Post by Maria Lurdes (Milu) on Oct 12, 2016 21:22:08 GMT
I had some guests check out today after staying four days. Today, after they've checked out, they sent me this long email about deficiencies that they'd "like me to note". I want to punch them in the nose when I see that line. Of course, the reason for the rant is that they never mentioned anything to me when I called to check up on them, when I called again two days later to ask if there was anything needed or that I could help them with. Nope, everything is grand, thanks for checking.
When they reserved, they asked for a visitor parking permit for street parking and I had agreed to leave it in the apartment. When it came time to leave it (this week), the parking permit was nowhere to be found, as the last guest had driven off with it hanging from his rear view mirror. Since these incoming guests had booked a long time ago and specified a permit which I no longer had, I called them on the morning of their arrival day to tell them that the permit was on holidays, but to make sure that their car was secure, I'd arrange for them to park the car in a garage of a neighbor, a few blocks away. Now this apartment is in a super busy area, and there are tons more cars than parking spaces, and it's not at all unusual to have to park blocks away, or to circle for hours and then not find a spot! I warn guests about this, and advice them to arrive before 6pm if they can, as it increases the chances of finding a spot on the street. Monthly garage rentals are about $200, and my neighbor charges $15 a night for parking. He gave me a break and charged me $10 a night. So I hand him the dirty soiled $20's and we're good. Then I take pictures of the location, the entry gate, how to open/close it (lift latch, etc) and send all the images and details to the guest.
Fine - she calls me later to say they've parked, thanks for making sure they got a spot. I didn't pass on the $40 cost to them, as it wasn't their fault the permit was gone. It wasn't my fault either, but it's my responsibility.
So today the email says that while they appreciated that I found a solution for the parking thing, that it ruined their holiday because it was so far away (3 blocks) and that the husband has mobility issues! Because they had three blocks to walk, and he didn't want the ol' broad walking by herself and opening the gate, etc., he would go with her to take the car in and out. So on their last full day here, they stayed at home, as he was too tired and sore to move. So they only got to enjoy three days of holidays, not four. She also tells me that I advertise a microwave but don't have one, and that they'd purchased food specifically for microwave cooking, and had to use the stove. She said "it would have been nice to know that there was not a microwave provided, despite including it in the listing". Well, it was in the listing until a guest cooked something with foil and the microwave exploded. So my bad that I hadn't replaced it yet.
Two fair points and I'm happy for the feedback, but I'm very unhappy that these issues weren't communicated! Here's what I wrote back to her:
Donna, I'm so sorry that it wasn't the experience you wanted! I wish that I had known about the mobility issues, we would have figured something out. I could have borrowed a permit from someone, or made another arrangement. I paid the nightly parking fee for the garage myself, and I was happy to do it to make sure that you had a secure place to park, but now to know that it wasn't a good situation leaves me feeling a bit bummed out, and leaves you and your husband frustrated to have to walk back and forth. The great majority of our guests drive in, park, and then don't touch the car again until they leave, so I wouldn't have known that you'd be using the car on a regular basis.
The microwave was damaged a few weeks ago and I just haven't gotten around to picking up a new one, but again a quick call to me to ask about a microwave and I would have been at Walmart in a flash. As it stands now I'll go tonight to make sure it's there for our next guests.
I really appreciate that you took the time to give me feedback. Next time I have a situation with a permit I'll ask more questions to make sure that the solution I can offer is a good fit. If I can now offer you some feedback - if you decide to use this type of service again, please let the host know when there is something that needs to be addressed. I really am glad to have the information from you, but I'm frustrated that you didn't let me know when I checked in with you. We could have avoided a lot of the stress that you must have felt and you would have been able to fully enjoy your visit to New York.
what i wanted to write was &*#OIUQOUEOWU##$#$#
/rant
When they reserved, they asked for a visitor parking permit for street parking and I had agreed to leave it in the apartment. When it came time to leave it (this week), the parking permit was nowhere to be found, as the last guest had driven off with it hanging from his rear view mirror. Since these incoming guests had booked a long time ago and specified a permit which I no longer had, I called them on the morning of their arrival day to tell them that the permit was on holidays, but to make sure that their car was secure, I'd arrange for them to park the car in a garage of a neighbor, a few blocks away. Now this apartment is in a super busy area, and there are tons more cars than parking spaces, and it's not at all unusual to have to park blocks away, or to circle for hours and then not find a spot! I warn guests about this, and advice them to arrive before 6pm if they can, as it increases the chances of finding a spot on the street. Monthly garage rentals are about $200, and my neighbor charges $15 a night for parking. He gave me a break and charged me $10 a night. So I hand him the dirty soiled $20's and we're good. Then I take pictures of the location, the entry gate, how to open/close it (lift latch, etc) and send all the images and details to the guest.
Fine - she calls me later to say they've parked, thanks for making sure they got a spot. I didn't pass on the $40 cost to them, as it wasn't their fault the permit was gone. It wasn't my fault either, but it's my responsibility.
So today the email says that while they appreciated that I found a solution for the parking thing, that it ruined their holiday because it was so far away (3 blocks) and that the husband has mobility issues! Because they had three blocks to walk, and he didn't want the ol' broad walking by herself and opening the gate, etc., he would go with her to take the car in and out. So on their last full day here, they stayed at home, as he was too tired and sore to move. So they only got to enjoy three days of holidays, not four. She also tells me that I advertise a microwave but don't have one, and that they'd purchased food specifically for microwave cooking, and had to use the stove. She said "it would have been nice to know that there was not a microwave provided, despite including it in the listing". Well, it was in the listing until a guest cooked something with foil and the microwave exploded. So my bad that I hadn't replaced it yet.
Two fair points and I'm happy for the feedback, but I'm very unhappy that these issues weren't communicated! Here's what I wrote back to her:
Donna, I'm so sorry that it wasn't the experience you wanted! I wish that I had known about the mobility issues, we would have figured something out. I could have borrowed a permit from someone, or made another arrangement. I paid the nightly parking fee for the garage myself, and I was happy to do it to make sure that you had a secure place to park, but now to know that it wasn't a good situation leaves me feeling a bit bummed out, and leaves you and your husband frustrated to have to walk back and forth. The great majority of our guests drive in, park, and then don't touch the car again until they leave, so I wouldn't have known that you'd be using the car on a regular basis.
The microwave was damaged a few weeks ago and I just haven't gotten around to picking up a new one, but again a quick call to me to ask about a microwave and I would have been at Walmart in a flash. As it stands now I'll go tonight to make sure it's there for our next guests.
I really appreciate that you took the time to give me feedback. Next time I have a situation with a permit I'll ask more questions to make sure that the solution I can offer is a good fit. If I can now offer you some feedback - if you decide to use this type of service again, please let the host know when there is something that needs to be addressed. I really am glad to have the information from you, but I'm frustrated that you didn't let me know when I checked in with you. We could have avoided a lot of the stress that you must have felt and you would have been able to fully enjoy your visit to New York.
what i wanted to write was &*#OIUQOUEOWU##$#$#
/rant