Confusing enquiries - FUNNY

1

Our place:
We rent out 3 rooms, one room with private bathroom, and two rooms that share two half bathrooms. My mother-in-law and/or we live on-site.

Enquiry from guest (translated from Spanish) for shared bathroom room, arrival in 3 weeks (high season):
“Good day ! I’m really interested in what you’re offering. I would like to know if for those dates the other rooM will be occupied? I’m worried about privacy. My name is (xxxxx), I’m from (xxxxx).”

My initial thoughts:
So you think when you book 1 cheap room, that we will block a 2nd/ maybe even a 3rd room for you? Maybe you even expect us to move out?

My answer in short:
“Explanation of our entire setup. / For the moment the calendar is free, but most of our bookings are less than 2 weeks out. / We recommend you to stay in the private bathroom room or to book both shared rooms. / If you don’t want to encounter any other tourists, we can offer you the 3 rooms for $US (XXX,xx) per night.”
The full version sounds way nicer, but of course I did have to get the message across, that we’re no going to offer her 2 (or 3) rooms for the price of one.

Never heard back :unamused:. Ah guests, they never cease to amaze me :sweat_smile::sweat_smile::sweat_smile: ! I’m not bothered by enquiries, but in most cases the questions asked are senseless and the enquiry hardly ever leads to a booking.

Any tips to turn enquiries into bookings?

1 Like
2

Not sure you could turn that kind of enquiry into a booking. The “guest” was either looking for a place to party or do something else that required ‘privacy’.

We had a 20-something couple enquire “Are you going to be home when we’re there?” Well, duh! I prepare and serve gourmet breakfasts… did they think I was going to drive across town and deliver every morning? I responded “Yes – we live here.”

1 Like
3

I think answering consisely, the way you do, is really all you can do. There are those guests who do not want to be around others, and there are those that like the thrill of meeting new people. By answering the way you have, you are able to weed out those that are probably not suited to your listing.

We have one listing - a guesthouse - in the last week I’ve gotten (4) inquiries like this:

— is the pool area private or shared with other guests?

My reply has been:
To fully clarify what you mean by private, let me answer this way:

The guest house is on the same property as the main house (where we live). We rarely use the pool so it is really all yours to use.

There would be no other guests, but unlike the private patio, the pool is in view from the main house. A perspective of this is in one of the listing photographs, that show the pool on the left, the main house on the right, with the guest house entrance in the background.

Let me know if you’re still interested and/or if you have any other questions.

I think I need to do a little editing to my listing. Since it went ABNB+ there aren’t the photos or write up that use to clarify these things

1 Like
4

You already have a knack for answering patiently and giving the guest the benefit of the doubt. I’d rather not stay with other guests in the house since I don’t know them, can’t vet them, can’t see their reviews etc. Another guest can really ruin a stay. For example, I’ve learned that a surprising number of people can’t close doors quietly. Just make clear what you offer and the matches will happen. Trying to convince people who worried about privacy that multiple rooms in a house would be an option for them seems pointless.

1 Like
5

I usually finish the message by saying, after the explanation, something like ‘rest assured that we’ll do whatever we can to make sure that you have a great stay with us’.

2 Likes
6

I for some reason imagine your gourmet breakfast being very sharp and on point

1 Like
7

Here’s my current breakfast menu; new choices coming in 2019. Each pair of guests picks on choice for every morning they wake up poolside…

2018 Breakfast For Two Menu

Staffordshire Oat Cakes
A thick risen oat flour “pancake” topped with an egg and bacon; or served “English sweet” with a dusting of confectioner’s sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Creamy Dreamy Grits
Creamy, white cheesy grits with sausage or ham and toast with chef-made marmalade.

Spanish Tortilla de Patata
Classic dish of fried potato slices and diced onion, smothered in beaten eggs, then finished in the oven.

Shakshuka
This North African dish consists of eggs poached on a tangy base of diced tomato, onion and peppers, dusted with Moroccan herbs and spices.

Florida French
Orange scented, thick-cut challah bread French toast with artisan cane syrup, and seasonal fruit.

Scottish Borders
Scotch Egg and steel-cut oatmeal with chef-made orange marmalade.

Hræringur
This Icelandic breakfast treat is a combination of steel-cut oatmeal and creamy Skyr yogurt, served either sweet with a dollop of chef-made marmalade; or savory, with bacon crumbles.

Biscuits & Gravy
Chef-made biscuits with sausage gravy, and a fried ham slice.

Quiche Inna Cup
Well, a mug actually. Eggs, dairy, green onion, red bell pepper, and diced ham or bacon crumbles.

Breakfast Burrito
Large tortilla filled with eggs, sauteed peppers & onions, and cheese. Served with red or green salsa.

Cajun Omelet
Eggs filled with tangy Andouille sausage, shrimp, mushrooms and cheese; with a side of toast and chef-made marmalade.

Avocado Toast
Multigrain toast topped with sliced tomato and a mash of avocado and sauerkraut that is absolutely amazing. PBWF

Breakfast Muffins To Go
Need to catch that early flight, or the Key West Express? These savory muffins are just the thing. Eggs, meat, cheese and condiments all-in-one, with flavors you know and love.

7 Likes
8

I WANT TO GO TO THERE
Look amazing Ken!
:slight_smile:

1 Like
9

WOWZA. great menu. 2020

10

Wow, I’ll have the lot! Yes please!!

But what are grits? I do remember seeing them on menus in some country but I can’t remember which country or what they were? Maybe it was in the US, but it’s certainly an unappealing name, sounds like a mouthful of gravel!

11

Grits are a cooked cornmeal ‘porridge’, similar to polenta, but ‘soupy’ rather than congealed into cakes.

Shrimp & Grits is a classic southern dish, where the plate of grits has a ladle of tangy ham-based gravy in the center, surrounded by a number of barbecued shrimp – that’s Good Eats!

2 Likes
12

Come down from the cold white north (including Atlanta) and stay awhile!

13

Ah, so that’s where I saw it! I had in mind it was Florida/New Orleans but couldn’t quite remember. I would be going well north to get to you…

14

Oh, I wish I had the time to do real breakfasts instead of the cereal/dairy I do now! But I also have a tour business in a cruise ship destination port and my tours can start as early as 7 am. As I remodel and upgrade the house, I won’t have to depend as much on early starting tours and will do classic Alaskan breakfasts including sourdough pancakes, biscuits, and breads, and of course local lox and ikura. But if I’m ever down your way, I’ll certainly book there!