had one guest be surprised that I take payment on arrival... the rest never seem to notice (or at least, not comment). But I've yet to go to a hotel where I didn't have to present form of payment before receiving a key.
=)
Kk.

 

[Morticia]

I've had one guest be surprised that I take payment on arrival... the rest never seem to notice (or at least, not comment). But I've yet to go to a hotel where I didn't have to present form of payment before receiving a key.
=)
Kk..

I get a lot of surprised guests when I present them with their 'bill' on arrival. 'You want me to pay NOW?'
It's weird. Yes, you pay up front at a hotel, but you don't at a restaurant. You pay up front at any kind of event, not when it's over. Ditto a train, plane or car rental (sort of), but not a taxi.
So, it seems to break down to, 'fixed price pays in advance, unknown cost pays later.' And the car rental is paid in advance but they also include a hold in case you spend more than agreed to.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I remember paying for a hotel after the stay. Not, the FINAL CHARGES, but the whole thing. Those days are gone...
Most you pay way way before you even get there. Weeks or months ahead if you book it that far.

 

[gillumhouse]

I get surprised looks when I say I will take it before they leave. I want them to be able to just "put it on the bill" as they eyeball the "gift shop" at breakfast. I have sold a lot of jelly, applebutter, tea, etc and shirts too because they can just put it on the bill. They probably would not run a second charge to shop.
I can do that because I am so small. If I had more than 3 rooms I could not keep track of who is or isn't paid and DH does not handle any of that so there is no confusion.

 

[user 26]

I get surprised looks when I say I will take it before they leave. I want them to be able to just "put it on the bill" as they eyeball the "gift shop" at breakfast. I have sold a lot of jelly, applebutter, tea, etc and shirts too because they can just put it on the bill. They probably would not run a second charge to shop.
I can do that because I am so small. If I had more than 3 rooms I could not keep track of who is or isn't paid and DH does not handle any of that so there is no confusion..

yes, your style works for you.
i couldn't do it ...
what time is checkout? how do you juggle cleanup and checkout at the same time? or is cleanup from breakfast all done before your guests are departing?

 

[gillumhouse]

I get surprised looks when I say I will take it before they leave. I want them to be able to just "put it on the bill" as they eyeball the "gift shop" at breakfast. I have sold a lot of jelly, applebutter, tea, etc and shirts too because they can just put it on the bill. They probably would not run a second charge to shop.
I can do that because I am so small. If I had more than 3 rooms I could not keep track of who is or isn't paid and DH does not handle any of that so there is no confusion..

yes, your style works for you.
i couldn't do it ...
what time is checkout? how do you juggle cleanup and checkout at the same time? or is cleanup from breakfast all done before your guests are departing?
.

Technically check-out is 11 am but it usually ends up being whenever. Usually guests are gone by Noon. When they leave the table I start putting away the perishables - juice, butter, cream if out.... By the time they come down the stairs with their luggage, Madame LaFarge

is at her station in the Library (just to the right of the stairs as they come down and there I am!). As the last car pulls away from the curb, I am up the stairs stripping beds and shower curtain liners and tossing down the towels & sheets, etc. I then make the beds and come down to start the first load. While that washes, I eat my breakfast and check e-mail. DH is usually clearing the table to start his dishes (unless he has not had breakfast yet and then that means getting those dishes done is going to be an all day affair of a sinkful now and a sinkful later - Grrrrrrr!!). When I take the first load of dried linens upstairs (on a good drying day it does not take long for sheets to dry), I clean the bathrooms and hang the new shower curtain liners after cleaning the showers. I like to do the vac & touch-up the morning of arrival if I do not have someone coming in that night. Unlike you, I usually do not have back to back to back like I had the last 2 weeks.
My 3-day breather was nice. I even decrapped 3 stacks on my desk. Now I have to reorg the decrapped that is left on the dining room table - in-coming tomorrow evening and have to drag myself upstairs tonight to final touch the room. I-68 tomorrow.

 

[Morticia]

That's why we do the arrival check-in. My gift shop is minor and rarely gets even a look much less a 'Oh, too bad we already paid.'
I could not keep track of the guests trying to check-out while breakfast is being served, before anyone is even up, while I'm cleaning, while I'm taking reservations, whatever. You have my full attention when you're checking-in. Check-out is pretty much serve yourself if you're going to stay until the last possible minute.
Today I was stripping beds at 8:15 AM between breakfasts. Tomorrow may be the same with 3 rooms checking out and all beds in those rooms slept in. I gotta get a head start on stripping the rooms or I'm still cleaning way after hubs is done with the bathrooms. And each time I have to stop to answer the doorbell or the phone puts me that much further behind. So if I was also running cc's for 7 rooms, I'd never get the rooms cleaned in time!
Also, I like guests to know what the policies are and SIGN them before they go to their rooms.

 

[gillumhouse]

That's why we do the arrival check-in. My gift shop is minor and rarely gets even a look much less a 'Oh, too bad we already paid.'
I could not keep track of the guests trying to check-out while breakfast is being served, before anyone is even up, while I'm cleaning, while I'm taking reservations, whatever. You have my full attention when you're checking-in. Check-out is pretty much serve yourself if you're going to stay until the last possible minute.
Today I was stripping beds at 8:15 AM between breakfasts. Tomorrow may be the same with 3 rooms checking out and all beds in those rooms slept in. I gotta get a head start on stripping the rooms or I'm still cleaning way after hubs is done with the bathrooms. And each time I have to stop to answer the doorbell or the phone puts me that much further behind. So if I was also running cc's for 7 rooms, I'd never get the rooms cleaned in time!
Also, I like guests to know what the policies are and SIGN them before they go to their rooms..

If I had as large an operation as you and Seashanty, there is no way I would do anything other than at check-in. I am small enough I can show them to their room at check-in and wave goodbye at check-out. Usually the S/O is still at the table eating (or more likely talking with DH - we found out Monday that he actually DOES have an off button!) as I say goodbye to the departing.

 

[Samster]

I remember paying for a hotel after the stay. Not, the FINAL CHARGES, but the whole thing. Those days are gone...
Most you pay way way before you even get there. Weeks or months ahead if you book it that far..

We have only had "Express Check Out" at resorts or expensive hotels. They take your credit card and run it the last night before check out as it can include charges throughout the resort or hotel restaurant/shops, etc. Otherwise, every hotel that I've stayed at charges at check-in. I've had no problem here with running the card when they get here, in fact quite a few think that I've already charged them when they reserved online.