Innkeeping: Look for the GOOD guests...your old favorites!!

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-----Original Message-----
From: Jen <jen@goodnews.net>
To: innkeeping@innkeeping.com <innkeeping@innkeeping.com>
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2000 7:23 PM
Subject: Innkeeping: weeding out the creeps


>We've had this too -- and have "accepted" the "on-the-way" reservation,
>waited up for them and they haven't shown up.  Since then I've decided that
>isn't the kind of people we cater too -- or want in our house with all our
>antiques, silver, jewelry, etc.  The longer I'm in the business, the
>pickier I get about who I want to accept.
>
>I've stopped answering the phone late and put on my website to call btwn 8
>a.m. & 8 p.m.  Those who call at 11 or 1 a.m. are going to be waking us up
>at all hours if they come anyhow -- and calling that late indicates a
>tremendous lack of manners.
>
>We have a neighbor who nailed a huge sign to her house to get drive-in
>traffic off the interstate -- I wouldn't do that for anything.  I want the
>complete address, phone and cc# of everyone who walks in my house.
>
>Along the annoying guests line, we've also learned that the callers who
>call back repeatedly usually end up being a hassle after they arrive too.
>There are lots of neurotic people. And, the ones who call with weird
>questions like "how often do you launder your bedspreads?" etc. are too
>weird to accept.  One B&B in our region had someone rip all the linens off
>the bed, carry all the furniture out in the hall and do other strange stuff
>because they "had allergies."
>
>I'm trying to rehearse "oh, we're booked that week, month, etc....." as a
>response to any oddball request, or come up with some standard thing like
>"we have cats, I'm sure you wouldn't be happy here...."
>
>We've had some bad experiences lately -- like a 7 yr old kid shitting in
>our spa, and, of course, letting us find out about it after they
>left...Another 9 yr old spitting cocoa all over the tablecloth (something
>our 5 yr old wouldn't think of doing....)
>
>Our B&B is our home.  Most guests are delightful, entertaining folks.  It's
>hard to predict who is a mannerless slob or an ignorant parent of a spoiled
>brat....
>
>I'm going to be "just saying no" more often from now on.
>
>Jen
>
>>
>>Today's Topics:
>>
>>  1. How late? (Frances Walker)
>>
>>--__--__--
>>
>>Message: 1
>>Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2000 22:30:29 -0500
>>To: innkeeping@innsite.com, PAII-Members@paii.org
>>From: Frances Walker <sassybb@siu.edu>
>>Subject: Innkeeping: How late?
>>Reply-To: innkeeping@innkeeping.com
>>
>>Last night (Saturday) we had a telephone call requesting a room for
>>the night at 10:15 PM. We were full, so it wasn't a question of
>>turning a guest away when we had an empty room. But I'm afraid I
>>rather rudely said to him that I thought it was a little late to be
>>deciding where he was going to spend the night. Then my husband and I
>>had a discussion about whether we would (or should) have turned him
>>away if we DID have a room available. What do other people do?
>>
>>Our B&B is about 5 miles out of town at the end of a gravel road, so
>>our walk-in traffic is nil. My vision of him was that he has picked
>>up someone in a bar and was looking for a bed. Am I being cynical? Or
>>was I maybe just ready to go to bed myself.
>> -Frances
>>Frances Walker, Sassafras Ridge Bed & Breakfast
>>in the "front woods" 5 miles south of Carbondale IL
>>mailto:sassafrasbb@go-illinois.com , see us at http://sassafrasbb.com
>>phone 618/529-5261, fax 618/529-1901
>>See all Illinois B&B Association members at http://go-illinois.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>--__--__--
>>
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>>
>>End of Innkeeping Digest
>>
>>Innkeepers and Jen:  Oh my, I feel lucky after reading the letter from
Jen!  We have definately had our share of uncomfortable situations but our
good experiences have been terrific.  We have met such interesting, kind,
warm, and sometimes even odd folks.  When occasionally I am at my whitts end
them, some smiling guest cheers me up!  I used to be a nurse and I try to
remember (though it can be tough) that I don't know what is going on in
these people lives and maybe they just need to be here to forget for awhile.
Regarding little naughty children, I was strick with my own and have found
that if you sometimes explain the rules  in front of the parents, "You need
to be careful because your Mom or Dad  would not want to pay for that if it
was ruined." Jen, maybe you could post an age limit for the spa, or certain
hours.   I too do not answer the phone for reservations after 9:00pm.  I
also go on my woman's intuition regarding booking or not.  We do have
reservations on line which I was not sure I would like because I could not
directly speak to the guest.  But it has been so great because all the
policies are spelled out and they get a copy. someone can not say I did not
explain it to them.  I try to be very up front with the guests if I suspect
they may have an issue, (allergies, ect.).  We are on a lake and those
afraid of spiders should not stay with us!!  Well I hope this helps someone.
Jen, hang in there, don't feel like you have to make excuses.  Just tell
them maybe there's another inn they would be more comfortable at.  Just
concertrate on all the guests who enjoy staying with you and appreciate you,
don't  waste energy on the others.   Warmly,  Yvonne Lipscomb
>
>
>
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