Jump to content

Guests from Hell


Eskenazi
 Share

Recommended Posts

We have had more than our fair share of difficult customers this year. 

One lot (who were return visitors from last year) asked for a bigger barbecue which they only used once despite good weather. They left beer bottles all around the bottom of the hedge and cigarette ends all over the drive (our house is non smoking) , the inside of the house in a mess and left the electric heaters on in one or more of the bedrooms.  When we deducted a small amount from their security deposit they complained about having to fight their way through chicken poo (hardly - we have over 2000 sq meters of land and the neighbours (who own a lot more land than us) have only  4 chickens). 

Another lot rang to book 5 days before the commencement of the holiday so I told them the house wasn't available.  The chap asked if it was actually booked as he had his own house in France and needed to be there to oversee some work of a nature which meant he couldn't take his family there.  I took pity on his situation and offered to accept a booking provided he paid cash to our caretaker on arrival.  Despite me explaining that the cleaner would need around 3 hours to clean before they 'moved in' and the previous guests weren't due to leave until 10 am he nevertheless arrived at 9.30 and when given access spread belongings all over the house.  He then promptly left, leaving his children behind, making it impossible for the cleaner to do her job.  Luckily the previous customers had left the place spotless.  When we charged a minimal hour's cleaning and some electricity costs from his security deposit he had the cheek to say that the bin had rubbish in it when he arrived! He claimed he'd left the place clean even though our cleaner had to vacuum chocolate cereal from the bedroom carpets and deal with stains on the sofa,etc.  He claims he's reported us to our advertiser of our officious manner!

We're thinking of packing it all in - it's not worth the grief

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This sounds similar to one of the lots we had this summer. They were on the phone to complain within half an hour of arriving, saying that the house hadn't been cleaned, and the bed linen was not changed.  As we were still on our way home after our own stay in the house, we could categorically state that not only was it clean, but I had also changed the beds myself when I did the cleaning, before we left to come home. I was really offended, especially as they were so nasty, but thought that maybe they were just trying it on! Things got worse when they phoned the next day to complain of a nasty smell (not apparent on the day they arrived, nor on the day they left when we made a special trip over to try and fix the problem!) We hoped that we had just been unlucky to have such picky people, but then they tried to blackmail us into paying them compensation by refusing to return our key until we had made them an offer!  My offer was: return the key or I'll change the locks and take the money out of your security deposit. That got the key returned along with an exceptionally rude and insulting letter. They didn't even own up to melting a lampshade in one of the bedrooms. 

I'm hoping they are just the one bad lot of the year, but they have left a really bad feeling, and we have considered giving it all up.  This is not our main business, as we both work full time in the UK, and rent the house out to help with the mortgage, and we really don't feel it's worth this kind of hassle.  Are people just getting less tolerant and more demanding, or have we been unlucky? I just feel people are always on the lookout for something for nothing - a 5* holiday for a bargain price.

We also get a lot of last minute enquiries, (2 or 3 days before the supposed start date,) and we just can't handle the necessary paperwork and finances in that time scale - something we make clear on our website, but which people happily ignore! I'm learning far more about human nature doing this than I ever wanted to know!

 

Hope others are having better luck this year.

 

Marie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi

at least they pay ?

Much more difficult to deal with complaining family : why is it raining ?

Sarah only has Kellogs fruity woos (or something like that)

Why are there lumps in the butter (it is called salt)

My vanilla ice cream has brown bits (that is called vanilla)

Peter

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Hi

For the first time in 2 years we had the guests from hell:

They smoked and left cigarette ends despite it being a no smoking household.

They didnt bring any bedding , a neighbour kindly loaned them some. which they left on the beds,, which in view of the fact they had noisy sex every afternoon with the windows open opposite the entrance of the Chateau , was not very nice.However, the Tourists apparently liked the extra show and the local French people in the village asked if I had more guests like that I could rent out the house to..

Needless to say they left crockery etc unwashed , bath uncleaned, china left smashed on the floor. baby oil on bedroom wall , which needed repainting . wine stains on antique chairs ( they had removed the covers)and the pace took ages to clean.

They had to cut their stay short because apparently the police asked them to return home , because the children they had left at home had had riotous parties ,, which shows what sort of people they must be

Do we have a "name & shame " list?? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re the no smoking rule. I notice that of a lot of gite owners on here have this rule.

I don't smoke and would not like to stay in a room where the smoke smell lingers from a previous occupant, so no smoking gites suit me fine!

But it seems to me that smoking is far more rife in France than in the UK. Does the decision to have no smoking gites revolve around owners personal preferences or insurance ? How does a smoker in a non smoking gite effect the insurance policy?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

My first year, six years ago I had guests from hell who left the place in a state - they'd already blocked the drains and  I 'kindly' offered to pay for a hotel room for the night whilst the plumber unblocked it all.

This year I had my first complaint, people who moved onto the Bourgogne (ring any bells anyone?!) who left saying that it wasn't up to their normal standards, when I asked why they said they'd found a (notice the singular) cobweb.  I apologised (although I am very fastidious on my spiders in the gite as they get everywhere!) and felt it was a ploy to get money back.  They'd not tidied up at all but I gave them their security deposit back wanting to see the back of them.

The bizarre thing was, that when they arrived, they were the first people that I have ever had a 'bad' feeling about ...

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

The following 'thoughts' have some disadvantages if implemented but they have worked for me for the last five years with the charter of three yachts 'bareboat'. An area of 'hire' notorious for 'bad' customers. Perhaps some of it could cross over to holiday accomodation.

a) I am always present to greet and jointly inspect at the start and take back at the end, and it is a condition of the booking.

b) I always take photos of detail I on rare occasions subsequently find during my deep clean, before rectifying it. With digital it costs nothing if they are not needed, and it makes argument more difficult.

c) I only ever accept last minute bookings from repeat clients I really want to see back again.

d) I take a meaningful security deposit, something which generally doesn't seem to happen in holiday accomodation. £50 doesn't compensate for much.

Without a doubt this approach 'costs' me some bookings and I won't ever get rich, but it also helps keep some very expensive kit in top condition and helps retain some very loyal customers who won't charter with anyone else. I know which I regard as the priority.

woodswave

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read these comments with interest as we have a property that we are about to rent out just to cover the running costs really. What do people think about having a 'name and shame' list for guest from hell ?

I have a couple of websites , one for our own property and another listing all types of french accommodation. As I work as a database web designer I am using this accommodation website as a bit of a testbed but also to advertise our own property.

I quite like the idea of putting a 'name and shame' list on the website although I dont think you could really name people other than

The Jo_____ family from Brighton"... etc.

If anyone got an enquiry from someone with the name "Jo____ from Brighton", you could contact the person who posted the ad and find out if they are the same people....hope that makes sense

what do people think of doing this ?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote]I read these comments with interest as we have a property that we are about to rent out just to cover the running costs really. What do people think about having a 'name and shame' list for guest from...[/quote]

In the 7 years before we moved here we always stayed at the same gite with the one exception over a long weekend. The owners of the main gite have become good friends (French). Theirs is a BF 'Elite Gite' with 5 epis. They have had the gites (2) for over 10 years and have had only a few bad circumstances. They were all from the same countr which I will not name. They will no longer rent to those from there anymore. To all - were these, of which you speak, from different countries?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A name and shame list sounds like a fine idea. Im renovating a barn to let next summer and having read this and spoken to friends who think that it has become much more of a problem, am becoming more worried about whether its actually worth the hassle even before I get set up. I agree that for peace of mind its best to physically meet the clients on arrival but at times that is not physically possible, so a website that not only named etc but also gave proper descriptions of properties, properly advertised over time would hopefully stop people taking the p**s. 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

May I add a different perspective on guests from hell?

A couple of years ago we rented a house for 10 days over Christmas. The bedroom and bathroom were truely wonderful, the kitchen very well fitted but there were no instructions on how to use the cooker, had to consult the ?caretaker in the main house, the standard of furnishings was abysmal, the settee was so uncomfortable, with no cushions we had to use pillows from the bed, the only chair was in such bad condition that we had to use a throw to cover it, the main door had such big gaps in it that we had to go and get duct tape and tape the door up and use rolled up newspaper to fill in the gaps in the door. The general cleanliness of the place left a lot to be desired too, I had to clean the living room when we got there and I swear no one had cleaned the dust from under the dresser for years.......

The owner/caretaker of the gite left two days before Christmas for the UK leaving no one in the main house and no contact details.

We paid a security deposit of £100 and we were charged £60 for the electric heating for 10 days, I nearly had a fit...... we used the heaters on time switches, the bedroom heater only went on for an hour morning and evening and we had just two thermostatically controlled heaters on in the living room/kitchen, we found these very difficult to control, but used them sparingly...... the rental was not cheap either..... to say we felt ripped off is putting it mildly.

I am pleased to say that this is not our general experience of renting in France, we have over the years stayed in great properties and made friends with many owners.........I do so feel for those of you who have been blesssed with bad guests, I try to leave a house in the condition I would like to find it, and often get compliments as to the condition we leave gites in when we leave....

Like everything, there are two sides to a story

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are always those clients that 'try their luck' and will actively look for something to complain about working on the theory that they may get a reduction. Perhaps this comes from the conventional holiday companies who give 10% discounts of the next holiday etc.

Complaints should always be dealt with quickly which is more difficult when you don't live close to hand. We have had one or two like a squeaky headboard (we removed it for the rest of the persons stay) which didn't normally make a noise unless the bed was used vigorously . Another was not enough hooks in the bathroom for vanity bags so we stuck two on the the tiles and removed them afterwards as there were already six. Always try and turn things round, a typical way is to say something like "I am sorry we have never had a complaint about this before, what would you like us to do to put the problem right?".

Smoking, well both my wife and I smoke. We don't allow smoking in our rented houses in the UK and neither do we allow it in our bedrooms of our B&B here. For us the reason is simple, it makes the rooms dirty and the smell lingers especially if you have heavy curtains. No nonsmoker likes to go in a room where others have been smoking. We don't allow smoking in our public areas of the B&B till after breakfast. Likewise we don't allow smoking until coffee is served during a evening meal. If we feel the need for a ciggy during these times we go outside just as we expect our guests to do.

Somebody mentioned rubbish outside. We had a problem with this a couple of years ago. The answer was simple, we put a small bin with lid outside and a couple of ash trays.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Hi,

I am not sure why last minute requests for bookings is an issue.  We do it all the time as we often decide on holidays at the spur of the moment (we don't have kids so are not tied to school holiday schedules).  Does that mean we are less reliable guests?  I don't think so.  For a gite owner who has a vacancy, last minute requests should be heaven sent, considering that the place would be empty otherwise...

Seems a bit old-fashioned to think that if you don't plan your holiday months in advance you are somehow not trustworthy...

Vig

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a previous renter (now got our own so no need) I too would like to put the other point of view. First - smoking - no if I knew smoking was allowed, I wouldn't touch it - not just the smell, I find smokers are much less considerate of others needs, feeling etc.

I have never had a bad experience when renting - if anything I have been so frightened of breaking anything that I have scarce dared to use some of the posh equipment, but then I like to feel "at home" and some places are so "up-market". I would have liked a place that was clean and tidy with nice facilites, but which felt like home - they never felt like that to me. But I am hardly typical - a couple in their 50s / 60s are not likely to be the ones to cause damage! Though we did happily replace a shower hose in one place which was obviously past its sell by date and broke when used - never got the money back for that - though we asked - so it does work both ways.

We live in a small block of flats in London, and several are now rented out - we have had some horrors (not in our flat, but we hear the noise and have heard reports). We considered whether to keep the flat when we retire to our house in France, but decided that hassle factor did not make it worth our while - and so will cut our ties completely in few years.

Whilst it takes all sorts, I still continue to be amazed at the behaviour of "so-called" civilised people. When people niggle about the smallest detail - and forget that living in a country house in France is not the same as living in the "sanitised" so-called English countryside, I say they want something to worry about - I heard one lot had to leave the rented property - owls or rats or something they coudn't stand - what did they expect!!

You certainly can't please everybody!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Steve,

Of course, but not all are as considerate as you - try walking the streets of London on a daily basis! The first thing I noticed on my return to London after a lovely week in the fresh air at Christmas in France was the smell - passing cigarettes wafting in smokers hands contributing greatly to the other smells!

I look at this way, if smokers have so little regard for themselves and their own bodies (otherwise they wouldn't smoke - and don't get me onto the subject of willpower and addiction!) they usually have very little regard for others' health. Those older people who started long before the damage caused by smoking was known I can have some sympathy with - but since it has been well known for over 40 years I have little sympathy for those younger people who seem unable to control their lives without causing untold misery to those of us who now suffer some ill-health because of other people's past smoking.

I realise that these are generalisations - and some (like you) do buck the trend - as I said, you really cannot please all the people all the time - which is why I'm leaving London as soon as I can!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...