No show with declined Credit Card Information

[Generic]

No show bad credit card, seems pretty cut n dry. Just have to move on and focus on the good guests.
We all have stories of losing revenue this year from this or worse situations. We have to think about how much of our energy we feed to these bad situations/people. Is it worth it? Life is way too short. We know for a fact we will encounter this and more in this business. The best we can do for each other is be sad we/you lost money you were counting on, but move on. Jerks are out there, oh yeah and in abundance.

.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.
.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.

This is a no show with a bad card, there is nothing else to do about it. I want to clarify this for others reading the forum, we don't all think alike here, not by a longchalk. Sometimes when we disagree we say something, we say we disagree or leave it and say nothing.
You have to pick your battles. It is NOT worth it to allow something to eat you up and infect your day/week/month/year. Continually not enforcning is not the same thing, there is nothing to do about this situation, eat your losses and move on. Try to run the card a few more times, then that is it. It's a done deal.
I would rather shut my doors then allow this business to suck the life out of me. I won't do it. I won't allow the jerks who will battle to the end to disrupt any joy I have in running this B&B.
I have a totally different perspective. Being right, being a business 100% of the time, all of that does not make me sleep well at night, doesn't make me nicer to the other guests, in fact it is the opposite effect.
We had a total a-hole here on the weekend, and as I said to some innmates off line, to them alone, I would have PAID the person to leave. It is not worth it, ever. I will PAY YOU to leave and not destroy what we have going on here. That is the truth. I didn't say that to them, only to you innkeepers.
That's my story and I'm sticking' to it.
.

I'm just saying DO NOT just let it go. Contact the guest, in writing...call the cops like I did if you have to. Let the a-holes know what they cost you. Try the card a few times. I"m not saying use all your energy on it, but to just let it go without doing anything? THAT would not let me sleep at night.
I'm truly jealous of anyone who is having any joy right now. This summer has been horrible, the people just sucking the very life energy out of us at every turn. It's hot, they don't want to do anything, they don't want to spend any money...and all of it is somehow MY problem.
I am on a serious avoid-at-all costs mission this week. We have repeats here for 10 DAYS...they sit down at the last possible moment to breakfast every single day (everyone else is long gone out of the house by then) and expect one or both of us to sit and chat with them for 30+ minutes. We are on down the road to three different things by then but they make all these crappy passive-aggressive comments if we leave them alone. Last time they were here hornswaggled us into looking at vaca pics for 2 HOURS. They asked this morning if I had any interest in seeing their new ones...NO!!! I said I haven't had a vacation in so long that seeing pictures of the beach would seriously depress me.
.

In the summer, we have two seating for breakfast. One is for arrivals from 8AM to 8:30AM and out before 9AM. And the second is for arrivals from 9AM to 9:30AM and out before 10AM. We ask which they want and hang a tag from the key hook for their room. They are welcome to change it as long as there are tags available for the time they want. Since we started doing this we haven't had anyone show up very late for breakfast and we cut down the service time. We used to take last call at 10AM and end at 10:30AM. Some days, we are done by 9:30AM now.

 

[JBloggs]

"B&B's are hornswaggle free zones!" another great line for the tshirt.

 

[Proud Texan]

No show bad credit card, seems pretty cut n dry. Just have to move on and focus on the good guests.
We all have stories of losing revenue this year from this or worse situations. We have to think about how much of our energy we feed to these bad situations/people. Is it worth it? Life is way too short. We know for a fact we will encounter this and more in this business. The best we can do for each other is be sad we/you lost money you were counting on, but move on. Jerks are out there, oh yeah and in abundance.

.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.
.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.

I agree with Don Draper. You may have legal recourse because this could be construed as theft of services, which I understand, is a felony.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

No show bad credit card, seems pretty cut n dry. Just have to move on and focus on the good guests.
We all have stories of losing revenue this year from this or worse situations. We have to think about how much of our energy we feed to these bad situations/people. Is it worth it? Life is way too short. We know for a fact we will encounter this and more in this business. The best we can do for each other is be sad we/you lost money you were counting on, but move on. Jerks are out there, oh yeah and in abundance.

.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.
.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.

Depending on your personality and financial need, many innkeepers will choose different options. For me, taking these awful dog guests to court is making me feel empowered (even though it's a pain the the a**). I would feel worse in the long run if I let people walk all over me.
If you have a spouse that works outside the b&b & is bringing in an income and health insurance, it's easier to say "oh well".

 

[Alibi Ike]

No show bad credit card, seems pretty cut n dry. Just have to move on and focus on the good guests.
We all have stories of losing revenue this year from this or worse situations. We have to think about how much of our energy we feed to these bad situations/people. Is it worth it? Life is way too short. We know for a fact we will encounter this and more in this business. The best we can do for each other is be sad we/you lost money you were counting on, but move on. Jerks are out there, oh yeah and in abundance.

.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.
.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.

Depending on your personality and financial need, many innkeepers will choose different options. For me, taking these awful dog guests to court is making me feel empowered (even though it's a pain the the a**). I would feel worse in the long run if I let people walk all over me.
If you have a spouse that works outside the b&b & is bringing in an income and health insurance, it's easier to say "oh well".
.

Depending on your personality and financial need, many innkeepers will choose different options. For me, taking these awful dog guests to court is making me feel empowered (even though it's a pain the the a**). I would feel worse in the long run if I let people walk all over me.
If you have a spouse that works outside the b&b & is bringing in an income and health insurance, it's easier to say "oh well".

This is all the income we have except for a teeny retirement. We still have to decide when it is feasible to go after bad guests and when it is better to let it go. However, we are working this year toward being more proactive instead of reactive. (The major setback being those guests who wouldn't leave.)
The proactive part is taking the deposits. And, now, making sure we have a cc for every room, not just from the person making the rez for multiple rooms.
This definitely has to do with our particular personalities. With backup, I would go after the scoundrels. I don't have that backup so it would just be me expending all the effort. There are days I just don't see $150 worth that effort.
We have made the effort for $500 and up, tho. Yes, it was empowering to get what we deserved, what was rightfully ours.
However, there does come a time when we've done what we could to no avail that it is mentally and emotionally better to 'let go' of the weight of those guests we are carrying around. Same thing with bad reviews. THOSE are costing us money as well. Once we've made our best effort to respond to them, it's best for me to mark that as 'done' and walk away from it. (Except for the cocktail party stories we have to tell!)

 

[Breakfast Diva]

No show bad credit card, seems pretty cut n dry. Just have to move on and focus on the good guests.
We all have stories of losing revenue this year from this or worse situations. We have to think about how much of our energy we feed to these bad situations/people. Is it worth it? Life is way too short. We know for a fact we will encounter this and more in this business. The best we can do for each other is be sad we/you lost money you were counting on, but move on. Jerks are out there, oh yeah and in abundance.

.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.
.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.

Depending on your personality and financial need, many innkeepers will choose different options. For me, taking these awful dog guests to court is making me feel empowered (even though it's a pain the the a**). I would feel worse in the long run if I let people walk all over me.
If you have a spouse that works outside the b&b & is bringing in an income and health insurance, it's easier to say "oh well".
.

Depending on your personality and financial need, many innkeepers will choose different options. For me, taking these awful dog guests to court is making me feel empowered (even though it's a pain the the a**). I would feel worse in the long run if I let people walk all over me.
If you have a spouse that works outside the b&b & is bringing in an income and health insurance, it's easier to say "oh well".

This is all the income we have except for a teeny retirement. We still have to decide when it is feasible to go after bad guests and when it is better to let it go. However, we are working this year toward being more proactive instead of reactive. (The major setback being those guests who wouldn't leave.)
The proactive part is taking the deposits. And, now, making sure we have a cc for every room, not just from the person making the rez for multiple rooms.
This definitely has to do with our particular personalities. With backup, I would go after the scoundrels. I don't have that backup so it would just be me expending all the effort. There are days I just don't see $150 worth that effort.
We have made the effort for $500 and up, tho. Yes, it was empowering to get what we deserved, what was rightfully ours.
However, there does come a time when we've done what we could to no avail that it is mentally and emotionally better to 'let go' of the weight of those guests we are carrying around. Same thing with bad reviews. THOSE are costing us money as well. Once we've made our best effort to respond to them, it's best for me to mark that as 'done' and walk away from it. (Except for the cocktail party stories we have to tell!)
.

I totally agree with you! Proactive is what we all need to be. I think it's great you've gone to deposits up front to thwart off the flakes.
You're right, when it's time to let it go, ya gotta let it go. Easier said than done, but I'm getting better about not obsessing about the "wrongs" done to us. Life is too short.

 

[Generic]

If you are having this problem regularly, a week before the arrival, past the cancellation date, but before arrival, could you an authorization? It's under 5. OTHER and then 3. AUTH ONLY and basically tells you if there is money to cover the transaction on the card. If at that point you get a decline, you can contact the guest, ask if they want to replace the card or cancel the reservation and at least have a chance to rebook?
Maybe add on something to your confirmation that says that their card will be authorized x days in advance for the cost of one nights stay, any decline will result in their reservation being cancelled. Or something like that.

 

[user 26]

No show bad credit card, seems pretty cut n dry. Just have to move on and focus on the good guests.
We all have stories of losing revenue this year from this or worse situations. We have to think about how much of our energy we feed to these bad situations/people. Is it worth it? Life is way too short. We know for a fact we will encounter this and more in this business. The best we can do for each other is be sad we/you lost money you were counting on, but move on. Jerks are out there, oh yeah and in abundance.

.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.
.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.

This is a no show with a bad card, there is nothing else to do about it. I want to clarify this for others reading the forum, we don't all think alike here, not by a longchalk. Sometimes when we disagree we say something, we say we disagree or leave it and say nothing.
You have to pick your battles. It is NOT worth it to allow something to eat you up and infect your day/week/month/year. Continually not enforcning is not the same thing, there is nothing to do about this situation, eat your losses and move on. Try to run the card a few more times, then that is it. It's a done deal.
I would rather shut my doors then allow this business to suck the life out of me. I won't do it. I won't allow the jerks who will battle to the end to disrupt any joy I have in running this B&B.
I have a totally different perspective. Being right, being a business 100% of the time, all of that does not make me sleep well at night, doesn't make me nicer to the other guests, in fact it is the opposite effect.
We had a total a-hole here on the weekend, and as I said to some innmates off line, to them alone, I would have PAID the person to leave. It is not worth it, ever. I will PAY YOU to leave and not destroy what we have going on here. That is the truth. I didn't say that to them, only to you innkeepers.
That's my story and I'm sticking' to it.
.

I'm just saying DO NOT just let it go. Contact the guest, in writing...call the cops like I did if you have to. Let the a-holes know what they cost you. Try the card a few times. I"m not saying use all your energy on it, but to just let it go without doing anything? THAT would not let me sleep at night.
I'm truly jealous of anyone who is having any joy right now. This summer has been horrible, the people just sucking the very life energy out of us at every turn. It's hot, they don't want to do anything, they don't want to spend any money...and all of it is somehow MY problem.
I am on a serious avoid-at-all costs mission this week. We have repeats here for 10 DAYS...they sit down at the last possible moment to breakfast every single day (everyone else is long gone out of the house by then) and expect one or both of us to sit and chat with them for 30+ minutes. We are on down the road to three different things by then but they make all these crappy passive-aggressive comments if we leave them alone. Last time they were here hornswaggled us into looking at vaca pics for 2 HOURS. They asked this morning if I had any interest in seeing their new ones...NO!!! I said I haven't had a vacation in so long that seeing pictures of the beach would seriously depress me.
.

We've had a few of those over the years. Last minute to brekkie so they know they have you all to themselves. Then they want to chat before they sit down. Then it's 10 o'clock and we're trying to herd them to sit down.
(I used to have a guest who called every Sunday at 10 AM. She knew brekkie was over. She's still a guest but she's stopped calling.)
We do not sit down with the guests. If they ask we say, 'If we sat down, we'd never get back up.' We will look at guest photos and all of that at night, when we've had a chance to sit down ourselves. Not in the morning.
Luckily, the phone rings a lot in the morning so we can get away. The spouse has no trouble at all telling guests he has to get back to work. And then he leaves them. Some will follow him to the kitchen but as long as he's able to work, he'll keep talking.
Sorry you're not having any joy this year. After the cranky guest decamped yesterday the charming Italians showed up and spread a little sunshine over the gloom that was still hanging around. They took her room and her evil spirit was vanquished!
.

i always took deposits .. always ... and got payment at check in ... always. no exceptions ... but that was me.

Luckily, the phone rings a lot in the morning so we can get away.

as for people who want to chat endlessly ... i found it hard to get away and they would keep talking as i did dishes, etc. TIP i learned on this forum was to stick my cordless phone in my apron pocket or hold it in my hand and MAKE IT RING ... i'd excuse myself, pretend to answer, and tell the guest ... sorry i've got to take care of this call ... and i would leave them.
i also put a headset on and pretended i was on a call.
does that sound goofy? i suppose it does, but i had a real hard time getting some folks to let me be. one even tried to follow me into my bathroom. ugh ... somehow, my appearing to be on the phone got through.

 

[Alibi Ike]

No show bad credit card, seems pretty cut n dry. Just have to move on and focus on the good guests.
We all have stories of losing revenue this year from this or worse situations. We have to think about how much of our energy we feed to these bad situations/people. Is it worth it? Life is way too short. We know for a fact we will encounter this and more in this business. The best we can do for each other is be sad we/you lost money you were counting on, but move on. Jerks are out there, oh yeah and in abundance.

.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.
.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.

This is a no show with a bad card, there is nothing else to do about it. I want to clarify this for others reading the forum, we don't all think alike here, not by a longchalk. Sometimes when we disagree we say something, we say we disagree or leave it and say nothing.
You have to pick your battles. It is NOT worth it to allow something to eat you up and infect your day/week/month/year. Continually not enforcning is not the same thing, there is nothing to do about this situation, eat your losses and move on. Try to run the card a few more times, then that is it. It's a done deal.
I would rather shut my doors then allow this business to suck the life out of me. I won't do it. I won't allow the jerks who will battle to the end to disrupt any joy I have in running this B&B.
I have a totally different perspective. Being right, being a business 100% of the time, all of that does not make me sleep well at night, doesn't make me nicer to the other guests, in fact it is the opposite effect.
We had a total a-hole here on the weekend, and as I said to some innmates off line, to them alone, I would have PAID the person to leave. It is not worth it, ever. I will PAY YOU to leave and not destroy what we have going on here. That is the truth. I didn't say that to them, only to you innkeepers.
That's my story and I'm sticking' to it.
.

I'm just saying DO NOT just let it go. Contact the guest, in writing...call the cops like I did if you have to. Let the a-holes know what they cost you. Try the card a few times. I"m not saying use all your energy on it, but to just let it go without doing anything? THAT would not let me sleep at night.
I'm truly jealous of anyone who is having any joy right now. This summer has been horrible, the people just sucking the very life energy out of us at every turn. It's hot, they don't want to do anything, they don't want to spend any money...and all of it is somehow MY problem.
I am on a serious avoid-at-all costs mission this week. We have repeats here for 10 DAYS...they sit down at the last possible moment to breakfast every single day (everyone else is long gone out of the house by then) and expect one or both of us to sit and chat with them for 30+ minutes. We are on down the road to three different things by then but they make all these crappy passive-aggressive comments if we leave them alone. Last time they were here hornswaggled us into looking at vaca pics for 2 HOURS. They asked this morning if I had any interest in seeing their new ones...NO!!! I said I haven't had a vacation in so long that seeing pictures of the beach would seriously depress me.
.

We've had a few of those over the years. Last minute to brekkie so they know they have you all to themselves. Then they want to chat before they sit down. Then it's 10 o'clock and we're trying to herd them to sit down.
(I used to have a guest who called every Sunday at 10 AM. She knew brekkie was over. She's still a guest but she's stopped calling.)
We do not sit down with the guests. If they ask we say, 'If we sat down, we'd never get back up.' We will look at guest photos and all of that at night, when we've had a chance to sit down ourselves. Not in the morning.
Luckily, the phone rings a lot in the morning so we can get away. The spouse has no trouble at all telling guests he has to get back to work. And then he leaves them. Some will follow him to the kitchen but as long as he's able to work, he'll keep talking.
Sorry you're not having any joy this year. After the cranky guest decamped yesterday the charming Italians showed up and spread a little sunshine over the gloom that was still hanging around. They took her room and her evil spirit was vanquished!
.

i always took deposits .. always ... and got payment at check in ... always. no exceptions ... but that was me.

Luckily, the phone rings a lot in the morning so we can get away.

as for people who want to chat endlessly ... i found it hard to get away and they would keep talking as i did dishes, etc. TIP i learned on this forum was to stick my cordless phone in my apron pocket or hold it in my hand and MAKE IT RING ... i'd excuse myself, pretend to answer, and tell the guest ... sorry i've got to take care of this call ... and i would leave them.
i also put a headset on and pretended i was on a call.
does that sound goofy? i suppose it does, but i had a real hard time getting some folks to let me be. one even tried to follow me into my bathroom. ugh ... somehow, my appearing to be on the phone got through.
.

This morning our guests were all checked out and I was having my breakfat in my 'office' which doubles as my bedroom. A guest came back, walked right down the hall and in the door to ask a question. I immediately stood up to 'push' him back out the door, but it was too late. There he was, fully in my bedroom, totally uncaring.
Ugh, I hate that.

 

[Copperhead]

No show bad credit card, seems pretty cut n dry. Just have to move on and focus on the good guests.
We all have stories of losing revenue this year from this or worse situations. We have to think about how much of our energy we feed to these bad situations/people. Is it worth it? Life is way too short. We know for a fact we will encounter this and more in this business. The best we can do for each other is be sad we/you lost money you were counting on, but move on. Jerks are out there, oh yeah and in abundance.

.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.
.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.

This is a no show with a bad card, there is nothing else to do about it. I want to clarify this for others reading the forum, we don't all think alike here, not by a longchalk. Sometimes when we disagree we say something, we say we disagree or leave it and say nothing.
You have to pick your battles. It is NOT worth it to allow something to eat you up and infect your day/week/month/year. Continually not enforcning is not the same thing, there is nothing to do about this situation, eat your losses and move on. Try to run the card a few more times, then that is it. It's a done deal.
I would rather shut my doors then allow this business to suck the life out of me. I won't do it. I won't allow the jerks who will battle to the end to disrupt any joy I have in running this B&B.
I have a totally different perspective. Being right, being a business 100% of the time, all of that does not make me sleep well at night, doesn't make me nicer to the other guests, in fact it is the opposite effect.
We had a total a-hole here on the weekend, and as I said to some innmates off line, to them alone, I would have PAID the person to leave. It is not worth it, ever. I will PAY YOU to leave and not destroy what we have going on here. That is the truth. I didn't say that to them, only to you innkeepers.
That's my story and I'm sticking' to it.
.

I'm just saying DO NOT just let it go. Contact the guest, in writing...call the cops like I did if you have to. Let the a-holes know what they cost you. Try the card a few times. I"m not saying use all your energy on it, but to just let it go without doing anything? THAT would not let me sleep at night.
I'm truly jealous of anyone who is having any joy right now. This summer has been horrible, the people just sucking the very life energy out of us at every turn. It's hot, they don't want to do anything, they don't want to spend any money...and all of it is somehow MY problem.
I am on a serious avoid-at-all costs mission this week. We have repeats here for 10 DAYS...they sit down at the last possible moment to breakfast every single day (everyone else is long gone out of the house by then) and expect one or both of us to sit and chat with them for 30+ minutes. We are on down the road to three different things by then but they make all these crappy passive-aggressive comments if we leave them alone. Last time they were here hornswaggled us into looking at vaca pics for 2 HOURS. They asked this morning if I had any interest in seeing their new ones...NO!!! I said I haven't had a vacation in so long that seeing pictures of the beach would seriously depress me.
.

We've had a few of those over the years. Last minute to brekkie so they know they have you all to themselves. Then they want to chat before they sit down. Then it's 10 o'clock and we're trying to herd them to sit down.
(I used to have a guest who called every Sunday at 10 AM. She knew brekkie was over. She's still a guest but she's stopped calling.)
We do not sit down with the guests. If they ask we say, 'If we sat down, we'd never get back up.' We will look at guest photos and all of that at night, when we've had a chance to sit down ourselves. Not in the morning.
Luckily, the phone rings a lot in the morning so we can get away. The spouse has no trouble at all telling guests he has to get back to work. And then he leaves them. Some will follow him to the kitchen but as long as he's able to work, he'll keep talking.
Sorry you're not having any joy this year. After the cranky guest decamped yesterday the charming Italians showed up and spread a little sunshine over the gloom that was still hanging around. They took her room and her evil spirit was vanquished!
.

i always took deposits .. always ... and got payment at check in ... always. no exceptions ... but that was me.

Luckily, the phone rings a lot in the morning so we can get away.

as for people who want to chat endlessly ... i found it hard to get away and they would keep talking as i did dishes, etc. TIP i learned on this forum was to stick my cordless phone in my apron pocket or hold it in my hand and MAKE IT RING ... i'd excuse myself, pretend to answer, and tell the guest ... sorry i've got to take care of this call ... and i would leave them.
i also put a headset on and pretended i was on a call.
does that sound goofy? i suppose it does, but i had a real hard time getting some folks to let me be. one even tried to follow me into my bathroom. ugh ... somehow, my appearing to be on the phone got through.
.

This morning our guests were all checked out and I was having my breakfat in my 'office' which doubles as my bedroom. A guest came back, walked right down the hall and in the door to ask a question. I immediately stood up to 'push' him back out the door, but it was too late. There he was, fully in my bedroom, totally uncaring.
Ugh, I hate that.
.

This morning our guests were all checked out and I was having my breakfat in my 'office' which doubles as my bedroom. A guest came back, walked right down the hall and in the door to ask a question. I immediately stood up to 'push' him back out the door, but it was too late. There he was, fully in my bedroom, totally uncaring.
Ugh, I hate that.

Get out!!!
NO, really GET OUT!

 

[InnBloom]

No show bad credit card, seems pretty cut n dry. Just have to move on and focus on the good guests.
We all have stories of losing revenue this year from this or worse situations. We have to think about how much of our energy we feed to these bad situations/people. Is it worth it? Life is way too short. We know for a fact we will encounter this and more in this business. The best we can do for each other is be sad we/you lost money you were counting on, but move on. Jerks are out there, oh yeah and in abundance.

.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.
.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.

This is a no show with a bad card, there is nothing else to do about it. I want to clarify this for others reading the forum, we don't all think alike here, not by a longchalk. Sometimes when we disagree we say something, we say we disagree or leave it and say nothing.
You have to pick your battles. It is NOT worth it to allow something to eat you up and infect your day/week/month/year. Continually not enforcning is not the same thing, there is nothing to do about this situation, eat your losses and move on. Try to run the card a few more times, then that is it. It's a done deal.
I would rather shut my doors then allow this business to suck the life out of me. I won't do it. I won't allow the jerks who will battle to the end to disrupt any joy I have in running this B&B.
I have a totally different perspective. Being right, being a business 100% of the time, all of that does not make me sleep well at night, doesn't make me nicer to the other guests, in fact it is the opposite effect.
We had a total a-hole here on the weekend, and as I said to some innmates off line, to them alone, I would have PAID the person to leave. It is not worth it, ever. I will PAY YOU to leave and not destroy what we have going on here. That is the truth. I didn't say that to them, only to you innkeepers.
That's my story and I'm sticking' to it.
.

I'm just saying DO NOT just let it go. Contact the guest, in writing...call the cops like I did if you have to. Let the a-holes know what they cost you. Try the card a few times. I"m not saying use all your energy on it, but to just let it go without doing anything? THAT would not let me sleep at night.
I'm truly jealous of anyone who is having any joy right now. This summer has been horrible, the people just sucking the very life energy out of us at every turn. It's hot, they don't want to do anything, they don't want to spend any money...and all of it is somehow MY problem.
I am on a serious avoid-at-all costs mission this week. We have repeats here for 10 DAYS...they sit down at the last possible moment to breakfast every single day (everyone else is long gone out of the house by then) and expect one or both of us to sit and chat with them for 30+ minutes. We are on down the road to three different things by then but they make all these crappy passive-aggressive comments if we leave them alone. Last time they were here hornswaggled us into looking at vaca pics for 2 HOURS. They asked this morning if I had any interest in seeing their new ones...NO!!! I said I haven't had a vacation in so long that seeing pictures of the beach would seriously depress me.
.

We've had a few of those over the years. Last minute to brekkie so they know they have you all to themselves. Then they want to chat before they sit down. Then it's 10 o'clock and we're trying to herd them to sit down.
(I used to have a guest who called every Sunday at 10 AM. She knew brekkie was over. She's still a guest but she's stopped calling.)
We do not sit down with the guests. If they ask we say, 'If we sat down, we'd never get back up.' We will look at guest photos and all of that at night, when we've had a chance to sit down ourselves. Not in the morning.
Luckily, the phone rings a lot in the morning so we can get away. The spouse has no trouble at all telling guests he has to get back to work. And then he leaves them. Some will follow him to the kitchen but as long as he's able to work, he'll keep talking.
Sorry you're not having any joy this year. After the cranky guest decamped yesterday the charming Italians showed up and spread a little sunshine over the gloom that was still hanging around. They took her room and her evil spirit was vanquished!
.

Sorry you're not having any joy this year. After the cranky guest decamped yesterday the charming Italians showed up and spread a little sunshine over the gloom that was still hanging around. They took her room and her evil spirit was vanquished!

Isn't it wonderful how the bad guests really do take their gloom with them? The new guests can sometimes just bring a new energy!

 

[Don Draper]

No show bad credit card, seems pretty cut n dry. Just have to move on and focus on the good guests.
We all have stories of losing revenue this year from this or worse situations. We have to think about how much of our energy we feed to these bad situations/people. Is it worth it? Life is way too short. We know for a fact we will encounter this and more in this business. The best we can do for each other is be sad we/you lost money you were counting on, but move on. Jerks are out there, oh yeah and in abundance.

.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.
.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.

This is a no show with a bad card, there is nothing else to do about it. I want to clarify this for others reading the forum, we don't all think alike here, not by a longchalk. Sometimes when we disagree we say something, we say we disagree or leave it and say nothing.
You have to pick your battles. It is NOT worth it to allow something to eat you up and infect your day/week/month/year. Continually not enforcning is not the same thing, there is nothing to do about this situation, eat your losses and move on. Try to run the card a few more times, then that is it. It's a done deal.
I would rather shut my doors then allow this business to suck the life out of me. I won't do it. I won't allow the jerks who will battle to the end to disrupt any joy I have in running this B&B.
I have a totally different perspective. Being right, being a business 100% of the time, all of that does not make me sleep well at night, doesn't make me nicer to the other guests, in fact it is the opposite effect.
We had a total a-hole here on the weekend, and as I said to some innmates off line, to them alone, I would have PAID the person to leave. It is not worth it, ever. I will PAY YOU to leave and not destroy what we have going on here. That is the truth. I didn't say that to them, only to you innkeepers.
That's my story and I'm sticking' to it.
.

I'm just saying DO NOT just let it go. Contact the guest, in writing...call the cops like I did if you have to. Let the a-holes know what they cost you. Try the card a few times. I"m not saying use all your energy on it, but to just let it go without doing anything? THAT would not let me sleep at night.
I'm truly jealous of anyone who is having any joy right now. This summer has been horrible, the people just sucking the very life energy out of us at every turn. It's hot, they don't want to do anything, they don't want to spend any money...and all of it is somehow MY problem.
I am on a serious avoid-at-all costs mission this week. We have repeats here for 10 DAYS...they sit down at the last possible moment to breakfast every single day (everyone else is long gone out of the house by then) and expect one or both of us to sit and chat with them for 30+ minutes. We are on down the road to three different things by then but they make all these crappy passive-aggressive comments if we leave them alone. Last time they were here hornswaggled us into looking at vaca pics for 2 HOURS. They asked this morning if I had any interest in seeing their new ones...NO!!! I said I haven't had a vacation in so long that seeing pictures of the beach would seriously depress me.
.

We've had a few of those over the years. Last minute to brekkie so they know they have you all to themselves. Then they want to chat before they sit down. Then it's 10 o'clock and we're trying to herd them to sit down.
(I used to have a guest who called every Sunday at 10 AM. She knew brekkie was over. She's still a guest but she's stopped calling.)
We do not sit down with the guests. If they ask we say, 'If we sat down, we'd never get back up.' We will look at guest photos and all of that at night, when we've had a chance to sit down ourselves. Not in the morning.
Luckily, the phone rings a lot in the morning so we can get away. The spouse has no trouble at all telling guests he has to get back to work. And then he leaves them. Some will follow him to the kitchen but as long as he's able to work, he'll keep talking.
Sorry you're not having any joy this year. After the cranky guest decamped yesterday the charming Italians showed up and spread a little sunshine over the gloom that was still hanging around. They took her room and her evil spirit was vanquished!
.

i always took deposits .. always ... and got payment at check in ... always. no exceptions ... but that was me.

Luckily, the phone rings a lot in the morning so we can get away.

as for people who want to chat endlessly ... i found it hard to get away and they would keep talking as i did dishes, etc. TIP i learned on this forum was to stick my cordless phone in my apron pocket or hold it in my hand and MAKE IT RING ... i'd excuse myself, pretend to answer, and tell the guest ... sorry i've got to take care of this call ... and i would leave them.
i also put a headset on and pretended i was on a call.
does that sound goofy? i suppose it does, but i had a real hard time getting some folks to let me be. one even tried to follow me into my bathroom. ugh ... somehow, my appearing to be on the phone got through.
.

This morning our guests were all checked out and I was having my breakfat in my 'office' which doubles as my bedroom. A guest came back, walked right down the hall and in the door to ask a question. I immediately stood up to 'push' him back out the door, but it was too late. There he was, fully in my bedroom, totally uncaring.
Ugh, I hate that.
.

Someone tried to do that in our kitchen this morning...knocked on the swinging door and before I could get there started to push it in...I said "Coming out" and she didn't move (I had my hands full with 3 water carafes) so I pushed into her side as hard as I could...yeah, that sign that says "DO NOT ENTER"...THAT DEFINITELY MEANS YOU!!!!!
This was the woman whose husband had adult ADD yesterday when I was checking them in (wandering all over the common areas while I'm trying to give them the spiel) so of course she had a questions because he missed something. They leave today, amen.

 

[JBloggs]

No show bad credit card, seems pretty cut n dry. Just have to move on and focus on the good guests.
We all have stories of losing revenue this year from this or worse situations. We have to think about how much of our energy we feed to these bad situations/people. Is it worth it? Life is way too short. We know for a fact we will encounter this and more in this business. The best we can do for each other is be sad we/you lost money you were counting on, but move on. Jerks are out there, oh yeah and in abundance.

.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.
.

I have to disagree. You should do everything you can to recoup your losses. Again, it's not doing other B&B owners any favors when folks continually don't enforce their policies. These people need to realize that they are taking money right out of our hands. We won't be able to be open to service the wonderful guests if we let the jerks win.

This is a no show with a bad card, there is nothing else to do about it. I want to clarify this for others reading the forum, we don't all think alike here, not by a longchalk. Sometimes when we disagree we say something, we say we disagree or leave it and say nothing.
You have to pick your battles. It is NOT worth it to allow something to eat you up and infect your day/week/month/year. Continually not enforcning is not the same thing, there is nothing to do about this situation, eat your losses and move on. Try to run the card a few more times, then that is it. It's a done deal.
I would rather shut my doors then allow this business to suck the life out of me. I won't do it. I won't allow the jerks who will battle to the end to disrupt any joy I have in running this B&B.
I have a totally different perspective. Being right, being a business 100% of the time, all of that does not make me sleep well at night, doesn't make me nicer to the other guests, in fact it is the opposite effect.
We had a total a-hole here on the weekend, and as I said to some innmates off line, to them alone, I would have PAID the person to leave. It is not worth it, ever. I will PAY YOU to leave and not destroy what we have going on here. That is the truth. I didn't say that to them, only to you innkeepers.
That's my story and I'm sticking' to it.
.

I'm just saying DO NOT just let it go. Contact the guest, in writing...call the cops like I did if you have to. Let the a-holes know what they cost you. Try the card a few times. I"m not saying use all your energy on it, but to just let it go without doing anything? THAT would not let me sleep at night.
I'm truly jealous of anyone who is having any joy right now. This summer has been horrible, the people just sucking the very life energy out of us at every turn. It's hot, they don't want to do anything, they don't want to spend any money...and all of it is somehow MY problem.
I am on a serious avoid-at-all costs mission this week. We have repeats here for 10 DAYS...they sit down at the last possible moment to breakfast every single day (everyone else is long gone out of the house by then) and expect one or both of us to sit and chat with them for 30+ minutes. We are on down the road to three different things by then but they make all these crappy passive-aggressive comments if we leave them alone. Last time they were here hornswaggled us into looking at vaca pics for 2 HOURS. They asked this morning if I had any interest in seeing their new ones...NO!!! I said I haven't had a vacation in so long that seeing pictures of the beach would seriously depress me.
.

We've had a few of those over the years. Last minute to brekkie so they know they have you all to themselves. Then they want to chat before they sit down. Then it's 10 o'clock and we're trying to herd them to sit down.
(I used to have a guest who called every Sunday at 10 AM. She knew brekkie was over. She's still a guest but she's stopped calling.)
We do not sit down with the guests. If they ask we say, 'If we sat down, we'd never get back up.' We will look at guest photos and all of that at night, when we've had a chance to sit down ourselves. Not in the morning.
Luckily, the phone rings a lot in the morning so we can get away. The spouse has no trouble at all telling guests he has to get back to work. And then he leaves them. Some will follow him to the kitchen but as long as he's able to work, he'll keep talking.
Sorry you're not having any joy this year. After the cranky guest decamped yesterday the charming Italians showed up and spread a little sunshine over the gloom that was still hanging around. They took her room and her evil spirit was vanquished!
.

i always took deposits .. always ... and got payment at check in ... always. no exceptions ... but that was me.

Luckily, the phone rings a lot in the morning so we can get away.

as for people who want to chat endlessly ... i found it hard to get away and they would keep talking as i did dishes, etc. TIP i learned on this forum was to stick my cordless phone in my apron pocket or hold it in my hand and MAKE IT RING ... i'd excuse myself, pretend to answer, and tell the guest ... sorry i've got to take care of this call ... and i would leave them.
i also put a headset on and pretended i was on a call.
does that sound goofy? i suppose it does, but i had a real hard time getting some folks to let me be. one even tried to follow me into my bathroom. ugh ... somehow, my appearing to be on the phone got through.
.

This morning our guests were all checked out and I was having my breakfat in my 'office' which doubles as my bedroom. A guest came back, walked right down the hall and in the door to ask a question. I immediately stood up to 'push' him back out the door, but it was too late. There he was, fully in my bedroom, totally uncaring.
Ugh, I hate that.
.

Someone tried to do that in our kitchen this morning...knocked on the swinging door and before I could get there started to push it in...I said "Coming out" and she didn't move (I had my hands full with 3 water carafes) so I pushed into her side as hard as I could...yeah, that sign that says "DO NOT ENTER"...THAT DEFINITELY MEANS YOU!!!!!
This was the woman whose husband had adult ADD yesterday when I was checking them in (wandering all over the common areas while I'm trying to give them the spiel) so of course she had a questions because he missed something. They leave today, amen.
.

Someone tried to do that in our kitchen this morning...knocked on the swinging door and before I could get there started to push it in...I said "Coming out" and she didn't move (I had my hands full with 3 water carafes) so I pushed into her side as hard as I could...yeah, that sign that says "DO NOT ENTER"...THAT DEFINITELY MEANS YOU!!!!!
This was the woman whose husband had adult ADD yesterday when I was checking them in (wandering all over the common areas while I'm trying to give them the spiel) so of course she had a questions because he missed something. They leave today, amen.

You didn't SPRING IT RIGHT OPEN so she felt she could just push it open and go in? Past the EMPLOYEES ONLY DO NOT ENTER sign? Lovely.