Appraising a Guest...!

[Northern Dreamer]

Hubby and I get kinda tired of venting to each other...so here goes - thanks for listening!
1. Guests call to check-in early because they are due at rehearsal dinner at 5. Arrives at 3:45 - okay not so bad... (We review locks, give tour, etc...)
2. Guests looks at menu in dinning room, picks that moment to tell me she is gluten-free. Of course she is - our pre-planned menu is chock full of french toasted croissants, english muffins, and puff pastry! I graciously offer to alter by omitting breads/wheat (at this point I only want to omit breads and cook a couple extra eggs of course!)
3. Then at the door of the room, she is exasperated that the details of the arrangements were NOT listed in the online room description. Private bath is right next to the room, the room has steps and the last time she stayed in a room with steps she broke her arm...etc... So, I think we all know how this goes (the guest never read everything you have tried to be absolutely transparent about!!!) Says if she had known she wouldn't have booked. At this point I am waiting for the husband to chime in (the officiating minister at the wedding they are in town for) Nothing....so I apologize that the info was not as clear as they needed it to be, tried to explain motion sensor lights, bathrobes, etc......!!!!!
Now I am waiting for them to come downstairs and leave...! (One can hope! LOL)
Husband is in and out to get more bags, confirms they will stay. (oh darn...)
4. It is now 5pm, they are fighting with a lock we just went over...decides to come get us for help, we review again, they are out the door.
Crawling into bed, I decide to "kill" her with kindness from here on out...
Good Morning...
5. Guest shares, "we were late, thought dinner was drinks and mingling first, but no, everyone had already ordered when they arrived at 5:25..." (makes us feel like it is our fault...)
6. It has been in the 90's here and we run the AC. Their room has an additional (NEW) AC in-room cooler because it is over the garage and at the far end of the house. She complains AC unit is too noisy and too cold... (ummm shut it off...?)
6. Now she is exasperated to have to use the Keurig for hot water for her tea. (Our coffee/tea bar is self-serve) Guess who needs served...
7. The gluten-free conversation begins... so I offer to make a loaf of gluten free bread for the next day. (my hubby looks at me like "what the heck?" - I mean it is why I run a B&B...I love to bake and cook so maybe if I can fill her mouth with sticky xanthan gum she'll shut-up! LOL)
8. Next day, she eats the french toasted, gluten-free bread, smothered with blueberry compote and fresh whipping cream and says nothing but "it's okay"
Some people just can't be happy with anything. Go live in a third world country, then see how you like hot water, warm beds, cool rooms and great food!!!
One more morning until they leave!! ...hubby has decided to tally all her points of complaining so he has fodder for the guys at the golf course on Monday - LOL
I am sure you all have had your share of these people. We just usually get some really fun folks and it only takes one to make you rethink why you do this! Looking forward to the rest of the summer being REALLY easy and fun compared to her!!!!

 

[gillumhouse]

Thank you for getting them. I just said goodbye to a couple who were here for his siset's funeral.
On arrival, the first thing he said was they stayed at a B & B in another city - for a funeral - and THEY did not give a discount (he was referring to my bereavement rate with gratitude). He just had coffee for breakfast and she loved the breakfast and tunted him about how good it was. They were delightful.
They said in the past, when they came to town they stayed with the sister tht just died. They will be telling everyone about us - already told the family.I love happy campers! (They even left money for the Lord'sPantry Food Bank)

 

[Silverspoon]

You did all the right things. Just can’t help it that she arrived with her panties in a twist...imagine being the husband?
Our returning, annual PITA arrives tomorrow for a week. Needs 5 more pillows of different firmness and type (there already are 6 pillows on the bed), gobbles up all the granola and yogurt and saves the entire full breakfast to have at lunch, complains about Every. Little. Thing. But hey, they pay, they stay, they go away and they book again for next year. So we smile, jump through a few hoops and count the days until they leave. And they are not bad people...just complicated.

 

[Morticia]

So, I've been at this long enough now to take the edge right off these conversations by saying, 'I'm so sorry this is not working out for you, let me have your credit card so I can refund your stay. I will get you a list of hotels in town with no steps and a menu for breakfast.'
Generally, that shuts them right up. Once they no longer have 'leverage' over me with money, they are nice as pie.
So, yes, I lose $500, but I maintain my sanity and my feelings of self worth. I do not play the 'kill them with kindness' game any longer. It's a mug's game.

 

[Generic]

When this happens, the answer is "I'm sorry this doesn't suit you, let me help you find a place that better suits you."
If they backtrack, the answer is "I'm sorry, I really don't feel comfortable with you staying here, after the comments that you made. It's best that we find you another place to stay that will better suit you as I also don't want to feel uncomfortable and walking on eggshells around you."
We have had to do this. We backed down once... we regretted that we had.

 

[Northern Dreamer]

So, I've been at this long enough now to take the edge right off these conversations by saying, 'I'm so sorry this is not working out for you, let me have your credit card so I can refund your stay. I will get you a list of hotels in town with no steps and a menu for breakfast.'
Generally, that shuts them right up. Once they no longer have 'leverage' over me with money, they are nice as pie.
So, yes, I lose $500, but I maintain my sanity and my feelings of self worth. I do not play the 'kill them with kindness' game any longer. It's a mug's game..

I will absolutely keep that reply in mind when this happens again!!! I also am not one to care if I have to refund the money to maintain rule over my home and my sanity. I was careful to word my response to "I am sorry "YOU DIDN'T SEE" that info on our website." - instead of apologizing that it wasn't the way she thought it was supposed to be. She had to make the choice to stay and adjust...or stay and not adjust.
I think for this particular person and season (and knowing finding other lodging is nearly impossible or at the least very scarce in our area during the tourist season on our little peninsula) I chose to not let her intimidate me and spoke the truth that the room appointments were all transparently laid out in detail on the website. I was not going to play into her pouting, nor succumb to her playing the victim either. She was treated like everyone else, even though she continued to try and play the "princess-cranky-pants" card. Each morning, I served everyone and went on to converse and socialize with others who were sociable and happy to engage. She simply could not even make herself enjoy herself with the others around the table and never did engage.
My attitude of "killing her with kindness" was not at all a play or a ploy on my part, (but I truly do feel like the winner and I don't want to become jaded because of crappy guests!), Instead, I chose the high road and did not allow her ruin my, or anyone else's weekend! She lost out on being able to relax and enjoy her stay and she truly did have her panties in a bunch...nothing...and I mean NOTHING...made her happy...
To top it all off - she called last night (they checked out yesterday) and said she left two articles of clothing (stashed them in a basket on a bookshelf that I use to store stationary in for guests - wth???) then made her husband come back and pick them up today... The bag was hanging on the door for them to get at their convenience...plus we made sure her code was already removed from the entry!
Love the quote from Silverspoon - They Pay, They Stay, They go away! Onward and upward for us!

 

[Arks]

So, I've been at this long enough now to take the edge right off these conversations by saying, 'I'm so sorry this is not working out for you, let me have your credit card so I can refund your stay. I will get you a list of hotels in town with no steps and a menu for breakfast.'
Generally, that shuts them right up. Once they no longer have 'leverage' over me with money, they are nice as pie.
So, yes, I lose $500, but I maintain my sanity and my feelings of self worth. I do not play the 'kill them with kindness' game any longer. It's a mug's game..

I will absolutely keep that reply in mind when this happens again!!! I also am not one to care if I have to refund the money to maintain rule over my home and my sanity. I was careful to word my response to "I am sorry "YOU DIDN'T SEE" that info on our website." - instead of apologizing that it wasn't the way she thought it was supposed to be. She had to make the choice to stay and adjust...or stay and not adjust.
I think for this particular person and season (and knowing finding other lodging is nearly impossible or at the least very scarce in our area during the tourist season on our little peninsula) I chose to not let her intimidate me and spoke the truth that the room appointments were all transparently laid out in detail on the website. I was not going to play into her pouting, nor succumb to her playing the victim either. She was treated like everyone else, even though she continued to try and play the "princess-cranky-pants" card. Each morning, I served everyone and went on to converse and socialize with others who were sociable and happy to engage. She simply could not even make herself enjoy herself with the others around the table and never did engage.
My attitude of "killing her with kindness" was not at all a play or a ploy on my part, (but I truly do feel like the winner and I don't want to become jaded because of crappy guests!), Instead, I chose the high road and did not allow her ruin my, or anyone else's weekend! She lost out on being able to relax and enjoy her stay and she truly did have her panties in a bunch...nothing...and I mean NOTHING...made her happy...
To top it all off - she called last night (they checked out yesterday) and said she left two articles of clothing (stashed them in a basket on a bookshelf that I use to store stationary in for guests - wth???) then made her husband come back and pick them up today... The bag was hanging on the door for them to get at their convenience...plus we made sure her code was already removed from the entry!
Love the quote from Silverspoon - They Pay, They Stay, They go away! Onward and upward for us!
.

I also am not one to care if I have to refund the money to maintain rule over my home and my sanity.

Amen! A cheap price to pay for the peace of mind it gives you. I've offered full refunds a few times to complainers. I've never had a single person take the money back to go stay at the local motel!

They Pay, They Stay, They go away!

An oldie, but a goodie!