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TheBeachHouse

TheBeachHouse

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 24, 2013
Messages
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Wow. Gentleman just stopped by to drop his keys after one night of a two night reservation.
He said they are leaving because it wasn't what they expected. He tried to leave without explanation but I insisted.
The bed was uncomfortable, the couch is uncomfortable. The house was noisy. The breakfast skimpy.
I'm like so sad! I will say, the couch in their room IS uncomfortable. But it's a two room suite. Their bed is in one room and they get a second room with a couch. Oh well.
Breakfast is - an apple pie, English muffins, toppings for English muffins, hard boiled eggs, melon salad, yogurt, toppings for yogurt, oatmeal, cereals (several), milk, oj, V-8, bananas, apples, oranges.
I did say, "We advertise "continental breakfast." He agreed, but said, "it's not our cup of tea."
He expects a refund for tonight. Against policy, but my DH will likely give it. We'll keep the $25 fee.
If they want the Hilton, they should have stayed somewhere else, I guess. Thanks for letting me vent. I was about to cry when I remembered I could just vent to you-all instead!
 
WOW some people! Really. Wonder what he would of served to his own guests.
I hope hubby did not give him full refund. He came he slept he pay ( I hope ) You know he won't be a repeat costumer.LOL I know it just hurts when you give it your best and people just don't get it.
 
They are on their way to a cruise out of Boston. I offered to move him to a different room but he said they'd already made other arrangements.
I think maybe they are 'not B&B people.'
He did say they would not be writing a review. So I got that goin' for me. :)
 
I am sorry, Beachie, but you really should have just let him go with it was not what they expected. We have no control over people's expectations. If you know the couch is uncomfortable, either find a way to make it comfortable or get rid of it. No matter what it is in the room that is uncomfortable, THAT is the thing that will be remembered. They will not remember any of the wonderful things about your place.
You do the best you can and that is all you can do. You tell them you are sorry they were not happy, do NOT refund anything - it is THEIR choice to leave - and chalk it up to THEY did not do their research. We all know there are people in this world who take pleasure in dissing everyone else (and everything) as it makes THEM feel superior. Put it down to wanting the Waldorf experience at Mo tel 6 prices (NOT comparing you to that chain, just using it as a compare). Do a mental of the encounter, flip him the bird, and move on to the guests who :LOVE everything you do.
 
gillumhouse said:
I am sorry, Beachie, but you really should have just let him go with it was not what they expected. We have no control over people's expectations. If you know the couch is uncomfortable, either find a way to make it comfortable or get rid of it. No matter what it is in the room that is uncomfortable, THAT is the thing that will be remembered. They will not remember any of the wonderful things about your place.
You do the best you can and that is all you can do. You tell them you are sorry they were not happy, do NOT refund anything - it is THEIR choice to leave - and chalk it up to THEY did not do their research. We all know there are people in this world who take pleasure in dissing everyone else (and everything) as it makes THEM feel superior. Put it down to wanting the Waldorf experience at Mo tel 6 prices (NOT comparing you to that chain, just using it as a compare). Do a mental of the encounter, flip him the bird, and move on to the guests who :LOVE everything you do..
Click to expand...
New sofa bed is on the list but waaayy down. We just put new rugs, curtains, pillows, bedspread, shower head and toilet seat in that room. We'll get to the couch eventually. :) One thing at a time!
 
TheBeachHouse said:
gillumhouse said:
I am sorry, Beachie, but you really should have just let him go with it was not what they expected. We have no control over people's expectations. If you know the couch is uncomfortable, either find a way to make it comfortable or get rid of it. No matter what it is in the room that is uncomfortable, THAT is the thing that will be remembered. They will not remember any of the wonderful things about your place.
You do the best you can and that is all you can do. You tell them you are sorry they were not happy, do NOT refund anything - it is THEIR choice to leave - and chalk it up to THEY did not do their research. We all know there are people in this world who take pleasure in dissing everyone else (and everything) as it makes THEM feel superior. Put it down to wanting the Waldorf experience at Mo tel 6 prices (NOT comparing you to that chain, just using it as a compare). Do a mental of the encounter, flip him the bird, and move on to the guests who :LOVE everything you do..
Click to expand...
New sofa bed is on the list but waaayy down. We just put new rugs, curtains, pillows, bedspread, shower head and toilet seat in that room. We'll get to the couch eventually. :) One thing at a time!
.
Click to expand...
TheBeachHouse said:
New sofa bed is on the list but waaayy down. We just put new rugs, curtains, pillows, bedspread, shower head and toilet seat in that room. We'll get to the couch eventually. :) One thing at a time!
Click to expand...
Why does it have to be a sofa bed (NOW)? It does not have to be a "new" couch. Often Goodwill or Salvation Army have nice things. Get a bench and make (or buy) a pad for the seat and another for the back or use pillows. It sounds as if you need a seating piece of furniture. For years, I had a picnic bench that I made a velvet skirted cover for that had a 4 inch piece of foam on top of the bench and under the velvet. I now have a pretty bench at the foot of the bed that uses the mattress as the back.
 
You can't help but take it personally. Take what you can from the info and try to let it go.
 
I think it's happened to most of us over the years. It really hits you in the gut when it happens. I agree with Maddie, take what you can, do what you can with anything you can change, then move on.
 
yup, it hurts. it's your business ... you put a lot of yourself into it. i'm sorry.
it's why we glow when we get compliments. same thing.
you say you know the couch is uncomfortable. i'm with gillum on this - i bought so many things from online yard sales and from consignment shops. clean, stylish and great prices. still do. if you know it's uncomfortable it's got to go. even if it's a swap out with two chairs.
is the bed really uncomfortable? have you slept on it?
when it was quiet i would check into a room - sleep there, shower in the room ... to see how it is to be a guest. then you'll know.
(((((((( group hug ))))))))
 
Personally, I would be glad they were honest, said they wouldn't write a review and I wouldn't keep the $25 fee just because I wouldn't want that to be the memory that I left them with. Sometimes the easiest thing to let go of is... the money.
 
Sorry Beachhouse. It does cut deep.
sad_smile.gif
 
TheBeachHouse said:
They are on their way to a cruise out of Boston. I offered to move him to a different room but he said they'd already made other arrangements.
I think maybe they are 'not B&B people.'
He did say they would not be writing a review. So I got that goin' for me. :).
Click to expand...
That must hurt, I'm sorry this has happened.
I think the fact that he said he wouldn't write a review confirms it was more "not B&B people" rather than specific problems with your place.
 
Hugs from the rest of us. We have all had one of these, it hurts as it is always personal.

As the others said, take what you can away from that encounter then blow the rest off.
 
Thanks.
Your question about the bed comfort - I had a review of that bed saying that it was the most comfortable bed this person had ever slept in. We all know bed preference can be personal.
 
TheBeachHouse said:
Thanks.
Your question about the bed comfort - I had a review of that bed saying that it was the most comfortable bed this person had ever slept in. We all know bed preference can be personal..
Click to expand...
TheBeachHouse said:
Thanks.
Your question about the bed comfort - I had a review of that bed saying that it was the most comfortable bed this person had ever slept in. We all know bed preference can be personal.
Click to expand...
Have you slept in every bed yet Goldilocks? A wintertime experiment and make sure you bring a fully packed bag and all your electronics that need charging etc, and stay in your room as a guest would. Do you know I still have a room, or is that TWO to do this and I just can't bear messing them up once they are clean. It is a sickness, or a laziness, one or the other.
Hey you know in my own marriage one of us will hate a mattress and the other adore it, so don't take every comment as more than what it is, their opinion.
 
TheBeachHouse said:
Thanks.
Your question about the bed comfort - I had a review of that bed saying that it was the most comfortable bed this person had ever slept in. We all know bed preference can be personal..
Click to expand...
yes, you're right. of course bed preference is personal. i wish that you could hear my voice as i type since the screen doesn't show tone of voice. i'm not trying to be mean or anything. i hope i didn't hurt your feelings. was just making a suggestion of something i used to do. not the best thread to put it in. i'm sorry.
TheBeachHouse said:
Thanks.
Your question about the bed comfort - I had a review of that bed saying that it was the most comfortable bed this person had ever slept in. We all know bed preference can be personal.
Click to expand...
 
You got two things that really matter in this business.
  • Honest feedback from someone who is NOT your perfect guest.
  • A statement that he would not share his feeling in a review.
For me, I would do exactly what you did. Run his feedback through the " Is this going to rise to the top or is it an outlier" filter and be grateful he didn't intend to zing you about it. Then it's L.I.G. time.
It happens to us all. It won't take long for the upcoming compliments your going to receive to push it into the past.
 
seashanty said:
TheBeachHouse said:
Thanks.
Your question about the bed comfort - I had a review of that bed saying that it was the most comfortable bed this person had ever slept in. We all know bed preference can be personal..
Click to expand...
yes, you're right. of course bed preference is personal. i wish that you could hear my voice as i type since the screen doesn't show tone of voice. i'm not trying to be mean or anything. i hope i didn't hurt your feelings. was just making a suggestion of something i used to do. not the best thread to put it in. i'm sorry.
TheBeachHouse said:
Thanks.
Your question about the bed comfort - I had a review of that bed saying that it was the most comfortable bed this person had ever slept in. We all know bed preference can be personal.
Click to expand...
.
Click to expand...
you didn't hurt my feelings. I was really saying thanks and also adding that I'd heard that bed is great.
It was just a comment. You all have been very supporting, no bad feelings for you!
 
Update - she wrote a long detailed email. Again promising not to review, but every single thing was wrong. Starting with my husband didn't introduce himself. (he remembers shaking the man's hand and introducing himself, but she was in the other room at the time.) The furniture is old. yes. The blinds let sun in in the morning. The curtains weren't ironed. (I'll own that one.) The apple pie wasn't a proper breakfast. (she didn't see the fruit plate, yogurt bar, juice and eggs.) The other guests were noisy. I think that is the big thing. They may have been. We didn't hear them. Can't ask them to quiet down if I don't hear them.
Anyway, we are very tempted to respond but we're thinking it through. I want to tell her that in the old room, she has a new toilet seat, shower head, towels, bedding, curtains, rugs, pillows and my favorite painting in the whole house. But I am trying to talk myself into keeping it simple, like, "we appreciate your honest feedback and take every comment seriously. We are planning to replace all window blinds this winter. I'm wondering if you missed the second breakfast presentation table with the fresh fruit salad, yogurt bar with assorted toppings and juice bar. We hope the rest of your vacation is a much more enjoyable experience."
 
TheBeachHouse said:
Update - she wrote a long detailed email. Again promising not to review, but every single thing was wrong. Starting with my husband didn't introduce himself. (he remembers shaking the man's hand and introducing himself, but she was in the other room at the time.) The furniture is old. yes. The blinds let sun in in the morning. The curtains weren't ironed. (I'll own that one.) The apple pie wasn't a proper breakfast. (she didn't see the fruit plate, yogurt bar, juice and eggs.) The other guests were noisy. I think that is the big thing. They may have been. We didn't hear them. Can't ask them to quiet down if I don't hear them.
Anyway, we are very tempted to respond but we're thinking it through. I want to tell her that in the old room, she has a new toilet seat, shower head, towels, bedding, curtains, rugs, pillows and my favorite painting in the whole house. But I am trying to talk myself into keeping it simple, like, "we appreciate your honest feedback and take every comment seriously. We are planning to replace all window blinds this winter. I'm wondering if you missed the second breakfast presentation table with the fresh fruit salad, yogurt bar with assorted toppings and juice bar. We hope the rest of your vacation is a much more enjoyable experience.".
Click to expand...
Just respond positively and move on. You can NEVER please everyone. Some people are just not B & B folks. We used to be, but now prefer the anonymity of hotels.
 

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