2010 Census - Business Contact

Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Copperhead

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 24, 2008
Messages
5,968
Reaction score
0
Really don't know which topic this falls under?! (Edited Subject)
Have any of you been contacted by the census regarding your B&B?
My question stems from the following:
Back 3 or so months ago we had a person from the regional office come by and ask a few questions about our B&B. Such as how many guests we have staying with us during certain dates and how long they would be staying. I could not help but laugh. They have no concept of our business although a B&B is classified with Hotels and Inns under their business groupings. I asked, does your office know what a B&B is? She laughed and said that they discussed this prior to her field trip. These are questions generated by the head office, not this regional one.
Now yesterday I received a call and after identifying herself, she asked if I would be open during a certain time frame (about a month window). I said yes, why? Well they will be coming by to interview me and my guests!!!
whattha.gif
When I asked why she said to find out if they are what the census would call residents! I told her that my guests are usually here no longer that 2 days with an odd guest staying a week or so. That we are considered SHORT TERM lodging and there are laws indicating that we can not have anyone here for longer than 29 days.
I also told her that we are a home and as a home while we are open for business, our business is by appointment only, meaning that our doors are not open for anyone to just walk in so they need to schedule an appointment.
Ok - anyone else been contacted? What is your take on this?
 
No. The census taker rang the doorbell and left a note on our door that said we'd be receiving our census soon. (Woke me up in the process, IDIOT!) We did get it a week or so later and returned it. He had no idea we were a bnb since we do not have signage.
 
I'd say no way is the census interviewing my guests when they will also be interviewed at their own homes. The census taker can ask who lives here and that's what they'll be told, who LIVES here. Not who stops by for a night or two.
They are not interviewing HOTEL guests, right? And if they say they are I'd like to see them try.
That is just stupid.
 
No. The census taker rang the doorbell and left a note on our door that said we'd be receiving our census soon. (Woke me up in the process, IDIOT!) We did get it a week or so later and returned it. He had no idea we were a bnb since we do not have signage..
remnjava said:
... He had no idea we were a bnb since we do not have signage.
I do not think it had anything to do with signage. I think they have something in their system that puts the flag up for this. It was not an issue for us in the 2000 census, but we (B&B) were under a year old at the time.
 
I just thought...it's your location. They're trying to figure out if you have any displaced people living there. I bet it's not country-wide but it's probably prevalent where you are. So they MAY be asking at hotels where you are, too.
 
I'd say no way is the census interviewing my guests when they will also be interviewed at their own homes. The census taker can ask who lives here and that's what they'll be told, who LIVES here. Not who stops by for a night or two.
They are not interviewing HOTEL guests, right? And if they say they are I'd like to see them try.
That is just stupid..
Morticia said:
I'd say no way is the census interviewing my guests when they will also be interviewed at their own homes. The census taker can ask who lives here and that's what they'll be told, who LIVES here. Not who stops by for a night or two.
They are not interviewing HOTEL guests, right? And if they say they are I'd like to see them try.
That is just stupid.
That is exactly what I told the person on the phone. We are very willing to cooperate in telling them who LIVES here but that is that. I told them that they would need to show me proof that they have talked to all the guests at the Worstbestren etc. before I would allow the same here.
I am hoping I will have someone who was in business in 2000 to tell me if they did this at that time. Or if this has more to do with the new drive to be used to redistrict. (Not wanting to get political here at all.) We were in business but only by a few months and they did not even know we were a business then.
 
I just thought...it's your location. They're trying to figure out if you have any displaced people living there. I bet it's not country-wide but it's probably prevalent where you are. So they MAY be asking at hotels where you are, too..
That is it. I was working at an inn recently when the census worker stopped in to talk to guests. I expressed shock and she explained that they'd been told to check out all hotels and small inns since so many folks have started taking up residence in some.
So expect this if you haven't had it yet. It's part of their instruction this time around.
 
In 2000 my B & B was 4 years old and no questions were asked about my guests OR my B & B,
I am responding with who LIVES here and nothing else. They can ask financial questions until they are blue in the face. I am required to tell them who lives here and nothing else. And they will NOT be talking to any of MY guests. They will not be invited into the inn.
 
BTW, I got a letter and we're only getting the form in the mail.
 
The 'Advance" gal stopped by here. They had us still as a B & B and she questioned me about how long guests stayed with us. Of course, I set her straight in that we have been closed for 2 years now. :-( ANd no one but us live here now.
 
This is why I like the fact that we are behind a locked gate and it's a long walk to the end of the pier to get to us. I wonder, though, if they will be looking for "residents" on yachts, anyway. What about all those folks who live out on the water at anchor? :)
 
We have been visited twice by the census people. The first time was several months ago and I answered general questions. They had an electronic device and needed to get within a few feet of each front door of each building. She informed me that after all the info had been taken in the census, the updated information will rectify the problems with wrong locations in GPS.
I received a follow up visit a couple of months after the first one and he had a few more specific questions regarding the b&b, but nothing intrusive.
Like other posts, I would never let them interview my guests!
 
We have been visited twice by the census people. The first time was several months ago and I answered general questions. They had an electronic device and needed to get within a few feet of each front door of each building. She informed me that after all the info had been taken in the census, the updated information will rectify the problems with wrong locations in GPS.
I received a follow up visit a couple of months after the first one and he had a few more specific questions regarding the b&b, but nothing intrusive.
Like other posts, I would never let them interview my guests!.
Interesting about the GPS info. How will they do that when they're not even coming here? And believe me, GPS units tend to have NO idea where we are. And it seems someone is playing fast and loose with Google maps lately as more and more of the in town businesses here are ending up out of town.
 
I got the census paper at the B&B. It is stated the whom ever is at that address on April 1, I need to include them because they may be miss if I don't add them. WTF? Heck I not even going to put me down! Did anyone else get anything like this? Is this April fools joke??? Thats what I first thought when I saw it.
 
I got the census paper at the B&B. It is stated the whom ever is at that address on April 1, I need to include them because they may be miss if I don't add them. WTF? Heck I not even going to put me down! Did anyone else get anything like this? Is this April fools joke??? Thats what I first thought when I saw it..
MTLLodge said:
I got the census paper at the B&B. It is stated the whom ever is at that address on April 1, I need to include them because they may be miss if I don't add them. WTF? Heck I not even going to put me down! Did anyone else get anything like this? Is this April fools joke??? Thats what I first thought when I saw it.
That is just not so. Only people living there should be counted. Legal Residence: - (law) the residence where you have your permanent home or principal establishment
By counting those that are only there on April 1 but who have al legal residence elsewhere will end up being counted twice. As they will have a form at their residence for completion. If both are completed it alters the census and makes your area have more residents than they really have. This could also have a swaying impact on redistricting for congress seats as well as spending. I am not trying to be politicical just practical.
The following information was copied from the official Census gov. site: http://2010.census.gov/2010census/why/index.php
"Census information affects the numbers of seats your state occupies in the U.S. House of Representatives. And people from many walks of life use census data to advocate for causes, rescue disaster victims, prevent diseases, research markets, locate pools of skilled workers and more.
When you do the math, it's easy to see what an accurate count of residents can do for your community. Better infrastructure. More services. A brighter tomorrow for everyone. In fact, the information the census collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services like:
  • Hospitals
  • Job training centers
  • Schools
  • Senior centers
  • Bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects
  • Emergency services"
 
I got the census paper at the B&B. It is stated the whom ever is at that address on April 1, I need to include them because they may be miss if I don't add them. WTF? Heck I not even going to put me down! Did anyone else get anything like this? Is this April fools joke??? Thats what I first thought when I saw it..
So, everyone in a hospital on April 1st will be counted as LIVING there? Because that's where they are on April 1? What if I'm on vacation at your place? Now I live there and I don't live where my actual residence is? Then how do I fill out the form at MY house? 'Sorry, I don't live HERE, I got counted at MTL Lodge, so i really live THERE.' (Not picking on you, just wondering where this stuff comes from!)
Is this coming directly from the fed gov't or some local person who is totally misunderstanding their job? The census is not a one day project. What if the person at any of our B&B's is at another B&B the day THAT census person shows up?
If anyone even goes online to look at a sample test for getting a job with the census, you can see that what B&B owners are being told is not even close to true.
That implies that if you have family visiting, they LIVE with you because that's where they are on April 1.
Oy. Ask to see the questions as they fill out the form. (If you even answer the door after this!) Argue if you have to. It sounds like someone in your 'district' is playing fast and loose with the numbers.
 
I have not received a single Census item, not a phone call, no visit, no mail....nothing. I wonder if they consider my location as being "commercial" and not "residential." Oh well...less hassle for me, I guess.
 
Back
Top