We've been hosting at our fjordside cabin for the last 5 years. It's a few hundred kilometres from us, so we host primarily during summer holidays and around weekends. Because of this, we have a 48 hours lead time on bookings, but guests can request arrival at shorter notice. When possible, we've accepted them.
Great experiences so far, but this weekend has been somewhat surreal. We were contacted by a guest on Friday afternoon asking for accommodation for 2 people from the next day. Even though it meant a change of plans, we were positive and pre-approved the request. We then heard nothing more and at 10pm had to ask if they were still planning to come the next day; it would still involve a 2 hour drive for us. At that point, the guest count was now reduced to 1 and it wasn't certain they could come at all as the didn't have a car or very much money. Could we wait til 11am the next day for their decision? OK, we agreed to wait.
11am came and went, and by 12 we withdrew the pre-approval. From then on, we had a further stream of requests for different days (Sunday to Wednesday, Tuesday to Friday, Sunday to Thursday), and always with an extra discount. We already had a 20% discount in place for those days and declined to go further down - despite hints that they would choose another cottage. By this stage, that would have been fine for us!
Late Saturday evening we agreed new dates and a price and sent a (final) special offer. Sunday morning comes the response that this is still too expensive after all. At this point, we say we can't host them and suggest they find another alternative. 10pm Sunday evening, they get back in touch to say they've left home regardless and have no accommodation, are lost in the fog, are 3 hours from us and can we help find them somewhere to stay! We have to decline, having returned home and are not some sort of emergency service. This morning they get in touch again asking for accommodation - despite our previous, very clear, messages that we cannot accept a booking on a weekday!
We always try to do what we can to help guests, but have never experienced so much from someone who we have given special offers to, changed our plans for, are obviously too expensive for - but for whom we must somehow sort out all their problems. All for nothing!
In short, is there someone to block further communciation? It seems that saying "No, sorry, we cannot accommodate you" doesn't always work!
