Time wasters AAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Alan Knighting]

Enquiries are so thin on the ground at the moment that it would make a change to get a time-waster or two.

Fluffy

[Rocket Rab]

[Awful thing to say but when they've jerked you around for weeks and finally made up their minds, it's such a exquisite pleasure to say ' sorry, somebody's just taken 'your' fortnight'.

and long may your cup of Schadenfreude runneth over...
...mine, too!

[Fraise]

I like mine shaken ,not stirred ( mmm, now where else have I heard that ? )

[A-two]

OK, here's my show and tell on paybacks....

A family booked fairly quickly 3 weeks ago, but the contract didn't came back. An email reminder did not receive a response, so I phoned to find out if plans had changed. Not at all, they gushed, they were very excited and thrilled to be coming, just a little busy, but would definitely deal with it that evening. They even offered to send me a discount card for their business in with the contract. How sweet of them I thought.

That next evening I received another inquiry for the same week, and responded negatively, I was so sure they were serious. 24 hours later I had still not received contract and sent a curt but polite email and received a reply.

They were very sorry to have kept me waiting, but another owner had offered to reduce the rent to (one third less than mine) and they thought they would probably take the other house instead. So please feel free to offer it to the other family. However, they were planning to be in the area visiting relatives this coming weekend and would I please send the address of the property so they could drive by and look at it from the outside in case they wanted to rent it another time.

Hmmm....I never even counted to ten before I picked up the phone very excitedly to tell my second inquirer it was available after all. Luckily, she was still interested and I had a signed contract and payment within 12 hours. She sounds delightful, so we are more than happy it worked out this way.

Now I could relax and email to number 1........

I said that we were absolutely delighted they had found another house that was less expensive than ours, because there's nothing worse than being stretched whilst on holiday. We were sure they had made the right choice, but please feel free to come back to us if the other house didn't work out.

We would be happy to show them our house this coming weekend, but please would they call ahead to check availability status before making a special trip, because we didn't want to waste their time if there was no realistic possibility of them renting the house.

Very best regards,

I then updated the availability calendar to show their dates now booked. Oh happy day!

I sense the truth of it is that they intended to exceed the occupancy limits, (aka a party), before they saw the penalties in the contract. It's the only rational explanation I can find for such a dramatic change of heart when the money had certainly not been a problem up to that point. I'll never really know, but whatever the reason, kill them with kindness I say, it pays back tenfold.

[Rocket Rab]

Kill them with kindness, it pays back tenfold.

I agree 100%, Joanna, and I shall redouble my efforts to mind my P's and Q's

[Alan Knighting]

Joanna,

Dealing with some people is like living the “Life of Brian� – “a series of coincidences culminating with some meaningless babble�.

I'll never really know, but whatever the reason, kill them with kindness I say, it pays back tenfold

How right. Being nice is just as easy as being nasty but being nice can pay dividends in years to come.

“Last year we looked at a nice house and it had a nice owner. Let’s go there this year.� –v- “Last year we looked at a nice house but it had an appalling owner. Let’s not touch it with a barge-pole.�

Fluffy

[Partridge]

LOL !!
I think I've discovered that the less time I spend with a potential guest the more likely they are to book, ( or is it just me ?? ).

Exactly what I find Fraise.

Fraise, I'd imagine it's pretty universal because these are the guys who've made up their minds

Oops hadn't thought of that, thanks Jim, there was me thinking my honesty pitch was rubbish, I feel so much better now [/[/quote]

[Rocket Rab]

Being nice is just as easy as being nasty but being nice can pay dividends in years to come.

I'm not sure I agree with that entirely, Fluffy. I find that being nice requires an extra special effort on some occasions, but it is usually worthwhile, as you observe.

[Alan Knighting]

I'm not sure I agree with that entirely, Fluffy. I find that being nice requires an extra special effort on some occasions, but it is usually worthwhile, as you observe.

If the truth were to be known I don’t even agree with myself. Sometimes being nice involves a lot of grinding of teeth and re-reading of e-mails before they’re sent.

Fluffy

[Rocket Rab]

Sometimes being nice involves a lot of grinding of teeth and re-reading of e-mails before they’re sent.

Bingo. We are now in total, full, 100% agreement

[Jimbo]

Kill them with kindness, it pays back tenfold.

Or maybe forget the kindness and just kill them. Publish the details on your website as a warning to enquirers who can't make up their minds.

Jim

[Rocket Rab]

Excellent, Jimbo. I see you are not a man to be messed with!!

[Big Sis..]

Cereal Killer in the making

[mon269]

If the truth were to be known I don’t even agree with myself. Sometimes being nice involves a lot of grinding of teeth and re-reading of e-mails before they’re sent.

Or maybe forget the kindness and just kill them. Publish the details on your website as a warning to enquirers who can't make up their minds.

I thought I’d join you.