End of Season BS

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.

birdwatcher

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
1,085
Reaction score
0
Power that Be wants things that cannot be achieved at the end of a season. Just sent e-mail to become "group" with the event center (which we wanted to do when we first arrived) and get at least 4 events happening before end of year. This power has burned many birdges in town with their powers that be within the years that it was owned and now would like the town to hold events there but they are not bitting at the bit for this because they have had enough of it.
We now have to increase room revenue 50% for Nov. and Dec.---this is the SLOWEST time of the year, we are not in a DESTINATION area other than one large festival in October that is the only sure thing that will bring people into this town....Nov?! Dec?! since being innkeepers these months are not the busiest months of the year. Also wants some "specials" as in mystery weekend, girlfriend weekend...etc..
This was not known to us until the last couple days and its already September. To let everyone know that because of the reputation of this person in town which is not liked much and now that we are at the end of the season and has gone through many innkeepers and directors in at least 6 years...it says alot on the suggestions this person takes from the people that work for him/her; won't take advise from staff or anyone else...meaning its got to be one way or no way.
Now we have been called to give advise on how to increase the revenue in a town that is very depressed and a main street that is very thin and just now starting to revitalize.
We would welcome all suggestions so we can give solid advise with proven evidence to accomplish this "goal" that has been implemented half way through the year. Yes, we have our feelers out there.
Thank you in advance.
 
To clarify this for myself...the owner wants you to partner with people who don't want to have anything to do with her to bring in business the other town businesses don't want her to have?
Raise the occ in the slowest months BY 50% or TO 50%? Doe SHE have any ideas on this or are you used supposed to know it all even tho she doesn't want to listen to what you say?
Raising occ by 50% means what? How many room nights? Would it entail being full every weekend to accomplish that or would your have to be busy mid-week as well?
You can do an online search for girlfriend getaways and get some great ideas. The mystery weekends less so if you have to hire it all out. You'll need to show her how these things don't just happen, money has to be spent advertising these things in the right places, including magazines.
 
YUP you got the gist of it, the owner has burned bridges with the town people that tried to advise him/her of what should be done, none was taken in by owner therefore you know what we are up against.
good idea on the 50% more in nov and dec...not good numbers last year and thats with the bad weather all over the US last winter. So to give the power that be advise we would have to prove this so we will have to find it.
 
To clarify this for myself...the owner wants you to partner with people who don't want to have anything to do with her to bring in business the other town businesses don't want her to have?
Raise the occ in the slowest months BY 50% or TO 50%? Doe SHE have any ideas on this or are you used supposed to know it all even tho she doesn't want to listen to what you say?
Raising occ by 50% means what? How many room nights? Would it entail being full every weekend to accomplish that or would your have to be busy mid-week as well?
You can do an online search for girlfriend getaways and get some great ideas. The mystery weekends less so if you have to hire it all out. You'll need to show her how these things don't just happen, money has to be spent advertising these things in the right places, including magazines..
Morticia said:
You can do an online search for girlfriend getaways and get some great ideas. The mystery weekends
Girlfriend getaways would be a good idea.
Birdwatcher- I forget where you are, but are you near someplace where you could combine overnight stay and holiday shopping? Local artisans? Foodie tours? Winery tours? Hiking? Skiing? Biking? Birdwatching? (no pun intended :) ) Anitquing? Historic home tours? Museums?
Can you put together packages that include point by point stops, but not in conjunction with other business owners?
 
YUP you got the gist of it, the owner has burned bridges with the town people that tried to advise him/her of what should be done, none was taken in by owner therefore you know what we are up against.
good idea on the 50% more in nov and dec...not good numbers last year and thats with the bad weather all over the US last winter. So to give the power that be advise we would have to prove this so we will have to find it..
In a way it sounds like the owner is being fed info about how 'someone' else is making big bucks doing xyz so why not do that at the owner's place, too? Things have not been considered and are merely being floated out to you to see what you can do with them.
Had you brought those ideas in to the owner you probably would have been told 'nothing doing'.
You may have some bridge-building in your future. If possible, try to quietly let the owner know that 'somewhere' down the line the locals have gotten a bad taste about the property and it may take some doing to get them to come around. Altho, if this is a head in the sand owner, the blame will be placed on you because everything was running peachy keen with the locals until YOU brought up there was a problem.
If you can cite some actual complaints you've heard with dates, it might help to let the owner know you working on getting things back on track. ie- 'This was brought to our attention last week by the owner of such and such. This is what we are doing to fix that situation.'
Altho, the owner may just call such and such and read them the riot act. You know better than anyone how this will go. Hey, get the middleman to broach this...that's his job!
 
YUP you got the gist of it, the owner has burned bridges with the town people that tried to advise him/her of what should be done, none was taken in by owner therefore you know what we are up against.
good idea on the 50% more in nov and dec...not good numbers last year and thats with the bad weather all over the US last winter. So to give the power that be advise we would have to prove this so we will have to find it..
In a way it sounds like the owner is being fed info about how 'someone' else is making big bucks doing xyz so why not do that at the owner's place, too? Things have not been considered and are merely being floated out to you to see what you can do with them.
Had you brought those ideas in to the owner you probably would have been told 'nothing doing'.
You may have some bridge-building in your future. If possible, try to quietly let the owner know that 'somewhere' down the line the locals have gotten a bad taste about the property and it may take some doing to get them to come around. Altho, if this is a head in the sand owner, the blame will be placed on you because everything was running peachy keen with the locals until YOU brought up there was a problem.
If you can cite some actual complaints you've heard with dates, it might help to let the owner know you working on getting things back on track. ie- 'This was brought to our attention last week by the owner of such and such. This is what we are doing to fix that situation.'
Altho, the owner may just call such and such and read them the riot act. You know better than anyone how this will go. Hey, get the middleman to broach this...that's his job!
.
All I can say is Good Luck!
 
More bad news, cancellation for next weekend and no rooms taken, sold one room. The cancellation policy is 48 hours that is unheard of in the B & B industry and we tried to have her change it and no going now instead of having a 14 day cancellation period and we would have more than likely charged them for the stays (was one reservation for 8 rooms) we had to cancel and loose that revenue.
That is the problem in owner does not take advise from us nor anyone else eventhough they where given to her by business people that lived and owned their own businesses for years.
Emilie-good idea on the stuff you gave me, no there is not much in this town at all although we could do a combination with the closest town which unfortunantely is 45 minutes away-which is not too far. I am away from the Inn on family business and husband is caring for it so told him that we need to have a staff meeting and get everything lined up to tell her how it is which is what so many have done and not succeeded. This middle man said he was going to do certain things and did not do them therefore it is left on our plate...i say take it up with the director for not doing the job, not us and if we do have to take it on-LET US DO OUR JOBS. But I degress...this is not so easy for this owner that seems to want input but then not take it into consideration. Very important that we all know that she/he is the OWNER.
We've already heard that we are liked much better than the last Innkeepers and how much they where disliked...so thats a plus.
 
More bad news, cancellation for next weekend and no rooms taken, sold one room. The cancellation policy is 48 hours that is unheard of in the B & B industry and we tried to have her change it and no going now instead of having a 14 day cancellation period and we would have more than likely charged them for the stays (was one reservation for 8 rooms) we had to cancel and loose that revenue.
That is the problem in owner does not take advise from us nor anyone else eventhough they where given to her by business people that lived and owned their own businesses for years.
Emilie-good idea on the stuff you gave me, no there is not much in this town at all although we could do a combination with the closest town which unfortunantely is 45 minutes away-which is not too far. I am away from the Inn on family business and husband is caring for it so told him that we need to have a staff meeting and get everything lined up to tell her how it is which is what so many have done and not succeeded. This middle man said he was going to do certain things and did not do them therefore it is left on our plate...i say take it up with the director for not doing the job, not us and if we do have to take it on-LET US DO OUR JOBS. But I degress...this is not so easy for this owner that seems to want input but then not take it into consideration. Very important that we all know that she/he is the OWNER.
We've already heard that we are liked much better than the last Innkeepers and how much they where disliked...so thats a plus..
I feel so bad for you. You are in a no win situation. Others have tried with this owner and failed to change her way of doing business. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. I know you care soooo much about what you do and offer. Hang in there the best you can until another opportunity comes your way.
heart.gif

 
it makes me angry as I have always said what is the point of hiring people and then not letting them do their jobs? it is a nonsence I am all for targets to motivate people ie if you increase occupancy by X% you get XYZ bonus but 50% increase with this short notice is a pile of crap. People should listen to advice (not necessaryly take it but have the curtisy to listen) also what works in one place may not work in another ie hiking country - adventure breakes will not work in a city B&B you want City break adds and so on. Plus stats say you have to run an add at least 3 times before people see it so it may be too late any way. Best of luck I think you will need it.
 
thanks you all. We are definantely keeping our options open to another position if things will continue this way and I truly think that we are one of the good innkeepers that just because we don't own the Inn does not mean that we don't want the Inn to surpass revenue and unfortunantely the "bonuses" are in 3 months intervals as in -Jan/Feb/March than April/May/June and so forth this makes it difficult if we are not allowed to do the job.
Will let all you know how it goes when we send the answers to the Power that be...it should be interesting. And since its at the end of the season it becomes more difficult to get any biters it should have been told to us when we got hired and could advertise on line the bejesus out of it for Nov and Dec Specials. So we will have to be very innovative-perhaps a "vintage" Christmas? or thanksgiving? Gillum does this every year so we may advertise that you can reserve the whole Inn and "have someone else cook thanksgiving dinner"..
 
thanks you all. We are definantely keeping our options open to another position if things will continue this way and I truly think that we are one of the good innkeepers that just because we don't own the Inn does not mean that we don't want the Inn to surpass revenue and unfortunantely the "bonuses" are in 3 months intervals as in -Jan/Feb/March than April/May/June and so forth this makes it difficult if we are not allowed to do the job.
Will let all you know how it goes when we send the answers to the Power that be...it should be interesting. And since its at the end of the season it becomes more difficult to get any biters it should have been told to us when we got hired and could advertise on line the bejesus out of it for Nov and Dec Specials. So we will have to be very innovative-perhaps a "vintage" Christmas? or thanksgiving? Gillum does this every year so we may advertise that you can reserve the whole Inn and "have someone else cook thanksgiving dinner"...
If you find you are getting to your last nerve with this owner, be completely open. This person is not going to write you a reference anyway, so tell the owner what's what, like it or lump it and if you, the innkeeper, could have a little bit of freedom to try things it can't be any worse than it is.
However, if the owner chooses to tie your hands at every turn and hire 'middlemen' who don't do the work they are supposed to, then the result is poor earnings and townspeople who don't want to work with the owner. And there is no amount of 'bonuses' or threats that will work on a dead horse.
The owner needs to understand that just throwing out suggestions and waving a hand and saying, 'Make it so,' does not make it happen. If there is no track record for success at this place since the owner took over, there should be at least a little warning that it is not necessarily the business or the economy driving that.
Without local biz referrals we would lose a lot of business. You HAVE to play nice and get along.
But, it doesn't sound like any of that is what the owner wants to hear.
BTW, I like the T-Day idea.
 
OY! what a good expression that is ... OY!
i have some suggestions for you but first i want to say that i would definitely be scouting out another position as you continue to do your best to run the place. it is sad when an owner alienates people and other businesses and doesn't allow the innkeepers (you) to take ownership ... to see what needs doing and to do it.
also, please please please TOOT YOUR OWN HORN. with a power bee, you have to constantly remind her of all that you are doing and trying and working on. believe me.
I had some success partnering with local businesses. but one place, no. I sent one particular restaurant customers constantly, but they never sent people to me and didn't want to offer any kind of special. The owner/chef was nice to me and friendly but saw no need to try to bring in more business. He had all the business he could handle (lucky him) There was another restaurant very close by, though NOT on the water, that loved and appreciated referrals and was happy to partner. Sometimes you have to seek out the out of the way places, the lesser knowns, who will welcome a partnership with you.
If the goal is occupancy, heads in beds, for the power bee, you might want to take a cue from this place. out in the middle of nowhere. he's had the same tacky website (and about the same rates) for years ... and is consistently booked up solid. couples seek out the place and respond to the pitch.
good luck.
 
hmmm ... i tried to include this ... but can't seem to edit. they are booked up solid at the last minute because they offer big savings on same day reservations ...
 
thankas all...have been away from inn on a family business matter, returning tomorrow it was good to be away, sometimes you just have to step out to see what is going on inside
Definantely will check on those things seashanty and we will have a staff meeting when i return
 
Back
Top