Aibu to turn this customer away?

[QuandryQueen]

I've name changed as I'm a regular and this is a work related question and I don't want it linked to my usual account.

I work at a Hotel and what with the Christmas break was the most senior person there yesterday and will be this afternoon and evening. I don't know what decision to make!

A customer reserved a room to arrive today and I noticed yesterday they have put a comment on the booking to say they are bringing their dog. We don't accept dogs except service pets. They booked through a travel agent/Web site rather than direct. I have been off prior to yesterday so not sure if others have seen the note or not. There's nothing in the booking to show that anyone has tried to get in touch with the guest.

I messaged them through the site they booked (a from hotel message not a personal one!), and highlighted where it says on their confirmation that pets are not allowed.

I have no other way of communicating with them. As of yet we have had no response.

What do I do?

1. message again, not knowing if they will see it?
2. if they turn up with the dog turn them away?
3. if they turn up with the dog let them just keep the dog in their room?

They've pre paid and booked a month ago so it's pretty crap that none of us have seen the note before now, but it is well hidden in amongst all the other data on their booking.

What do I do??

Former FOH manager here.

Contact the booking agent. They should contact their customer to advise. Appreciate this might not be possible.

I'd also look at how the customer booked - so if it was through www.madeupwebsite.com try and book a room through the site for your hotel. Does it state no pets allowed before they book.

The negative trip advisor from the booker can be countered with an explanation below stating that "the booking website clearly states no pets"

Plus 1 negative review from a guest not reading your terms is better than 10 negative reviews from guests complaining that you breached your terms.

As excluding service dogs is against the law and those with severe allergies might die if exposed to a dog, service or otherwise, how do you cope?

Telling the OP that she can talk to you in A&E is ridiculous. If you also "can read" the Ts &Cs you will also know that service dogs are allowed and should expect that there might be one present

This customer may have in fact read the conditions and may be fully aware and may just be warning the hotel that he or she is bringing a guide dog. Then what?? No drama for OP but other allergic customers still in hospital - and with no-one to blame !!! Oh No.

Not mocking those with allergies - have some experience of that - but dramatising and blaming someone for something that is clearly present on booking, (ie the presence of service dogs) is ridiculous.

QuandryQueen Tue 27-Dec-16 10:44:47
The confirmation states No Pets but that is generated once the booking is made.

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Surely this covers you.

The guest's booking note may well mention a dog, but your own confirmation then states NO pets allowed. This is received AFTER the guest made his booking surely?

So the guest has had a response to their "I'm bringing my dog" note. Your confirmation says "No dogs"

It occurs to me to wonder what will happen if the UK ever gets like the parts of the USA where abuse of the service dog thing is completely out of control

Parts of California in particular have many obvious pets in little "service dog" jackets, owned by those whose doctors will, I'm told, sign the necessary papers based on nothing more than "I feel better when he's with me"

It's no doubt coming our way soon ...

Ubertasha2 Tue 27-Dec-16 10:52:00
Just put on their notes/tell other guests (if they ask) that this is a service dog. Am sure the dog owner will,put up with people's screaming infants so others can put up with a lovely doggles!

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Dislike posts like this sorry.
The hotel should not be lying about the animal there to other guests.

And then why is an infant screaming but a dog lovely. How do you know? Could just as easily be a lovely cute infant and a noisy smelly barking dog.

Every time I've booked somewhere the T&C's always state that the booking confirmation should be checked carefully and the onus is on the customer to check it's all correct.

Firstly I'd assume no pets allowed, unless otherwise stated. Though if I had booked hoping to stay with a dog and then the booking confirmation said no pets, I'd either make alternative arrangements for the dog or phone the hotel to discuss or cancel.

So, from what you say, OP, the customer had no way of knowing that the hotel doesn't accept pets until after the reservation was made, and even then it was easy to overlook. And your team did not notice that a dog was coming for quite a long time.

It's the hotel's fault. You need to make sure that it is clearly stated on any booking website that you are a no-pet hotel. And you'll have to deal with this, either by accommodating the dog in his room or by finding alternative accommodation.

We used to have similar to this (different industry) and however unfortunate it is putting a special request in that directly contradicts your terms and conditions does not make that special request ok. The original contract still stands. Ring round and find a room at the closest available dogs allowed hotel.

BadKnee -how about RTFT? I've already answered that question twice. But for the third time.... if a service dog was there I'd have to leave. I'd have no choice because it really would be that or A&E. But service dogs are rare so I take that slight risk. I'd be mighty pissed off - if having gone to the trouble (which I have to) of finding a hotel where there is only the very slim risk of a service dog being there - the hotel then allowed someone to bring their pet and I had to forfeit my own stay because of it.

Nope, what if the next guest in that room has a dog allergy? Who's going to arrange and pay for a deep clean?

The policy is clear - no pets.

But Bifs, there will already have been service dogs in that room. PPs arguing the room will now be unsafe for people with allergies - it already has been used for people with service dogs

So, from what you say, OP, the customer had no way of knowing that the hotel doesn't accept pets until after the reservation was made

Nonsense, the vast majority of hotels don't accept pets so any sane person would be well aware that it is unlikely the hotel would accept pets unless it explicitly said "pets allowed"

Most hotels don't say 'No snakes.' So does that mean I can just announce that my pet Boa will be accompanying me?

I would be wondering how clear the terms and conditions are. Does it clearly say or do you have to go through three pages of tiny text to find it?

As someone who uses the special request box for other reasons I would be highly pissed off if you hadn't looked at it till the day before. That is rubbish.

Those calling the dog owner entitled I'm not convinced. An entitled owner would bring the dog without saying anything not clearly write it on a request and risk hotel phoning them telling them they can't.

So, from what you say, OP, the customer had no way of knowing that the hotel doesn't accept pets until after the reservation was made

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Irrelevant. They should have confirmed in advance a request such as this. The norm would be 'no dogs bar service dogs' in most hotels. So dog (or pet) owners should double check. All they needed to do was phone first.

Regardless - after booking they had a confirmation with 'no pets' written on it. Even if this was in the T&C it is the guest's job to read these - they will have agreed to abide by the T&C after all. Having read the 'no pets' wording they should have then called the hotel with the option to cancel due to not being able to take the dog.

Hulababy and other PPs - actually, you are right. I stand corrected.

But I still think the hotel should make sure that their ad on TripAdvisor or whatever it is states clearly that they don't accept pets.

Seriously, who apart from an idiot or a pisstaker would assume a hotel would be okay with a dog staying just from a note added to the booking. I would have no qualms in turning the dog away if it's not a service dog. But then, that might be why I don't work in hospitality.

The confirmation generated and emailed to the booker is very simple. It lists arrival and departure dates. Guess name. Cost. Bed type preference and underneath in the same sides font etc "No Pets"

As a past hotel manager, I can assure you that you have to follow policies and procedures. It's as simple as that, dogs aren't allowed it does state this and you will have to turn her away if she brings the dog.
Policies and procedures are there for a reason.

Those calling the dog owner entitled I'm not convinced. An entitled owner would bring the dog without saying anything not clearly write it on a request and risk hotel phoning them telling them they can't
I wouldn't have called it a "request", more like they were telling the hotel a dog would be coming, and then being conveniently unable to be contacted. So what makes them think it'll be ok, in view if the fact that most hotels don't allow dogs.

PPs arguing the room will now be unsafe for people with allergies - it already has been used for people with service dogs

I could well be wrong, but don't most hotels allocate a particular room for those staying with service dogs? After all it seems the sensible thing to do, precisely to avoid problems with allergies ...

We have a general area we would allocate guests with service dogs. However if a guest turned up with one unannounced and that part of the hotel was full they'd be put in whatever room we had.

The location of the hotel isn't really a tourist spot, more a business hotel next to offices so all our guests at the moment are people who are visiting family for christmas and we are the closest. We are well under 50% occupied as are most of the hotels in our area.

What do I do??

Hello, welcome to the [Hotel name].

How was your journey?

I'm afraid there's been some confusion. Unfortunately we don't allow dogs in the hotel, and the website should have told you that when you made your booking. We're very glad to have you here and of course we're not going to turn your little fellow away. However some of our guests have allergies, so we will need to deep clean your room after your departure.

Would you mind if we charged you a cleaning fee?