Blasted snow !!

[Miki]

For anyone thinking of running a B&B.

The last 2 days the snow has fallen and with that a few cancellations and a couple of early departures.

A Belgian family rang om Wednesday for a four day booking in our family suite. I didn't take their credit card details as they said they were just about to leave Belgium (just after 8 a.m)and would be with us around 6-8 p.m, depending on where they stopped to see something on the way. They neither arrived nor called us to cancel.

Then today a family from Picardy who had been here for one night decided they would head home today, 3 days short of their intended length of stay.

Another call today from a booking for today rang to ask how the weather was and cancelled when we told them the truth about the snow.

This is not a moan, more a warning of the fickleness of this business. Many things can help or hinder your B&B, in this instance it us a good few hundred euros that we will have lost but I guess what you never actually had in your hand you won't miss but who knows what the rest of the year holds!!

Miki

[Coco]

Sorry to hear about the cancellations and no-shows Miki. I know how irritating they are. Especially the lot leaving early. We came over to Dinard this morning to take my brother-in-law to the airport. Left home in brilliant sunshine... a little sprinkling of snow on the higher points around Villedieu butnothing to speak of til Avranches, when everything was white, but certainly not deep. Nothing affected the roads til about 20kms from Dinan/St Malo and even then the snow plough had cleared most of it off the road. So your family returning to Picardy will have found that all the snow had disappeared within less than half an hour of leaving your place. Now that really IS annoying!

Coco

[ckenway]

Just to let you know the south is not always sunny, we too have snow. It's only about 1cm and now the sun is out it will probably be gone by lunchtime (the roads are all clear). The skiers are happy they are arriving in droves again.

How much did you get up there? I have an old pair of cross country ski's if you need them.

With regards to no shows. As you know we get passing trade so I have taken to telling people if they book and don't either call or arrive before 18:00 we reserve the right to re-let the room.

Regards

Chris

[Miki]

LAST EDITED ON 28-Feb-04 AT 01:35 PM (GMT)

Coco,

Sorry, we have only just got our Electrics back on after another power cut.

The EDF chaps were seen over the other side of the commune putting up a new pole after the old had gone down in the early morning.

Well as you are fully aware by now, snow arrived again last night so, I guess your brother in law is on the ferry today?

Miki

(Sitting here keeping fingers crossed that all will be OK sparkswise for a while !)

[Alexis]

Ooh Miki! You make it sound soooo easy! Answer the phone, flick a duster, money rolls in.............. Almost tempted! Ha ha ha ha! Bloody deep snow here. Snowed OUT me, the other day. No electric or phone Friday. This morning it looks as if the water has given up the ghost too. -7 at the moment. Pooh!

[Deby]

Slightly off topic, but would you be so kind as to enlighten me how you organise credit card bookings over the phone? I need to organise to do the same, but what I'm hearing is I need to be a SARL to do this. Your help would be much appreciated or if you could point me in the right direction to find out that would great.

Hope business picks up.
Deby