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Madeleine

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The list is so long I don't know where to start-
  • wanting a commission on her own vacation
  • complaining about their room on the 3rd floor (they are on the ground floor) and wanting someone to carry their bags (from the car to the room is about 10 feet)
  • swearing at check in when they used the wrong cc and then demanding to see evidence I really canceled the transaction on the wrong card
  • complaining the coffee was too weak
  • complaining the coffee was awful
  • loud, loud, loud at breakfast
  • demanding directions and then not shutting up long enough to hear them
  • not leaving the house, just going to sit here until lunch time.
 
I hope these guests leave you in peace soon....
The term commission means: authority to act for, in behalf of, or in place of another. It's paid when you do the job for another person. If you do it for yourself, it's called a discount, not a commission and isn't payable unless negotiated ahead of time.
Weigh out 2.00 oz of coffee on a scale and make a pot with that, preferably a dark French roast (Italian roast if you don't like the charred sweetness of French roast), see if she still complains. (That will basically make most Europeans/Canadians happy enough with the coffee strength). If that is called week, go to 2.25 oz (55g the first time then 65g the second. At 65g for a 12 cup pot you are pretty much saturated. After that, it's just a waste, the coffee won't get stronger, really.)
Personally, when I reverse a transaction, I always had them their copy of the receipt in hand, so that they don't question. I even had them a copy when the transaction says "cancelled" or "no communications" and then ask them if they want to keep it or they want me to put it to be shred.
I'm with you on the luggage thing. I don't carry guest luggage anymore unless it's lightweight. But don't book a room on a high floor if you can't carry your own. Frankly, too many people still overpack.
For loud people, we talk to them in a whisper, they usually quiet down to hear it and give control over the conversation over. It's an old teacher's trick.
 
WAHHHH,
cry_smile.gif
I feel for you. You don't deserve this PITA. Hang in there and just keep saying...."They pay, they stay, they go away"
 
I hope these guests leave you in peace soon....
The term commission means: authority to act for, in behalf of, or in place of another. It's paid when you do the job for another person. If you do it for yourself, it's called a discount, not a commission and isn't payable unless negotiated ahead of time.
Weigh out 2.00 oz of coffee on a scale and make a pot with that, preferably a dark French roast (Italian roast if you don't like the charred sweetness of French roast), see if she still complains. (That will basically make most Europeans/Canadians happy enough with the coffee strength). If that is called week, go to 2.25 oz (55g the first time then 65g the second. At 65g for a 12 cup pot you are pretty much saturated. After that, it's just a waste, the coffee won't get stronger, really.)
Personally, when I reverse a transaction, I always had them their copy of the receipt in hand, so that they don't question. I even had them a copy when the transaction says "cancelled" or "no communications" and then ask them if they want to keep it or they want me to put it to be shred.
I'm with you on the luggage thing. I don't carry guest luggage anymore unless it's lightweight. But don't book a room on a high floor if you can't carry your own. Frankly, too many people still overpack.
For loud people, we talk to them in a whisper, they usually quiet down to hear it and give control over the conversation over. It's an old teacher's trick..
You got me weighing coffee .. seems we get fine strong coffee with only 40 g per "12 cup" pot which is about 2.1 liter. House blend 1/2 French for "strong and dark" and 1/2 Costa Rica for aroma. How big is your "12 cup" pot? Brew strength does vary by coffee maker type.
 
You and your PITA's GRRRRR. I feel for you. Bet you can't wait for all the leaves to be gone.
wink_smile.gif
 
We use the official Douwe Egberts measure spoon, which holds 6/7 gr of filtercoffee, just right for one cup... So a 12 cup pot would take 72/84 gr. By the way, a Senseo machine (do you have those in the USA-Canada?) takes the same amount per pad/cup. For Espresso you need at least double that amount, (and yes, it does get stronger), but it needs a different machine to make it tasty.....
Funny story.. We personally like it a bit weaker, say 4-5 gr per cup. For 25 years this has been what we drank and served to family/friends, and nobody complained. Only when we started the B&B 2 years ago we were told by all those friends/family that we had served them bad/weak coffee for years and that we had to make it stronger for B&B guests........ So now we make two strengths of coffee...........
 
We use the official Douwe Egberts measure spoon, which holds 6/7 gr of filtercoffee, just right for one cup... So a 12 cup pot would take 72/84 gr. By the way, a Senseo machine (do you have those in the USA-Canada?) takes the same amount per pad/cup. For Espresso you need at least double that amount, (and yes, it does get stronger), but it needs a different machine to make it tasty.....
Funny story.. We personally like it a bit weaker, say 4-5 gr per cup. For 25 years this has been what we drank and served to family/friends, and nobody complained. Only when we started the B&B 2 years ago we were told by all those friends/family that we had served them bad/weak coffee for years and that we had to make it stronger for B&B guests........ So now we make two strengths of coffee............
Yes, we have Senseo (pod) makers in Canada. Espresso needs pressure to extract more of the coffee from the beans.
A coffee cup isn't the normal 8 oz, it is actually 5 oz. (145 ml.) So a 12 cup coffee pot is actually just 60oz. (1.75 liters) Confusing, isn't it.
 
More complaints today. But, I can now forget them. They are off to pick on other innkeepers.
I do not understand why guests complain to me about directions they got outside the inn that they claim got them lost. If you want to take directions from someone on the street, then it's on your head. And really, don't slam every person in town because one or two people in a shop do not know everything about the town.
The upshot of that conversation being they were trying to dig up dirt on us in town. And they were disappointed. So they slammed the clerks in the stores for not knowing anything.
I hope everything is perfect at their next stop.
(Reason #11 why guests prefer B&B's- the innkeepers won't short sheet your bed when you drive them to distraction with your petty complaints.)
 
On to another stay...cut the guest some slack even tho I am not happy about them bringing a baby and taking a room dead center in the midst of all the rooms. Did not charge for the baby. Today I get a phone call asking if they can now check in at noon. Sure, nothing I want more than a baby screaming from noon onward.
(I say this because we had a baby here last week who screamed for a solid 2 hours.)
 
Man oh man...you get more than your share of PITAs. I think I'd hang up the whole thing with the kind of guests you have been getting. Hopefully you will be taking some down time soon. The leaves must be just about done in your area now and it's too soon for ski season to start (isn't it?).
We have our last big hurrah this weekend and will be full until next Wed. Then we close up for a week to catch our breath and see some friends. When we reopen we will do weekends only in the main house but will take what we can get in the cottage.
 
Man oh man...you get more than your share of PITAs. I think I'd hang up the whole thing with the kind of guests you have been getting. Hopefully you will be taking some down time soon. The leaves must be just about done in your area now and it's too soon for ski season to start (isn't it?).
We have our last big hurrah this weekend and will be full until next Wed. Then we close up for a week to catch our breath and see some friends. When we reopen we will do weekends only in the main house but will take what we can get in the cottage..
Silverspoon said:
Man oh man...you get more than your share of PITAs. I think I'd hang up the whole thing with the kind of guests you have been getting.
Catlady used to say this all the time! We're going pretty solid here for another 10 days. Then it's mostly weekends after that. Vacation in Nov. 2 days with innkeeping buds and then 2 days with buds from high school. Then we start counting down to shutdown in Jan.
Really, this is no worse than any other year. It's the location here.
Just had a walk-in who was all excited to spend her anniversary here. She was here 20 years ago for her honeymoon. I told her the price and she left. Oh well. I know it was probably $75 20 years ago, but the car they were driving didn't cost $5000, either.
 
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