Nightmare customers

[nightmarecustomers]

I do dog home boarding. I'm allowed 4 dogs a night. I took a booking 20 months ago, for a lady who has 3 dogs. She's just cancelled, 10 days before they are due to check in. She ended her text telling with :
"I'll definitely like to use your services again in the future. Take care xx"
As if I would EVER take a booking from her again.
Do people not see how unreasonable they are?

Anyone have similar tales?

If this is your definition of a 'nightmare customer' then you're in for a massive shock at some point.
Yes, it's annoying when somebody cancels with little notice, but 10 days is arguably not a period of little notice. Your logic is screwed when it comes to your thoughts on a deposit system. So what if the number of people who have cancelled with you (so far) is "minuscule", the whole point of a deposit is to account for the situations when a cancellation occurs, for whatever reason. You're being unreasonable to not have a clear cancellation policy in place. And your bitterness and sulking is also unprofessional and unattractive. I'd be interested to know what you will tell her if some comes back to you to try to book another date. Are you going to tell her you won't offer your services because she cancelled in the past? Good luck with that.

Well, I hope you feel better now you got it off your chest. You seem to relish in the fact that this person will struggle to accommodate her dogs after giving you more than a reasonable notice. She didn't know she needed to give you more notice because you didn't bother putting it into your contract. Customers can't read your mind and it seems like a good thing because I certainly wouldn't be keen to use your business if I knew about your attitude.

50% deposit when booking, balance 2 weeks before.

It won’t stop genuine cancellations, because life, but it will mean you don’t lose money.

This is all very, very basic stuff I’m afraid.

You sound like you’re happy that you’ll get your ‘revenge’ when she tries to book her dogs in again though, so crack on I guess..

Edited for typo

A lot of weird people on here today! I have had an anonymous moan on here. Have not said anything to the "customer". I don't take deposits, because I don't feel comfortable keeping money if I haven't provided a service. That's my choice. I was surprised though, that anyone would think it was reasonable to reserve 3 spaces for 20 months, and then cancel at the last minute. I would feel terrible doing that. Looks like most people wouldn't feel any guilt. Maybe I am too soft. Oh well. 😂

@nightmarecustomers

You're right, morally it's wrong. I would write back a polite reply and gently guilt her into it.

I would also consider a non-refundable deposit and if there are extenuating circumstances, then refund the small amount of people who cancel but for people like this, you reserve the right to keep it.

You don't seem to grasp a very common, reasonable - and some would say an essential - element of business. A non-refundable deposit is designed to protect you in the case of cancellation, and to protect your customer's confirmation of your services.
And you don't seem to understand that you have already provided a "service" in communicating with the customer and reserving three places for her dogs.

But you have sold a service, you've sold the reservation in the diary. It has value. It has significant peace of mind value to the pet owner knowing that they've got pet boarding covered for their planned trip.

It's not unusual for small businesses to not see the value of what they're offering to their customers. But if you are in it as a professional then you need to use this as a learning opportunity to improve the business.

But we wouldn’t need to feel any guilt, would we? Because we would have paid a deposit at the very least, if not the full amount due.

Look OP, your way of doing things has served you up to this point. You’ve now found that it doesn’t always work and you are out of pocket.

So you can insist on deposits going forward, despite the discomfort you feel, or accept that cancellations sometimes happen and there’s no point taking it personally or wishing misfortune on your customers..

You are getting more deposit or pay upfront businesses now, due to ppl abusing. It is nice to see some people take things on trust, like things used to be. Paying upfront does feel like a decline in society, because you never used to do so and generally it worked fine. Maybe online payments being easier is a factor, in the past it was a cheque in the post.

If everyone else is in very plain agreement, it is highly unlikely that we are the ‘weird people‘ here today.

You don’t feel comfortable taking deposits so you will continue to get shafted every time people cancel. You will then refuse to book those customers again so will lose future business and probably the business of their family and friends who they will inevitably talk to about you. That’s just the way it goes. All of it can be prevented with a simple deposit and cancellation policy. You, the business owner, are the only one who can set that up.

Ten days is not the last minute. Why would customers feel guilty for your choice to not have a cancellation policy?

My awful customer stories involve being spat on, stalked by some creep, groped, called a stupid fucking bitch. But cool that someone opting out of your business is a nightmare I guess.

Yes, I agree.

I would definitely look into building payments upfront or non-refundable deposits into your Ts and Cs. Have a think about how far out you think you could rebook a cancelled space and work out what % of a refund you are prepared to give.

I’m finding more and more businesses are doing this as it seems more and more people think it’s perfectly fine to cancel last minute/no show.

The company I work for do it, DH has a small business and he’s started charging up front for orders. It used to be payment on collection but people would order stuff and then never collect/pay for it.

Morally I think it’s wrong of her and I would be pissed off too,

Also how is this customer supposed to know she's done something wrong and is on your hate list now?

• You haven't spoken to her about it, either at the time of booking or now

-You tell us you're not going to reply to her email

• You don't ask for a deposit or charge anything for cancellations; leading her to quite reasonably suppose you're not that fussed
• She gave you 10 days notice which most businesses consider reasonable
• She sent you a friendly cancellation email saying she'd use you again, showing she has no idea you're seething with venom towards her.

I do think you need to improve your communications and start notifying people you charge for cancellations. After all, if you write the word "doormat" on your head and lie on the floor people will start walking over you.

Yes. I'd do this.

If you allow people to cancel at the last minute then you can't get upset with them for doing so. As far as she knows you're perfectly happy with the arrangement since they are your terms and conditions.

😂 Why do you think most businesses take a deposit - to prevent this exact scenario. 10 days as well!!! You have anger issues OP 😂

Yabu. 10 days is a good notice period. If it isn't you take a deposit.

Things like this are so hard when you’re a small business owner but the only way to provide yourself with some protection is to implement a clear cancellation policy. Remember you always have the option to waive the loss of deposit but it means you don’t loose out as much financially when it comes to clients who don’t consider your loss of income. I’ve only ever kept deposits from clients who have really messed me around.

This is ENTIRELY your own fault and despite everyone pointing out its a flaw within your own business running not anything the client has done 'wrong' you still can't accept any responsibility.

Bizarre.

Your are responsible for your own business no one else. Cancelling 10 days in advance is PLENTY of time. Its not wildly out of line but its YOUR job to set up terms like 'no cancellations within 14 days or full balance must be paid' etc... if thats what you want for your business.

If you have so many customers then you can easily fill the slot in 2 weeks right? if not you really shouldn't be black listing people over nothing.

I agree with you completely OP, it's very short notice for you to cover 3 spaces that you've had covered in your diary for months. I would take a 10% or 20% deposit against new bookings to at least guarantee you some money in future.

So if her plans just changed, what else was she supposed to do?

If you don't have proper T&Cs, that's on you 🤷🏻‍♂️

Because no one planning a holiday would leave it to 10 days before to arrange care for their pets. That's why it's unreasonable. If I'm booming a holiday 6 month in advance, I'm booking dogcare too, I don't leave ot til now to book, because if I can't board fido, I can't go away...

In our business we take a 20% deposit on booking and the balance is due six weeks before arrival (tourism business) You need to introduce something like this to protect your business because you will get more people doing this.

It's a fact! She probably doesn't realise, but will find out the hard way. It may be a fact, but you’re taking pleasure in it. That is what is so unpleasant.

It's not it OPs policies. Customers can't read her mind, nor would I expect them to know how others plan their holidays or whether op has a waiting list. If OP wanted more notice, she should have informed the customer at the time of booking.