Apply cancelation policy to alterations

Apply cancelation policy to alterations

We use the medium level cancelation policy and a few times now guests have requested to alter their dates within 5 days of arrival or during their stay. I feel the same rules that apply to cancelations should appy to alterations by default. At the moment I am having to look at the dates and workout the new price manually, then explain to guests the some what complex logic. 

5 Comments

@Wei-and-Ting0 You can just decline the alternation and the booking remains the same, and you are paid as per your original booking. 

 

The other option is to agree the change and the platform works it out as to whether you are owed more or the guest gets a refund. 

 

Am I missing something here re your suggestion?

Wei-and-Ting0
Level 10
Ok I'll explain with an example: say you have set medium cancelation policy, and a guest is arriving tomorrow for a one week stay. But on this day, less than 24 hours before check-in, the guest sends an alteration to cancel the first 6 days of the trip, leaving all but the last night. They are apologetic and have a good reason. You now have 3 options: accept the alteration and risk high likelihood of unsold nights, deny the alteration and make them pay, or as I see it, the best way is to apply the cancelation policy, where they pay for 100% for the first night, then 50% or the remaining 5 nights, and if you get rebooked, you might actually make more. Yes you can decline and manually work out the new price, but that's very inconvenient and prone to mistakes. It'll be much easier if all alterations that remove nights within your selected cancelation policy is automatically applied and you simply hit accept.
Jonathan70
Level 2

If I accept an alteration I do not believe there is a guest penalty.  Guest says they don't have a cancel option.  I want to acknowledge early departure but have to have cancelation policy apply.  I dont know how to do this... any help ?

 

SCENARIO:
Guest booked my place 2 months in advance.
They booked for 5 days over a holiday weekend.
I have a strict cancellation policy.
Guest requested alteration 7 days prior to stay.
ISSUES:
1. If I accept the alteration request, I lose almost 1/2 of my earnings that most likely would have been booked.
2. If I don't accept the alteration request I risk a bad review.
3. This is somewhat of a loophole for guest that want to cancel but don't want to take the full hit on losing their money. My minimum night stay is 3 nights. If someone requests to change their reservation rather than cancel, they only lose the minimum night stay rather than the full amount.
4. This scenario is potentially a lose/lose for hosts.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:
1. Require alterations to follow the hosts cancellation policy. ie-guests would only get 50% if within the timeframe or nothing if not within the timeframe.
2. Do not allow guests to leave reviews who have requested a change to their reservation or allow scrutiny of those reviews where retalitory.
3. Hosts should not have to deal with this issue once they have a stated cancellation policy.
Thank you for your time,
Shirley & Danny

Nastja0
Level 2

 Hi I just got a  alteration request from my guests who check in today for 5 days(4 is minimum stay abd strict police)and now they want to change it-send me alteration request for staying of only 2 night.What can I do( as I could rent it to someone else) and how do I get payed if I agree with their request or not.

Thank you