miscalculated rent and quoted too low! help!

[greenfrog]

Hi - advice wanted please!

I don't quite know how I did this but I miscalculated the rental and billed someone for less than the total.

I offered them a reduced daily rate after I had a cancellation for April and they said yes, please, quoting back the daily rate to me. I then sent the invoice but with the wrong total.
They paid the 50 per cent (of the lesser amount) and I only realised my mistake just now as I was sending them details for arrival.

I'm not quite sure what to do now - the rate I quoted was already reduced, but the totals I've sent have been wrong. They didn't pick up on it - but why would they?

I was thinking of coming clean and asking them to split the difference with me (it's a short stay, so the difference is 100 euros) and apologising for being a moron (and resolving not to answer emails late at night in future ).

What do you think? Part of me feels they would be justified in expecting me to stick to the lesser total but I'm hoping they'll have realised I made a mistake and be honest enough to not take total advantage of it.

What a dope I am!

Thanks, as always, for any advice,
Elaine

[Paul Carmel]

I would swallow it, But make dam sure that the client knows this...............2 possible outcomes, Client feels guilty and offers to pay you.......... Or the client thinks what a good egg for honoring your word and a re-booking might be on the cards.

Don't be make a positive out of a negative!

You aint seen me right!

[mon269]

Totally agree with PC. Unfortunately these things happen sometimes.

[Partridge]

I offered them a reduced daily rate after I had a cancellation for April and they said yes, please, quoting back the daily rate to me. I then sent the invoice but with the wrong total.

Well, maybe I like living dangerously Elaine but taking the above statment into consideration I would want the quoted price and would be on the phone or e-mail with copies of the quoted and agreed rate along the lines of 'when making out the final invoice the price inserted was an error'. I would probably ask them if they wished to cancel with a refund or go ahead at the 'correct' price.

Maybe Alan can help with the legalities but I remember years ago when working in car insurance that whatever quote we gave had to be stuck by, even if when the policy was made up we realised an error had been made. It all depends on how much you want the booking but as a punter if I had agreed a price I may keep quiet if the bill came in wrong but wouldn't quibble about the owner correcting their error.

[greenfrog]

Thanks to both of you - oops, all three of you! Sorry, Partridge, I guess we pressed "send" at the same time.

Now, how do I word my e-mail so that I own up to my stupidity and leave it open-ended enough that they just might do as Paul suggests and offer to pay, without actually asking for the money?

[Paul Carmel]

If you meet and great I would do it then. If not post you reply and I sure someone will help you draft a response...........I really should not be here and I going to get my ass kicked by the OH if I get caught!

[Partridge]

If you meet and great I would do it then.

Not sure about that one, I would feel really embarassed if that happened to me, would far sooner the owner had approached me beforehand. I still think that if the quote was agreed then it would be a very mean person not to cough up the extra if they were approached in the right way.....blame it on the other half

Paul, happy hiding

[Stu]

Top advice from PC there. After all, how many of us would return goods to a supermarket if we've been charged a lesser price than the goods have been stamped with? The argument being, more fool them?

Sorry to sound harsh, but at the end of the day, you have to be more businesslike, and you're right...don't answer enquiries late at night. Plus, don't beat yourself up about it either, 'cos we've all done it! Hopefully, we've all learned from it too!

[Mouse]

'fraid I agree with Party here....I'd explain that a mistake has been made but refer them to the original amount agreed in writing. Its a lot of money to lose and you've already given them a discount too.

I'm sure they know (they'll have checked the amount to ensure the discount had been taken into account) and have just kept quiet (wouldn't most of us???!) - so as soon as you mention it they'll feel guilty.

If you want to give something back Elaine...then do it in the form of flowers or wine or an added extra etc and a 'thank you for understanding' note.

These things can be done nicely and I don't think you upset them in any way....after all you got the price right in the beginning!!!! It was only on subsequent emails/invoices

good luck
Mousie
x

[Hells Bells]

I did this with my first ever booking, and confused myself converting pounds into euros for a French booking. I put it down to experience, and now ask for payment in euros from all my bookings. I always manage to mess up the phone calls. A previous guest called last week, I must have sounded a complete idiot.

[Overboard]

They are checking in this month you say? Ooh err. I'd probably prefer to bang my head against the wall a few times than confront them at this late stage.

[greenfrog]

Thanks everyone for your advice. (and thanks for giving me a much-needed laugh, Helen!)

So, taking on board the differing views, I thought of e-mailing them with the following - it's sort of open-ended and does leave it to them to decide to pay up or come back to me with the argument that they signed at the lower rate. What do you think? Is it too much?

I don't like getting into this so near their arrival but I know I'll resent them if they never mention it to me and I'll feel cheated, even though it's my own stupid fault, so I feel I need to do something.

Hi ,

I've just spotted an error in my invoice to you. When you first inquired about the apartment I offered it to you at the reduced rate of 130 euros a night, which you accepted.

Then, somehow, I mistyped the total and billed you for 420 euros instead of 520. I am sincerely sorry for this mixup - I clearly mistyped the amount and then repeated it when invoicing for the deposit.

I realise that I should have seen it before now and brought it to your attention sooner.
Again, my apologies.

Kind regards,
Elaine

[Overboard]

Well since you clearly mentioned to them in the initial response that it was 130 a night then I wouldn't feel so bad about correcting the error after all.. thus I'd probably still bang my head a few times and then contact them for the correct amount

[Partridge]

Maybe a bit too many apologies for me Eileen. How long ago was this booking made anyway, not that it matters, I still feel you agreed a rate to begin with in writing. How about

... it has come to my attention that there is a discrepancy between the discounted price agreed (see copy of correspondance below) and the price on the subsequent invoice....(if you are asking for the extra).... Therefore the final balance is x and not y, please accept my apologies for this oversight.

[greenfrog]

Well since you clearly mentioned to them in the initial response that it was 130 a night then I wouldn't feel so bad about correcting the error after all.. thus I'd probably still bang my head a few times and then contact them for the correct amount

Believe me, my head is now black and blue.


Can't believe I was such an idiot (well, I can... ).
I feel like this is the rental equivalent of drunk dialing a new man! Happily, I learnt a long time ago that that was a bad idea - now I must remember to not reply to inquiries late at night!!

Thanks for your suggested text, Partridge. I've incorporated some of it and have sent a less grovelling but still open-ended e-mail and I'll just have to wait and see. I'm happy to split the difference with them, if they balk at paying the full price. But I guess I don't have a lot of choice, having accepted their signed contract for the lesser amount. Oh well, chalk it up to experience!

Once again, thank you all so much for your wisdom and your time.

Elaine