Rescuing "Lost Puppies"

[Generic]

Last night around 10:30 the telephone rings looking for a room. Already half asleep and in bed for the night. A tale of woe related to where they were booked, perfumed smells, etc. It's too late to take in guests, we are "full" and no rooms available. I give a suggestion or two, but I know that they won't get anything but a hotel. B&B owners go to bed early, we have to be up to cook breakfast in the morning. I just don't rescue "lost puppies".
An hour later another call, same person, same pleading. I'm awoke from my sleep. We leave the phone on in case of a guest emergency, it's not. I don't get it, why do people think that I'm a rescue shelter?

 

[Madeleine]

Same thing here. Problem is you 'fed' them once so they followed you home. And they don't get that you're asleep when they call.
Regularly during the summer the hotels will call us at midnight to ask if we have rooms. Why would they do that? They KNOW we don't have 'staff' like they do.
IF I answer the phone after 10 PM I never say where they called. I just say, 'Hello?' Sometimes that alerts them that they didn't read the part about the hours being 9 AM - 9 PM EST.

 

[Copperhead]

We are in a business in the world of hotels with 24hr front desks. No no gets the 9-9 thing; no one gets that it is just 'the 2 of us'.
Hotel staff included; they're up so why aren't you!!!

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I get this all the time too. Hate it. I can't turn my phone off at night because our guests can't use their cell phones here, so if there's an emergency from their family, we're the only way to get in touch with the guest.
In the summer we'll get the calls at 1am! On our mobile site I put the hours they can call, but most people don't care. They don't understand there's no 24 hour employee.
Your guy was especially dense/irritating, since he called twice!

 

[Kay Nein]

Same thing here. Problem is you 'fed' them once so they followed you home. And they don't get that you're asleep when they call.
Regularly during the summer the hotels will call us at midnight to ask if we have rooms. Why would they do that? They KNOW we don't have 'staff' like they do.
IF I answer the phone after 10 PM I never say where they called. I just say, 'Hello?' Sometimes that alerts them that they didn't read the part about the hours being 9 AM - 9 PM EST..

I never thought to just answer the phone, "Hello?" after hours... It's such a habit to spit out the intro when I hear that ringtone. We've been having alot of late night calls lately - They will definitely be getting a "Hello?" for now on!

 

[Generic]

I get this all the time too. Hate it. I can't turn my phone off at night because our guests can't use their cell phones here, so if there's an emergency from their family, we're the only way to get in touch with the guest.
In the summer we'll get the calls at 1am! On our mobile site I put the hours they can call, but most people don't care. They don't understand there's no 24 hour employee.
Your guy was especially dense/irritating, since he called twice!.

Yeah, had an awful night's sleep because of it. I have to lose sleep because you booked el cheapo and now regret it.

 

[Madeleine]

Same thing here. Problem is you 'fed' them once so they followed you home. And they don't get that you're asleep when they call.
Regularly during the summer the hotels will call us at midnight to ask if we have rooms. Why would they do that? They KNOW we don't have 'staff' like they do.
IF I answer the phone after 10 PM I never say where they called. I just say, 'Hello?' Sometimes that alerts them that they didn't read the part about the hours being 9 AM - 9 PM EST..

I never thought to just answer the phone, "Hello?" after hours... It's such a habit to spit out the intro when I hear that ringtone. We've been having alot of late night calls lately - They will definitely be getting a "Hello?" for now on!
.

I can do a fairly gravelly voice at that hour, too. Again, only IF I answer the phone.
We had a cancellation call at 4 AM 2 weeks ago. And then an irritated email saying no one answered the phone!!!

 

[Generic]

What gets me is... if they are so picky that at 10PM they have to call around, isn't that a sure sign that they are a PITA in the first place?
And who the hell checks in at 10PM to a place that they haven't done research about? I'm expecting more and more of these calls from people who book Air___ and when they show up discover that... the place doesn't resemble the photos, the sheets are made of sandpaper, there are no towels, soap or shampoo, breakfast says "Pop Tarts" on it. The coffee has the word "instant" in front of it. And the mattress was bought off of Craig's, BBs and all. Sure, I can run illegally and charge $20 a night.... and you're stupid enough to book it too!

 

[Generic]

Agh! 10PM last night a call... right from my front door asking me for a room! I'm in bed and I'm not getting out. At least I wasn't yet asleep.

 

[JBloggs]

I will never forget the people who reserved here and then went from B&B to B&B checking for carpet or fabreze or anything scented. I remember after that I bought a bottle of air freshener and sprayed it all over this place out of spite.
I only heard about this later on, they too were desperate for a place for the princess to lay her head. I told them "uh these are old houses, people have even died in them, there WILL BE SMELLS"