It's very difficult to put a price on good Karma!
If you do what you feel comfortable with, you can sleep at nights, and as has already been said - you don't need to justify it!
Snow trouble
It is difficult but you do harden up eventually.
I also had this in the ash cloud situation and was lucky enough to get the dates rebooked by someone else who was stuck in england. but the lady who had booked was actually quite spiteful when I said at first that I would not be able to refund unless I got the dates rebooked.
Because she was so nasty I was able to be quite direct and asked her to explain why she thought I should take the financial loss of HER not taking out travel insurance, which I recommend in virtually every communication I have with guests.
She didn't reply.
She was lucky and got her money back; but didn't even bother to say thank you when I explained that I had managed to get another booking and had refunded her 700 euro or whatever it was.
I had theatre tickets last night to see Bill Bailey in London. Where I live, there are no trains running so we knew we would not be able to get home to our own house even if we did manage to get to London. If we didn't go, we knew the theatre wouldn't refund the money. After all they could have sold those seats several times over.
Its the same with people who book our rentals. If we have held dates for several months and people don't turn up at the last minute we lose money. This is our living. We don't do it for pleasure and we can't afford to bear someone else's losses if they have some bad luck. Why do people think it's alright for us to do that?
If I felt there were really extenuating circumstances I might offer to share it 50/50. But that's as generous as it gets these days.
[We did get to the theatre - had a couple of empty nights before the new arrivals so we dug the car out of the snow, drove to Brockley and stayed at our flat for the night; am staying here tonight too cos got a same day changeover tomorrow morning too. Brockley has got great transport links and we didn't have any trouble at all. Got the bus on the way there and got the DLR coming home. No worries. ]
I also had this in the ash cloud situation and was lucky enough to get the dates rebooked by someone else who was stuck in england. but the lady who had booked was actually quite spiteful when I said at first that I would not be able to refund unless I got the dates rebooked.
Because she was so nasty I was able to be quite direct and asked her to explain why she thought I should take the financial loss of HER not taking out travel insurance, which I recommend in virtually every communication I have with guests.
She didn't reply.
She was lucky and got her money back; but didn't even bother to say thank you when I explained that I had managed to get another booking and had refunded her 700 euro or whatever it was.
I had theatre tickets last night to see Bill Bailey in London. Where I live, there are no trains running so we knew we would not be able to get home to our own house even if we did manage to get to London. If we didn't go, we knew the theatre wouldn't refund the money. After all they could have sold those seats several times over.
Its the same with people who book our rentals. If we have held dates for several months and people don't turn up at the last minute we lose money. This is our living. We don't do it for pleasure and we can't afford to bear someone else's losses if they have some bad luck. Why do people think it's alright for us to do that?
If I felt there were really extenuating circumstances I might offer to share it 50/50. But that's as generous as it gets these days.
[We did get to the theatre - had a couple of empty nights before the new arrivals so we dug the car out of the snow, drove to Brockley and stayed at our flat for the night; am staying here tonight too cos got a same day changeover tomorrow morning too. Brockley has got great transport links and we didn't have any trouble at all. Got the bus on the way there and got the DLR coming home. No worries. ]
Nightowl
Forever going one step forwards and two
backwards......
Forever going one step forwards and two
backwards......
I've been in London this week and had guests coming to my cottages (in Devon) from Cambridge this weekend.
Given the horrendous problems in London & the East of England I decided to pre-empt the potential problems of cancellation and phoned them on Weds offering to transfer the booking to another off peak weekend, or the chance to arrive much earlier than my stated occupation time, so that they arrived in daylight. I'm happy to say that they declined my offer and arrived (vvvv late) tonight, but they were extremely grateful for the offer.
I think the fact that I phoned them first put me in a good position re possible cancellation.
My background is in the corporate hospitality industry and I have a true understanding of how to keep your customer satisfied - a refund, whilst difficult to stomach, can very often be the best way forward to get repeat business and recommendations.
However, I too will be looking a little more closely at my T&C's!
FWIW - I would have offered a refund in your situation Londoner.
Given the horrendous problems in London & the East of England I decided to pre-empt the potential problems of cancellation and phoned them on Weds offering to transfer the booking to another off peak weekend, or the chance to arrive much earlier than my stated occupation time, so that they arrived in daylight. I'm happy to say that they declined my offer and arrived (vvvv late) tonight, but they were extremely grateful for the offer.
I think the fact that I phoned them first put me in a good position re possible cancellation.
My background is in the corporate hospitality industry and I have a true understanding of how to keep your customer satisfied - a refund, whilst difficult to stomach, can very often be the best way forward to get repeat business and recommendations.
However, I too will be looking a little more closely at my T&C's!
FWIW - I would have offered a refund in your situation Londoner.
If you want to find me, Google The Barton Poughill!
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Rocket Rab
- Posts: 2248
- Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:37 pm
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My background is in the corporate hospitality industry and I have a true understanding of how to keep your customer satisfied
My understanding of keeping customers satisfied - very important, I grant you - no longer stretches to taking unreasonable losses. If you want to give refunds for this kind of situation, and can afford to, fine, but I doubt very much it has a huge impact in terms of recommendations or repeat bookings.
I always refund if I can rebook.
I have not always been treated with similar generosity.
My understanding of keeping customers satisfied - very important, I grant you - no longer stretches to taking unreasonable losses. If you want to give refunds for this kind of situation, and can afford to, fine, but I doubt very much it has a huge impact in terms of recommendations or repeat bookings.
I always refund if I can rebook.
I have not always been treated with similar generosity.
Are we not in a service industry??? Personally, I do not believe in the what you get you give mantra!
I never refund (unless there are unusual circumstances) , but always offer an alternative to my guests/clients. Recently, I had an additional booking (from a friend of the guest) on the back of a guest not able to come because of a death of a family member - I did not offer them a refund, but offered them alternative dates. They did not have insurance, but were happy to accept my offer. 2 weeks later a friend of the said guest booked on recommendation.
However, I do understand Londoner's dilemma and would be inclined to refund.
If I don't receive the same in similar circumstances if I were the guest, then que sera sera. But I would be quietly quite p***ed off. I'd never do it...!!!
I never refund (unless there are unusual circumstances) , but always offer an alternative to my guests/clients. Recently, I had an additional booking (from a friend of the guest) on the back of a guest not able to come because of a death of a family member - I did not offer them a refund, but offered them alternative dates. They did not have insurance, but were happy to accept my offer. 2 weeks later a friend of the said guest booked on recommendation.
However, I do understand Londoner's dilemma and would be inclined to refund.
If I don't receive the same in similar circumstances if I were the guest, then que sera sera. But I would be quietly quite p***ed off. I'd never do it...!!!
If you want to find me, Google The Barton Poughill!
uugg. I feel awful. My Christmas guests due to arrive tomorrow have just told me their flight out of Heathrow has been canceled so they will not be able to come.
I really wish I could refund, but I just can't - Christmas week is my most requested peak week. (They haven't asked for a refund, btw. I just wish I was financially able to do it for them)
They say the next flight they can get on is the 29th, so they would miss Christmas here, but I happen to have New Year's still open (rare) so I have offered that to them, or any other week they would like as long as it's available...that's about all I can do really.
Brings back volcano memories
on a happy note though...my guests who couldn't fly here because of the volcano are planning on visiting in February.
I really wish I could refund, but I just can't - Christmas week is my most requested peak week. (They haven't asked for a refund, btw. I just wish I was financially able to do it for them)
They say the next flight they can get on is the 29th, so they would miss Christmas here, but I happen to have New Year's still open (rare) so I have offered that to them, or any other week they would like as long as it's available...that's about all I can do really.
Brings back volcano memories
on a happy note though...my guests who couldn't fly here because of the volcano are planning on visiting in February.Without knowing the full story, I'm going to guess that they are re-booking with you because you treated them professionally, with courtesy and with sympathy - not because you gave them a refund ?Musetta wrote:...my guests who couldn't fly here because of the volcano are planning on visiting in February.
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
e-richard,
correct. I did not give them a refund. I refunded the damage deposit they had paid and offered to rebook any week I had available with my sincere apologies; they seem very excited to finally be able to take their holiday although, at the time, they did ask for a refund which I explained I was unable to provide.
I received a very lovely email this morning from my poor Christmas guests who couldn't get out thanking me for refunding the deposit so quickly without them having to ask and offering to provide any documentation they may need for insurance. Apparently, they do have some sort of insurance and I do think that their insure will cover them, so I'm feeling a whole lot better knowing that they will be compensated for their costs.
correct. I did not give them a refund. I refunded the damage deposit they had paid and offered to rebook any week I had available with my sincere apologies; they seem very excited to finally be able to take their holiday although, at the time, they did ask for a refund which I explained I was unable to provide.
I received a very lovely email this morning from my poor Christmas guests who couldn't get out thanking me for refunding the deposit so quickly without them having to ask and offering to provide any documentation they may need for insurance. Apparently, they do have some sort of insurance and I do think that their insure will cover them, so I'm feeling a whole lot better knowing that they will be compensated for their costs.
It must all be in the imagination - according to this from 2000, anyway.
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Hells Bells
- Posts: 13173
- Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
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