40th birthday party part 2

From the moment they step through the door your bookings become guests, and their experiences determine whether they ever come back.
la vache!
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40th birthday party part 2

Post by la vache! »

Well, as a follow up to the previous post I did on the worries of someone having a party here on site - my guests are now here. They are very nice and seem to be having a good time, however, none of them seem to have read the 'house rules' so I feel a bit like a policeman in my own home as I've had to have a few words about little things (glasses at the pool, 5 people on the trampoline, people parking on my neighbours land etc.)
Anyway, what I want some advice on is this. As well as hiring my 3 cottages, the group have also rented 2 other gites in the vicinity. No problem here, they are not exceeding the sleeping limit. However, every evening, and possibly during the day, they spend here, so instead of 24 people I have 40 people using the pool, eating, presumably using my electricity and water for the toilet. Maybe I'm a little insensative because it is so hot I couldn't sleep last night as they were making too much noise into the early hours for me to have the window open. On the other hand, I feel a bit miffed that the other gite owners will have taken their money and have virtually no cleaning to do on Saturday as their guests have spent all their time here.
I really can't say what I'll do until Saturday, but if I find all the inventory mixed up (as undoubtedly it will be if they have been catering for 40 every night) I will be tempted to keep all the £200 security deposit.
Am I being over paranoid? It's just that if you go to a campsite as a day visitor, you usually have to pay for that visit, it isn't free, so why should I lose out?
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enid
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Post by enid »

Am I being over paranoid? It's just that if you go to a campsite as a day visitor, you usually have to pay for that visit, it isn't free, so why should I lose out?
Not at all - this is out of order. Last year we had people who were part of a larger group that had rented other gites in the area - they took it in turns to have a meal at each gite but our clients asked us first if they could offer an evening.

I think you must ask to have a quiet word with the birthday boy who booked your gite - explain that you don't want to spoil his celebrations but that at the moment they are risking their security deposit for having flouted the terms of their contract. As discussed in another thread we shouldn't be taken advantage of like this just because we are small businesses.

Courage!
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

I think in your position I would have turned a blind eye for an odd night but not regularly. After all, he does know that you weren't insured for 40 guests for his birthday party. Have a quiet word with him about it.
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Post by A-two »

Susan,
I'm really sorry to hear this, especially as you gave him the benefit of the doubt after his smooth talking. Let's recap what you told him and his response:
I have no insurance other than that for the people actually staying in my properties. I also have neighbours close by who I really can’t afford to upset with any noise.
And this was his response,
if more people said what was worrying them then the world would be a much better place! I totally understand your concern about your neighbour, as having grown up on a farm myself I know how good country neighbours can be but also how unforgiving they can be over the slightest thing, so rest assured!
What part of no extra people and no late night noise doesn't this guy understand?

I'm upset for you that he's taking advantage, but wouldn't feel annoyed at the other Gite owners. It's really not their fault and it could just as easily be the reverse situation. Maybe you could talk to them, explain your problem and get them on your side. Perhaps you could ask them to have a quiet word with their guests on your behalf about staying away from your place?

Your intuition that there is an accident waiting to happen is not misplaced and that's why I agree that you need to take it seriously and get tough. What does the Grandmother say about all this? Can't she tell them to knock it off/ cut it out/ tone it down?
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

Last night was quieter and I went over there to have a word with the birthday boy about the resaurant I have booked for him and his choice of menu. He wasn't there, but I spoke to his 7 brothers and sisters and they asked if there had been too much noise the night before and I said it would probably better if they didn't use the pool after 9pm as with the abri cover any noise volume is vastly increased. They said fine and they invited me to join them for a couple of glasses of wine. This morning before work I had to go round to see one of the other guests next door as he has had a problem with his hire car I am sorting out. I have to say I have not smelt anything like the smell in the house (stale alcohol and cigarettes) since I was a student, but I will reserve judgement until Saturday. I'll have no hesitation in keeping back as much of the security deposit as is required!
Grandmother is there, but a little frail, so unless she does a lot of directing, I can't see her having much impact on the housework.
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Post by Hells Bells »

How's things going Susan?
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

Actually a lot better - apart from the 15 yr old smoking in secret in my neighbours garden, being caught out and rather scared by my French neighbour,then running away and breaking her fence trying to jump over it. I had to go round to one of the houses on Wednesday as I was lending them my stereo for the restaurant and everything did look a lot tidier within. Outside, someone has picked up most of the rubbish/bottles/newspapers/glasses that were previously left for a couple of days, so there is a definite improvement. They are very charming people and the birthday boy was mortified when I told them about the smoking incident, so I have hopes that tomorrow won't be as bad as expected!
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Post by Hells Bells »

My fingers are crossed.
A-two
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Post by A-two »

Ask the birthday boy to give you the money for repairing your neighbor's fence before he leaves. The purpose of your deposit is to pay for damages to your property, not your neighbor's property. You are not liable for that, but the reality is that you are going to have to pay for it to keep the peace with your neighbors.
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

Well, they've gone and we've just finished cleaning. They hadn't left at 10am as they were supposed to, neither had they made any attempt to clean (in fact some were still finishing their breakfast). The inventory was all mixed up between the 3 cottages and they used Eparcyl (fosse septique stuff) in the washing machine. All in all (not including the washing, which I usually do alongside the cleaning) it took 3 of us 6 hours to sort out and that was without having all 18 beds - a job which usually takes 12 man hours maximum. I'm still pickingup the fag ends and bits of rubbish left strewn around the garden. They had replaced some of the glasses they broke. I knew there would be trouble when over coffee this morning my neighbour said that they were still partying hard at 2am! I hate to sterotype and sound racist, but is it coincidence that this is the third large group of mainly Irish guests who have stayed and everytime the place has been left a tip, the children have been largely unsupervised and things have been left where they shouldn't have been - although this was the worst.
Anyway, the new guests have arrived, everyone seems happy and I'm looking forward to a bit of peace and quiet this week! I will be deducting the extra cleaning costs and the cost of repairing the fence from the security deposit of birthday boy, although he did buy me a very nice bunch of flowers.
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Post by LaLuz »

Susan wrote: I will be deducting the extra cleaning costs and the cost of repairing the fence from the security deposit of birthday boy, although he did buy me a very nice bunch of flowers.
Now I wonder why he did that? :roll:

Glad that at least your sanity is still intact Sue!
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