BE organized, OR ELSE!!

Like Logan, I love organizing!  The first season that we managed the Resort I would receive TEN phone calls – at least – asking the same questions, “Is there a coffee maker?”  “Do I need to bring linen?” – like people do at the cabins that the local Realtor rents out.  So I invented a NOTICE to send out with each confirmation showing just what is in the cabin and the beds that are made and ready to be slept in so the only question I get now is, “Where do I pick up the key?”  

   Having a monthly deadline of the tenth of the month for the ten cabin bookkeeping project has helped; I can’t procrastinate too much.   After twenty years the task is down to “a science,” in fact I have it so that ANYONE who can read can do the monthly bookkeeping, and Logan is very good at keeping the records that I need in order to charge the various owners for the items used in their cabins.  At one time I had six “off-site” cabins that I put the overflow guests in; most of them have either sold or taken over their own arranging via the internet, avoiding my management fees.

Since “our competition” is Pinecrest Chalet, Pinecrest Lake Resort, and the Cabins at Strawberry and they all rent their units with beds made and ready to be slept in, I did insist that the off-site cabins also be ready to rent.  This created a few problems with “family use” and wanting to be the “cheapest” available cabin.  If I took on any “off-site” cabins in the future I might consider just renting linen to any “drop-in” guests and let them make their own beds, then the cabins could be spared the expense of the linen/ the housekeeper making up all those beds, and their guests with reservations in advance could be told to “bring everything needed” as the local REALTOR does with the cabins that they handle the rentals on.  So would people bother to MAKE UP the beds or just sleep between the mattress pad and the quile?  Hard to tell in this day and age.

Unfortunately, a week’s vacation is becoming an “endangered species”, with long weekends of three or four days the national average!  We are thankful for the few remaining families who still come for a week of family “together time”!!  The internet has led to a phenomena called, for want of a better term - the “click everything syndrome.”  It truly amazes how many people send out requests for a reservation to FOUR or more properties, click, click, click!!  Then after patiently answering them individually, they never call or respond to our information!  I can count on one hand the number who do say, “we found another place, thanks for the information, we will keep you in mind for another time!”  Good manners do still exist.

CREDIT CARDS

Having owned another business, I knew that the customer was ALWAYS right and the credit card company would happily refund their money, no matter what the poor business owner had to say about it.  I have better luck with EDD – Employment Development - than I do with credit card processors.  At one point last year I was paying $18 per item by the time my exceedingly low rate of 1.75% was factored for DEBIT cards, mileage plus cards, and the fact that most of my business was done with credit cards “punched in” on my machine rather than directly swiping the cards.  OH, and then there were the added fees.  The “biggy” that I questioned several times was a $35 charge for keeping track of the cards that I process so the company could issue a 1099 to me for all of those credit cards!!  For several months I “shared” that add-on with my ten owners, who actually got the money as payment for their rentals.

The credit card processor claimed that it was “required” by some legislation passed by Congress!!  The law of unintended consequences strikes again.

It reminded me of the search that I did on the internet of “other cabins” being rented by their owners in the neighboring communities.  They listed

Room Tax rates of 6% to 10% when the rate at the time was 8% in our county.  I sent emails to some telling them that if they advertised “collecting room tax” they should at least be using the correct rate or it looked like they were just adding an extra FEE!

When I had changed to this latest processor, recommended by my bank, I kept getting charged $8.50 by a bank in Folsom, which was no longer in business, phone had been disconnected and mail returned!!  I kept complaining to my bank each month.  Finally, the branch/store manager recognized the name of the bank as one of the previous entities purchased by the current bank brand and arranged for the charge to disappear.

So when the NFIB – National Federation of Independent Business – talked me into joining THEM I discovered that they offered a cheaper processing (and they get the pennies as a kick-back rather than my bank!) so signed up to join.  I should have checked with my bank-recommended processor first and I would have discovered that my contract did not expire until September 15th, three months hence.  I asked them to email me the paperwork required to cancel and they sent it in an “iron clad” envelope that I could not “for the life of me” open, but since my contract was due to expire in three months I continued packing boxes to move from the parsonage, and preparing to be gone for three weeks in July to TWO family reunions in Colorado!! What a busy time to change processors!!   I knew that it would cost me not $8.50 but $49.95 per month – the current minimum fee? - for three months to make this change.

Imagine my surprise when my account was charged the month AFTER the contract expired for the $47.95 plus a charge for taking the required credit card safety class for a company that I had not processed one transaction through for three months!!  I called and they said that I could cancel by phone now so no form was necessary and did refund the safety class fee!  That was the 10th of the month of November!   So the first of December, again a processing charge because by not “canceling” until the 10th I was still their customer for the month of November.   Yes, all of this information was in the computer, which was now owned by a different BANK. Do they give the kick-back pennies to MY bank?   Good question!

So between the $200 to join NFIB and the $300 in monthly fees to the old processor, that was a very expensive transition!!  That does not include the stress and frustration of discovering that a company can continue to charge even when they are doing NO TRANSACTIONS on your behalf.  I guess that I pay insurance premiums whether I collect on it or not – especially HEALTH INSURANCE!  I have managed to LAUGH OUT LOUD at the “accidental death and dismemberment” insurance offers that we seem to receive on a monthly basis!  I wonder if anyone would VOLUNTARILY suffer death and dismemberment?  (Someone explained to me just recently that voluntary death is in fact suicide, and that is not covered by any life insurance policy!)  The Insurance Companies and the BANKS will end up owning the world, but the bugs and germs will get us all in the end!

The fact that we moved twice, I am over 70 years old and still running this business only failed to resonate with ONE of the service people with whom I spoke during this difficult time.  It must take a very special personality to deal with disgruntled customers on the phone – most were helpful and caring, including two of the employees at my bank.  I did learn something though - count the cost before making changes.  Just as the BIBLE says to “consider the cost before starting to build that tower!” 

I called the new processor and asked 1) do I have a contract, 2) when does it expire (hopefully before I do!) and 3) how do I go about making a change at that time?  MY HUSBAND has to call the RETENTION DEPARTMENT prior to May 15th 2016 since I let him sign the contract.  I asked what if we sell or he dies?  If we sell the contract is still in effect until the expiration date, the account that the money goes to can change.  If my husband happens to die, I must provide written notice of that in order to make any changes!!  At least I know now!  “Too soon old, too late smart!”  - Old German-Pennsylvania Dutch proverb.

We had one customer make a ten day reservation for the second week of December by internet where she gave me her TWO credit card numbers, but would NOT provide any addresses.  She didn’t come; we had no snow; the ski area was not open.  Smart lady, no cancellation required since there was no way to charge her for the NO SHOW without those addresses!  And NO - I did not leave the light on for her and the heat turned up, I had a feeling!