To find guests bringing dogs to our B&B without informing us beforehand unbelievably cheeky?

[Woolysheeps]

We run a B&B in a rural area in the Scottish Borders.
We do state we are 'pet friendly with additional charges' on booking platforms.
I would say 70% of our guests bring dogs but of this 70% only 10% actually inform us beforehand and enquire about charges and where the dogs are allowed etc. Most just turn up with their dog and walk right in. Some bring 2 or 3 dogs with them and don't bat an eyelid when I say 'you didn't inform us you were bringing a dog....'. Not a single guest who has brought a dog and not informed us has ever mentioned the additional charges specified online and aren't happy when we bring it up. It is making me want to remove the 'pets allowed' feature as I feel it is being abused.
So, my question is, if our booking platforms say 'pets allowed with additional charges', AIBU to expect to be informed beforehand? Would you inform a B&B beforehand if you were bringing your dog?

Is it clearly stated when booking online about you need to inform us about bringing your pets dogs and about additional extra costs 🤔 are involved when doing so too?

The ubove poster has nailed it really @PickledPurplePickle

I would suggest removing "pet friendly" and either stating "no pets" or "pets by agreement only" and then making it a yes/no during the booking process, with any additional charge specified before booking is completed. It sounds as if you don't totally welcome dogs (understandably) but the current wording is confusing.

I manage self catering places and people do not read instructions. I put the key safe and alarm codes in the email and I still get panicky phone calls asking for the codes. We allow dogs but put prices up to allow for extra cleaning rather than try and do it on a case by case basis.

Thanks everyone for your comments! Some really helpful ideas.
I've set up an automated message stating 'if you are bringing a dog, please be aware this incurs a £5 per night, per dog cleaning charge'.
For those stating it's not the norm to charge extra, it most certainly is! We have two dogs ourselves and visited many b&bs in preparation for setting up our own, all of them charged extra for dogs.
We also do need to know beforehand as our b&b is on a working farm so it's good to know beforehand about dogs.
Booking dot com does also give the option for pets with additional charges, it definitely says that on my partner platform, I'll check what our listing looks like to the public though.

OP, here is how you can add info on Booking.com about additional charges for pets

https://partner.booking.com/en-gb/help/policies-payments/policies/updating-your-internet-pets-and-parking-policies

I wouldn't remove pets from your clientele or you'll shoot yourself in the foot business wise. Add additional charges regarding pets on all booking platforms and then charge them when the guests arrive. You must be more assertive, you're running a business, not a charity.

@nighttimeforgenerals88
Really helpful, thanks.
I am far too soft as well so need to be reminded about the business not a charity thing!

Same here. We avoid dog- friendly as well.

I would probably inform you, but then Im very organised when it comes to travel and don’t like to leave any room for things to go wrong. That said as it’s advertised as pet friendly most people probably don’t feel the need to tell you.

I work for a Tour Operator and we have a good amount of dog-friendly properties on our books. The majority make an extra charge. Some only allowing dogs in certain rooms (eg, those with direct garden access) so just booking any old room and turning up wouldn't work.

I agree you need to be more specific, guest maybe considering your accommodation along with other options, and will just see pet friendly,make it much clearer dogs welcome and the charge.

@FettleOfKish
Exactly!
The guests that do ask us beforehand always say 'are dogs allowed in all rooms/do you have a limit on dog numbers' etc as booking.com doesn't allow you to specify on the listing. So surely to goodness it's polite (and necessary) to check beforehand?!

I would just assume that I could bring my dog along and be charged accordingly. Perhaps dog owners should be asked to book a dog friendly room, which is charged extra. People who don't want to sleep in a dog friendly room (because of allergies) then know that dogs don't sleep in their room. This way you are covering everyone. Quite a few restaurants in popular holiday destinations have this policy, if you want to bring your dog you must book in the dog friendly area.
The £5 extra is too cheap btw. I would have said £20 per dog, per stay, that way other guest know you are able to do the extra cleaning necessary.

No, a lot of people avoid pet friendly places to stay so if the OP wasn’t pet friendly she would get different people. I never stay in pet friendly places.

Having travelled and stayed in a few places with my 2 dogs, I think the flaw is on the booking.com side of things.

I always filter for pet friendly places but then have to trawl through the fine print or often the previously asked questions to find out how much the dog costs. It would be so much simpler if the fee could be paid at the time of booking rather than separately on arrival.

I’d certainly never turn up without checking this info thought given I’d seen one chain hotel who were charging a £75 cleaning fee per stay plus £10 per night per dog.

Sounds like your place is great value for dog owners. Might have to look it up myself but 2 border collies holidaying on a working farm might be a bit much!

If you remove pet friendly are you likely to lose bookings (as at the moment 70% bring dogs).

Could you put a clause in the booking that if they arrive with a dog they will be charged an extra £20 per dog for cleaning etc?

Or just put your price up for additional cleaning after each visit to cover people turning up with dogs

I think you need to make things easy / automatic. I know a message doesn't seem like much, but clearly it isn't working. TBH if I'm booking through Airbnb I am careful to look for these things, but if I'm on booking.com, I just book and wouldn't think too look for anything else.

They are the exception rather than the rule.

You say pets welcome at the moment, that means when someone is booking a holiday and all that entails, a majority are not going to over complicate this by checking something that doesn't need it.

Bit disappointed that after all the responses that you're still blaming the owners

If a hotel or b&b states pet friendly I wouldn't think to contact in advance unless they specifically state I need to. I've travelled a lot with my dog and never prebooked him in pet friendly establishments

Call guests after booking and check re pets - and inform them of payment

@mitogoshi - yes! The whole point of booking.com etc is that it's click and done - no faffing around with messages and extra charges.

Not necessarily - it would become attractive to people who want to stay in a pet free place! I've never stayed in a pet friendly B&B or holiday home - always filter them out and go for pet free instead.

I booked a pub last year to stay at with my dog through booking.com, I called later just to check and they pub wasn’t aware. It was all sorted before I arrived, but i think your problem is the platform not your guests

Through work, I have stayed in B & Bs, hotels, motels and every other accommodation inbetween. I've also chambermaided in my day
Humans are by and large, the muckiest, yukkiest of all creatures in a room; dogd/cats/elephants would make less mess!

On booking dot com it's just, Pets Allowed and that's it.

As someone who deals with the public daily, you have to make things much plainer to your customers. I personally would say NO PETS on Booking Dot Com, or run your own bookings on your own website.

I'm not advertising for that site, I promise!