Birds of a Feather (charge the same for their rooms)

We do joint marketing with another bed & breakfast in the area, which for some reason is very confusing to a lot of people. The reason we market together is that we have similar properties that appeal to a similar clientele, and both inns are held to the same standard of quality. Our rooms are in the same price range ($125 - $225 per night). We have a shared website (in addition to our individual websites) under the title "Notable Inns of [City]," and we do marketing using this phrase.

We don't keep track of one another's availability, and we don't make reservations for one another's properties. In fact, I've never even been inside the other property. Pretty much all that this joint marketing business means to ME is that if we are full, I give the caller the phone number for the Other Notable Inn. They do the same thing for us.

So this guy calls and wants a room for Saturday. I tell him that we are full, but suggest that he call the Other Notable Inn. His response? "Yeah, I thought of that, but they're way too expensive. You don't have any rooms at all? Really?"

"I'm sorry, we're completely booked."

"You don't even have like one room that you keep for last minute callers?"

This is a totally ridiculous question and I would love hang up on him at this point. Instead, I say politely, "I'd be happy to add you to our waitlist, but I do have to tell you that there is a long list already and, as we have a wedding party, the chances of cancellations are very slim."

He thinks about this for a minute. "Huh. You really don't have any rooms. I guess I'll try the Other Notable Inn. They're just so expensive. I mean, their cheapest room is like a hundred bucks a night. And that one's booked."

(Now forgive me if this sounds snobbish, but if you aren't interested in paying upwards of $100 a night, you shouldn't be staying at either the Inn or the Other Notable Inn. That's not elitist; it's just a fact. A luxury bed & breakfast is not your best bet for low rates.)

I offer him the number of the chamber of commerce. "No thanks. I'll just try someplace else. I can't believe you don't have any rooms. And that other place is so expensive. Just seemed like you guys were more reasonable. What are your rates, anyway?"

I took a lot of satisfaction in telling him that they were exactly the same as the Other Notable Inn's.