Reply to: I'm turning into Wilmslow

[suityou01]

Is your wife OK now?

Yes thanks Pogle. Had a second meeting with the doc. The up side to health scares is sometimes that's all they are, just a scare. I think it got me down more than I realised, and now that all is well I am reflecting on stuff.

[Pogle]

Is your wife OK now?

[vetran]

Cut her some slack

She still has her mortgage to pay, she showed sympathy when you needed it, she is just charging what you both agreed. The 24hr notice comment sounds like an apology to me.

The wife child minds, we hear the sob stories regularly, we also see how the friendship disappears when the customers owe us money and they have had the service. She has probably been through this a few times!

We do sympathise with the widow, the person who was laid off etc but we still have to pay the mortgage and since my defection to the darkside we need the money.

Say thanks, pay her and buy her some choclates for listening to your whinge. Glad to hear the other half is OK.

[Pinto]

I see where you're coming from suityou01. Had I been the landlord, I would take this opportunity to show my appreciation for your long term business, and would waver the £30, but not if I had been running the business for 10 years and had heard that story time and time again, sometimes from honest people, sometimes not, or not if I had wavered it once, only to have trouble in the future justifying the charge to the same persistent offender.

Result: 24hr notice or charge applicable to all.

2 years ago, my wife and I spent 13 thousand pounds on dental treatment all done by the same dentist, but I missed the last appointment which was just for the hygienist.

Last month, I returned for a £750 treatment, and guess what he told me?
"You still owe me 30 quid."

[Drewster]

blah blah blah.

Why do you fail to grasp the simple point.

Well I think it could be argued that YOU are failing to grasp the simple point....
She made her decision......
YOU think her decision is wrong....... although you argue it is a bad business decision for HER what you are really whining about is your hurt feelings!
She may care what you think...... but equally may not....
She may think she made the right decision - because she got rid of you....
She may regret her decision - because she has lost a long term booking...
(Unless you tell her she won't know that her decision has cost her your business - and unless her business averages out with a "missing" booking per week she hasn't actually lost any business - ie just cos you aren't there doesn't mean she has lost business cos she can now fit someone else in (quite possibly someone from a large group on the "waiting list" who will now pay her a premium rate for the room that you used)

Yes she was right to do so.

No she was neither right nor wrong - in a moral sense

Was it wise to do so or should she have exercised a little discretion?

See above - We (and you) don't know the affect on her business only the effect on you/your business

I think the point here is that she had the opportunity to exercise some intelligence and didn't. IMO this is poor business sense. This kind of "no friends in business mentality" is not for me.

Pleeeeeeease shut up!!!!
Let her run her business as she sees fit - and take the concequences of her decisions (which appear to be "losing" your ongoing business........)

[suityou01]

Listen - you were not even sick. Your day off was discretionary, WTF should others be paying for it. Are you billing the client that day?

Forgeting the money side, now focusing on business: The lady is in business and presumes that you are also in business. She will expect to charge the cost of the room, as she could not re-hire it due to short notice. She will also expect you as a businessman to know this and be expecting to pay up. So grow up and stop expecting others to pay for your digressions.

As you point out, she is in business and so am I. I was on a gig, and the client had a problem and had to shut the building for the day I may not charge them for the day off, as this would be a gesture. I would not do this if it was a short term gig obviously, but pissing off a long term gig would not be good business sense.

Why do you fail to grasp the simple point.

Yes she was right to do so.

Was it wise to do so or should she have exercised a little discretion?

I think the point here is that she had the opportunity to exercise some intelligence and didn't. IMO this is poor business sense. This kind of "no friends in business mentality" is not for me.

I have clients who bring their machines to me to de-ming from viruses and so forth. Let's say the person had their machine trashed by their wayward teenager and could do without the expense (we're on the bread line, or had some kind of bereavement etc etc) I can bill them for an hours time, or say, look seeing as your a good customer and could do without this, lets call it quits this time.

They go away thinking "blimey nice bloke" and tell all their friends. Then the next time their pc is on the bench I can lump a bit on and recoup the expense.

[Turion]

Listen - you were not even sick. Your day off was discretionary, WTF should others be paying for it. Are you billing the client that day?

Forgeting the money side, now focusing on business: The lady is in business and presumes that you are also in business. She will expect to charge the cost of the room, as she could not re-hire it due to short notice. She will also expect you as a businessman to know this and be expecting to pay up. So grow up and stop expecting others to pay for your digressions.

[Platypus]

Why don't you offer to split the difference with her?

Explain you're sorry for the wasted night but you'd rather continue to use her B&B than have to search for another.

[suityou01]

Your short-term cancellation had cost her the opportunity to book the room out to someone else (regardless of the relationship you have with her as a regular customer). Why should she fork the cost because of your family issues? Sympathies with your wife's health scare and stuff, but when it comes to business, nobody cares about personal circumstances. Pay up and take the hit.

And another one.

I am a long term booking. Dont p*ss off the long term bookings by playing it by the book, rather exercise some discretion and build your reputation and client base.

[suityou01]

My guess, based on the OP's posts (always about pifling amounts of money), is that he stays in this guesthouse cos it's dirt cheap. If he moves he will pay more.

I equate you to the Harry Enfield "loadsa money" character, waving wads of cash in peoples faces.

The post was not about the money, but thanks for obsessing. The post was about making smart business decisions and being in the hospitality trade. I really shouldn't have to explain this but your ignorance amuses me.

HTH

[pmeswani]

I know she is a business, and was within her rights, but was it prudent to do so, and how many of you would look for somewhere else to stay?

Your short-term cancellation had cost her the opportunity to book the room out to someone else (regardless of the relationship you have with her as a regular customer). Why should she fork the cost because of your family issues? Sympathies with your wife's health scare and stuff, but when it comes to business, nobody cares about personal circumstances. Pay up and take the hit.

[Turion]

My guess, based on the OP's posts (always about pifling amounts of money), is that he stays in this guesthouse cos it's dirt cheap. If he moves he will pay more.

[Platypus]

Shirley your wife is more important than the few quid expenses......

Reading these boards I often wonder... people seem to go to so much trouble to save £30

[Drewster]

blah blah blah

Basically "she" was within her rights to charge you.......

If you choose not to go back (and she notices/cares) - she may decide that her decision to charge you for a single night that you didn't "use" was a mistake......

If she never notices/cares then she will continue to be happy with her decision......

The Landlord is within his rights....... If he realises that he is losing the profits on £30 per night he may also decide that his decision was not profitable... but if a load more punters start to use the pub regularly now that "that *rsehole who was always arguing about the football and thought he owned the stool in the corner of the bar" doesn't come in any more the Landlord may decide its the best decision he ever made!

They are making Business decisions and have to live by the consequences......

I dunno about Wilmslowesque but its pretty unimportant and trivial - Shirley your wife is more important than the few quid expenses......

[chicane]

I know she is a business, and was within her rights, but was it prudent to do so, and how many of you would look for somewhere else to stay?

Ideally you should have voiced your feelings during the initial conversation.

Given that this didn't happen, why not have a chat with her now and discuss your concerns? Your post suggests that you believe she should offered not to charge for the night you didn't stay, so use her response to make the decision on where you'll be staying next.

Feedback is invaluable to any business - if one of my clients was considering heading to another supplier, I'd be grateful to them if they took the time to discuss their concerns and allow me to take remedial action if I felt it appropriate.