CoralKeeper
Member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2019
- Messages
- 15
- Reaction score
- 6
I never post my opinions or negative experiences on social media (I don't know when someone is just having a bad day for reasons I can't appreciate but would likely empathize with), so I'm coming here where 1) I have received so much valuable insight from everyone's experiences and 2) I hope you'll at least feel a little sorry for me just to make me feel better .
After ten years dreaming, my Chef husband and myself (an accountant and healthcare finance manager) left our stateside lives and opened a B&B in the Caribbean. After all of the hard work, stress and late nights, we had our first guest. He was the guest B&B owners dream of! He was here for work, and loved our place so much that his coworkers transferred from their hotels to stay with us as well. Of course we worked hard to give them the personalized service they expected and we aspire to, and it was totally worth it! He'll be coming back with his wife later this year and we can't wait to see him again.
And then our second reservation showed up late yesterday, a day late after missing their flight because the husband just didn't feel like driving to the airport yet (with his pregnant wife). She's furious with him and he's looking for a party. We had dinner ready for them last night since they missed breakfast and everything was closed. They barely ate, and after all the signs and explaining the no smoking policy, he's been smoking nonstop on the back deck. Neither booked a car rental on an island with no rentals available without a reservation (which I'd told them ahead of time). We've given them a ride to the store, called all the rental agencies on island, given them the information for all of the taxi services, and even offered them transportation to several places to enjoy their day. They have left their breakfast uneaten, and have been yelling at each other all morning in their room (and last night, they wouldn't even shut their door - I had to do it for them 3 times). They told me through a text to leave breakfast out for them that's been sitting there for over an hour. We are carefully navigating our way through this as we don't want the situation to escalate.
I've read other posts that 80% of guests are good to great, 10% are harder, 9% are extremely difficult and 1% make the "never again" list. I pray that's true, and that my second-ever reservation means I've rounded that particular 1% corner and great times are ahead (like my forever-favorite first reservation!)
After ten years dreaming, my Chef husband and myself (an accountant and healthcare finance manager) left our stateside lives and opened a B&B in the Caribbean. After all of the hard work, stress and late nights, we had our first guest. He was the guest B&B owners dream of! He was here for work, and loved our place so much that his coworkers transferred from their hotels to stay with us as well. Of course we worked hard to give them the personalized service they expected and we aspire to, and it was totally worth it! He'll be coming back with his wife later this year and we can't wait to see him again.
And then our second reservation showed up late yesterday, a day late after missing their flight because the husband just didn't feel like driving to the airport yet (with his pregnant wife). She's furious with him and he's looking for a party. We had dinner ready for them last night since they missed breakfast and everything was closed. They barely ate, and after all the signs and explaining the no smoking policy, he's been smoking nonstop on the back deck. Neither booked a car rental on an island with no rentals available without a reservation (which I'd told them ahead of time). We've given them a ride to the store, called all the rental agencies on island, given them the information for all of the taxi services, and even offered them transportation to several places to enjoy their day. They have left their breakfast uneaten, and have been yelling at each other all morning in their room (and last night, they wouldn't even shut their door - I had to do it for them 3 times). They told me through a text to leave breakfast out for them that's been sitting there for over an hour. We are carefully navigating our way through this as we don't want the situation to escalate.
I've read other posts that 80% of guests are good to great, 10% are harder, 9% are extremely difficult and 1% make the "never again" list. I pray that's true, and that my second-ever reservation means I've rounded that particular 1% corner and great times are ahead (like my forever-favorite first reservation!)