Denying Bargain Hunters

Now he is arguing with me.

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He is a New Yorker! Arguing is in his blood, as is assuming everywhere else in this country is a backwater.

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Oh yeah! Like that is going to persuade you into discounting!

And Professional Courtesy?? What planet is he living on!!! :laughing:

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That is my new property name: “Proudly backwater!”

I’ve declined him, so now I will just set it on “ignore.”

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That has a certain ring! :slight_smile:

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@annsavannah

What a great place! No wonder that guy was pushing you on it. But hey, he wanted a 2-night stay and your minimum is 3, and also wanted a 30% discount on top of that ~ I’ll bet it felt good to reply (in your most professional and courteous way, of course), “Declined!”

I noticed you have established a curfew on the use of the courtyard (10 pm) and that guests must take their conversation indoors. Coincidentally, it is a case exactly on point to the recent topic from another host on here (“Guest asked me to be quiet”).

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If you read the listing, that is a city ordinance… enforced quiet hours.

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Thank you. It’s a bit kinder to reiterate that quiet hours are enforced by the city rather than telling me I should read the listing.

Thanks!

I’m actually glad he asked for the discount, because it’s a cue to screen him out. I have a 2 night minimum on the separate listings:

And yes, we do ask guests to move inside at 10:00 p.m. The city will cite me if police are called to my property for noise. 1st time: $500. 2nd time and I lose my license. With me so close by to keep an ear out, there have only been a couple of problem groups. The houses in this neighborhood are very close together and some of the neighbors are very grumpy about vacation rentals.

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Well you is just an uneducated, redneck southerner who should feel blessed to have any New Yorker grace you with his presence. :joy:

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Sorry… I was on a conference call and didn’t want to risk opening her listing again. I will be careful, in the future, not to respond if I can’t quote directly.

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Can I make a suggestion for this rule:

THE PROPERTY. Never allow people you have recently met (!) access to the cottage. By making your…

Instead, say…

ONLY your registered and approved party allowed on the property or in the cottage.

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(Not to worry, it’s no big-ee – it’s all good.)

Thx!

Thank you. Yes, I am very aware of the distinction, and I’ve gone back and forth on this.

I would estimate that a quarter of my business is parents visiting their kids at the art college in town (SCAD) or coming here to celebrate SCAD graduation, help them through a bad time, etc. When I had the “no un-registered guest” rule I had to laboriously spell out the rationale and grant exceptions. For a lot of these folks, not allowing their kids’ friends over one night for pizza (for example) would be a deal-breaker. It just started to be too micro-manage-y for me, because it was the same deal over and over again.

I have decided (for now) to spell out the specific parameters via messaging before accepting their reservation, and ask them to agree. It’s all a saved message, and really simple: no sleepovers beyond the registered guests, etc. So far, no push-back. It’s been my experience that this demographic makes for great guests, and I don’t want to lose them when (okay, IF) they read the no unregistered guests on the property rule before inquiring.

Again, I am a couple of doors away, greet the guests, and, if only just because of the proximity, tend to interact a little bit during the stay.

I have a couple of other things I cover in the e-mail, too. I got a comment on another forum that my house rules were ridiculously long, and shortened them as a result.

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Oh I see… It just seems a little awkward stated like that but I see where you are coming from.

I agree it’s awkward. I’ve tried it a couple of different ways, and this seems to be the best so far. Sigh.

Do the visiting parents still have to ask your permission to bring guests over?

Yes. We work it out via e-mail ahead of time, and I limit numbers. It’s usually their child’s friends from the dorms invited over for pizza. The parents are always on the premises and they know I require the people sleeping over be limited to the ones registered. Again, I am so close by that (a) I can see people come and go and (b) if they were rowdy, I would be able to hear them.

I approve nearly every booking request. I get bargain hunters often. I go right ahead and approve them and include in the message that I would be happy to do a $5 discount and then I go about my business unbothered. Take it or leave it lol.

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Is the 5 dollar a real discount, or just a way to ridiculous their question?
Or in other words, do you give 5 dollar on a 30 dollar rate or on a 500 dollar rate?