How long would you wait?

[Coco]

After Thursday's experience I'm a little anti-guest at the moment - until they prove themselves OK!

Last night I took a booking from a Parisian. He wanted to know how much for 2 adults and 3 children between 6 and 10. I tld him he would have to have both rooms as one wasn't big enough to accommodate them with kids of that age. Reluctantly he booked both rooms but asked to arrive at 11am this morning. I said that other guests would not have vacated by then, so he suggested 12. Again, I said we needed chance to clean, so he suggested 1 o'clock, to which I agreed.

Their plan is to go to Mont St Michel, about an hour from here. It's now 3 o'clock and no sign of them. Do I assume they've gone straight on to Mont St Michel and will be here later, or that they decided in retrospect that we were too expensive and are not going to show. I do have a mobile number but also realise that I can't be too prescriptive in arrival times and so don't really want to hastle him at this stage, when you're on holiday what's two hours? When you're waiting and you've been invited out for a late lunch, it's an age!!!

Coco

[GRT17]

LAST EDITED ON 17-Aug-03 AT 01:17 PM (GMT)

This is a difficult one, I would say go out for lunch but leave a note saying that you will be back by 16.00 or whenever or can you leave phone number for them to ring?. If still no show then hold rooms until 19.00 (this is what Formule One does! I know you are not in that class but this is just an example) after that if anyone else want the rooms then I would re-let.

You could ring his mobile, say that you waited but are obliged to go out and arrange a time when you will be back for them.

bonne chance

Gill

[MK (Guest)]

Hi,

We have run a B&B (and gites) in a couple of places in France since 1995 and now have a B&B near Saint Malo and Dinan in Northern Brittany.

If I can offer some advice to those worrying about "non arrivals" a plague to anyone with a B&B, simply take credit card details and that will frighten most if not all into arriving. Why not even hire one ? We hire our credit card terminal from our bank B.P.O on a seasonal basis from Easter to mid Novemeber.

It costs very little in relation to the fact ( around 18 euros per month and an initial set up each year of the same amount) that we rarely, if ever have non arrivals. We take the clients details even if the person wants a room just hours before their arrival.
Hope that helps but I guess if you have only a room or two it may not be financially viable ? Certainly in my view, with 3 or more rooms busy from Easter to November, then it is surely essential ?

On another matter, does anyone else feel that the Condor ferry into Saint Malo from Poole/Weymouth is becoming a right nuisance in the fact that it is now never on time and some of our guests have arrived as late as 23.30 and we are just 20 minutes from the terminal at Saint Malo. This month it seems to be the gearbox, what it will be next month I have no idea !!

MK