Marketing 101: Why you have to choose

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JBloggs

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[h3]
Marketing 101: Why you have to choose[/h3]
JB - - I cannot thank Jim Connolly enough for his real life story which is analogy of those who accept children and pets at their B&B (for us here). Think about it!
If you don't want them, do not make it child/pet friendly, if you don't want kids or pets! You make the inn's policies.
Read the article. :)
Excerpt:
The cost of dodging the decision
All business owners face similar choices, with many doing exactly as the coffee shop owner did and failing to choose. Most importantly, by failing to choose, you miss a great opportunity to offer exceptional service to your chosen market.
Of course, the paradox here is that the decision not to choose is a choice itself. It’s the default. The let it slide option. The fast track to average.
And if you think making the decision is hard, wait until you see the cost of dodging the decision.
 
Yes, it's important to prevent a bad apple from spoiling the good ones. Same I suppose with a B&B guest who is spoiling things for the others. Someone (Maddie?) told recently of a case where a tour leader brought his horrible girlfriend into the inn and even the others on the tour finally pushed him to move her to a motel. You've got to get the bad apples out before they spoil things and hurt your business.
All this said, I'd probably find it difficult to tell the sweaty bikers to stay out of my coffee shop, though I'd have no problem with telling them they have to keep their shoes on! Good old heath department, always there with rules when you need them!
I posted last summer about a cafe in a nearby town that got a horrible TA review from a woman who happened to be there as a large group of motorbikers arrived and filled the place, and she advised people to avoid this "biker hangout". The owner responded that it was the only time bikers had ever stopped there, but he'd be happy to have them back because they were perfectly courteous and agreeable customers. I'd rather have those bikers than that grouchy old lady!
 
Arks said:
Yes, it's important to prevent a bad apple from spoiling the good ones. Same I suppose with a B&B guest who is spoiling things for the others. Someone (Maddie?) told recently of a case where a tour leader brought his horrible girlfriend into the inn and even the others on the tour finally pushed him to move her to a motel. You've got to get the bad apples out before they spoil things and hurt your business.
All this said, I'd probably find it difficult to tell the sweaty bikers to stay out of my coffee shop, though I'd have no problem with telling them they have to keep their shoes on! Good old heath department, always there with rules when you need them!
I posted last summer about a cafe in a nearby town that got a horrible TA review from a woman who happened to be there as a large group of motorbikers arrived and filled the place, and she advised people to avoid this "biker hangout". The owner responded that it was the only time bikers had ever stopped there, but he'd be happy to have them back because they were perfectly courteous and agreeable customers. I'd rather have those bikers than that grouchy old lady!.
Click to expand...
CH had the tour group...
 
Arks said:
Yes, it's important to prevent a bad apple from spoiling the good ones. Same I suppose with a B&B guest who is spoiling things for the others. Someone (Maddie?) told recently of a case where a tour leader brought his horrible girlfriend into the inn and even the others on the tour finally pushed him to move her to a motel. You've got to get the bad apples out before they spoil things and hurt your business.
All this said, I'd probably find it difficult to tell the sweaty bikers to stay out of my coffee shop, though I'd have no problem with telling them they have to keep their shoes on! Good old heath department, always there with rules when you need them!
I posted last summer about a cafe in a nearby town that got a horrible TA review from a woman who happened to be there as a large group of motorbikers arrived and filled the place, and she advised people to avoid this "biker hangout". The owner responded that it was the only time bikers had ever stopped there, but he'd be happy to have them back because they were perfectly courteous and agreeable customers. I'd rather have those bikers than that grouchy old lady!.
Click to expand...
Arks said:
I posted last summer about a cafe in a nearby town that got a horrible TA review from a woman who happened to be there as a large group of motorbikers arrived and filled the place, and she advised people to avoid this "biker hangout". The owner responded that it was the only time bikers had ever stopped there, but he'd be happy to have them back because they were perfectly courteous and agreeable customers. I'd rather have those bikers than that grouchy old lady!
Click to expand...
I was just thinking that the story sounded familiar, from one of our own! haha
At least you didn't have "Midget Biker Mud-Wrestlers" oops, I won't say where THAT happened, and yes it is a B&B from this forum!
You see, this is the dilemma I myself am in here. I love our guests who ride this famous parkway here, but if I advertise it am I preventing others who don't appreciate "loud bikes save lives" thing. When a grandma may stay here and penny pinch and demand everything, and these "bikers" whose bikes cost more than Granny's Buick are gratfeful for everything, and no hassle whatsoever!
My ONLY issue with the riders is they only want to stay one night, hit the road again...but they are AWESOME GUESTS!
 
No matter what we choose it needs to be clear on the website.
Yes, you may find children. No, children are verboten.
Yes, we take pets but only in this room. Yes, we take pets in every room. Yes, we have pets that have free run of the house. No pets allowed ever under any circumstances.
No drinking. Drinking is ok.
No smoking. Smoking is permitted outside or wherever.
No hen and rooster parties. We cater to a party crowd.
Whatever we decide needs to be clear and we need to be clear in our own heads how we will handle calls and guests who try to out maneuver us.
We've all said that bending the rules is when we have the worst infractions. (Guests who plead for 4 adults and a baby in one room and then get all pissy because they can't use the kitchen and we don't have any place where they can cook for the baby.)
BTW, I recently told an advertising account rep why I wouldn't be placing an ad for a wedding insert. I gave her just a couple of examples of what happens when wedding parties are in house. She was shocked.
And yet some of here are having wonderful wedding and elopement experiences.
So, we pick our audience.
 
Yes, it's true but it ain't easy to say no. Yet we do it all the time. At this time of year our inquiries for summer are from families or a couple with one child. NO, sorry but check out these places that are family friendly.
Or the group of 3....or the folks with a well behaved dog. NO, sorry, have you read our policies? So do we lose business? Yes we do? Do we still get business? Yes, we get lots of older couples looking for 3-5 nights of peace and quiet, or couples looking for a quiet, romantic vacation. THEY are our market.
So JB thanks for the article...I really needed the reinforcement. When cash flow is slowed to a trickle it is difficult to turn away business even when we know what works best for us.
 
Silverspoon said:
Yes, it's true but it ain't easy to say no. Yet we do it all the time. At this time of year our inquiries for summer are from families or a couple with one child. NO, sorry but check out these places that are family friendly.
Or the group of 3....or the folks with a well behaved dog. NO, sorry, have you read our policies? So do we lose business? Yes we do? Do we still get business? Yes, we get lots of older couples looking for 3-5 nights of peace and quiet, or couples looking for a quiet, romantic vacation. THEY are our market.
So JB thanks for the article...I really needed the reinforcement. When cash flow is slowed to a trickle it is difficult to turn away business even when we know what works best for us..
Click to expand...
I just took a rez for a family with a pet. Off season. Locals. Every other place that takes pets and kids is full. Must be school vacation.
Would not have done it if not a local who I know.
Will other guests grouse about the dog? Probably won't have any other guests that week. Kids are a given. We take them but don't cater to them. It's on the website.
We don't do romance here. We're anti-romance. ;-)
 
Madeleine said:
Silverspoon said:
Yes, it's true but it ain't easy to say no. Yet we do it all the time. At this time of year our inquiries for summer are from families or a couple with one child. NO, sorry but check out these places that are family friendly.
Or the group of 3....or the folks with a well behaved dog. NO, sorry, have you read our policies? So do we lose business? Yes we do? Do we still get business? Yes, we get lots of older couples looking for 3-5 nights of peace and quiet, or couples looking for a quiet, romantic vacation. THEY are our market.
So JB thanks for the article...I really needed the reinforcement. When cash flow is slowed to a trickle it is difficult to turn away business even when we know what works best for us..
Click to expand...
I just took a rez for a family with a pet. Off season. Locals. Every other place that takes pets and kids is full. Must be school vacation.
Would not have done it if not a local who I know.
Will other guests grouse about the dog? Probably won't have any other guests that week. Kids are a given. We take them but don't cater to them. It's on the website.
We don't do romance here. We're anti-romance. ;-)
.
Click to expand...
Madeleine said:
We don't do romance here. We're anti-romance. ;-)
Click to expand...
Yes but you've been hugging that dog for years!
picture-1279.jpg

 
Arks said:
Madeleine said:
Silverspoon said:
Yes, it's true but it ain't easy to say no. Yet we do it all the time. At this time of year our inquiries for summer are from families or a couple with one child. NO, sorry but check out these places that are family friendly.
Or the group of 3....or the folks with a well behaved dog. NO, sorry, have you read our policies? So do we lose business? Yes we do? Do we still get business? Yes, we get lots of older couples looking for 3-5 nights of peace and quiet, or couples looking for a quiet, romantic vacation. THEY are our market.
So JB thanks for the article...I really needed the reinforcement. When cash flow is slowed to a trickle it is difficult to turn away business even when we know what works best for us..
Click to expand...
I just took a rez for a family with a pet. Off season. Locals. Every other place that takes pets and kids is full. Must be school vacation.
Would not have done it if not a local who I know.
Will other guests grouse about the dog? Probably won't have any other guests that week. Kids are a given. We take them but don't cater to them. It's on the website.
We don't do romance here. We're anti-romance. ;-)
.
Click to expand...
Madeleine said:
We don't do romance here. We're anti-romance. ;-)
Click to expand...
Yes but you've been hugging that dog for years!
picture-1279.jpg

.
Click to expand...
Arks said:
Madeleine said:
We don't do romance here. We're anti-romance. ;-)
Click to expand...
Yes but you've been hugging that dog for years!
picture-1279.jpg
Click to expand...
Love the dog. It's people...
 

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