Rain!

From the moment they step through the door your bookings become guests, and their experiences determine whether they ever come back.
garlic
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Rain!

Post by garlic »

Earlier this year when my gite wasn't available I had an enqiry from a family that I know but aren't friends (does that make sense?). I offered them my camping spot which is really quite nice with a large tent and a cooking area, it's on it's own patch of land with great views and is quite a special get away from it all place. They accepted and I haven't charged them more than they would be paying for a pitch on a campsite. I even bought new tents to use as childrens bedrooms. I've supplied beds and bedding and even a 'proper' cooker.

So last night we had a storm........a really dramatic downpour...so bad that I got stuck under the beer tent at the fete for 4hrs waiting for it to stop. Unusual but sometimes storms happen.

This mornnig they told me they were washed out overnight although most of the rain was earlier and I had said that if it was really rainy I'd put them up in the house. To be fair the small tents I have really aren't designed for storms like that.

They've decided that they are going to leave. I've offered them our room while the tent drys out (although my husband says it's fine now) I have more mattresses and bedding and have offered them those but they are adament they are going. I've even offered to wash and dry all their clothes which they'd unfortunately left up against one side of the large tent and so that had leaked. I really don't know what else I can do and rain is always a possibility if you are camping.

They say they'll take our room for the night and have booked into a hotel (at great cost) for the rest of their stay.

The question really is do I owe them a refund?...I felt very uncomfortable this morning as it really seemed like I was being held responsible for the rain and was expected to give them their money back. If I do give them a refund it's almost going to have cost me money just to have them stay...and surely I'm not responsible for the weather....
Nessie
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Post by Nessie »

Short answer NO
You have done more that any campsite would have done , dont feel bad at all
Nessie
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vrooje
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Post by vrooje »

Agreed, you are in no way responsible for the weather, and I'm sure most campsite owners wouldn't have offered to let them sleep in their house!
Brooke
Fraise
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Post by Fraise »

I completely agree with Nessie and Vrooje. You aren't responsible for the weather 8)
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enid
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Post by enid »

No No and again I say No - you have provided what they asked for and more and that's that. Tell them you are sorry that they feel they have to leave but that's all - repeat your offer to dry clothes and get their camp set up again but no more.
Vally
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Post by Vally »

Oh! Absolutely not,I'm sure from time to time we all feel guilty about the weather, but its not our fault ...I find a big trouble with guests is the more you do for them as an extra the more they want ..." give them an inch..." , mind you it doesn't stop me going that extra inch!!
Fraise
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Post by Fraise »

No, quite true Vally . I wonder how many of us feel responsible when the weather is poor and we feel our guests aren't having the weather we feel they deserve? :oops:

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Mouse
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Post by Mouse »

You've been very fair in what you've offered, so I agree with everyone else that a refund isn't necessary.

have you ever thought that maybe they're thankful for an excuse?
Perhaps they're not really camping people but didn't want to hurt your feeling by not accepting the camping option (or moving shortly after they arrived)

Perhaps in their eyes the downpour was a godsend and it gave them the perfect excuse - I can't think why else they wouldn't take you up on your kind offers.

Just another viewpoint. People move in mysterious ways!!!!!!!

Mouse
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garlic
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Post by garlic »

I think mouse holmes that you may well have hit the nail on the head in the sense that they are probably not camping people and have just found out! Having said that my camp isn't really camping either. The large tent is full height and has a great lounging area. They had proper mattresses with some of my finest linens and proper quilts...non of that sleeping bag type stuff...I'd actually go as far as to say they probably don't like the countryside...but seems a bit unfair that they are making me feel bad about it :(
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enid
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Post by enid »

I wonder how many of us feel responsible when the weather is poor and we feel our guests aren't having the weather we feel they deserve?
Well I certainly do and I try to make up for it in liittle ways - e.g. the children and I made afternoon tea for everyone with home baked scones.

But - We can't give a refund because of rain - I might be tempted to go camping with mod cons like those garlic :wink:
garlic
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Post by garlic »

I thought you might all like an update :) After a very uncomfortable evening with our unhappy campers last night (and yes they did take our bed) they left this morning. I held out and didn't offer anysort of refund just kept reiterating that I was very sad that they felt that they had to leave and how sorry I was that they hadn't enjoyed their stay.

So: I went to the camp to clean up any mess they had left...why to people have to leave empty plastic bags etc all over a pristine field? I noticed that some of the tent pegs were a little loose and then whilst tidying I suddenly realised that every window of the tent was unzipped :? I think that this explains why they got so wet as I really don't think they'd opened them to air the tent after the storm as they came up so early in the morning with their grumpy knickers on, they then went off kayaking for the day 'we just want to be dry' :? and really didn't go back to the tent.

I figure that they went down to the tent in the dark after a wee bit of wine and more, went to bed, woke up at three oclock in the morning wet and a wee bit befuddled and didn't even think the water pouring in was anything to do with the windows that they hadn't zipped up......

One of the things that I love about the tent is that it has so many windows (they're not see through plastic but of the same canvas as the tent) all of which can be rolled up just leaving flynet. they have both zip and velcro fastening and of course if you forget to do up the zips and it rains with a bit of wind the velcro doesn't do much, oh dear.........
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

Oh dear, they weren't campers then. I hope you get the tent (and bedding) dried out OK. You must be relieved they've gone.
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Giddy Goat
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Post by Giddy Goat »

You couldn't have been kinder to them garlic, as everyone has said. I'm sure that experience was a one-off, and it sounds as if your theory as to how they got so wet in the first place was bang on.

Put it behind you and wait for the next lot of appreciative guests, of which there'll be plenty: you clearly care about their happiness and do things for them which are above and beyond the call of duty.

Onwards and upwards!! :D
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be
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