You've Got To Be Kidding!

I'm still shaking my head over this.
A while ago I got a call from a local chapter of a well known charity. They left a message which was good so that DH and I could discuss the offer before replying back. They are having their annual silent auction/dinner the beginning of Dec. and they wanted us to donate 1 night and they would pay for a 2nd night as an auction item.
DH's usual knee jerk answer is always 'no'. I actually talked him into doing it because I thought it was a good way to start getting more awareness of our b&b in our bigger nearby town now that our transient tax has passed.
I called her back and told her we would do it. She was thrilled. Said she would come by with a check and pick up the gift certificate. Calls another day to make appointment to come over. She never shows. She calls approx 8 hours later and apologizes saying the other appt. she had in my area had been cancelled that morning (yet she didn't call me to let me know she wasn't coming).
She now also tells me that she will need the board's approval of the funds for the 2nd night. Doesn't know if they'll go for that much ($170) but wants to come over and pick up some info to give the board with the funds request.
Ok, now I'm annoyed (but don't show it) because was rude to not call me in the morning that she wasn't going to come over, and that now we don't know if the board will ok it.
She makes another appointment for 9am on one of my rare days off, but I tell her to come anyway. I get up, dressed, make everything presentable so I can show her all the rooms. SHE STANDS ME UP AGAIN!!! Doesn't call until about 5pm that night. She starts to apologize and now I've got attitude. I tell her the deal is off. She is full of excuses. I tell her to take this as a learning lesson. What she did was rude, inconsiderate and totally not professional.
There is no way I'm going to beg someone to take my donation!

Really odd. And very frustrating!
I get that from ad sales people. Once they have your ok, they are busy selling to someone else. Less interested in revisiting my page or my ad.

I get this a fair amount also. I think people consider that since we're at home, working from home, it's no big deal if they come later, or just don't show. I have been known to not answer the door when someone was expected at a certain time (I'm talking a contractor or other misc contact, not a guest!), and they show an hour later without even calling first. They'll then call the inn, and I'll answer as though I am on my cell phone, out and about. "Oh, I'm so sorry...I thought we had an appointment at a certain time, and when you didn't show, I went on with my day. I won't be back to the inn until much later."

Nothing irritates me more than people that think their time is more important than mine!

The deal would have been off with me once I found she used a bait and hook to get me reeled in only to find out that the bait had no meat.

Silent Auctions have never worked for us as a marketing tool. If you want to do something because you would like to help the charity, do so but not as a way to boost business - it rarely works for our industry.

copperhead said:

The deal would have been off with me once I found she used a bait and hook to get me reeled in only to find out that the bait had no meat.

Silent Auctions have never worked for us as a marketing tool. If you want to do something because you would like to help the charity, do so but not as a way to boost business - it rarely works for our industry..

Click to expand...

I agree, it doesn't bring business in. I was going to do it so we had a little more name recognition with powers that be in the next town and I know that a lot of business owners will be at the function. We'll be getting some major marketing money now that our TRT passed and I want to make sure they see b&bs as players in how the funds should be utilized to include B&Bs.
I know I'm pounding my head against the wall with this notion.

wow, breakfast diva. how horribly rude and just plain dumb. what a ridiculous approach when you were all set to donate ... and the funds weren't approved for 'that much'? hmmmm. stood you up twice?? disgusting.

I give a limited number of free GC's to organizations that I would otherwise donate cash to. As I'm sure all of you know, the greatest majority of these GC's are never redeemed. Yeah I know, I should just be glad that I don't have the hassle. But the people that purchase these GC's don't get any benefit even though they're forking out the money. So, This year I made up a basket to go to our regional arts council that covers about 1/8 of the state. The auction is held in a town about 40 minutes away. I put one of my mugs, an assortment of specialty coffees, local wine and a local box of chocolates. I also put in an antique glass canning jar made here about 100 years ago. (Don't worry, Joey, I've saved a couple for you that are full of beets)
I wrote a little blurb about each of the small businesses the basket represented, and they promised to put rack cards on display next to the basket.
Since it has a retail value, I think I can take a deduction for it.
The lady collected it yesterday, so, because no good deed goes unpunished, the holder of last year's GC just called today to redeem it at the 11th hour.

Today I did 2 donations. One was for a fundraiser for a kids camp - 4 roasts of coffees, a G H mug (one left now until new supply comes), and a Shi nnston travel mug. The other is a fundraiser to help preserve a old cemetery that has fallen into neglect. I hope this link shows what I did for it. It was the idea of someone else - for businesses in town to decorate and have in their shops. Since I have no shop for people to go to, mine is on exhibit at City Hall at the water office - where people pay their bills and get permits.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.544367688971820.1073741829.124342494307677&type=1&ref=notif&notif_t=like