Rather early arrivals

[Topcat]

Relaxing with a glass of wine and a recorded episode of The Bill, the phone rang. This was our tenants who had arrived, couldn't find the office to get the key, couldn't find the apartment either, and were in a panic.

I immediately blamed myself for not noticing that a 5pm ETA probably meant that they arrived in Portugal at that time, and forgetting to add on two hours - one for the time difference between Spain and Portugal, and one for the journey. Feeling very bad I directed them to the nearest beach bar, and phoned my agent. Fortunately everything got sorted out, and they were installed in the apartment within 30 minutes.

But something was niggling me. First I thought, 'Oh, is it today they arrive?' Now, I've just had four lovely days in Salzburg and rather lost track of time, so I just accepted it. But the niggle persisted. So I went back through all the e-mails between us. Yes, the date they booked for was the 25th (today is the 23rd). Now it's still partly my fault, as I should have read the booking form more clearly, since they had put the 23rd on there. But why on earth did they think it was OK to just change the date of arrival without drawing my attention to it? What if the previous tenants had still been in residence?

Well it's certainly taught me to check booking forms carefully!

TC

[ttp]

But why on earth did they think it was OK to just change the date of arrival without drawing my attention to it? What if the previous tenants had still been in residence?

Possibly because they are not in the rental business & therefore don't realise the importance of change-over days.

[Topcat]

Well, possibly, Nick, but even in a hotel you don't just assume that the room will be available 2 days before the date you've requested.

Well, a lesson for them and me and no real harm done, fortunately.

TC

[la vache!]

Possibly because they are not in the rental business & therefore don't realise the importance of change-over days.

Many don't realise the importance of sticking to the time given on changeover days either. I often have guests turn up before the 16H arrival time specified when they haven't arranged anything beforehand. I have this terrible habit when they do this, I can't stop myself looking obviously at my watch when they arrive, which I'm sure isn't the right thing to do, but then turning up early without prior arrangement is quite rude too.

[squirrel]

Thank goodness La Vache, I thought that I was the only one who did this ostentatious (and sarcastic) watch looking-at.

I am always amazed at the various times that new guests arrive. I have even had a party turn up at 8 in the morning, expecting to take over when the previous guests (not due to leave until 10am) are still sleeping soundly in their beds!!

Our takeover time is 4pm but realistically I allow takeover at 3pm. By that time I have usually been able to do a last minute check to make sure that nothing obvious is wrong.

But bless them, they will always turn up when they want to won't they? Where would we be without them?

Just keep looking at that watch!!

[ttp]

don't just assume that the room will be available 2 days before the date you've requested.

Sorry, I thought you wrote that they changed the date to the 23rd & arrived on the 23rd, so they arrived on the day they requested.

[Topcat]

Nick, what they did was request the 25th. I agreed the 25th, and gave them a quote for one week based on that date.

Then without checking it was OK with me, they changed the date on the booking form to the 23rd. Not expecting in a million years for someone to change an agreed date without first checking that the apartment was still available, I failed to notice. I fully accept my own carelessness, but I'm still taken aback that someone could request and agree a date, and then book flights for a different date without checking.

[Mouse]

If I was you TC I'd be checking that they are still intending to stay for a week and not adding another 2 days on to their 'weeks' holiday at the same price

I can't say I'd blame yourself....I certainly wouldn't check to make sure the dates are still the same. As you say, if they needed to change them then surely the first thing they should do is check to ensure there is a vacancy

Mouse
x

[Topcat]

Thank you Mousie! Understood at last. Yes, it does look as if they've acquired one day. But they had such a wretched time last night, arriving in a foreign country, late evening and as it happens apparently completely lost, that I haven't the heart to give them a hard time of it.

I don't know how they got lost, as other tenants have said my directions were crystal clear, but then, everyone else arrived in the daylight, and things do look different in the dark.

Poor things - I get the feeling they haven't been abroad before. I hope this won't be the last time for them!

We live and learn - I SHOULD have checked, there's no denying it. What I normally do, and for some reason I didn't with this family, is fill in the dates myself, and the costs, but for some reason I didn't do it this time.

TC

[ttp]

Nick, what they did was request the 25th. I agreed the 25th, and gave them a quote for one week based on that date..

Ah, OK, that's clearer, does sound a bit silly of them.

Bet you check a bit more carefully in the future though

[Musetta]

oh no. that is so scary! I would hate to thinkn of a guests barging in on current sleeping quests!

[Topcat]

Well that couldn't happen, Musetta, because I don't send out the keys, they have to get them from my agent. But just imagine if they'd arrived and had nowhere to go!

Anyway, they're fine. I had to get my agent out of bed I think, and I just hope he hadn't had too much to drink for safe driving. But he bought them a drink in the local beach bar (which he owns, and when they rang me I sent them there while I phoned him), and after he had settled them in they were on their way out again to eat. At least it wasn't raining.

We'll all be more careful in future!

TC

[vrooje]

I would hate to thinkn of a guests barging in on current sleeping quests!

That happened to us a couple of weeks ago when the following week's guests turned up a day early! I had a frantic message from our property manager and called them back ten minutes later... by which time the early tenants had realized their mistake and gone off to a hotel -- but not before the current tenants offered to let them stay in a bedroom they weren't using! Bless their hearts, that was so sweet of them, and they were completely understanding about the whole thing.

I did check our e-mails and contracts and there was never any mention of turning up Friday instead of Saturday evening, so it was just a genuine mistake. But after that and TC's story I will certainly be triple-checking all dates on all correspondence from now on!

[Hells Bells]

Happened to us in our first season. On the last night of our infamous vicar's holiday, a bewildered French family knocked on the door, wondering why they hadn't been met by anyone.
(I bet the vicar didn't hesitate to tell him there was no room at the inn!!) . As it was really high ski season, I was quite worried, but they managed to find themselves a hotel.

[Partridge]

It is entirely possible that your guests had 23rd in their minds all the time and simply 'got it wrong' in communication. I hate to say it but sometimes 'the lift doesn't go all the way to the top'

I had guests a while back who text me during their stay saying 'Can we check out at 1pm on Saturday so I can feed the girls before we leave for the airport'. I thought it odd as I had already agreed a midday checkout that fitted in with their flight, so checked it and was slightly confused, also they were leaving Sunday, not Saturday. I replied 'That's absolutely fine but I have checked your flight details and your flight is xxx departing at xxxx, so you do need to leave by midday, just concerned that you would miss your flight. Also, you are booked in until Sunday, not Saturday'. She replied 'Oh, I'd better check', then again to say 'You are right', no thank you's or anything, it made me realise that some people are rather a liablility

Oh yes, not that it would have helped my absent minded guests but I always make sure the agreed dates include the 'day' ie Monday etc just in case they have their dates wrong.