I could just cry.....

[Pollyanna]

After cancels, ended up with 3 rooms. One was a couple - both military & had met while stationed in Germany. The 2 couples were wonderful. My third was a single mom who called back to ask if she could bring her 10 yr old if she could not find a sitter. I do take children 10 & over so agreed. THAT was my mistake. Child ended up being a ball of fire 5 yr old - bouncing off the bed etc., and at times left unattended.
I look forward to doing this again next year with a few tweeks - Cancellaions happen everyday but it seemed that we all experienced a larger number with this free program. While I understand the idea behind this program, it seems we need to have something in place to discourage someone from canceling or not showing. Something to hash arround before next year.,.

We had two nights of free stays, the 10th & the 11th, all 4 rooms each time. Lovely people and very thankful. I dealt with two cancellations but they both phoned ahead and I was able to fill their spots. We use we bervations so we had their credit cards #s and they signed off on our policies. I think that made a difference in how cancellations were treated. Several of the older vets said they would be back and they all took brochures. Plus, every single guest left a tip! That never happens. I hope we'll be doing this again next year. Two B & Bs in my town, including myself did this and the local paper covered it. Thanks to all who made this happen.

 

[HighMountainLodge]

We were expecting 20 people, 4 showed up. A splendid extroverted couple--she an Army recruiter and he a retired Navy chief. Other couple were senior cadets at the Air Force Academy. We couldn't have been happier. Nice people. Colorado weather scared a lot of people off; mid-week booking messed with a lot of other people's schedule. "We thought we could get more time off," one canceller told me.
"Free" implies no obligation. If they're not paying anything, then their stay doesn't have any value. No worries if they don't show up. "No harm; no foul. Easy come; easy go." You supply your own platitude.
Bottom line: we didn't get many warm fuzzies from opening our Inn to the military, who mostly blew us off. Just like the discount-paying-sort of guest, the freebee chasers are profoundly self-absorbed.
Would we do it again? Hell yes, in a New York minute. The thing about giving away a freebie is that you can't control how people choose to respond to your generosity. We can't force people to be grateful. Trying to teach a grownup manners is right up there with proving Iraq had weapons of mass destruction

 

[MTLLodge]

After cancels, ended up with 3 rooms. One was a couple - both military & had met while stationed in Germany. The 2 couples were wonderful. My third was a single mom who called back to ask if she could bring her 10 yr old if she could not find a sitter. I do take children 10 & over so agreed. THAT was my mistake. Child ended up being a ball of fire 5 yr old - bouncing off the bed etc., and at times left unattended.
I look forward to doing this again next year with a few tweeks - Cancellaions happen everyday but it seemed that we all experienced a larger number with this free program. While I understand the idea behind this program, it seems we need to have something in place to discourage someone from canceling or not showing. Something to hash arround before next year.,.

We had two nights of free stays, the 10th & the 11th, all 4 rooms each time. Lovely people and very thankful. I dealt with two cancellations but they both phoned ahead and I was able to fill their spots. We use we bervations so we had their credit cards #s and they signed off on our policies. I think that made a difference in how cancellations were treated. Several of the older vets said they would be back and they all took brochures. Plus, every single guest left a tip! That never happens. I hope we'll be doing this again next year. Two B & Bs in my town, including myself did this and the local paper covered it. Thanks to all who made this happen.
.

We had two nights of free stays, the 10th & the 11th, all 4 rooms each time. Lovely people and very thankful. I dealt with two cancellations but they both phoned ahead and I was able to fill their spots. We use we bervations so we had their credit cards #s and they signed off on our policies. I think that made a difference in how cancellations were treated. Several of the older vets said they would be back and they all took brochures. Plus, every single guest left a tip! That never happens. I hope we'll be doing this again next year. Two B & Bs in my town, including myself did this and the local paper covered it. Thanks to all who made this happen.

I think there is some valuable ideals here. I think by makeing a reservation and getting a credit card they only book if they really want to come.

 

[Emily Spiers]

You can only be responsible for your own actions -

Which reminds me of a lesson I hammer into my kids: We can't control other people's actions, but we can control our reactions.

 

[Alibi Ike]

Excellent reason to only accept them according to the restrictions. Here you were worried the others would say, 'We want the same thing. We couldn't come on Wednesday either.'
Everyone needs to do what they are comfortable with but we shouldn't veer off the restrictions as outlined in the program. It only makes for confusion and possibly animosity for those who played by the rules. Lots of vets couldn't come on Wed and they sucked it up and hoped for the best in the future.
I'm not meaning to come off as the gatekeeper here but I have read some pretty nasty things about innkeepers and vets not playing by the rules and it is very upsetting to me.

 

[gillumhouse]

Excellent reason to only accept them according to the restrictions. Here you were worried the others would say, 'We want the same thing. We couldn't come on Wednesday either.'
Everyone needs to do what they are comfortable with but we shouldn't veer off the restrictions as outlined in the program. It only makes for confusion and possibly animosity for those who played by the rules. Lots of vets couldn't come on Wed and they sucked it up and hoped for the best in the future.
I'm not meaning to come off as the gatekeeper here but I have read some pretty nasty things about innkeepers and vets not playing by the rules and it is very upsetting to me..

I'm not meaning to come off as the gatekeeper here but I have read some pretty nasty things about innkeepers and vets not playing by the rules and it is very upsetting to me.
Thank you! The RULES were set the way they were for several reasons other than everyone being on the same page. Here is the WHY:
For Innkeepers -

• 1 room minimum (so you would not go bankrupt participating
• Nov 10 - 1 night so you would not go bankrupt
• No "drawing" (leads gathering) or essays or BOGO (strings)
• this was two-pronged #1 we could not be seen as benefiting in any way #2 I was not about to read a bunch of sob stories
• Deep discounts were banned for rooms not set aside as free to dispell any image of a "come on" or "bait & switch"
• It was the Gift that MADE the STORY
• The STORY would highlight B & Bs

For Veterans -

• Military ID or V A ID as proof of service (IF they brought it up, DD214 could also prove service)
• Make reservation directly with B & B
• Nov 10 so they would be on-site for Veterans activities/programs on Veterans Day
• Expectation to show up

Every offer has restrictions and rules. Next time we should state at the beginning RESTRICTIONS DO APPLY (among other things)
I failed also - because of the high volume in one lump that was really hard to catch up from, the RULES were not sent to each who joined, something that needs to be addressed next time.
Being the first time, everyone went all out and got caught up in the "warm & fuzzie". In the future, I expect the head and "bottom line" to enter in.
We were trying to thank the Vets AND create a STORY at the same time. (The Media Panel at Tourism Conference said publicity is a bad word - you are pitching a STORY)

 

[EmptyNest]

That was nice of you to extend the offer for another day and that is your perogative..but honestly...I just wish everyone would have stuck to the basic promise a free night stay on Nov. 10 that was it. Guess you can't forsee all circumstances, but if done again, make it clear to what seems to be NON B & B people right up front about the rules...show up or at least call to say you will not be here. Guess many weren't raised to undertstand common courtesy :-(

 

[domsmom]

I had donated 1 room and the couple no showed

. I had over 30 people wanting that room.

 

[EmptyNest]

I had donated 1 room and the couple no showed

. I had over 30 people wanting that room..

Guess someone should inform the military that they need to teach common courtesy :-(
Wonder if they were active duty or retired vets?
Would be interesting to know how many of the no shows are on duty now and if they really had a good reason for not showing up other than poor manners :-(

 

[sandynn]

That was nice of you to extend the offer for another day and that is your perogative..but honestly...I just wish everyone would have stuck to the basic promise a free night stay on Nov. 10 that was it. Guess you can't forsee all circumstances, but if done again, make it clear to what seems to be NON B & B people right up front about the rules...show up or at least call to say you will not be here. Guess many weren't raised to undertstand common courtesy :-(.

You are all right and I see that clearly now. Rules Rules Rules. I will remember this next time.

 

[Alibi Ike]

I had donated 1 room and the couple no showed

. I had over 30 people wanting that room..

Guess someone should inform the military that they need to teach common courtesy :-(
Wonder if they were active duty or retired vets?
Would be interesting to know how many of the no shows are on duty now and if they really had a good reason for not showing up other than poor manners :-(
.

Would be interesting to know how many of the no shows are on duty now and if they really had a good reason for not showing up other than poor manners :-(

My theory is that many of the people who signed up had no idea what a B&B is. Even after signing up, I don't think many of them looked to see what they were getting into. None of the folks who called me had any idea. The thought it was like a hotel. One guy called 3-4 times wanting to change the room, wanting a bigger room, wanting 2 rooms so he could bring more people with him. He didn't get it. He gets it now and he is all excited to come back in 2 years if we do this again. He already knows he won't be able to come next Nov. It took a lot of conversation with him to explain we could not give him 2-3 rooms so he could bring more people with him. It was one room and that was it. His friends could call us, but we couldn't give the rooms to him.
I totally agree that they should have called to cancel or should have at least called to say they couldn't come.
What we all have to consider is that we threw this out there with the hopes of attracting some attention while doing something really nice. We attracted a lot of attention. There may have been more problems in a single night than many innkeepers see in a year because of their usual clientele. But, we accomplished a lot by letting some non-B&B-goers have a free taste of what we offer. Many, many may not even bother to call next year because it wasn't what they wanted.
That's not ungrateful, really, it's a factual statement. We all know we would rather have guests who want to be here than those who come because they're forced.

 

[EmptyNest]

I had donated 1 room and the couple no showed

. I had over 30 people wanting that room..

Guess someone should inform the military that they need to teach common courtesy :-(
Wonder if they were active duty or retired vets?
Would be interesting to know how many of the no shows are on duty now and if they really had a good reason for not showing up other than poor manners :-(
.

Would be interesting to know how many of the no shows are on duty now and if they really had a good reason for not showing up other than poor manners :-(

My theory is that many of the people who signed up had no idea what a B&B is. Even after signing up, I don't think many of them looked to see what they were getting into. None of the folks who called me had any idea. The thought it was like a hotel. One guy called 3-4 times wanting to change the room, wanting a bigger room, wanting 2 rooms so he could bring more people with him. He didn't get it. He gets it now and he is all excited to come back in 2 years if we do this again. He already knows he won't be able to come next Nov. It took a lot of conversation with him to explain we could not give him 2-3 rooms so he could bring more people with him. It was one room and that was it. His friends could call us, but we couldn't give the rooms to him.
I totally agree that they should have called to cancel or should have at least called to say they couldn't come.
What we all have to consider is that we threw this out there with the hopes of attracting some attention while doing something really nice. We attracted a lot of attention. There may have been more problems in a single night than many innkeepers see in a year because of their usual clientele. But, we accomplished a lot by letting some non-B&B-goers have a free taste of what we offer. Many, many may not even bother to call next year because it wasn't what they wanted.
That's not ungrateful, really, it's a factual statement. We all know we would rather have guests who want to be here than those who come because they're forced.
.

You are correct AI...it was a first experience for some. And hopefully the word is out about what a wonderful stay most experienced. You can't please everyone all the time ...something we all know too well. It was a good deed done by many and that's a good thing.

 

[HighMountainLodge]

Well, we observed the rules, and surprisingly didn't have that many people who wanted to bend them. And we got innumerable e-mails from folks thanking us for our kindness--even though they had to cancel. We also got a 5-night Christmas booking and and 11-night February booking from military people who couldn't take advantage of the freebie (we offer an across-the-board 20% discount to active military for multiple night stays, so perhaps the BnBsForVets offer got their attention).
The mid-week thing really worked against us, because, from what we heard from several folks who cancelled, they are subject to arbitrary changes in their schedules. Next year, Veteran's Day falls on a Friday, and if we choose to participate, that will present an entirely new set of challenges. None of the ski areas will be open yet, but we have had a surprising number of bookings this fall for people who just want a weekend getaway. Probably we will limit the number of military bookings to ten people (or five couples), and we will collect a much more formal wait-list.
This experience didn't make us cynical (at least, any more than we are), but it did widen our understanding of human behavior.

 

[sandynn]

We were expecting 20 people, 4 showed up. A splendid extroverted couple--she an Army recruiter and he a retired Navy chief. Other couple were senior cadets at the Air Force Academy. We couldn't have been happier. Nice people. Colorado weather scared a lot of people off; mid-week booking messed with a lot of other people's schedule. "We thought we could get more time off," one canceller told me.
"Free" implies no obligation. If they're not paying anything, then their stay doesn't have any value. No worries if they don't show up. "No harm; no foul. Easy come; easy go." You supply your own platitude.
Bottom line: we didn't get many warm fuzzies from opening our Inn to the military, who mostly blew us off. Just like the discount-paying-sort of guest, the freebee chasers are profoundly self-absorbed.
Would we do it again? Hell yes, in a New York minute. The thing about giving away a freebie is that you can't control how people choose to respond to your generosity. We can't force people to be grateful. Trying to teach a grownup manners is right up there with proving Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

Even though I vented I needed to remove it so no guest would see them selves.

 

[Alibi Ike]

Well, we observed the rules, and surprisingly didn't have that many people who wanted to bend them. And we got innumerable e-mails from folks thanking us for our kindness--even though they had to cancel. We also got a 5-night Christmas booking and and 11-night February booking from military people who couldn't take advantage of the freebie (we offer an across-the-board 20% discount to active military for multiple night stays, so perhaps the BnBsForVets offer got their attention).
The mid-week thing really worked against us, because, from what we heard from several folks who cancelled, they are subject to arbitrary changes in their schedules. Next year, Veteran's Day falls on a Friday, and if we choose to participate, that will present an entirely new set of challenges. None of the ski areas will be open yet, but we have had a surprising number of bookings this fall for people who just want a weekend getaway. Probably we will limit the number of military bookings to ten people (or five couples), and we will collect a much more formal wait-list.
This experience didn't make us cynical (at least, any more than we are), but it did widen our understanding of human behavior..

Well, we observed the rules, and surprisingly didn't have that many people who wanted to bend them. And we got innumerable e-mails from folks thanking us for our kindness--even though they had to cancel. We also got a 5-night Christmas booking and and 11-night February booking from military people who couldn't take advantage of the freebie (we offer an across-the-board 20% discount to active military for multiple night stays, so perhaps the BnBsForVets offer got their attention).
The mid-week thing really worked against us, because, from what we heard from several folks who cancelled, they are subject to arbitrary changes in their schedules. Next year, Veteran's Day falls on a Friday, and if we choose to participate, that will present an entirely new set of challenges. None of the ski areas will be open yet, but we have had a surprising number of bookings this fall for people who just want a weekend getaway. Probably we will limit the number of military bookings to ten people (or five couples), and we will collect a much more formal wait-list.
This experience didn't make us cynical (at least, any more than we are), but it did widen our understanding of human behavior.

The free night will still be mid-week, tho- Thursday. It'll be the following year, 2012, (if we want to think that far ahead) when the free night is on a Sat that may present us with more problems. We're full this weekend most years so we won't be doing all of our rooms for free like we did this year.
That's good you got some attention. We had one booking that mentioned finding us on the vets website.

 

[Samster]

As miffed as I am about one of our veteran couples just not showing up, it can't come close to how humble it made me feel to provide a free night for one single gal. Well, she wasn't really single, she was supposed to come for the night with her husband who has done 3 tours with the Army in Iraq. But he wasn't with her. He left the family last week. He didn't even call to wish his daughter a happy birthday.
They have 5 children, ages 3-11. Dad has had 4 knee surgeries and got addicted to pain killers. He's been hospitalized on two occasions for psychiatric issues. He has severe PTSD and cannot drive. When you or I see a garbage can on the side of the street while driving along, he sees an IED. The local VA hospital can only see him for psych appointments every 6-8 weeks because there aren't enough providers for these services. As a result, it's taken months and months to try and get his meds regulated to levels that are helpful enough, but not have bad side-effects. He is extremely depressed and is just not enjoying life any more. Mom never knows what she's going to find when she gets home from work each day. He can't be around the kids by himself.
This mom told me about how dad had missed the births of at least two of the kids. Didn't see his youngest daughter till she was 8 months old. And sometimes I complain because my DH is gone for a night or two during the week for work in Northern VA!
It's not just the veterans who serve us, but their families who also make the sacrifice..

I have plenty of stories about infantrymen and their families and the results of multiple almost back-to-back tours in the Middle East. They are not good stories. It was my honor to provide them with some respite from what they had to deal with. One of the reasons why I gave a sizeable discount to the Military.

 

[Samster]

I think that's very well said, Muirford! And I can apply that to other things in life. Thanks!

 

[muirford]

We were expecting 20 people, 4 showed up. A splendid extroverted couple--she an Army recruiter and he a retired Navy chief. Other couple were senior cadets at the Air Force Academy. We couldn't have been happier. Nice people. Colorado weather scared a lot of people off; mid-week booking messed with a lot of other people's schedule. "We thought we could get more time off," one canceller told me.
"Free" implies no obligation. If they're not paying anything, then their stay doesn't have any value. No worries if they don't show up. "No harm; no foul. Easy come; easy go." You supply your own platitude.
Bottom line: we didn't get many warm fuzzies from opening our Inn to the military, who mostly blew us off. Just like the discount-paying-sort of guest, the freebee chasers are profoundly self-absorbed.
Would we do it again? Hell yes, in a New York minute. The thing about giving away a freebie is that you can't control how people choose to respond to your generosity. We can't force people to be grateful. Trying to teach a grownup manners is right up there with proving Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

The thing about giving away a freebie is that you can't control how people choose to respond to your generosity. We can't force people to be grateful.

Exactly right. And we can't force people to be nice to each other. Let's face it, a freebie not showing up - you are out some food costs, maybe, but really nothing else. The big disappointment is that there might have been someone else who could have really used/appreciated the gesture. But if you make yourself unhappy about man's inhumanity to other man, you'll go crazy. You can only be responsible for your own actions - which made the room available in the first place, and can only be considered a nice gesture.