A Thief at the Inn!!!

Hi I would think about putting an honesty box in that area (but make sure you empty it regularly or secure it descretely) or maybe think about investing in a display cabinet? Most people are honest but just genuinly forget we used to have an honesty fridge with drinks and crisps etc but stopped it because no one paid properly and we ended up making a loss. I think in most cases it is a case of people just forget but its money out of your pocket and I think in that particular situation I would agree with the other that I would ask if they would like it popping on their bill for example "so you don't have to worry about faffing about with change I'll just pop that on your bill for you shall I and then they can't say no.

I thought we belonged in the nuthouse...

=)
Kk.

I was replying to Tom's comments about what sounds like harsh responses to guests and changing the way we do things in that situation, treating all guests poorly due to one bad guest.  I was saying "talk is cheap"  meaning that we talk on this forum, we talk about guests, we talk about unmentionables, and in reality we come on here to blow off steam and go back to being hospitable and providing great service to our guests.

I was thinking aloud I suppose.  Just mentioning this is an innkeepers forum, well it was supposed to be, so when we discuss things here that is as far as it goes, I don't think many batten down the hatches and make their inns so strict that guests can't enjoy themselves.  I don't think this is a place for guests to hang out.  If they do, then innkeepers will not share the real stuff that goes on and how we are mere humans.  The real stuff is where the benefit of sharing comes in on this forum, it need not be false pretenses.

 That's one of the "rules I live by".  Our guests come back and recommend us to others partly because of the relaxed open atmosphere.  I've had a few 'bad eggs' and a couple of those were really bad eggs.  I certainly take my lessons from these incidents but refuse to change the overall feel of the place because, taken as a whole, the positive (both emotionally AND financially) drastically overwhelms the negative and I really love my core group of guests, both the repeats and the repeats I have yet to meet.

Remember tho, we blow off steam on the forum, most if not all never say any of these things or act inn-appropriately with their guests.  I was blowing off steam waiting for a 4pm check in who got here at 7pm, now I am bringing them coffee at 630am.  See what I mean?   "Talk is cheap"

The forum was supposed to be a place "where innkeepers belong" it was not designed for non innkeepers to read about ...well things we don't discuss with non innkeepers.  

We've had guests ask if our coffee mugs are for sale. We tell them they are (and they're not expensive) and then they go walking. I think from now on I tell the guests the mugs are a lot more as that might discourage them from taking them. It's like they think, 'Oh, that's not much, they won't miss that money after what we paid to stay here.'

I wish they had been left in the room but alas no!

OOh well, not much I can do now, I think it worried me more for the future, it made me look at ways I should handle little incidents like this, as I am sure it will not be the last time.  I find it incredibly difficult to be a friendly warm host, one minute then have to turn around and make everyones stay tense, but I guess it is either that or get walked over.

All your advice has helped me stand up a bit taller next time, after all I am not the one in the wrong....

Cheers

Kerry

www.beach-rooms.com

I would just put it on their bill.

We used to supply bottled water for our guests in the guest fridge, crazy us.  No more.

Just before a couple left one morning, I saw them pocket all the remaining bottled water into their luggage.  I Did nothing.

Also we have dvd's in a cabinet for guests to borrow while they are staying with us. 

I should never have put my $19 Mama Mia dvd up there as it is now missing.   Lessons learned.

Most guests are very trustworthy.  It is those few bad ones which ruin it for the others.

I would non-chalantly tell them about when you started your "gift section" and where the postcards came from and that you really appreciate them purchasing the (whatever number) of postcards that they bought because you would like to get more out there to get the artist recognized and should you add that to your final room bill? Plus it gives you some "egg money" ( you know what that is right?) and you spend that right back into the gift shop so that guests can take a little "reminder" of their wonderful stay at our Inn....

Don't let it go, I am sure that they know what they where doing and this is something that may be uncomfortable, but you did purchase those postcards right? And you do want to make some profit from the gifts in your gift shop right? You can bring it up in a way that gives the artist some umph and that they are "unique" blah blah blah.

What they did is stealing and it would be the same if they would take a towel, pillow or anything elese out of your establishment, you are running a business sometime you have to remind people of that. In a nice way of course.

OR, she might have thought she paid for the room and is entitled to a few things...?   Some people are just cleptomaniacs, have you checked her room to be sure everything's there?  Her husband probably doesn't even have a clue that she did that.

Leaving stuffmart last night as a police car rolled in I said to DH (as we were rolling out a big lidded rubbermaid trashcan) the law states that you can put whatever you like in your pockets under your shirt, etc but if you WALK OUT OF THE STORE they can arrest you.  I mentioned it as we surely could have filled it to the brim while in the store to carry groceries around.

Just wondering if the guest left with the cards in question or put them in their room?

I would give them the benefit of the doubt that, despite the sign clearly saying they're for sale, the guest thought they were free.  Since you were right there within sight, it's hard to imagine otherwise.

How would I have handled it?  Add them to the bill. 

Before that, though, I'd engage the guest about how lovely the postcards are and mention what a bargain they are at X price.  That way the guest has the opportunity to discretely correct her mistake. 

If she doesn't she'll pay at checkout.

If they are clearly marked for sale then people should pay for them. It is the principle of the thing. Maybe you could say something like..did you want to put the postcards on your invoice?