Nationality traits

[Coco]

Now I don't want to be accused of being racist or discriminatory here but I have recently started seeing a bit of a pattern emerging with certain bookings.

The French seem to be extremely cautious and ask question aftr question after question before they will book a room, even for one night.

The Italians are more presumptious they just TELL me they will be coming on such and such a date and for how many nights and seem quite surprised if I tell them we are full.

The Brits worry. Will I be able to find it? What if I arrive later than the time that I told you? I'm coming in two days time so I'm not going to be able to get the deposit to you before I arrive, what can I do?

The Americans. What can I say!!! I know I'm generalising, but they really are the LIMIT!!! You all know about my one week booking that decided to cancel about two days before he was due to come (over a bank holiday weekend on which I had missed out on other bookings). Since then I have had another US no-show and I suspect that my booking for 13th/14th of this month will not show. I realised the other day that she did not have directions to our house so I emailed and asked where she would be coming from. No reply. I phoned - the phone has been cut off. I have now sent another email saying that unless she responds I shall not hold the room.

I have anothr booking for two rooms for 3 nights in August. I have emailed him asking the same thing "which direction will you be arriving from?" Two emails sent now and no response to either and no attempt to pay a deposit! Will he come I wonder?

And if I cast my mind back, the only short notice cancellation we had on the gite was from a family of Americans who said that they had found somewhere else because my availability chart on my website had their week shown as booked. That was because THEY had booked it!!!

Now before any of you Americans out there think I'm having a dig, I have to say that the family that stayed with us last week were some of the nicest, most gentile and polite people we have had staying here. They bought us a lovely card and plant of their departure and promised to send lots more visitors our way. HOWEVER, they have been living in Germany for 3 years and said that they have a totally different outlook on life and the rest of the world since they left the States.

Has anyone else discovered similar traits?

Coco
PS Our visitors from Bonn told us that we were unlikely to get any of their recommendations this year because Germans have to book up AT LEAST a year in advance to make sure they have everything perfectly organised!!

[Canary_Yellow_66]

We have noted that parties containing grandmothers ALWAYS leave the gites significantly cleaner than those with out. A the moment we are compiling a tentative ranking of grandmother cleanliness influence (CGI), based on nationality. This currently runs as follows:

Top - French (highly competitive, will clean owners home if allowed access)
2nd - Irish (scrubs steps with S O A P!!!);
3rd - Scottish (Pans you can see your face in - not bad for cast iron!)
4th - English (but there's not a lot between 2nd and 4th I hasten to add).

We are currently testing a Norwegian grandmother, and early signs are VERY encouraging. We have some American and Welsh grandmothers later this season that should give me a totally unscientific sample of eight to compile a final ranking if anyone is in the least interested. Maybe we should give a discount for parties including grandmothers....

[Quillan]

I'll put this here but it gos with both your posts really.

We use to wait for people to turn up but now ask them for an approx time. We also say that we will hold a room to 18:00 hrs on the basis we get passing trade and can re-let the room after that. If they know they are going to be late, things happen as we all know, then they should call us.

Unlike some we don't take deposits, we find it time consuming and feel that those that don't turn up we don't really want in our house. We are in a lucky position with the passing trade and I know others are not so fortunate.

We have never had anyone not arrive (it's going to happen now I have said this) and really have not given it much thought but I can imagine it's a pain in the rear when it happens.

Chin up Coco, on with the good work.

Bye

Chris

http://www.chambresdhote.com