debbie

It has been well over a week since I sent out my inquiries for room availability to these B&amp;B's. Has anyone else had any problem with getting responses from them? <BR><BR>For Villa Maria , I sent out a 2nd email after 10 days, but still no response. <BR><BR>Is this a sign that I should find a different B&amp;B? <BR><BR>( Villa Maria = Kinsale , Riversdale = Athlone) <BR><BR>thanks.

ForgetEMail

No, it's a sign you should pick up the phone and call.

or

it is a sign that they are not reliable enough to check their email - do you really want to spend your time / money there?<BR>Why have an email address ( listed on your WEBSITE) if you are not going to check it?

Geoff Hamer

People who run B&amp;Bs and many other tourist businesses have to take their own holidays out of season, so they often go away at this time of year. Are you sure they're open now ? When are you planning to go to Ireland ?

Ann

Call them. When I worked in Ireland, and now when I correspond with people and companies by e-mail over there, I discovered that e-mail is not answered immediately. Many places might answer e-mail every week or so, and I've run into a few places that check every MONTH.<BR><BR>It's just a different way of doing things. I spent a few days at a hotel in Scotland this past summer. I e-mailed them a few weeks before leaving just to confirm they received my deposit. Three weeks after sending my first e-mail I finally called. The guy told me that their connection had been down for 5 weeks, and they had been waiting for 3 of those weeks for a guy to come over from Ireland to fix it.

debbie

I am booking for April next year. <BR><BR>The reason I am reluctant to call is 2 fold: <BR> a)- the time difference - I work from 8 - 5 everyday, and even then don't get home from errands until about 8pm, so finding a time that I can call that will be a reasonable hour is quite difficult.<BR> b) I am trying to keep my planning costs down - and having to make repeated international calls will definitely impact that part of the budget. <BR><BR>I suppose I am just too reliant on the web. I only choose B&amp;B's that have good web sites - preferably with personal recommendations. If they don't put a little into advertising, I usually assume that they don't put much back into the B&amp;B either. <BR><BR>I have a bit of a pet peeve when it comes to this type of common curtesy. If you can't return a simple email, then I suppose I need to start hunting for a new B&amp;B. <BR><BR>- Any other suggestions for Kinsale &amp; Athlone??<BR><BR>( Geez. This trip is turning out to be SO much more difficult to plan than the last one. The B&amp;B in Kilkenny that I wanted -Carriglea - is not even accepting reservations for 2003 until after Jan 2nd - Got to find a new one there too. )

sam

A quick phone call isn't going to cost too much. Worse case scenario - pick up a cheap phone card at Walmart and the cost to call over is somewhere under .50 a minute. As for the time difference - call before you leave for work and you should have no problem.

StCirq

It's very, very typical of small family-run establishments all over Europe not to respond to e-mails. It's just how it is, and it does not reflect a lackadaisical approach on their part. It hasn't become a normal part of their lives yet, that's all. The same used to be true of sending faxes - still is, to some extent. And, as someone else said, family-run businesses take off for holidays - and as everyone knows, the Europeans have scads more holidays than we do. I think you are judging the response by your own standards, which are probably very different. A lot of Europeans running small businesses far prefer, and feel more secure about, the more personal approach of phoning.<BR><BR>Call when you wake up in the morning. Dial 1016868 before the 011 and country code for Ireland, and will be 10 cents or less per minute.

Debbie

You know - It must be that I am going to new towns this time. My first trip (2yrs ago - back when not a lot of people even had email) I had no problem getting responses. <BR>I may have to rethink my agenda ( although I can't shorten the trip - non-changable tickets) and pick destinations based on cities large enough to have people used to using computers. <BR><BR>I can understand the &quot;anti-technology&quot; sentiment , but then why bother listing an email address? Doesn't that just give potential customers a bad first impression. <BR><BR>My problem with the calling thing is- No time in the morning - I don't even eat breakfast at home, much less make phone calls. So it looks like the first chance I am going to have to make international calls is the day after Thanksgiving. <BR><BR>Why on earth did I think going back to Ireland was such a good idea? Maybe I should change my plans and spend more time in Killarney ( Crystal Springs at least reads their emails) instead of Kinsale.....

Mina

Well Debbie, I'm sorry to hear your vacation planning is getting stressful. Ireland seems like a go-with-the-flow type of place. Doesn't surprise me that they're not urgently replying overnight. I waited usually a few days to get replies too.<BR><BR>For the places you really want to say, I think you should just call. It won't cost more than a few dollars (with St. Cirq's suggestion, even less), and it would save you time to find another place...unless you're peeved enough to give up on those establishments. It should be fine to book during that Thanksgiving weekend, if that's your first opportunity.<BR><BR>In Kinsale, I stayed at the Old Presbytery, and liked it. There is a website www.oldpres.com and their email is [email protected]. Kinsale beats Killarney, hands down in my book.<BR><BR>Staying in cities big enough to respond to you by email and dumping the small towns would be a bit of mistake, in my opinion. But to each their own.

XXX

I gotta tell ya, Debbie, you're coming across as a very unyielding person who can't appreciate any agenda but your own. You can't get up five minutes earlier to make a phone call? Sheesh! You're gonna write off a whole country because someone hasn't answered an e-mail? You're going to change your itinerary to stay only in places technologically suited to your temperament? WOW! I think those B&amp;B owners probably smelled a rat when the first e-mail came through. Lucky for them.

Debbie

In my defense - <BR> The reason I choose places that have websites and emails is that I know my planning times are limited to later evenings (and really late nights), SO , I have to choose places that allow me to contact them when I am awake and they can reply when they are awake. <BR>If you read the first part of my email, I have waited almost 2 full weeks with no reply from the b&amp;b in kinsale. It isn't like I expected a reply in 15 minutes or something. <BR><BR>I refer to changing my itinerary , because I am probably going to have to go with whomever will respond to me. ( For example - Crystal Springs in Killarney / Headley Court in Bunratty / Pinewood Lodge in Glendalough / Cullinans in Doolin -- all responded within 4 days no problems at all) . <BR><BR>I don't dislike places that do not do the computer thing - and here in the states I may try one here or there, but when I am planning a two week trip abroad, doing all the driving and planning for 4 people by myself, I want places I can see pictures of , and that I can communicate with on a mutually agreeable schedule. Is that really so unreasonable? I am using up my whole travelling buget/vacation time for this trip - it is very important to me.

bill

Debbie:<BR><BR>In April, even with 4 people, you could probably travel without reservations. Just drive somewhere and stay. After mid-May tourism really picks up. I think you can probably relax a bit about this. It is a different culture and they don't do the email thing. Don't ask why, just go with the flow. Don't worry. If you keep this up, you'll be to stressed to have a good time.<BR><BR>Bill

Debbie

Bill - <BR> thanks for the thought, but you have obviously not travelled with my Mother. <BR><BR> If we show up in a town expecting 2 rooms just &quot;winging it&quot; , my whole trip will be ruined if we end up in a not so nice place. Or if we end up paying double what we budget, or if we end up far away from town, or if ( get my point?) <BR> If I want this trip to go smoothly I need to know exactly where to go to when we get to town. I need to have names and phone numbers that we can leave with the rest of the family here. <BR> Really - If I do ALL of the work and worry now - all I have to deal with on the trip is driving, if I leave any of it to 'wing' I will never enjoy myself on the trip. If I was travelling with a friend or sister - I would wing it, but travelling with my parents? nope - need it all planned.

XXX

THEN FOR GOD'S SAKE GET UP 10 MINUTES EARLY AND MAKE A FRIKKIN' PHONE CALL!!!!<BR>Do you work on Saturdays and Sundays? Call then! WHAT is your PROBLEM with making a phone call to a country where English is the spoken language? <BR><BR>What a bizarre combo of controlling and wuss you are! I guess you get it from your mother.<BR><BR>This does not sound like a fun trip no matter how you look at it.

Debbie

Gee XXX - ( too afraid to key in even your first name? ) - I notice that you give me a hard time for not wanting to make a call, but do not think it is unusual for me to expect that an establishment where I am the CUSTOMER, and who has a website and ADVERTISES that they book via EMAIL should live up to their print! <BR>In your own words - &quot;can't they check their FRIKKIN' email? &quot; <BR><BR>I never would have chosen these b&amp;b's had I known they advertise that they use email , but actually didn't. ( note - no one here on the forum replied to my requests for suggestions for these cities) <BR><BR>I don't see why I should lower my expectations for service just because some owners lie about using email - or are simply lackadaisical about it. There are plenty of B&amp;B owners that list ( and OH MY GOSH!) Answer email. Those are the kind of owners I prefer to do business with. <BR><BR>Oh - and the trip will be just fine - as long as I do as much prep work here as possible - doesn't everyone always say planning is half the fun? well , for me thorough planning ENSURES the fun. <BR><BR>Thanks so much for your constructive comments <BR><BR>The rest of you - thank you for your polite and thoughtful comments - while I don't necessarily agree with the thats-how-they-do-'business' theory, I appreciate your participation in this discussion. <BR>Debbie <BR>

Laoghaire

My,oh my...these posts are a hoot! All Debbie did was ask a simple question, which should have been answered simply. Debbie--we haven't stayed at either of the BandBs you mentioned, so cannot vouch for them. Stayed at Colneth House, about 5min drive to Kinsale proper. Beautiful home, wonderful food--but did not have a website in May of 2001. So e-mailed.<BR> You seem to be very detailed (is that a crime, people?) and want to know that everything concerning your trip is nailed down to the last period. I AM THE SAME WAY! These trips to Ireland are too important to me, I plan them almost a year ahead (we are going again next May). You are sooo right, planning is half the fun. Some travelers can &quot;wing&quot; it, but that is not everybody's cup of tea. If we all did that, we would all be on the &quot;freeway&quot; in Ireland at the same time. Before websites, I spent half of my time on the phone to BandBs....So, Happy Travels, if you go in May, perhaps we shall see you there! Helen

bill

Debbie:<BR><BR>The bad news is that a great website does not a great B&amp;B make. The best website I saw was the St. Anthony's in Westport. As it turned out, the place was nice (but not spectacular) and the owner was awful. Prices do not vary much for B&amp;Bs in Ireland. Almost all are in the range of E28-32 pp. I had a place recommended to me that I had a terrible time getting in touch with, yes I had to call because their email link was bad. I turned out to be great. The one thing that a website doesn't tell you is how charming the owner is. You get that when you drop in.<BR><BR>The great thing about not preplanning is that you can walk in, check out the rooms, meet the owner and find out what the place is really like. I had just as good, if not better luck finding nice places that I had not booked in advance. In other words, you are just as likely, if not more likely to get a bad room if you book in advance. I'm fairly certain I won't be able convince you otherwise, but this has worked for me. I usually book some in advance and some on the fly. The ones I book in advance are ones that I am certain that I want to stay in and have good reviews from trusted sources ... not reviews that I got from their webpage.<BR><BR>Bill

Postman Pat

Write a letter.

AND

would that response take?