On Saturday I got a text from a friend who was trying to make a reservation on our website but kept getting an error message when entering his credit card at checkout. He had tried three different cards, and each one showed the message of "Payment Failed - Billing Address Validation Issue." Annoying.
I went to the website to try it myself. Ten minutes and four cards later, I had concluded that our online booking system was indeed broken. Because the credit card processing team works Monday through Friday, we had to wait patiently until they could get our system working again. In the meantime, we got a lot of calls from people who weren't able to make a reservation online. It was supposed to be a busy weekend and answering more calls than usual was going to be a distraction.
But problems can also be opportunities. More phone calls meant more time to connect with past and future guests. One guest had been visiting our area for more than 20 years and had stories for days about previous owners and the way things used to be in North Fork. It hasn't changed that much, but it was good to laugh with him and make that connection.
Sometimes stuff just doesn't work, and we have to find a way to be okay with that. Rivers are cool because they just keep going—mountains, canyons, rocks, and all other obstacles be damned. When something breaks down and life (or software) throws a wrench in the plans, let's be like a river and find a way.
We hope your summer is off to a great start, and we hope to see you again soon!
Team RFL
P.s. Our online booking system is thankfully working again, and you can make a reservation here but don't ever hesitate to call 😜
