How I Ended Up Looking for a Recipe...

Generic · Mar 16, 2023

Got a reservation via BK and I know it's trouble instantly because it's a local. But we get a few reservations from locals, often it's really for their parents. Along with the reservation, I get a second note from the client to verify the dates.... within a MINUTE of the booking.

Five minutes later I get a phone call, to verify the dates of the reservation. WHY? RK sends out a confirmation directly from us on every reservation. Actually 2. One for a confirmation so they know we have it and a second to remind them that all mail for their OTA goes through a redirector and that if they don't get our emails, it's not our fault, but they can give us their direct emails if they want to.

Call to verify that I don't have carpets in the room.

Call after call after call.

Call at 6:30AM, made an error on the reservation, can I fix it... I'm asleep, send me an email.
I get up and right before I prepare breakfast I send an email asking about the problem, was it the room reservation (therefore you have to go to BK to fix it) or was it the parking (where I fix it). No reply

Call... fix the parking, please. No, reply to email. We need proof of the request. "You can't do it on the phone?" Nope, all changes must be tracable, only via email. Finally emails. I fix it and reply and send confirmation.

Call at 10:30PM at night... "Until what time can I cancel? 24 hours ahead?" Cancel? You booked a non-refundable rate, there is no cancellation. You don't walk into McDonald's, order a big mac, look at it for a few days and then ask to return it... no, you can't hold my inventory. So, here's my offer. I will cancel your reservation right now, with a full refund, but you have to choose now, because it's a one-time offer. "Can I hold off and call my friend?" NO! If I hang up, the offer expires. Accepts that I cancel. I go over and cancel and make sure that it goes through. It's out of my system and the room is back in inventory. Talked to BK to block her from booking... used expletive on the phone to explain my exasperation with all her calls.

And while waiting, I googled a recipe... shorturl.at/dstR4

PS: I have gotten a phone call from a local number that hung up and then another call from a Private Number. Private Number calls are all automatically refused, it's a setting on my phone. (Could be her, could be a local company trying to sell me merchant services... don't care to talk to either.)

GoodScout · Mar 16, 2023

If your phone provider allows you to block individual numbers, I'd plug that one in immediately.

Arks · Mar 19, 2023

Generic said:
Accepts that I cancel. I go over and cancel and make sure that it goes through.

Best moment of your week. Enjoy not having to keep dealing with her, and enjoy the recipe!

I had a much less but still irritating exchange with a business traveler a few months ago. He wrote a week before arrival to let me know his company requires an itemized zero-balance receipt for his stay.

I assured him that every guest is emailed an itemized zero-balance receipt on the morning of departure.

He writes back, same day, a week BEFORE arrival, that his company auditors are really strict and the receipt I sent is not acceptable.

I wrote that he has not been sent a receipt yet. He said, yes he got one with my inn name at the top and it's not itemized. Further back and forth confirmed that he was talking about the notice the charge card company sent him when he paid the deposit.

It went on. I finally told him to please stop stressing about the receipt, that I've had dozens of guests from his company over the years, even the company auditors have stayed with me, and they all approve the receipt, but it won't come until morning of departure.

I'm guessing that he has just been hired and just got out of college and has never traveled before! And I get to be the lucky one who educates him.

GoodScout · Mar 19, 2023

Flashbacks to the guest who wanted to return after being a major-league PITA the year before.

"I'm sorry, I don't have a room for you."
"But I looked at your website and it says you have lots of rooms available."
"No, you don't understand. I don't have a room for you."

Tom · Mar 19, 2023

Shaking my head; yup, that's the innkeeper's life.
I'm reading it while I had the guest list open, thus inspired I looked up a guest from last fall and banned him. He was here when I had a tried and trusted innsitter looking after an almost full house. Guy booked 4 nights but was not happy after first. I say, OK, tell him owner says cancel, no charge, go somewhere else, not going to make innsitter duke it out. No, guy wants to stay, just a different room, she says she doesn't mind moving and doing the work. But he's still not happy. Now it's OK cancel the remainder of the booking but pay for the two nights used. No discussion, no charge back.
My poor friend had just about the worst mix that long weekend. The unhappy guy, a late, late check-in, one guest vegan, and another GF.