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Why don't people read the info??

Hello good people...

Not really asking for a solution just having a bit of a rant!! 

Our guesthouse only has 6 bookable rooms: On the first floor we have a front facing family room with a sideways view along to the beach, a rear facing double; second floor there is a twin, a double and a single and finally the top two attic rooms that we sell together as a 2 room family unit. Apart from the double rooms I only have one room of each type to offer.

In the quieter winter months I have the availability to move people around a bit (like upgrading a long stay single into a double etc)

From experience I have learnt to be honest in my descriptions and don't mis-represent the rooms so it will plainly read for example: the attic room as the name suggests is on the third floor, there are lots of stairs, there are sloped ceilings, there are lower architraves....I've had a 6'7" guy up there! A lady, who when I offered to carry her bag said 'oh it is rather heavy...it's my nebuliser' !!!! Felt like having a Union Jack handy when she reached the top!!

Similarly I have recently had a spate of bookings for example...booking the single room then asking for a ground floor room (?)....booking the single room (second floor) then asking for no steps (?)

Booking any of the rooms then adding the note 'would like ground floor if poss'....nowhere do I suggest I have any ground floor rooms so I don't know where they get that from!

Of course I reply honestly stating the only single is on the second floor and has 4 small flights of steps to it as per the description available on BDC. These bookings then understandably cancel normally with an apologetic reply and I just think...if you'd have read the description in the first place you wouldn't have booked it any way!

I don't big up the views...whilst being on the Esplanade across the road from the beach there is another block of guesthouses on the other side of the road to us (hence the side view along to the beach from the family room) so I think people assume we are the beach facing terrace...again not looking at the location map.

So like I said...not asking how to answer anything just having a bit of a rant....!

What funny things has anyone else been requested for just from guests not reading the info in-front of them?

I thank you for listening

Sonia


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LouiseMHS 4 years ago

Sonia, I have similar things happen. I email new bookings immediately with info that is often overlooked or assumed by guests. I especially add info re stairs, as four out of our 8 huts have numerous stairs, and many guests have difficulty with this. BDC will not allow this to be added to the BDC description as they believe it will put guests off booking. This is correct but at least guests will choose the best place for them and they will have a nice holiday and our ratings will not go down because of this.

As you said guests do not read or correctly interpret the info or they assume things about a place.

For us, as property owners, honesty is the best policy. Always good to have a rant at times too.