Niggly problems

From the moment they step through the door your bookings become guests, and their experiences determine whether they ever come back.
Foxandsot
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Post by Foxandsot »

Just wondering...do those of you that do not ask for a damage deposit feel that this is a selling point and therefore gets you more bookings?

Michelle
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Ciapolin
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Post by Ciapolin »

Not particularly, but when I look around the area no one else takes one either, so I would be asking for something extra.

If I take a deposit, I have to invoice it and therefore pay tax etc on it (about 45%), so to my mind it just isn't worth it.
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Vally
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Post by Vally »

Until I came onto here I had never even thought about charging a damage deposit. I know a lot do not agree with me but any damage is just part of the wear and tear of letting, what you charge should cover it. I am sure people do not intentionally wreck a place but I do think its " horses for courses" my couples who are here for walking or relaxing or just holiday making are not the types do do damage if I let a big place that no one took responsibility for the general upkeep whilst they were staying I may think differently ......buts thats not a road I ever intend going down
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Alan Knighting
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Post by Alan Knighting »

There’s no way of putting this kindly, so I won’t try.

If the sort of guest you attract is the sort of guest who doesn’t give a damn about your property you should charge him/her a damages deposit.

If the sort of guest you attract is the sort of guest who cares about your property you don’t need to charge him/her a damages deposit.

Fluffy
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Mountain Goat
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Post by Mountain Goat »

.....sort of guest you attract is the sort of guest who cares about your property....

Alan

I'm interested in this idea. How do you detect this 'sort' of guest in advance?

MGoat
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Partridge
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Post by Partridge »

Alan Knighting wrote:There’s no way of putting this kindly, so I won’t try.

If the sort of guest you attract is the sort of guest who doesn’t give a damn about your property you should charge him/her a damages deposit.

If the sort of guest you attract is the sort of guest who cares about your property you don’t need to charge him/her a damages deposit.

Fluffy
I did get the idea the first time Fluffy but like I say, there is no 'type of guest' that can't accidentally break something, stain something or lose something and that is what the damage deposit is for, even in the Costas, it isn't because owners think the place is going to be trashed.

Now whether any owners want to charge for these things or take a deposit up front as opposed to charge after the event is of course an individual preference. :wink:
Don't waste energy on things you can't change.

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vrooje
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Post by vrooje »

How do you detect this 'sort' of guest in advance?
I would love to know, too, if there are any clear separators between the wheat and the chaff. Especially as I often never speak to our clients (most prefer to communicate through e-mail only, since we are on a different continent). It's very hard to tell who someone is from their e-mail, unless you have many detailed conversations. First e-mail impressions are often wrong...

But, Alan, couldn't you turn it on its head, and say:

If you have the sort of guest who cares about your property, they won't mind paying a deposit, and you'll be happy to pay it all back.

If you have the sort of guest who doesn’t give a damn about your property, you will be very glad indeed that you charged a deposit.

Certainly none of us have "please walk across my sofa with muddy boots on" written across our web site. So aside from different age groups, different income levels, different party sizes, I'm not sure how one property could regularly attract a different "sort" of guest from another.

Perhaps I am still ignorant of the way the world works, but I think the "wrong sort" can come from any of the above.
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Giddy Goat
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Post by Giddy Goat »

Mountain Goat wrote: I'm interested in this idea. How do you detect this 'sort' of guest in advance?MGoat
Exactly my thought too!
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Lesblancs
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Post by Lesblancs »

Hi all,

Someone posted about receiving a booking from a guest with a 'posh home counties address', but I cannot find the post anywhere. (probably one of Ros's 100 since she got back).

Anyway, all my guests this year seemed to have 'posh home counties addresses', (except the Germans) & they were all brilliantly well behaved. Perhaps that is the secret, who knows?

In fact thinking about it, my predecessor in the bank would only employ staff if they came from a good address - & they were a pretty good bunch! That would b*gger up the physcometric testing, or whatever it is now called.

Then it got me thinking, I would be very reluctant to deduct from a security deposit. A genuine accident, I think not. A careless stain, I doubt it. Damage by those plastic shot for pistols, reluctantly probably.

But proper damage would not be covered by a £150 deposit.
Interesting.

Robert
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Post by A-two »

Ciapolin wrote: We have now decided not to ask for one unless we have a very young family.
Carole-Anne,
Please don't take this the wrong way, but here in the US (New York at least), it doesn't matter whether we take a deposit or not, that's entirely our personal choice. What matters is that whatever policy we decide about deposits, that we treat everyone equally, regardless of race, religion, nationality, age, sexual preference, or familial status (families with children). That's not a choice, it's the law.

So discriminating against a "very young family" is regarded in the same way as any other form of discrimination, whether blacks, gays, jews, Brits, Americans, Martians, disabled bikers, geeks, it's all the same. In short, you can't single out any group of people for "special treatment", or you're on the wrong side of the law.

I think I know you well enough to know you didn't mean to offend anyone, and I'm sure you treat all your guests with the same generority and kindness you have shown on this board. I don't mean to offend you either by pointing it out.... it's probably just a cultural thing, but it's a bit of a shocker from this side of the pond that you would think of penalizing a whole subset of the population because of one bad experience.....however, one bad experience might be sufficient to justify taking a deposit from everyone....but that is your choice..... :)
Last edited by A-two on Mon Nov 06, 2006 6:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Hi Robert,
and her address sounds awfully home counties posh
It was Garlic worrying[unneccesarily] about her latest booking.being too good for her place........

I actually live on 'The Mews'.....[sounds posh doesnt it] and we all know what Im like :roll:

Of course daring to rent in the Costas..... or even worse Torrevieja........
I have no such worry as I only get the sort of guest I deserve ....which isnt much by the sound of it.......
Im surprised I even bother to send keys out .
My sort of client would probably be able to break in ...no bother....
But I have to bank theyre money quick as its probably part of a payroll from the latest bank heist....... :wink: :roll: :lol:
Last edited by Big Sis.. on Mon Nov 06, 2006 8:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

probably one of Ros's 100 since she got back).
Is that ALL Robert? I must be slipping
....Thanks for that , :wink:
I know I can count on you to keep ME posted on my postings........ :wink: :roll: :lol:

BTW You havent mentioned the fact that Alans overtaken Paolo..... :shock: .
Last edited by Big Sis.. on Mon Nov 06, 2006 7:23 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Ciapolin
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Post by Ciapolin »

Good point Joanna.

Overall I would prefer not to take a deposit. When we have been discussing the subject, the only reason we could find to take one was following one particular family who showed a blatant disregard for everything and everyone. The strange thing is they were Italian - in my experience they are meticulously clean and I certainly wasn't expecting what I got. It just goes to show how difficult it is to tell.

We had several families stay this year, and (with this exception) were all great.
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Giddy Goat
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Post by Giddy Goat »

This will look rude of me, but it's all a bit tiresome seeing these discussions aired again, when they have already been thrashed out so comprehensively (ten pages) on the thread I gave earlier:

viewtopic.php?t=699&postdays=0&postorde ... ts&start=0

There is a wealth of knowledge now archived on this superb forum, and a few minutes to use the search facility will often bring up the answer to a specific question without necessitating the opening up of a new thread. Maybe, as a simple member, I have no right to don a bobby's helmet, (it does look quite fetching in fact!) but I do think it a shame that more people don't try this route more frequently before starting another thread, and essentially duplicating effort and dissipating valuable information here, there and everywhere.

I do charge a deposit, as I said, bank it, and don't find it a hassle to return. There has only been one family from whose deposit I had to deduct a chunk, and that was because the house was left in such a state the caretakers had to put in several extra hours to put it right. It does happen to have been several branches of one family, with, between them, 5 children under the age of 6 (I think - forgotten the details, but reported on the other thread). Coincidence? I think the mums were all having a great time around the pool, and simply didn't supervise them, to be honest. Apart from that, I deducted an amount from another guest's deposit as he was working whilst at the house, and used the phone; he had requested this arrangement in advance. Small phone bills, just as small breakages, are written off. Good will is also important.

Sorry - serious and outspoken this morning! It's Monday, could that be why? :wink:
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Alan Knighting
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Post by Alan Knighting »

Brooke et al,

When I refer to different sorts of guest I am talking in very general terms. I tend not to get parties of young people, I certainly don't get people who want to go pubbing and clubbing all night - the facilities don't exist.

My experience is that my guests, by and large, act responsibly towards my properties and thus I don't take damages deposits. If my experience was the opposite, I most certainly would insist on damages deposits.

It's "horses for courses".

Fluffy
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