Open booking?

Services offered by owners that are relevant to the business of rentals.
louloup
Posts: 133
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:10 am
Location: Auvergne, France

Open booking?

Post by louloup »

An enquiry this morning; they want to book a short stay with evening meals, with flexible dates so that they can turn up (or not) depending on weather conditions being good for hang gliding. I declined.

I have visions of preparing the rooms and meals only to have them cancel last minute because the weather has changed suddenly as it often does. So considerable effort and expense for me, while they would expect to arrive on another date of their choosing. Of course I wouldn't be able to accept any other bookings for that room throughout the season just in case.
Bunny
Posts: 3387
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 8:48 pm
Location: South of England

Post by Bunny »

This is the inevitable result of booking.com's advertising and encouraging guests to expect us to act like hotels. :cry:
Don't blame you for turning down such a ridiculous and unreasonable request.
User avatar
PW in Polemi
Posts: 1781
Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:23 am
Location: A village in Paphos, Cyprus

Post by PW in Polemi »

Perhaps they should pay you a retainer (a minimum of 50%) to hold the room for them all summer?

Ah, silly me. That would cost them even if they didn't use the room, whereas their proposal doesn't. :roll: :lol:
Dogs have masters. Cats have slaves!
Ecosse
Posts: 812
Joined: Thu May 29, 2014 10:40 pm
Location: Saint Gervais les Bains, France
Contact:

Post by Ecosse »

But you don't understand... you should be grateful for their booking because they're giving you your one and only business for the entire season, aren't they, and because of this, you're more than happy to scrape dinner into the bin when they decide to cancel because at least it made your day that you almost got a booking.

No? How strange of you...
louloup
Posts: 133
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:10 am
Location: Auvergne, France

Post by louloup »

You're right, I should be more grateful javascript:emoticon(':lol:')
louloup
Posts: 133
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:10 am
Location: Auvergne, France

Post by louloup »

Digressing a bit, but I wonder if the Booking.com model means the end of B & B's in the long run.

At my level, just me, with three double rooms, it is an enormous amount of work and I manage it to suit my life, so I attract couples who come here mostly to walk in the mountains and who like to settle down with a nice meal in the evening. They seem to plan ahead and don't have any problems with paying a deposit and signing a contract.

I couldn't live on that alone, even if I accepted every booking, oddly I seem to have done better after I stopped accepting single night bookings. I don't accept bookings from people who just turn up at the door.

I have another little business selling antique & vintage textiles online and enjoy the travelling and the people I encounter online. In the Summer when I have lots of bookings, my life is centred around making my guests as happy and comfortable as possible.

When I don't have guests I go out, live my life!

It works for me, but I can see how it is changing and I know that I couldn't cope with last minute/flexible bookings etc.

I'm happy to potter along until my retirement but if I was younger I'm not sure that I would even consider it now.

What about you?
Bunny
Posts: 3387
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 8:48 pm
Location: South of England

Post by Bunny »

There is a B&B in our village who feels the same. She will not take guests on the same day because she doesn't keep a ready supply of fresh food available and absolutely refuses to serve up anything defrosted from freezer. Listing sites just don't understand the practicalities of how differently B&Bs and self catering HAVE to operate.
louloup
Posts: 133
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:10 am
Location: Auvergne, France

Post by louloup »

Exactly! The only way I could do it would be to fill the freezer and buy a big microwave.

I do have enquiries where they say my meals are too expensive (€35 for four courses, aperitifs, wine & coffee, all home cooked, all local produce) and could they have a reduction because they aren't big eaters. The time I spent serving, clearing etc doesn't change, but to them it clearly doesn't have any value.

The guests who "get it" are lovely, we talk lots about food, swap recipes etc.
annedab
Posts: 762
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2005 5:02 pm
Location: Midi Pyrenees

Post by annedab »

We have had people who have pre-booked (but never mentioned needing a meal) turn up at 10pm and ask if I can feed them - as it happened, on that occasion I could and they were very happy, but they then mentioned that the reason they were so late was that they were enjoying a glass of wine and generally people watching in a large city about 45 minutes away. Why on earth didn't they eat there??

I had to laugh recently when talking to some friends who run a local b&b - the owner has a reputation as a great cook. They were caught unawares in a similar situation. She told me that it was OK as she just sent OH outside to kill a duck. Made me laugh imagining him roaming the lanes to look for something suitable for supper. :lol:
Regards

Anne

If there's no such thing as co-incidence, then why is there a word for it?
louloup
Posts: 133
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:10 am
Location: Auvergne, France

Post by louloup »

Well apparently I am being unreasonable!

I sent her a polite reply thanking her for the enquiry and saying that as a small business, unlike a hotel, I was unable to accept an open ended flexible booking. I wished her luck.

Yesterday evening she rang me. She was outraged, after all I have three rooms so how hard would it be to keep one free (yes really!) and she wanted to make the booking NOW because it was a birthday present. It was unreasonable of me to expect firm dates because the weather might change and they needed to wait until it was suitable for hang gliding.

She said she really didn't see what my problem was.

All I could think was "that is the problem".

To be honest, having spoken to her even I could have accepted her booking I wouldn't want it.
Bunny
Posts: 3387
Joined: Wed Oct 16, 2013 8:48 pm
Location: South of England

Post by Bunny »

What audacity. Did she seriously think that being enraged was going to make her any more welcome? Perhaps you should have told her that her booking was accepted, but it may be cancelled at any time, by the host for any reason. Perhaps, 'sorry I've got an unexpected headache', or 'I've had another enquiry that we would prefer'...... See how reasonable she would have found that!
User avatar
greenbarn
Posts: 6146
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 6:41 pm
Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

What's the problem?
Suggest to her that she should book with you for specific dates, under your normal cancellation policy.
Make sure she understands the cost to her if she cancels.
Tell her to obtain an appropriate insurance policy which will cover her costs in the event of her cancelling due to the weather being unsuitable for hang gliding.
For the avoidance of any doubt, explain that you are not an insurance underwriter but an accommodation provider.
Suggest that she googles for suitable insurers using search terms such as "Alice in Wonderland".
Wish her luck in her future dealings with reality.
louloup
Posts: 133
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2012 7:10 am
Location: Auvergne, France

Post by louloup »

We had the specific dates & contract discussion but she wasn't having any of that. HER conditions were that the booking was entirely flexible.

I did wish her the best of luck :)
Ecosse
Posts: 812
Joined: Thu May 29, 2014 10:40 pm
Location: Saint Gervais les Bains, France
Contact:

Post by Ecosse »

Unbelievable! Though, I do think that you had a lucky escape 8)
User avatar
French Cricket
Posts: 3058
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2008 3:47 pm
Location: French Pyrénées
Contact:

Post by French Cricket »

I'm speechless, louloup! (Unusual :wink: ).

I wonder if she had in the back of her mind something like the 'Garantie Soleil' insurance that some travel agencies offer here? (Yes, GB, I'm not living in Aliceland, it really does exist ...).
Post Reply