Innkeeper woke up on the wrong side of the bed

[TheBeachHouse]

One of our crankiest guests was from Virginia. I later filled in some blanks and decided the culture shock was too much for her. She didn't post a review, but sent us a scathing letter. The bed was awful, the shower was awful, the hospitality was lacking ("not a cookie or a glass of wine to greet us.") And "apple pie for breakfast????"
Most people love it when we serve apple pie for breakfast. Many remember their old grandpa loving apple pie for breakfast.
I can see how such a New England offering could be a surprise to a long time southerner.
(And we now offer cookies on check in. No wine. It used to be a basket of fruit, but who are we kidding? People don't want fruit. They want sweets.)

 

[gillumhouse]

And one more: caller for a free night for veteran's day giving me a hard time because we don't have any rooms open for the TWO days she wanted. Asked to book for NEXT year, which I declined to do. Got cranky again with me.
Call someone else. We're not the only place that does this!
I need to get some sleep. These calls are getting to me!.

I cannot imagine giving away free nights for any reason - a modest discount maybe. People appreciate an experience they pay for. They often take advantage of programs like this. There is enough hassle trying to reach breakeven; this program does not hold interest for me. Charity for me is $$$ to church or truly remarkable charities.
And you continue to strengthen my intent to let a machine answer for me. Being a slave to the phone is enough to kill my interest in opening an inn...
.

I think we're done with the free stay thing. Too many people think we get to write it off or that some organization pays us to do this or whatever.
Gomez is a disabled vet and he did this out of the goodness of his heart. But he's been discouraged by the lack of graciousness on the part of the folks we've hosted.
The one year that it was really fun we had a group of female vets here who were donating their time to build some houses in town. Other than that it's been a crap shoot.
In spite of what I mostly write on here, I'm an optimist so these kinds of phone calls sadden me. I don't think 'well, of course, that's how people are' I'm just saddened that some people are so grasping that they make it hard to offer this.
But I'm still answering the phone! Still returning calls. When 50% of your biz comes from either answering the phone or the door, you kind of have to calculate that into your day.
.

I am really sorry your Vets experience has not been the greatest. There were several reasons for this beginning. I am saying this for those who have joined us since 2010.
Jay Karen started a Keynote speech with the question, "What is the #1 reason people do not book at a B & B?" After all the stereotypical answers had been given, each with a negative answer, I said to myself, that will never happen again with at least one segment of the population. I did it at my B & B in 2008 and 9 others from the West Virginia B & B Assoc joined me in 2009. So in 2010 it was taken nationwide. I started e-mailing State and small Associations and then Muirford & her DH being IT people, set up web site that looked like a spreadsheet where participating B & Bs & inns could be found.
The purpose was #1 to bring the B & B industry into the limelight and the method was #2 to add warm & fuzzie AND in what would, for most, be a shoulder season - Veterans Day. A program does no one any good if no one knows about it. #3 To get the needed publicity (and the word out) it had to be big. It was also a thank you to the Military. MANY innkeepers were retired or Veterans themselves and thought it was great.
The program was for a minimum of one (1) room be made available FREE with no strings (such as a buy one/get one) for one (1) night on November 10 to anyone with a valid Military ID (Veterans Admin was added in 2011). Once the AP reporter hit the send key (and I heard her hit it), it went viral. Web site developers were telling their clients to get on this - we were getting more traffic than ALL the directories combined. Over the years, it has gotten a bit sideways. In 2010, there were 900 B & Bs in the US, 11 in Canada, 2 in Mexico, and 1 each in Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Paris, France, and Namibia in Africa participating. In 2011, Canada started it for Remembrance Day - also Nov 11. MANY B & Bs told me they had received PAID bookings later because they had participated (as is usual for me, I was not one of them).
This is the 5 year anniversary - time for another push with the Media. I posted on FB and on my home page last night that we are now taking calls for B & Bs For Vets.
.

That year and the next 2 were good. We had some who didn't understand what was being done but most 'got it' and thanked us.
Then it became a gimme for the people who called starting in June.
.

This is the Groupon mentality. Giving away stuff rarely brings long-term success or desirable long-term customers and it is expensive for the owner
.

This is the Groupon mentality. Giving away stuff rarely brings long-term success or desirable long-term customers and it is expensive for the owner

Let me say that giving away 'stuff' to guests who are long term customers does have its rewards. Not to first timers from very far away who will never be back.
And just because they demanded it, does not mean we'll provide it.
.

What many do not understand about the Veterans Day give-away (although I know YOU understand it Mort) is the cost of giving away one room for one night can, if done right, garner publicity worth much more than the price of that room. THAT is why it needed to be happening nationwide all on the same night.

 

[Morticia]

The difference in guests - family with highly allergic kids has told us the kids need to learn how to live in the world and we don't need to do anything to 'protect' them (like removing trigger foods from their reach). Obviously we won't serve them those trigger foods!
Second family is emailing demanding we provide them with certain foods because they can't eat the food we generally serve. We mentioned there is space for them to store whatever they want to eat, rather than us buying something no one else will want. No, WE are to buy the food and place it at their disposal. When it was explained that the whole family would be served the same meal (differing from what everyone else will get) we were told that some of their party won't want the 'special' meal.
Really?.

Mort, you are a walking litany of the things I need to create processes for...
.

Mort, you are a walking litany of the things I need to create processes for...

It's my goal in life to help other innkeepers avoid these issues by showing they do really happen.
.

It's my goal in life to help other innkeepers avoid these issues by showing they do really happen.

Again, these issues seem to happen especially in your neck of the woods, hardly ever down here in the South. Not sure why your area is such a magnet for the irrational demanding inconsiderate folks that do not comprehend the concept of a B&B or Innkeeper? As Happy says, who are you attempting to attract?
.

It's my goal in life to help other innkeepers avoid these issues by showing they do really happen.

Again, these issues seem to happen especially in your neck of the woods, hardly ever down here in the South. Not sure why your area is such a magnet for the irrational demanding inconsiderate folks that do not comprehend the concept of a B&B or Innkeeper? As Happy says, who are you attempting to attract?

Most of the time we're fine. It's the last minute folks who didn't realize it's busy here in these parts come summer. We really don't target any particular market. We've got 2 families here right now. And 2 couples. We definitely DON'T target romantic getaways. If I had to state who our market is it's the outdoorsy folks who come to enjoy nature. So almost all of our website highlights getting outside and enjoying the scenery.

 

[undersea]

One of our crankiest guests was from Virginia. I later filled in some blanks and decided the culture shock was too much for her. She didn't post a review, but sent us a scathing letter. The bed was awful, the shower was awful, the hospitality was lacking ("not a cookie or a glass of wine to greet us.") And "apple pie for breakfast????"
Most people love it when we serve apple pie for breakfast. Many remember their old grandpa loving apple pie for breakfast.
I can see how such a New England offering could be a surprise to a long time southerner.
(And we now offer cookies on check in. No wine. It used to be a basket of fruit, but who are we kidding? People don't want fruit. They want sweets.).

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8. But I expect this guest would have found something wrong with whatever you greeted her with. Consider persuading her to stay elsewhere in the future. She is a walking potential future negative yelp/TA review.
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was

 

[TheBeachHouse]

One of our crankiest guests was from Virginia. I later filled in some blanks and decided the culture shock was too much for her. She didn't post a review, but sent us a scathing letter. The bed was awful, the shower was awful, the hospitality was lacking ("not a cookie or a glass of wine to greet us.") And "apple pie for breakfast????"
Most people love it when we serve apple pie for breakfast. Many remember their old grandpa loving apple pie for breakfast.
I can see how such a New England offering could be a surprise to a long time southerner.
(And we now offer cookies on check in. No wine. It used to be a basket of fruit, but who are we kidding? People don't want fruit. They want sweets.).

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8. But I expect this guest would have found something wrong with whatever you greeted her with. Consider persuading her to stay elsewhere in the future. She is a walking potential future negative yelp/TA review.
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was
.

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8...
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was

Seriously, what is wrong with pie???
The shower IS small. Not much I can do about that in the short run.
We repaired/regrouted all 6 showers over the winter. We replaced two sinks over the winter. We plan to upgrade two whole bathrooms over this coming winter.
Old houses have small bathrooms. We don't claim to be the Hilton.

 

[undersea]

One of our crankiest guests was from Virginia. I later filled in some blanks and decided the culture shock was too much for her. She didn't post a review, but sent us a scathing letter. The bed was awful, the shower was awful, the hospitality was lacking ("not a cookie or a glass of wine to greet us.") And "apple pie for breakfast????"
Most people love it when we serve apple pie for breakfast. Many remember their old grandpa loving apple pie for breakfast.
I can see how such a New England offering could be a surprise to a long time southerner.
(And we now offer cookies on check in. No wine. It used to be a basket of fruit, but who are we kidding? People don't want fruit. They want sweets.).

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8. But I expect this guest would have found something wrong with whatever you greeted her with. Consider persuading her to stay elsewhere in the future. She is a walking potential future negative yelp/TA review.
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was
.

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8...
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was

Seriously, what is wrong with pie???
The shower IS small. Not much I can do about that in the short run.
We repaired/regrouted all 6 showers over the winter. We replaced two sinks over the winter. We plan to upgrade two whole bathrooms over this coming winter.
Old houses have small bathrooms. We don't claim to be the Hilton.
.

for small shower - can you luxuriate it a little? Upscale tile, nice mat in front, ensure door/handle is really nice, knobs, top-end pulsating showerhead...? Sometimes a couple hundred $$$ can knock it out of the park.
I consider a negative comment about something as tip of the iceberg - maybe others would have said something but didn't.

 

[Morticia]

The difference in guests - family with highly allergic kids has told us the kids need to learn how to live in the world and we don't need to do anything to 'protect' them (like removing trigger foods from their reach). Obviously we won't serve them those trigger foods!
Second family is emailing demanding we provide them with certain foods because they can't eat the food we generally serve. We mentioned there is space for them to store whatever they want to eat, rather than us buying something no one else will want. No, WE are to buy the food and place it at their disposal. When it was explained that the whole family would be served the same meal (differing from what everyone else will get) we were told that some of their party won't want the 'special' meal.
Really?.

Mort, you are a walking litany of the things I need to create processes for...
.

Mort, you are a walking litany of the things I need to create processes for...

It's my goal in life to help other innkeepers avoid these issues by showing they do really happen.
.

It's my goal in life to help other innkeepers avoid these issues by showing they do really happen.

Again, these issues seem to happen especially in your neck of the woods, hardly ever down here in the South. Not sure why your area is such a magnet for the irrational demanding inconsiderate folks that do not comprehend the concept of a B&B or Innkeeper? As Happy says, who are you attempting to attract?
.

It's my goal in life to help other innkeepers avoid these issues by showing they do really happen.

Again, these issues seem to happen especially in your neck of the woods, hardly ever down here in the South. Not sure why your area is such a magnet for the irrational demanding inconsiderate folks that do not comprehend the concept of a B&B or Innkeeper? As Happy says, who are you attempting to attract?

BTW, in case you wonder, it's not just me. Our group is already planning our 'off season soiree' to let loose with some of the more outlandish things that happened this year. With 3 new-ish owners this should be fun. I won't have the best (worst) stories any longer. I can chill, drink some wine and think, 'BTDT.'
But, yeah, I can see why we were 'warned' when we first bought the place. And, it's why we now take a week off in August. We regroup, visit family and get some of our sense of humor back for the rest of the season. At first we thought there was no way we could lose all that money. (You know what August brings in!) Then we realized our health and marriage needed renewal more than we needed the money. It's also why the PO's burned out in 4 years. NO VACATION! 90% occ. Craziness.

 

[Morticia]

One of our crankiest guests was from Virginia. I later filled in some blanks and decided the culture shock was too much for her. She didn't post a review, but sent us a scathing letter. The bed was awful, the shower was awful, the hospitality was lacking ("not a cookie or a glass of wine to greet us.") And "apple pie for breakfast????"
Most people love it when we serve apple pie for breakfast. Many remember their old grandpa loving apple pie for breakfast.
I can see how such a New England offering could be a surprise to a long time southerner.
(And we now offer cookies on check in. No wine. It used to be a basket of fruit, but who are we kidding? People don't want fruit. They want sweets.).

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8. But I expect this guest would have found something wrong with whatever you greeted her with. Consider persuading her to stay elsewhere in the future. She is a walking potential future negative yelp/TA review.
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was
.

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8...
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was

Seriously, what is wrong with pie???
The shower IS small. Not much I can do about that in the short run.
We repaired/regrouted all 6 showers over the winter. We replaced two sinks over the winter. We plan to upgrade two whole bathrooms over this coming winter.
Old houses have small bathrooms. We don't claim to be the Hilton.
.

Old houses have small bathrooms.

When I see 'that look' (you know the one) I say, 'Amazing what you can do with a closet!' Because, seriously, our bathrooms are smaller than most walk-in closets. We have very basic shower heads with excellent water pressure so even tho they're not fancy shmancy they get the job done. For our outdoorsy, hiking folks. Someone who wanted and expected a very modern bathroom is very disappointed. Again, we're not a romantic, soak in the tub, frolic in the shower kind of place. If I had all the super duper stuff it would be on the website in bold font. (Just saying, I know what you're talking about with old houses and disappointed guests.)

 

[TheBeachHouse]

The difference in guests - family with highly allergic kids has told us the kids need to learn how to live in the world and we don't need to do anything to 'protect' them (like removing trigger foods from their reach). Obviously we won't serve them those trigger foods!
Second family is emailing demanding we provide them with certain foods because they can't eat the food we generally serve. We mentioned there is space for them to store whatever they want to eat, rather than us buying something no one else will want. No, WE are to buy the food and place it at their disposal. When it was explained that the whole family would be served the same meal (differing from what everyone else will get) we were told that some of their party won't want the 'special' meal.
Really?.

Mort, you are a walking litany of the things I need to create processes for...
.

Mort, you are a walking litany of the things I need to create processes for...

It's my goal in life to help other innkeepers avoid these issues by showing they do really happen.
.

It's my goal in life to help other innkeepers avoid these issues by showing they do really happen.

Again, these issues seem to happen especially in your neck of the woods, hardly ever down here in the South. Not sure why your area is such a magnet for the irrational demanding inconsiderate folks that do not comprehend the concept of a B&B or Innkeeper? As Happy says, who are you attempting to attract?
.

It's my goal in life to help other innkeepers avoid these issues by showing they do really happen.

Again, these issues seem to happen especially in your neck of the woods, hardly ever down here in the South. Not sure why your area is such a magnet for the irrational demanding inconsiderate folks that do not comprehend the concept of a B&B or Innkeeper? As Happy says, who are you attempting to attract?

BTW, in case you wonder, it's not just me. Our group is already planning our 'off season soiree' to let loose with some of the more outlandish things that happened this year. With 3 new-ish owners this should be fun. I won't have the best (worst) stories any longer. I can chill, drink some wine and think, 'BTDT.'
But, yeah, I can see why we were 'warned' when we first bought the place. And, it's why we now take a week off in August. We regroup, visit family and get some of our sense of humor back for the rest of the season. At first we thought there was no way we could lose all that money. (You know what August brings in!) Then we realized our health and marriage needed renewal more than we needed the money. It's also why the PO's burned out in 4 years. NO VACATION! 90% occ. Craziness.
.

gotta have vacation. We are closed the month of November. And any other time we feel like it.

 

[charlie may]

I have never said this to a guest but have wanted to. When a store clerk is cranky I just ask them "Who pissed on your corn flakes this morning or are you always this cranky?"

 

[TheBeachHouse]

I have never said this to a guest but have wanted to. When a store clerk is cranky I just ask them "Who pissed on your corn flakes this morning or are you always this cranky?".

I have never said this to a guest but have wanted to. When a store clerk is cranky I just ask them "Who pissed on your corn flakes this morning or are you always this cranky?"

If I were a cranky store clerk, that would make me much more cranky.

 

[Morticia]

One of our crankiest guests was from Virginia. I later filled in some blanks and decided the culture shock was too much for her. She didn't post a review, but sent us a scathing letter. The bed was awful, the shower was awful, the hospitality was lacking ("not a cookie or a glass of wine to greet us.") And "apple pie for breakfast????"
Most people love it when we serve apple pie for breakfast. Many remember their old grandpa loving apple pie for breakfast.
I can see how such a New England offering could be a surprise to a long time southerner.
(And we now offer cookies on check in. No wine. It used to be a basket of fruit, but who are we kidding? People don't want fruit. They want sweets.).

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8. But I expect this guest would have found something wrong with whatever you greeted her with. Consider persuading her to stay elsewhere in the future. She is a walking potential future negative yelp/TA review.
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was
.

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8...
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was

Seriously, what is wrong with pie???
The shower IS small. Not much I can do about that in the short run.
We repaired/regrouted all 6 showers over the winter. We replaced two sinks over the winter. We plan to upgrade two whole bathrooms over this coming winter.
Old houses have small bathrooms. We don't claim to be the Hilton.
.

for small shower - can you luxuriate it a little? Upscale tile, nice mat in front, ensure door/handle is really nice, knobs, top-end pulsating showerhead...? Sometimes a couple hundred $$$ can knock it out of the park.
I consider a negative comment about something as tip of the iceberg - maybe others would have said something but didn't.
.

I consider a negative comment about something as tip of the iceberg - maybe others would have said something but didn't.

You could not pay for the wisdom you're getting here! Another option, tho, is to go to some B&B's to see what they have on offer. Pick the things you really like and consider how you can add them in. We've done that and it's a joy to hear, 'You've thought of everything!' (Obviously not true, but that guest was our target guest and they had everything they wanted.)
We went to a very small place about 5 hours from here. They had teeny bathrooms. Smaller than mine. But they were laid out like the head on a boat. Everything had a place. There were cubbies built in between the studs. They had canvas tote bags to hold all the amenities. They made it work.
I think the idea of handing someone a cold drink and a cookie when they walk in the door to be a wonderful idea. Until I see our guests with 15 bags who can't even find their credit card and sign the receipt without throwing it all on the floor and I wonder what free hand would they use to hold the drink and the cookie?
Wine & cheese in the afternoon? A luxury I pine for when we travel. (We always miss it, we're out exploring.) Here? No can do. Need a license. Then there is the timing. Guests arrive between noon and 9. When is a good time to set out wine & cheese? During my dinner? At 3 PM? Who handles the entertaining while all the rooms are trying to check in? (Altho, went to a swell place in April where they had it down to a science. And most guests showed up for it. Still need that pesky license.)

 

[TheBeachHouse]

One of our crankiest guests was from Virginia. I later filled in some blanks and decided the culture shock was too much for her. She didn't post a review, but sent us a scathing letter. The bed was awful, the shower was awful, the hospitality was lacking ("not a cookie or a glass of wine to greet us.") And "apple pie for breakfast????"
Most people love it when we serve apple pie for breakfast. Many remember their old grandpa loving apple pie for breakfast.
I can see how such a New England offering could be a surprise to a long time southerner.
(And we now offer cookies on check in. No wine. It used to be a basket of fruit, but who are we kidding? People don't want fruit. They want sweets.).

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8. But I expect this guest would have found something wrong with whatever you greeted her with. Consider persuading her to stay elsewhere in the future. She is a walking potential future negative yelp/TA review.
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was
.

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8...
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was

Seriously, what is wrong with pie???
The shower IS small. Not much I can do about that in the short run.
We repaired/regrouted all 6 showers over the winter. We replaced two sinks over the winter. We plan to upgrade two whole bathrooms over this coming winter.
Old houses have small bathrooms. We don't claim to be the Hilton.
.

for small shower - can you luxuriate it a little? Upscale tile, nice mat in front, ensure door/handle is really nice, knobs, top-end pulsating showerhead...? Sometimes a couple hundred $$$ can knock it out of the park.
I consider a negative comment about something as tip of the iceberg - maybe others would have said something but didn't.
.

for small shower - can you luxuriate it a little? Upscale tile, nice mat in front, ensure door/handle is really nice, knobs, top-end pulsating showerhead...? Sometimes a couple hundred $$$ can knock it out of the park.
I consider a negative comment about something as tip of the iceberg - maybe others would have said something but didn't.

Good idea and already there. All bathrooms got new massaging shower heads, new soft close toilet seats and new faucets. No one sees that. We use very good towels and have had a few remarks on them in reviews. Luxury shampoo and soap and even lotion called, "Ocean Mist" or something equally relaxing and thematic. We actually had two of the showers re-framed to make them seem less dark. (Hard to explain, but they had frames around the openings that made them seem closed in. We had them removed.)
There is no room for a luxury shower in these rooms. There WILL be after we build the dormer on the back. Not something we could do in the first two years.

 

[OnTheShore]

The difference in guests - family with highly allergic kids has told us the kids need to learn how to live in the world and we don't need to do anything to 'protect' them (like removing trigger foods from their reach). Obviously we won't serve them those trigger foods!
Second family is emailing demanding we provide them with certain foods because they can't eat the food we generally serve. We mentioned there is space for them to store whatever they want to eat, rather than us buying something no one else will want. No, WE are to buy the food and place it at their disposal. When it was explained that the whole family would be served the same meal (differing from what everyone else will get) we were told that some of their party won't want the 'special' meal.
Really?.

Mort, you are a walking litany of the things I need to create processes for...
.

Mort, you are a walking litany of the things I need to create processes for...

It's my goal in life to help other innkeepers avoid these issues by showing they do really happen.
.

It's my goal in life to help other innkeepers avoid these issues by showing they do really happen.

Again, these issues seem to happen especially in your neck of the woods, hardly ever down here in the South. Not sure why your area is such a magnet for the irrational demanding inconsiderate folks that do not comprehend the concept of a B&B or Innkeeper? As Happy says, who are you attempting to attract?
.

It's her town, I think it has a big magnet for these type of people....

 

[Morticia]

The difference in guests - family with highly allergic kids has told us the kids need to learn how to live in the world and we don't need to do anything to 'protect' them (like removing trigger foods from their reach). Obviously we won't serve them those trigger foods!
Second family is emailing demanding we provide them with certain foods because they can't eat the food we generally serve. We mentioned there is space for them to store whatever they want to eat, rather than us buying something no one else will want. No, WE are to buy the food and place it at their disposal. When it was explained that the whole family would be served the same meal (differing from what everyone else will get) we were told that some of their party won't want the 'special' meal.
Really?.

Mort, you are a walking litany of the things I need to create processes for...
.

Mort, you are a walking litany of the things I need to create processes for...

It's my goal in life to help other innkeepers avoid these issues by showing they do really happen.
.

It's my goal in life to help other innkeepers avoid these issues by showing they do really happen.

Again, these issues seem to happen especially in your neck of the woods, hardly ever down here in the South. Not sure why your area is such a magnet for the irrational demanding inconsiderate folks that do not comprehend the concept of a B&B or Innkeeper? As Happy says, who are you attempting to attract?
.

It's her town, I think it has a big magnet for these type of people....
.

It's her town, I think it has a big magnet for these type of people....

It seems that way sometimes, doesn't it!
And yet we had a lovely couple this morning who waylaid the delivery guy in the dining room to talk baseball. He was the soul of politeness even tho you know he's got a schedule to keep.
Everyone for the past few days has been a peach. Except the folks who got me started on this thread. Folks who we never saw except for the furtive coffee grab and cereal dump. Saw the back of them as they hauled their bags out the door. That was it. Headed your way, but staying in town.
I'm expecting more fun today as we host a couple who wanted to stay elsewhere but that place is full. So they took our cheapest room and the place they were leaving wished me good luck with them.

 

[undersea]

One of our crankiest guests was from Virginia. I later filled in some blanks and decided the culture shock was too much for her. She didn't post a review, but sent us a scathing letter. The bed was awful, the shower was awful, the hospitality was lacking ("not a cookie or a glass of wine to greet us.") And "apple pie for breakfast????"
Most people love it when we serve apple pie for breakfast. Many remember their old grandpa loving apple pie for breakfast.
I can see how such a New England offering could be a surprise to a long time southerner.
(And we now offer cookies on check in. No wine. It used to be a basket of fruit, but who are we kidding? People don't want fruit. They want sweets.).

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8. But I expect this guest would have found something wrong with whatever you greeted her with. Consider persuading her to stay elsewhere in the future. She is a walking potential future negative yelp/TA review.
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was
.

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8...
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was

Seriously, what is wrong with pie???
The shower IS small. Not much I can do about that in the short run.
We repaired/regrouted all 6 showers over the winter. We replaced two sinks over the winter. We plan to upgrade two whole bathrooms over this coming winter.
Old houses have small bathrooms. We don't claim to be the Hilton.
.

for small shower - can you luxuriate it a little? Upscale tile, nice mat in front, ensure door/handle is really nice, knobs, top-end pulsating showerhead...? Sometimes a couple hundred $$$ can knock it out of the park.
I consider a negative comment about something as tip of the iceberg - maybe others would have said something but didn't.
.

I consider a negative comment about something as tip of the iceberg - maybe others would have said something but didn't.

You could not pay for the wisdom you're getting here! Another option, tho, is to go to some B&B's to see what they have on offer. Pick the things you really like and consider how you can add them in. We've done that and it's a joy to hear, 'You've thought of everything!' (Obviously not true, but that guest was our target guest and they had everything they wanted.)
We went to a very small place about 5 hours from here. They had teeny bathrooms. Smaller than mine. But they were laid out like the head on a boat. Everything had a place. There were cubbies built in between the studs. They had canvas tote bags to hold all the amenities. They made it work.
I think the idea of handing someone a cold drink and a cookie when they walk in the door to be a wonderful idea. Until I see our guests with 15 bags who can't even find their credit card and sign the receipt without throwing it all on the floor and I wonder what free hand would they use to hold the drink and the cookie?
Wine & cheese in the afternoon? A luxury I pine for when we travel. (We always miss it, we're out exploring.) Here? No can do. Need a license. Then there is the timing. Guests arrive between noon and 9. When is a good time to set out wine & cheese? During my dinner? At 3 PM? Who handles the entertaining while all the rooms are trying to check in? (Altho, went to a swell place in April where they had it down to a science. And most guests showed up for it. Still need that pesky license.)
.

"laid out like the head of a boat"
You are singing my song (undersea). As I said before, I would dream to have Captain Nemo's room from the 1954 movie, with the great organ, etc. If I had $100,000 lying around.
As for offering food as a greeting, I am not the kind of person who would try to leave food/liquid around that anyone could access. Perhaps the Tylenol tampering years ago or the scare when people were sending suspicious white powder through the mail (anthrax?). If I did that, it would be in their locked room.

 

[undersea]

And one more: caller for a free night for veteran's day giving me a hard time because we don't have any rooms open for the TWO days she wanted. Asked to book for NEXT year, which I declined to do. Got cranky again with me.
Call someone else. We're not the only place that does this!
I need to get some sleep. These calls are getting to me!.

I cannot imagine giving away free nights for any reason - a modest discount maybe. People appreciate an experience they pay for. They often take advantage of programs like this. There is enough hassle trying to reach breakeven; this program does not hold interest for me. Charity for me is $$$ to church or truly remarkable charities.
And you continue to strengthen my intent to let a machine answer for me. Being a slave to the phone is enough to kill my interest in opening an inn...
.

I think we're done with the free stay thing. Too many people think we get to write it off or that some organization pays us to do this or whatever.
Gomez is a disabled vet and he did this out of the goodness of his heart. But he's been discouraged by the lack of graciousness on the part of the folks we've hosted.
The one year that it was really fun we had a group of female vets here who were donating their time to build some houses in town. Other than that it's been a crap shoot.
In spite of what I mostly write on here, I'm an optimist so these kinds of phone calls sadden me. I don't think 'well, of course, that's how people are' I'm just saddened that some people are so grasping that they make it hard to offer this.
But I'm still answering the phone! Still returning calls. When 50% of your biz comes from either answering the phone or the door, you kind of have to calculate that into your day.
.

I am really sorry your Vets experience has not been the greatest. There were several reasons for this beginning. I am saying this for those who have joined us since 2010.
Jay Karen started a Keynote speech with the question, "What is the #1 reason people do not book at a B & B?" After all the stereotypical answers had been given, each with a negative answer, I said to myself, that will never happen again with at least one segment of the population. I did it at my B & B in 2008 and 9 others from the West Virginia B & B Assoc joined me in 2009. So in 2010 it was taken nationwide. I started e-mailing State and small Associations and then Muirford & her DH being IT people, set up web site that looked like a spreadsheet where participating B & Bs & inns could be found.
The purpose was #1 to bring the B & B industry into the limelight and the method was #2 to add warm & fuzzie AND in what would, for most, be a shoulder season - Veterans Day. A program does no one any good if no one knows about it. #3 To get the needed publicity (and the word out) it had to be big. It was also a thank you to the Military. MANY innkeepers were retired or Veterans themselves and thought it was great.
The program was for a minimum of one (1) room be made available FREE with no strings (such as a buy one/get one) for one (1) night on November 10 to anyone with a valid Military ID (Veterans Admin was added in 2011). Once the AP reporter hit the send key (and I heard her hit it), it went viral. Web site developers were telling their clients to get on this - we were getting more traffic than ALL the directories combined. Over the years, it has gotten a bit sideways. In 2010, there were 900 B & Bs in the US, 11 in Canada, 2 in Mexico, and 1 each in Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Paris, France, and Namibia in Africa participating. In 2011, Canada started it for Remembrance Day - also Nov 11. MANY B & Bs told me they had received PAID bookings later because they had participated (as is usual for me, I was not one of them).
This is the 5 year anniversary - time for another push with the Media. I posted on FB and on my home page last night that we are now taking calls for B & Bs For Vets.
.

That year and the next 2 were good. We had some who didn't understand what was being done but most 'got it' and thanked us.
Then it became a gimme for the people who called starting in June.
.

This is the Groupon mentality. Giving away stuff rarely brings long-term success or desirable long-term customers and it is expensive for the owner
.

This is the Groupon mentality. Giving away stuff rarely brings long-term success or desirable long-term customers and it is expensive for the owner

Let me say that giving away 'stuff' to guests who are long term customers does have its rewards. Not to first timers from very far away who will never be back.
And just because they demanded it, does not mean we'll provide it.
.

I have no problem giving stuff to longterm customers. The Groupon problem is the kind of people who it attracts. Does anyone really want to attract people who are most motivated by 50% off deals?
The only kind of groupon I plan, would be for classes we plan to do. I know several people who do that well (photo tour guy and herbal farm person).

 

[TheBeachHouse]

One of our crankiest guests was from Virginia. I later filled in some blanks and decided the culture shock was too much for her. She didn't post a review, but sent us a scathing letter. The bed was awful, the shower was awful, the hospitality was lacking ("not a cookie or a glass of wine to greet us.") And "apple pie for breakfast????"
Most people love it when we serve apple pie for breakfast. Many remember their old grandpa loving apple pie for breakfast.
I can see how such a New England offering could be a surprise to a long time southerner.
(And we now offer cookies on check in. No wine. It used to be a basket of fruit, but who are we kidding? People don't want fruit. They want sweets.).

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8. But I expect this guest would have found something wrong with whatever you greeted her with. Consider persuading her to stay elsewhere in the future. She is a walking potential future negative yelp/TA review.
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was
.

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8...
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was

Seriously, what is wrong with pie???
The shower IS small. Not much I can do about that in the short run.
We repaired/regrouted all 6 showers over the winter. We replaced two sinks over the winter. We plan to upgrade two whole bathrooms over this coming winter.
Old houses have small bathrooms. We don't claim to be the Hilton.
.

for small shower - can you luxuriate it a little? Upscale tile, nice mat in front, ensure door/handle is really nice, knobs, top-end pulsating showerhead...? Sometimes a couple hundred $$$ can knock it out of the park.
I consider a negative comment about something as tip of the iceberg - maybe others would have said something but didn't.
.

I consider a negative comment about something as tip of the iceberg - maybe others would have said something but didn't.

You could not pay for the wisdom you're getting here! Another option, tho, is to go to some B&B's to see what they have on offer. Pick the things you really like and consider how you can add them in. We've done that and it's a joy to hear, 'You've thought of everything!' (Obviously not true, but that guest was our target guest and they had everything they wanted.)
We went to a very small place about 5 hours from here. They had teeny bathrooms. Smaller than mine. But they were laid out like the head on a boat. Everything had a place. There were cubbies built in between the studs. They had canvas tote bags to hold all the amenities. They made it work.
I think the idea of handing someone a cold drink and a cookie when they walk in the door to be a wonderful idea. Until I see our guests with 15 bags who can't even find their credit card and sign the receipt without throwing it all on the floor and I wonder what free hand would they use to hold the drink and the cookie?
Wine & cheese in the afternoon? A luxury I pine for when we travel. (We always miss it, we're out exploring.) Here? No can do. Need a license. Then there is the timing. Guests arrive between noon and 9. When is a good time to set out wine & cheese? During my dinner? At 3 PM? Who handles the entertaining while all the rooms are trying to check in? (Altho, went to a swell place in April where they had it down to a science. And most guests showed up for it. Still need that pesky license.)
.

"laid out like the head of a boat"
You are singing my song (undersea). As I said before, I would dream to have Captain Nemo's room from the 1954 movie, with the great organ, etc. If I had $100,000 lying around.
As for offering food as a greeting, I am not the kind of person who would try to leave food/liquid around that anyone could access. Perhaps the Tylenol tampering years ago or the scare when people were sending suspicious white powder through the mail (anthrax?). If I did that, it would be in their locked room.
.

"laid out like the head of a boat"
You are singing my song (undersea). As I said before, I would dream to have Captain Nemo's room from the 1954 movie, with the great organ, etc. If I had $100,000 lying around.
As for offering food as a greeting, I am not the kind of person who would try to leave food/liquid around that anyone could access. Perhaps the Tylenol tampering years ago or the scare when people were sending suspicious white powder through the mail (anthrax?). If I did that, it would be in their locked room.

You do find things to worry about. We put out a basket of cookies in the common living room. In a bazillion years, I would never worry about someone pouring poison on them on their way up to their room.
And I guess, neither do our guests, because they are generally gone by morning.

 

[undersea]

One of our crankiest guests was from Virginia. I later filled in some blanks and decided the culture shock was too much for her. She didn't post a review, but sent us a scathing letter. The bed was awful, the shower was awful, the hospitality was lacking ("not a cookie or a glass of wine to greet us.") And "apple pie for breakfast????"
Most people love it when we serve apple pie for breakfast. Many remember their old grandpa loving apple pie for breakfast.
I can see how such a New England offering could be a surprise to a long time southerner.
(And we now offer cookies on check in. No wine. It used to be a basket of fruit, but who are we kidding? People don't want fruit. They want sweets.).

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8. But I expect this guest would have found something wrong with whatever you greeted her with. Consider persuading her to stay elsewhere in the future. She is a walking potential future negative yelp/TA review.
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was
.

Probably wouldn't hurt to sleep in the bed and use that shower to see if anything is up.
As for cookie/glass of wine/something to greet them, that is the current expectation I see. It is part of the experience of why someone pays more for B&B as opposed to Super 8...
As for apple pie for breakfast, she is just out of her mind. I would have asked where the vanilla ice cream was

Seriously, what is wrong with pie???
The shower IS small. Not much I can do about that in the short run.
We repaired/regrouted all 6 showers over the winter. We replaced two sinks over the winter. We plan to upgrade two whole bathrooms over this coming winter.
Old houses have small bathrooms. We don't claim to be the Hilton.
.

for small shower - can you luxuriate it a little? Upscale tile, nice mat in front, ensure door/handle is really nice, knobs, top-end pulsating showerhead...? Sometimes a couple hundred $$$ can knock it out of the park.
I consider a negative comment about something as tip of the iceberg - maybe others would have said something but didn't.
.

I consider a negative comment about something as tip of the iceberg - maybe others would have said something but didn't.

You could not pay for the wisdom you're getting here! Another option, tho, is to go to some B&B's to see what they have on offer. Pick the things you really like and consider how you can add them in. We've done that and it's a joy to hear, 'You've thought of everything!' (Obviously not true, but that guest was our target guest and they had everything they wanted.)
We went to a very small place about 5 hours from here. They had teeny bathrooms. Smaller than mine. But they were laid out like the head on a boat. Everything had a place. There were cubbies built in between the studs. They had canvas tote bags to hold all the amenities. They made it work.
I think the idea of handing someone a cold drink and a cookie when they walk in the door to be a wonderful idea. Until I see our guests with 15 bags who can't even find their credit card and sign the receipt without throwing it all on the floor and I wonder what free hand would they use to hold the drink and the cookie?
Wine & cheese in the afternoon? A luxury I pine for when we travel. (We always miss it, we're out exploring.) Here? No can do. Need a license. Then there is the timing. Guests arrive between noon and 9. When is a good time to set out wine & cheese? During my dinner? At 3 PM? Who handles the entertaining while all the rooms are trying to check in? (Altho, went to a swell place in April where they had it down to a science. And most guests showed up for it. Still need that pesky license.)
.

"laid out like the head of a boat"
You are singing my song (undersea). As I said before, I would dream to have Captain Nemo's room from the 1954 movie, with the great organ, etc. If I had $100,000 lying around.
As for offering food as a greeting, I am not the kind of person who would try to leave food/liquid around that anyone could access. Perhaps the Tylenol tampering years ago or the scare when people were sending suspicious white powder through the mail (anthrax?). If I did that, it would be in their locked room.
.

"laid out like the head of a boat"
You are singing my song (undersea). As I said before, I would dream to have Captain Nemo's room from the 1954 movie, with the great organ, etc. If I had $100,000 lying around.
As for offering food as a greeting, I am not the kind of person who would try to leave food/liquid around that anyone could access. Perhaps the Tylenol tampering years ago or the scare when people were sending suspicious white powder through the mail (anthrax?). If I did that, it would be in their locked room.

You do find things to worry about. We put out a basket of cookies in the common living room. In a bazillion years, I would never worry about someone pouring poison on them on their way up to their room.
And I guess, neither do our guests, because they are generally gone by morning.
.

Probably has a lot to do with location. Things I would do in Tennessee, I would not do in some other places.
But there is a reason that everything is individually packed at hotels, including the plastic wrapped water glasses! It is about an air of sterile"ness"

 

[Morticia]

The difference in guests - family with highly allergic kids has told us the kids need to learn how to live in the world and we don't need to do anything to 'protect' them (like removing trigger foods from their reach). Obviously we won't serve them those trigger foods!
Second family is emailing demanding we provide them with certain foods because they can't eat the food we generally serve. We mentioned there is space for them to store whatever they want to eat, rather than us buying something no one else will want. No, WE are to buy the food and place it at their disposal. When it was explained that the whole family would be served the same meal (differing from what everyone else will get) we were told that some of their party won't want the 'special' meal.
Really?.

Mort, you are a walking litany of the things I need to create processes for...
.

Mort, you are a walking litany of the things I need to create processes for...

It's my goal in life to help other innkeepers avoid these issues by showing they do really happen.
.

It's my goal in life to help other innkeepers avoid these issues by showing they do really happen.

Again, these issues seem to happen especially in your neck of the woods, hardly ever down here in the South. Not sure why your area is such a magnet for the irrational demanding inconsiderate folks that do not comprehend the concept of a B&B or Innkeeper? As Happy says, who are you attempting to attract?
.

It's her town, I think it has a big magnet for these type of people....
.

It's her town, I think it has a big magnet for these type of people....

It seems that way sometimes, doesn't it!
And yet we had a lovely couple this morning who waylaid the delivery guy in the dining room to talk baseball. He was the soul of politeness even tho you know he's got a schedule to keep.
Everyone for the past few days has been a peach. Except the folks who got me started on this thread. Folks who we never saw except for the furtive coffee grab and cereal dump. Saw the back of them as they hauled their bags out the door. That was it. Headed your way, but staying in town.
I'm expecting more fun today as we host a couple who wanted to stay elsewhere but that place is full. So they took our cheapest room and the place they were leaving wished me good luck with them.
.

I'm expecting more fun today as we host a couple who wanted to stay elsewhere but that place is full. So they took our cheapest room and the place they were leaving wished me good luck with them.

Now I know why. What a rude, arrogant person. TOLD me what he would be having for breakfast. Absolutely refused offers of anything other than what he said he was having and finally told me he'd just go out for breakfast so he could eat what he wanted. Ok then.
Time for me to go for a walk. In the woods. To the ocean. To breathe.