Handle a refund request

It is indisputably that a happy and satisfied guest is what every holiday accommodation owner wishes for him/herself.
However, it is possible to receive a refund request, for reasons attributable, either directly or indirectly, to the way you managed it.
Unfortunately, there is no standard procedure in order to deal with this sort of possible occurrence. Potential solutions ought to be individually analyzed and what's more, case by case. However, we have provided some useful tips to better manage a potential claim.

Given that:

• In case the claim is caused by the need to cancel the reservation, make sure you specify the cancellation policy, stating the terms on the booking contract.
• If the claim is due to a complaint filed by the customer during his/her sojourn, make sure you have become aware of the issue hence you have tried, to the extent of what this was possible, to sort it out, immediately.

In which cases it is appropriate to reimburse the customer:

• In the event the client were to be compelled to vacate the property due to a faulty house and/or faulty electrical devices within it; in the event it were to be your need to cancel the reservation.
• The property was not in acceptable conditions, appropriate to satisfy your guests.
• Upon arrival of the guests, there is a problem yet to be solved, for instance the malfunctioning of the pool. In this case it would be appropriate to reimburse the customer for the number of days he/she was not able to enjoy the service.
• During the sojourn occurs a problem you are not able to cope with immediately, such as the malfunctioning of dishwasher and/or air conditioning. Therefore, make sure you solve the problem in time, providing a lump-sum compensation so as to cover the disruption.

In which cases there is no obligation to reimburse the customer:

• In the event the potential problem were to be reported only at the end of the stay, without giving you the opportunity to cope with the disruption occurred.
• In the event the customer were to be forced to leave the property in advance, for personal reasons.
• If the issue regards the customer’s dissatisfaction, for instance in terms of location and/or the logistics of your property, making sure, however, that your classified ad on Wish Sicily was clear, transparent, and accurate about that.
• In the event that an issue arises due to force majeure (beyond your control), such as natural disasters or transport disruptions (flights, ferries, car hire etc ...)

After all, the form of the rebate is not necessarily to be represented by a compensation in terms of money. You can always consider, according to the circumstances, to honour your guests with a dinner at the closest restaurant, a discount on their future stay, local products, one or two extra nights according to the availability of your calendar.