Not wanted here - hotel guests who will not be happy
Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2013-12-30 14:29:49 - Graham Ellis
Yes, I want you to stay at Well House Manor - but only if you'll enjoy it; I really don't want to sell rooms to people who won't overall be happy with what they have bought - not only would we end up with a disappointed customer, but we also risk bad reviews. We risk damage being done ("room was trashed") that costs far more that the value of the booking to put right, and we risk our staff being put into difficult situations.
About half an hour ago, I took a phone call, and turned down a booking for a room for tomorrow night. And I feel good about it. We have plenty of availability, so why don't I want Mr E and his girl friend?
It all started two days ago. A phone call at a quarter past 10 at night asking to make a one night booking for the New Year, extended during the call to ask for the previous night, and specifically asking for the best room with a Bath. Well, the opinion on "best" varies but Mr E took a look at the web site and said he required bedroom 3. Slight problem ... it's already allocated "but I can check for you first thing in the morning as it may well be moveable". I offer to call him back, but "no - I'll call you at about 10".
Turns out that Mr and Mrs G who are shown for BR3 have been randomly allocated to that room - no preference - so we can easily accommodate Mr E ... but he doesn't call back, and I'm out from around 1 p.m.
The 10 a.m. call comes - to Lisa - soon after I've left, but having been told we can move the rooms around for him, Mr E now wants a discount because he's booking for two nights. Hmmm ... we typically don't do discounts and Lisa refuses, but does say I will call him back and may be able to suggest something.
Back at 5, and I call. A whole series of "engaged" until I eventually get through at 6, but Mr E is out and busy and "will call back in 5 minutes when I get home".
Two hours later (!) and he calls. "Sorry - had to go to hospital to get my ankle replastered as I fell over; that's why I need a bath". And he goes on to ask how far we are from somewhere nice to eat (200 yards doesn't phase him, even with the ankle), and what time is checkin and can we have the room earlier?
I offer him the first night at Delegate rate and te second at full rate - saving him 20 pounds, but he explains how their money is very tight and pitches in with an offer a further 20 pounds lower. I decline to accept, and suggest he might feel rather happier spending his money actually staying - for a little less money - at one of the local pubs, and I quote a couple of names. However, after blustering at me for a bit, he decides that he'll go ahead and book with us at the price I gave him, and I start to enter it into the system.
When we get to "Credit or Debit card number to guarantee the room", he blusters again - "I'll have to hobble downstairs to get that - I'll call you backin five minutes", and I say that's fine, but please don't leave it much longer as the booking system will time out. That was at aroud 20:00 yesterday, foran arrival today.
At a quarter past one this afternoon, Mr E is on the phone again. "We're not going to be able to make it today, but could I book for just tomorrow night please". And I'm afraid I told him that I didn't want his booking ... I think he was rather put out ... but I am happy with my decision.
We review cases like this, carefully. Is there something we should be offering but don't? Why was Mr E so persistant in wanting to stay with us? How did the apparent medical problems match up with the 200 yard walk into town? Why had he chosen Melksham?
It could be that he - or more likely his girlfriend - saw us on "Four in a Bed", and she said she'd go away for the New Year with him if they stayed with us; not a very likely explanation, but can you do better? It could be that he's already banned from most of the other places in Melksham, I supposed, or that he's already put them off and they refuse to take his booking too. It could be that someone has a grouch against us, and whilst I do know of one, the calls weren't in his pattern and the telephone number wasn't withheld. We will probably never know; I hesitate to say "will never hear again" but then I didn't expect to hear back, several times, during the enquiry procedure - it will be interesting if he turns up on our doorstep tomorrow, for example.
I remain of the view that Mr E and Ms X are going to be far better suited to staying elsewhere - I can (and did) name a couple of good pubs with rooms within a short distance of here, where alcohol will be on tap into the wee hours, staff around to help Ms X get him back to the room after the New Year celebrations, and indeed they'll be around all the time to meet all of his requirements.
A Happy New Year then to Mr E, Ms X, Mr and Mrs G, and all of our team too. May every one of you enjoy it because you'll be in a great place for you to celebrate the coming of 2014
Update - 31st December ... Five out of five other hoteliers who have commented on this article - all good friends with whom we openly share and discuss our businesses across the UK - say that they too would have turned down the booking even at full price. I'm relieved that my reaction to the chain of events in the 'booking' procedure didn't lead me to irrationally turn someone away...