Yes, but 65 listings would only count as a big fish if they would all be under one account. If they are all separate listings, it would be 65 small fish.
You're right, calling their responses AI would be rude to AI. They're irrelevant canned responses.
This forum is supposed to be for hosts to give each other tips. With partner support being as bad as it can possibly get, people are desperate to search for answers elsewhere. However, all we can do is try to help each other to the best of our abilities.
On the bright side, support can't get any worse...
I completely agree with you though, there should be a decent support system in place.
If the guest clicked on the arrival time from the drop down list, the guests were probably confused - it's likely that they meant to indicate an arrival at 3pm. In this case, check with the guest.
If they sent you a message writing that their arrival is 3am in the morning, just send them a message that you can't accept a middle of the night arrival. Ask the guest to cancel the reservation if they are unable to arrive at an appropriate time.
I guess only people with a long term rental would appreciate being billed for utilities separately. Booking.com isn't the right platform for such rentals nor would the damage deposit be sufficient to cover utilities for a long term stay.
Apart from BrookAve's great reasoning as to why you shouldn't, also think about how you will communicate this when guests book.
Booking.com guests expect their accommodation cost to include utilities, you'd be asking for trouble and extra work if you didn't. Simply factor utilities into your rates.
Jeez, they really took the mickey with the additional fees!
In our GDT it is this:
2.6 Overbooking & Cancellation
2.6.1 The Accommodation shall provide the Guest with the rooms booked. If the Accommodation is unable to meet its obligations under the Agreement for any reason, it shall promptly inform Booking.com via customer service (customer.service@booking.com) in accordance with the Booking.com overbooking procedure as set out in the Partner Support Center. Unless Booking.com has arranged for (and the Accommodation has verified) alternative accommodation, the Accommodation will use its best endeavours to provide an alternative room(s) of equal or superior quality at its own expense. If no such room is available on arrival, the Accommodation will:
(i) find suitable alternative accommodation of an equal or superior standard to the Accommodation holding the Guest‘s guaranteed booking;
(ii) provide free private transportation to the alternative accommodation for the Guest and other members of the Guest's party who are listed in the Guest's guaranteed booking; and
(iii) reimburse and compensate Booking.com and/or the Guest for all reasonable costs and expenses (e.g. costs of the alternative accommodation, transportation, telephone costs) incurred by the Guest and/or Booking.com as a result of the overbooking. Any sum due to Booking.com under this Clause 2.6.1 shall be paid by the Accommodation within 14 days after receipt of the invoice.
Your GDT may be different.
A bit sneaky how they managed to squeeze the 'for any reason' under the 'overbooking and cancellation' header.
Next time (hopefully not!), you'd be better of asking the guest to cancel the reservation from their end and make a few phone calls for them to find them alternative accommodation.
When you marked the guest as no-show, did you by any chance choose to waive the cancellation fees? If you did, that's why you won't get paid.
We had a very last minute cancellation earlier today.
I requested BdC to assist us in charging the guest (with the explanation that we can't charge cards). Their response: "You can charge the guest through the extranet". Really since when? They also changed the reservation cost to $0 but the commissionable amount & commission has only been halved. Their level of incompetence is really impressive.
Nice, but you are sharing your images on the wrong website.
Perhaps you need to try on admin.booking.com
Good luck!
Yes, but 65 listings would only count as a big fish if they would all be under one account. If they are all separate listings, it would be 65 small fish.
You're right, calling their responses AI would be rude to AI. They're irrelevant canned responses.
This forum is supposed to be for hosts to give each other tips. With partner support being as bad as it can possibly get, people are desperate to search for answers elsewhere. However, all we can do is try to help each other to the best of our abilities.
On the bright side, support can't get any worse...
I completely agree with you though, there should be a decent support system in place.
Yes, they're absolutely useless.
Mind you, their support is tiered. If you're a small fish, you get AI responses.
Once in a blue moon you may get a response from a real person, but they don't know their a*** from their elbow - so that's not helpful either.
I've had several issues starting back in May this year, still haven't received an answer to any of them.
So fed up with their 'inconveniences' and non-existing 'appropriate departments'!
If the guest clicked on the arrival time from the drop down list, the guests were probably confused - it's likely that they meant to indicate an arrival at 3pm. In this case, check with the guest.
If they sent you a message writing that their arrival is 3am in the morning, just send them a message that you can't accept a middle of the night arrival. Ask the guest to cancel the reservation if they are unable to arrive at an appropriate time.
Good luck!
I guess only people with a long term rental would appreciate being billed for utilities separately. Booking.com isn't the right platform for such rentals nor would the damage deposit be sufficient to cover utilities for a long term stay.
Apart from BrookAve's great reasoning as to why you shouldn't, also think about how you will communicate this when guests book.
Booking.com guests expect their accommodation cost to include utilities, you'd be asking for trouble and extra work if you didn't. Simply factor utilities into your rates.
Explain the situation to your future guests. Ask the guests to cancel their reservation.
If you cancel the reservation, BdC will make you find alternative accommodation for the guests and you'll have to pay for the difference in cost.
Good luck!
Jeez, they really took the mickey with the additional fees!
In our GDT it is this:
2.6 Overbooking & Cancellation
Your GDT may be different.
A bit sneaky how they managed to squeeze the 'for any reason' under the 'overbooking and cancellation' header.
Next time (hopefully not!), you'd be better of asking the guest to cancel the reservation from their end and make a few phone calls for them to find them alternative accommodation.
When you marked the guest as no-show, did you by any chance choose to waive the cancellation fees? If you did, that's why you won't get paid.
We had a very last minute cancellation earlier today.
I requested BdC to assist us in charging the guest (with the explanation that we can't charge cards).
Their response: "You can charge the guest through the extranet". Really since when?
They also changed the reservation cost to $0 but the commissionable amount & commission has only been halved.
Their level of incompetence is really impressive.