Too picky...??

[Sue Dyer]

Have you ever had an enquiry and you feel like saying to them.... Don't bother, please!!

Had a phone enquiry yesterday asking if a date was available and checking rate which I confirmed. Then he asked if I had any information on the cottage I could post. I asked if they'd seen the website and he said, yes, he was sitting looking at it, he was on the rate and availbility page! I explained that anything sent would be exactly the same as the website and he thought I'd have "more" information. (I can't make stuff up!)

Then a list of questions: was the cottage far from the village as they didn't want to be too far out.. Reply - "No" you're just a few minutes walk from shops and a couple of pubs. "Oh, that means it will be noisy then"... Noting I allowed pets he asked if the house would smell of dogs when he went in... I reassured him it wouldn't....(Like I'd say yes!!), he was concerned there was free parking, yes, on the road outside, does that mean we'll have lots of traffic noise... At the same time he was having a conversation with his wife who was prompting him with more questions, I thought he was talking to me which was really confusing, lots more questions and reassurance that the rate was the total rate and no add on's. He said he'd take a booking form and let me know what they'd decided in a few days but consider it a firm booking for now!!???

I realise people want to know the in's and outs and reassure themselves but you know when you just feel like turning a booking down as you know you'll worry their whole stay that they are going to be really picky? I kinda hope he comes back and say's they don't want to book as I know I'll have no problem reletting the week. I'm probably spoilt by 99% email transactions where I don't actually speak to the guests and a season that is booking out like crazy...

[oskar]

I tend to find the ones who ask all the questions end up not booking.

It's as if they're just asking all the questions until they can find a reason not to book.

[debk]

yeah, in fact, i got this yesterday. email is no protection:

Hi Deb,
I am interested in making this reservation. I am willing to make a deposit if you can provide the following information:
Your office address (street number, city, zone code)
Your phone number
The address of our rental appartment
After I made the deposit,can you give me a receipt with a confirmation number and your signature? You can fax or email this receipt to me.
A guaranty that we will get an apartment, either Casa Santana or Travessa (as showed in your website), nothing else, from April 9 to April 12, 2005.
How we can get the keys to our appartment.
Any security matter we need to know or prevent.
What we need to do in case of emergency.
Thank you very much.

The best part is that the apartments as shown on the website are completely unfurnished. So would I need to empty them before this guest would check-in?

[Sue Dyer]

thanks Oskar and Debk !

I think that email was the equivelent of my call... he kept saying goodbye and his wife would think of another question!!! I know you can't afford to be too fussy but abruptness from an enquiry really puts me off.

I hoped you sent him a thorough reply covering every type of emergency... fire, plagues, terrorism, floods and famine. I'm sure Lay My Hatters can come up with an emergency plan to cover all of these.

[debk]

darn. forgot about plagues.

actually, i answered all her questions in a geniunely friendly and helpful manner (paolo would be proud)...

and then the evil me came through and i gently mentioned that she sounded rather uncomfortable with our offerings and ended with a list of local hotels that she might find more suitable.

[vrooje]

I have only had one client that I wish I had told not to bother. They were ultra-picky and also kept trying to talk me down in price. I refused, which was my way of trying to get them not to book.

They did in fact book the house and eventually said everything at the house was "okay," but the price was too high. Some people won't ever be satisfied!

Debk, it's probably different with apartments in a large complex, but I would never give out our house's full address before receiving full payment. If they can't get there, they can't try to stay there without paying! Of course most people wouldn't do this, but you never know. It does sound like the inquiry you had may have been from a couple who were burned by a bait and switch holiday rental or timeshare.

Unbelievable -- you have to love the people who insist on getting all kinds of detailed official information from you and then expect you to consider a week booked without having received payment or a signed contract!

[Sue Dyer]

ah, His cheque and booking form have arrived this morning. He's put a scrawly note in with "cheque enclose forthwith" and his writing looks picky!!
Lucky I didn't book the woman with 5 lurchers and greyhounds in the week before them then!

[Sue Dyer]

How bad do I feel??? I have done the unforgiveable. I have double booked the Mr Picky week so now I have had to write a grovelling letter to him and return his deposit cheque as he was the second to book. I guess I should really ring him but I can't face stammering an explaination.

This is the first time i've ever done this, I just must have taken my eye off the ball for a moment. We have offered him a 10% reduction if he wants to give us another chance and book with us in future.

Has anyone else ever done double booked in error before? Please tell me I'm not alone

[paolo]

Sue,

I haven't done it yet, but I know I will and I have waking nightmares about it. At least you've caught it now, and not on the day of arrival! I guess offering a discounted rate for the future is all you can do. And grovel...

[tansy]

soodyer - if it helps see my other posting where I've cancelled a booking as I felt they were messing me about and no deposit had arrived in favour of a known guest wanting to come back for a month...I'm being bombarded with emails and voice mails...(fortunately there was a do on in our village salle du fete today so we have been out all afternoon ), but I feel really bad now as it appears they were after all genuine - just disorganised...but at the end of the day we have to take the view we are running a business.

I just am so pleased that I ran it past the forum because I do feel I made the right decision.

But Paolo - I'm known to sit up bolt upright in bed in a cold sweat in the wee small hours ranting about too many people...it's my nightmare...my husband thinks I'm demented double checking and then checking again

[Sue Dyer]

thanks guys!! I guess I am a bit relieved the picky guy isn't staying as he sounded like the type of guest who could find fault where none existed...
I guess we all make mistakes at times, trick is to learn from them and I'll not do it again
(I'm going to check the caller display for a couple of days in case he rings and rants at me!)

[Paul Carmel]

Tansy you were in the right! If any of these e-mail's are threatening in any way report them to there ISP for abuse.

Sue, is there nothing in the local area you can offer them? If you help out another owner .........what goes around etc

[Sue Dyer]

thanks Paul. I used to give the rental cottage next door's details but that was sold way before Christmas. The new guys were going to rent out but we've not seen a single sighting of them since they viewed the place - spooky!!

[vrooje]

Sue,

Sorry for the late reply -- but don't feel badly! I have no idea how it happened but I accidentally double-booked our house for one week last summer.

After I stopped hyperventilating, I gave priority to the couple that had booked the week first, and actually managed to find a very nice property for the other couple, just a few km away from ours. That property had a last-minute special offer on the week, so the couple ended up saving money and getting a slightly bigger house! I counted my blessings and resolved never to do that again. It was the strangest thing -- I had done everything correct with both couples, and just forgotten to book the availability calendar the first time. Ugh! But thank goodness we require the final payment 4 weeks in advance of arrival -- it could have been SO much worse.

I must say I'm relieved to find out that I'm not the only one who has done this. I was so, so, so upset with myself.

Cheers!

[Sue Dyer]

Thanks for that Brooke!!! I know, you could just kick yourself but I guess everyone makes mistakes. I'm so careful now double checking but I've only got 3 weeks unbooked until mid Sept so not much margin for further errors!!

Hope you enjoyed your hol.