No mid stay clean/changeover - gesture of goodwill?

[ianthy]

Hi

I just heard back from my guests that stayed for 9 nights over the New year in our apt. They had a fab time but the property manager failed to carry out the mid stay clean and change of towels. I have sent a note to her asking for an explanation. Personally I am mortified as this is the most expensive booking of the year - I ordered a basket of fruit which the local property manager delivered but not the mid stay clean and change of bedding/towel.

I was thinking of refunding £100 as a gesture of goodwill. However, the guest is not asking for any money back and says it did not affect his stay. Also I have seen a gestures of goodwill become a bargaining points, which I am keen to a void.

LMH advice is appreciated.

[Bunny]

the guest is not asking for any money back and says it did not affect his stay.

There is your answer. And £100, wow! At the most I would apologise, stating your disappointment that all was not as it should have been and just offer a discount off a future stay.

[Joanna]

+1
I would make the discount roughly equal the cost of the mid stay clean/laundry.

[zebedee]

If they were the sort of guests you would welcome back, I wouldn't offer a refund but a voucher off a future holiday

[greenbarn]

I'm firmly in the "goodwill gesture - yes, refund - no" camp, which is to say I wouldn't consider a monetary gesture. I'd go with an offer of a reduction on a future stay "where we hope you'll enjoy our normal high standards" (probably better wording than that), or if they're unlikely to return then a gift of some sort - even a gift voucher, which might seem the direct equivalent of a monetary refund but somehow comes across as more personal and thoughtful.
Just my 2p worth.

[Gordo]

If it aint broke don't fix it. Better to focus on the fact they had a great time as they'll have forgotten about this now... unless you're determined to remind them!

I'd say you owe them nothing but your property manager owes you a favour.

.

[costa-brava]

If any of you click into some of the Spanish stuff you'll see a recent thread (about VAT) where we're discussing the fact that owners in Spain CANNOT offer mid-stay cleans or change of towels etc without taking us into a whole different field. If we offer anything that looks like more than basic self-catering we are deemed to be offering a hotel-type service with a whole load of tax complications.
You are obviously annoyed that your local property manager let you down but your guests are looking for icing on the cake that is by no means standard.
Like Greenbarn's 2p worth, the most I'd go to is a discount on a future stay.

[ianthy]

Hi

Thks all for the great advice. Having slept on it - I agree I will offer a discount of a future stay if they wish to return.

[Hells Bells]

We stopped offering a midstay clean a while ago. Cleaners always felt like they were intruding, so we quietly dropped it, and give a built in discount of the cleaning costs.
A stay of 10 days wouldn't have had one in any case only 2 weeks or more.

[ianthy]

We stopped offering a midstay clean a while ago. Cleaners always felt like they were intruding, so we quietly dropped it, and give a built in discount of the cleaning costs.
A stay of 10 days wouldn't have had one in any case only 2 weeks or more.

I do recall a posting regarding mid stay cleans etc and some LMH's reporting that they had stopped it either due to cost or guest intrusion. I think it seems to vary by type of guest/country, in Italy they seem to expect after 7 days the villas will be cleaned and new bedding/towels. I also like it a way of the local property manager to keep a check on things too.

[joddle]

Due to the complications we don't offer a mid stay clean or towel change - but we do notify them of a company from where they can hire additional towels or linen if they wish - and some people do take that up.

[Bunny]

Same as HelenB - they have to stay 14 days or more to get a mid stay clean. If you don't do one for 7 days then it just seems wasteful to do it for the sake of a few extra nights.