What to do.....

[KathyG]

Hi there,

I have a slight problem that I really ought to resolve - I've had a booking for next July for 2 weeks and on the phone I asked for £300 as a deposit which duly arrived. Not until then did I realise my mistake, the deposit is 25% of the total which will be £2400 so I should have asked for £600. I emailed the renter on Sept 20th admitting my mistake and inefficiency asking for a further £300. Since then I've heard absolutely nothing from him.

Now do I just let it go, email again, ring him??? I feel I ought to do something about it, even if it's just to contact him and accept I made a mistake and that I don't really need the extra £300 but that feels a bit wet!

Kathy

[Rocket Rab]

Hello Kathyg,

What I would be most concerned about here is making absolutely sure there is no misunderstanding as to the total rental price.

After that, if you are not too concerned about the extra GBP 300 for the deposit I would let that one go (after all, your guest may have to pay another round of bank charges).

I would definitely email again to clarify the situation, finishing with some sort of ending that invites a response.

Jenny

[vrooje]

I did this once last year, and I didn't mention it at the time as a mistake. I simply sent him a deposit receipt which clearly showed how much we had received and how much would be owed for the final payment.

Then I stepped away from the computer and kicked myself a few times.

[gh]

Been there, when you get a call out of the blue about renting, your mind goes into meltdown, you cant log on, you cant think straigh and you are trying to be oh so calm and controlled on the phone.

Perhaps they will look at the e-mail before sending the deposit. If not they will realise your error and take it from there.

Been doing this for a few years now and still get surprised with this type of call.

[Hells Bells]

And the call (or email) always comes when you're in the middle of something, or are running late for work and have no other email access that day.

[KathyG]

Thank you Jenny and Vrooje - very good advice, I'll look at my correspondence with him then make sure he knows how much to pay as the final balance.

Johnel and Helen - You are sooooo right!!!! Trying to be cool, calm and collected when you're (me anyway) usually up a ladder with paintbrush in hand and hoping to give the impression that you have all facts to hand!!

Kathy

[Hells Bells]

I am usually in the middle of cooking dinner, and haven't got round to turning on my laptop, or will get a call on my mobile at work in the middle of the morning rush (I'm a pharmacist). My first booking was taken in the hairdressers while sitting under a heatlamp having highlights put in, and trying to sound sensible to this gorgeous sounding Frenchman, and frantically hoping I had quoted him the correct price.

[KathyG]

I was very very lucky with my first Frenchman, I was with a patient (I'm a podiatrist) when he rang so luckily he left a message in French and I was able to play it over and over and over till I understood what he wanted - my French just isn't up to this really - then I backed out of speaking to him and sent a text instead!!!

Kathy

[Hells Bells]

Dad-in-law is a retired podiatrist, formerly a President of the Institute..

[Martha]

My last flustered french phone call while I was doing the windowboxes, all muddy, turned out to be the very nice people who emptied the fosse, telling me that I forgot to sign the cheque I sent them - after all the puzzling over how to fill it in, too!

I sent them another one pronto. I wonder, if you don't pay after 2 weeks, would they come and put it back?

[Hells Bells]

Firebug, I wrote a cheque for our notaire and forgot to sign it, I was so nervous.

[gh]

So I am not alone . Hilarious posts, first in a while made me laugh alone:)

Got a call from guests, cooking a sunday roast and the gas ran out (we're bottled) 'how do we connect the other one' we leave a full on standbye er moi; no idea but I know a man who does; will get back to you.

Hasty call OH all sorted in minutes thanks to him, he's not happy with me and says 'you really need to know these things' yeah u'r right I should but your so good with these sort of things; next time show me:) whats a girl to do.

Having a shopping day with the girls and get these 'techi' questions' from guests, wouldn't have minded but it was August and the temps in France was over 100'.

So glad you have solved yours HelenB; result all round.

[Fraise]

Ha- think I mentioned this one before somewhere? I got a call from guests wanting to know what the meat was they had just bought and how to cook it ( this was over the phone so I couldn't see the meat!)- I can't remember what I was doing but I was elbow deep in something.We decided it was steak and they decided to grill it ( they were from New Zealand, rather used to BBQ and beef!!).Doh!!

ps- I really started this to say- your invoice to your guests will show the total amount owed anyway ? You have probably lost the rest of the deposit for now but you'll get more with the final lump sum. Ho hum, stuff happens

[KathyG]

Dad-in-law is a retired podiatrist, formerly a President of the Institute..

Well what a small world!! I might well know him, although I'm not a member of the Institute I know a lot of the members. Would you be happy to pm me his name?

Kathy

[Hells Bells]

Tonights phonecall, the fifth enquiry today (!!! ) was answered while sticking veg through the food porcessor for soup. It was worse than the french, real broad cockney accent, and he didn't understand my accent at all.