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Being Held Hostage

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Posted on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 7:39am
Don Draper
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Sorry, need to vent and get it out of my system.  This week is killing me.

7-nighter Mr. Know-It-All is seated in the dining room every morning by 8 am but can't possibly EAT until someone else comes to join him because then he would have no one to show how much he knows.

5-nighters who have left the house a total of TWICE (this is the their 5th morning) and have slid into breakfast every morning at 9:29.  Housekeepers have only gotten in their room once in 5 days because they never leave it.  Then they linger over the breakfast table for an hour.

Getting up at 6 am to have everything ready at 8 and then having to sit here and twiddle my thumbs until 9:30 just pisses me off.  It's a beautiful day for God's sake, go do something!!!!!!  I hate having my day held hostage like this.  Normally it would be no big thing but it has been EVERY day this week.

I have done all the "office" type stuff I can do, I need the kitchen to be freed up from breakfast so I can bake/cook for tomorrow and then get ready for the full house check-in this afternoon.  Oh, and squeeze the grocery store in there somewhere.

Sorry, I'm just at the end of my rope.  Here's hoping the weekend crowd is a bit livelier.

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This comment (82921) was in reply to the Original Topic on Sun, 08/29/2010 - 3:21pm
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Joey Bloggs
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 I forgot to add this quote a few days ago and have had it on my mind...

Benjamin Franklin so wise in so many areas said:

"Guests, like fish, begin to smell after three days."

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This comment (82779) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 6:20pm
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Don Draper
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Hallelujah...whole house checked in by 6 pm and everyone incredibly nice and seemingly "normal".  Whole house OUT at 7 pm and we were able to have a lovely dinner out on the patio, uninterrupted, while enjoying the beautiful weather.  SO GLAD to be through with this past week.  Thank y'all SO much for listening, you keep me going.

Now Don Draper and I are off to drink an old-fashioned together and catch a few episodes of Mad Men Season I.  LIfe is good!

This comment (82782) was in reply to comment 82779 on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 8:39pm
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Morticia
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This comment (82774) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 5:02pm
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Basil Fawlty
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Dear Don,

I sympathize.  Hang in there - I like the "they stay, they pay, they go away" motto.  Particularly the middle part.

I take a tip from the waiters near Notre Dame.  At 2:00pm (petite dejeune - FINIS!)  sharp, they briskly wisk away your condiments, extra cutlery, extra chairs, etc. until finally, like an eagle diving for a chicken, (pardon the Northwest metaphor)  they head straight for your wine glass... 

If that doesn't work, I start the vaccuum.  Gets 'em every time.  Bless 'em.

- Green Cat

ps. I never understood the "fish and guests..." proverb until I became an innkeeper!

 

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This comment (82765) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 2:33pm
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camberleyhotelh...
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the longest we ever had was monday to thursday for 3 months he was nice and don't get me wrong it was nice to have the money but he was getting (I don;t mean this is a pervy way) we call it over familiar, wandering about and helping himself stuff like that (we all know what I mean) he missed breakfast most days as he was always sleeping in so that was also a saving.

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This comment (82761) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 1:33pm
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Samster
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Sorry that this is getting to you.  The silver lining is that you have guests who want to stay with you for this length of time!  Luckily, you have housekeepers to clean your rooms, too.  Smiling

We can't like the personalities of all of our guests.....

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This comment (82759) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 1:21pm
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Highlands John
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We've got 14 nighters in at the moment. Getting the booking last November was great, but as their arrival date loomed closer the more I began to worry what they'd be like. Thank heavens they're fine and are out most days until 7pm.

On the other hand, the 3 and 4 nighters in the other two rooms..................

However, 3-4 days is usually about right for me too.

This comment (82763) was in reply to comment 82759 on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 2:07pm
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catlady
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WOW! 2 weeks!!! I guess they are using your place as a base for traveling around?????

This comment (82764) was in reply to comment 82763 on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 2:15pm
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Highlands John
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Yes, you can reach most of the Highlands from here in a day, although Isle Of Skye and the north coast are a trek.

Tonight is their 7th night and all is fine, ask me again this time next week

That's the 2nd longest stay we've ever had. The longest was 16 days, but that was unusaly in that a couple came over from Canada becuase  the husbands brother lived locally and was ill. By the time they arrived he had passed away, and as they were the nearest relatives they ended up making all the arrangements and sorting out the estate. So their 4 night stay kept extending and extending until it was 16 nights. They are 1 of only 2 couples who've stayed in all our guest rooms. 

This comment (82736) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 9:30am
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Country Girl
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 Sorry you've had a rough week. Hopefully your weekend will be filled with all wonderful guests.

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This comment (82735) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 9:26am
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Don Draper
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 Thanks for the sympathetic ears.  They all came at 9:10, still sitting there yakking away.  It is true, it is never one little thing, it is a million little things and they happen every day and it just starts to add up.  Plus the long stays, I am just not a fan.  3 is my max.  

AND, the first check in arrived at 9:45!  At least that's one less we need to do this afternoon, and he was nice.  I'll take it!

This comment (82737) was in reply to comment 82735 on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 9:30am
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Morticia
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The long stays are usually 6 of one sorts of stays. Last year we had 3 rooms for 6 days and they were gone at 8:30 every morning and didn't come back until 9 or so in the evening. This year has been a LOT of one nighters and those are stressful in their own way. Today we had 3 rooms and it was wonderful. Good conversation with everyone, 2 rooms gone by 8:45 and then we had a nice chat with the third room. (The Phantom Guest who came to brekkie today.)

This comment (82727) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 9:00am
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Morticia
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I hate the thumb-twiddling.

If I were staying there for any length of time and I were faced with Mr Know It All every morning, I'd skip breakfast or come at the last possible minute in the hopes of missing out on him altogether.

Morning is not my best time.

This comment (82784) was in reply to comment 82727 on Sat, 08/28/2010 - 5:39am
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remnjava
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Speaking of such things, we once had an innkeeper who "entertained us" all the way from 9:05, when she joined us for breakfast until 11:30, as I was backing up the staircase, trying to be polite, trying to get AWAY!

This comment (82723) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 8:36am
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Joey Bloggs
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Dear Don, we love ya and if we were there would kick their butts into gear!  I can bring a trumpet and blast it outside or something.  

I mentioned to another innmate that it is this every day without a break that really gets your goat, it is not any one big thing, it is all the little things that combust.  We're here for ya.  Hugs to you and the other innkeeper there as well.

I really feel that 3 nights is the max any person should stay with any other person, B&B, home anywhere! Captive audiences are not my cup of tea either!

This comment (82772) was in reply to comment 82723 on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 4:46pm
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domsmom
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[quote=Joey Bloggs

I mentioned to another innmate that it is this every day without a break that really gets your goat, it is not any one big thing, it is all the little things that combust.  We're here for ya.  Hugs to you and the other innkeeper there as well.

That is how I have been feeling for about 4 weeks....it is everyday, even if it is just 1 guest, it is constant.  And the days I don't have a guest, I am working on marketing, accounting, or some other "work" detail.   This innkeeper needs a vacation!

 

This comment (82724) was in reply to comment 82723 on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 8:40am
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catlady
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I am with you on that one. I hated those 5 -7 nighters. I just wanted them gone after 3 days Smiling

This comment (82783) was in reply to comment 82724 on Sat, 08/28/2010 - 5:38am
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remnjava
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5-7 day guests don't bother me at all. All the less flipping I have to do.

This comment (82722) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 8:31am
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egoodell
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 We feel for ya! We're in the midst of the start of our busy season, Chris has been out running wine tours all week - we've been so busy we had to call the innsitters to flip rooms since I'm still stuck working at the university until we get the other wing up - hopefully this winter!!!!

RIki

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This comment (82721) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 8:28am
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wendydk
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Poor Don....been a long hot summer, hasn't it?  This is the time of year where it all falls on us, like a ton of bricks.  Hang in there, the bright cool days of Fall are coming!

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This comment (82720) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 8:10am
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catlady
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Sorry you have had such a rough week with these guests. They will be gone soon. THEY PAY, THEY STAY, THEY GO AWAY

This comment (82719) was in reply to the Original Topic on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 8:00am
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domsmom
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Don

This is the place to get it out.   They will all be gone soon and the beauty is, as new people come it all changes.   Hope your weekend is better. 

 

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