Our guests have not had a dishwasher for the whole week they have been in our holiday villa. (repair taken longer than expected) How much would you consider a fair amount for compensation. They paid £2200 for the week and there are 10 of them?
Julie
Compensation for missing Dishwasher
Have they asked? If not I would offer nothing and see what happens. Dishwashers breakdown at home too and repairs take longer then expected. Not having a dishwasher is hardly the end of the world. Sometimes things are totally outside our control. Sh!t happens but that doesn't mean we have to jump to offer compo.
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
+1Marks wrote:Have they asked? If not I would offer nothing and see what happens. Dishwashers breakdown at home too and repairs take longer then expected. Not having a dishwasher is hardly the end of the world. Sometimes things are totally outside our control. Sh!t happens but that doesn't mean we have to jump to offer compo.
Here we go again........
We had several sets of guests with no dishwasher last season when it broke down.
I told them on arrival, apologised, left them plenty of washing up liquid and said I hoped they wouldn't let it spoil their holiday.
Most just shrugged it off as one of those things. One lady said "Thank goodness it isn't the washing machine - that would be a problem. I don't mind doing a few dishes but I'm not hand washing everyone's smalls!"
I wouldn't offer any compensation up front unless they ask.
I told them on arrival, apologised, left them plenty of washing up liquid and said I hoped they wouldn't let it spoil their holiday.
Most just shrugged it off as one of those things. One lady said "Thank goodness it isn't the washing machine - that would be a problem. I don't mind doing a few dishes but I'm not hand washing everyone's smalls!"
I wouldn't offer any compensation up front unless they ask.
+1Marks wrote:Have they asked? If not I would offer nothing and see what happens. Dishwashers breakdown at home too and repairs take longer then expected. Not having a dishwasher is hardly the end of the world. Sometimes things are totally outside our control. Sh!t happens but that doesn't mean we have to jump to offer compo.
However, if they have already asked, I would work out how long they would spend on an average day washing up - say 1 hour per day x 7 days - times that by the hourly rate you pay your cleaner and then round it up a bit for their inconvenience. So probably less than 5% of their stay. Can't think of any other way to do it.
If ever we fail to provide the facilities the guests expect then I will always do something to recognise that we have let them down. Yes we all know that these things happen, but it has still been an inconvenience for the guests even if they are nice enough not to make a fuss about it (the last thing I want to be doing on my holiday is washing up!).
Rather than waiting for the guests to ask, why not 'wow' them by showing you care that they had a let down (however slight)? A thoughtful yet low cost gesture could be very well received, and head off any potential for a 'compensation' discussion. It doesn't need to be financial, in fact dropping in a few bottles of wine / bubbly, or sending flowers when they get back home can have a remarkable effect.
Rather than waiting for the guests to ask, why not 'wow' them by showing you care that they had a let down (however slight)? A thoughtful yet low cost gesture could be very well received, and head off any potential for a 'compensation' discussion. It doesn't need to be financial, in fact dropping in a few bottles of wine / bubbly, or sending flowers when they get back home can have a remarkable effect.
A party of 10 with no dishwasher? 
Stand by for a fair few breakages.
Earlier this season my dishwasher gave up the ghost. It was less than a year old and under warranty but I knew getting it fixed under the guarantee would be like pulling teeth and I had a party of six plus a baby at the property so I just went online and ordered a new one on rapid delivery. It just seemed like the best solution with wall to wall bookings and no real idea of how long it was going to take to rectify the problem.
Stand by for a fair few breakages. Earlier this season my dishwasher gave up the ghost. It was less than a year old and under warranty but I knew getting it fixed under the guarantee would be like pulling teeth and I had a party of six plus a baby at the property so I just went online and ordered a new one on rapid delivery. It just seemed like the best solution with wall to wall bookings and no real idea of how long it was going to take to rectify the problem.
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We had a similar thing, Casscat, a few weeks ago when the guests' dishwasher was struck by lightning (yes, really!).
I couldn't get a repair bod out for over a week, and then who knows how long it would take to get a new element, so we just got in the car, drove to Toulouse, and came back with a new one. It's a 45cm integrated machine so it wasn't easy to find one, but we managed it. When we get time we'll replace the element on the old machine so that we have a spare.
Guests were gobsmacked. They were completely cool about the fact that the dishwasher had blown up and hadn't expected anything. And they bought us a bottle of wine
I couldn't get a repair bod out for over a week, and then who knows how long it would take to get a new element, so we just got in the car, drove to Toulouse, and came back with a new one. It's a 45cm integrated machine so it wasn't easy to find one, but we managed it. When we get time we'll replace the element on the old machine so that we have a spare.
Guests were gobsmacked. They were completely cool about the fact that the dishwasher had blown up and hadn't expected anything. And they bought us a bottle of wine
I had a problem with a dishwasher this week in the house I look after for friends, it was one family and they had 4 days without it, they were happy to wash up by hand, it wasn't a problem for them.
However, I think there is a difference in not having a dishwasher if you are four people and not having one if you are ten. I would certainly make some sort of gesture to compensate.
However, I think there is a difference in not having a dishwasher if you are four people and not having one if you are ten. I would certainly make some sort of gesture to compensate.
Washing up for a household of 10 people is a heck of a chore. Of course they're entitled to some compensation and you'd gain a lot more goodwill if you DON'T wait to be asked. Just my humble opinion.
In my day job anyone paying £2200 for a week's accommodation would have a new dishwasher installed within a couple of days, if the other one couldn't be repaired.
In my day job anyone paying £2200 for a week's accommodation would have a new dishwasher installed within a couple of days, if the other one couldn't be repaired.
This is a tricky one - I'm not sure if the inconvenience of not having an expected dishwasher for a week for a group of ten can be measured in monetary terms.
Being on site it's possibly easier for us; when we had a dishwasher start leaking while guests were here we rushed out and bought a new one and swapped them out - simple to do which was the key reason we avoided fully integrated appliances when we had the kitchens designed. We also gave the guests a bottle of wine.
The guests (returners, a family of four) were absolutely fine about it, told us it didn't matter, not to worry about replacing it etc etc. However, they should have had a working dishwasher, it was under our control, a repair would have taken days, so they got a new one. (And despite their protestations, they still drank the bottle of wine
)
When I was able to check the dishwasher properly it was simply a damaged waste hose inside the machine; the repair was relatively simple, so we now have a spare dishwasher for the next emergency!
My feeling is that we have to take whatever course of action is the most efficient to make things right where reasonably possible, and not expect guests on their special holiday (they're all special) to put up with inconveniences that might be acceptable in a normal domestic environment. For most appliances that means if possible (not always!) an instant replacement rather than waiting for the repair man, and taking a financial hit as part of the bigger picture.
Being on site it's possibly easier for us; when we had a dishwasher start leaking while guests were here we rushed out and bought a new one and swapped them out - simple to do which was the key reason we avoided fully integrated appliances when we had the kitchens designed. We also gave the guests a bottle of wine.
The guests (returners, a family of four) were absolutely fine about it, told us it didn't matter, not to worry about replacing it etc etc. However, they should have had a working dishwasher, it was under our control, a repair would have taken days, so they got a new one. (And despite their protestations, they still drank the bottle of wine
)When I was able to check the dishwasher properly it was simply a damaged waste hose inside the machine; the repair was relatively simple, so we now have a spare dishwasher for the next emergency!
My feeling is that we have to take whatever course of action is the most efficient to make things right where reasonably possible, and not expect guests on their special holiday (they're all special) to put up with inconveniences that might be acceptable in a normal domestic environment. For most appliances that means if possible (not always!) an instant replacement rather than waiting for the repair man, and taking a financial hit as part of the bigger picture.
Thanks everyone for your replies.
I think the fact that they are a group of 10 means it is a significant amount of washing up.
I think we would have replaced it but the repair company came straight out and took it for repair as the guests were going to arrive in 2 days we felt that was plenty of time.
After several calls they looked at it 5 days later but saying it could be repaired and that it was on test. It was on test for 2 days until Thursday and the earliest they could return it was today Saturday the day the guests leave this house.
However they are moving to another of our houses and I think the Wow of a large bunch of flowers is a great idea. I'm on to the florist straight away, thanks for the idea.
Julie
I think the fact that they are a group of 10 means it is a significant amount of washing up.
I think we would have replaced it but the repair company came straight out and took it for repair as the guests were going to arrive in 2 days we felt that was plenty of time.
After several calls they looked at it 5 days later but saying it could be repaired and that it was on test. It was on test for 2 days until Thursday and the earliest they could return it was today Saturday the day the guests leave this house.
However they are moving to another of our houses and I think the Wow of a large bunch of flowers is a great idea. I'm on to the florist straight away, thanks for the idea.
Julie