Introductions at check-in

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JBloggs

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This is just one of those odd observation comments.
Whenever guests roll in I reach out my hand and shake theirs and they always give me their first names. Now I know this is primarily an American thing, never to offer the last, just to be friendly and unassuming you give the first only. But when I introduce myself I am in fact wanting to know who they are and which room they belong in at check in.
I just find it odd, I am ALWAYS asking what their last names are, vs Judy and Joe or Donna and Sam. Many times a booking is only under one name not both people, so at times there can be two Donnas or Elaines here. :)
 
We have a driveway alert that lets me know when someone is coming down our road through the woods. I always go out to greet the guests and I'm always amused when they announce "We're here!" O.K., but who the heck are you? Sometimes I before they can say anything, I'll say "Hi, I'm <PT> and you are?" Once I know who they are, I can show them their parking space and show them to their cottage.
 
All variations on the theme...
  • Here we are!
  • We're here to check-in
  • We have a reservation
  • We're Dick & Jane
  • Is this where we eat breakfast? (Yes, as the first thing they say.)
  • Is this where we come in? (No, you'll need to leave and go around the other side of the house. Yeesh. The door DOES have a welcome, come in sign on it.)
Then I get the ones who think I'm a mind reader. I'll intro myself and wait. Nothing. Then I have to ask if they have a rez. 'Yes.' Nothing else. I'm going to start either asking if I should guess who they are or I'm going to hold the rez forms up to my forehead and play the Amazing Kreskin with them.
However, I am guilty of almost every crime I charge my guests with so I should lighten up.
 
All variations on the theme...
  • Here we are!
  • We're here to check-in
  • We have a reservation
  • We're Dick & Jane
  • Is this where we eat breakfast? (Yes, as the first thing they say.)
  • Is this where we come in? (No, you'll need to leave and go around the other side of the house. Yeesh. The door DOES have a welcome, come in sign on it.)
Then I get the ones who think I'm a mind reader. I'll intro myself and wait. Nothing. Then I have to ask if they have a rez. 'Yes.' Nothing else. I'm going to start either asking if I should guess who they are or I'm going to hold the rez forms up to my forehead and play the Amazing Kreskin with them.
However, I am guilty of almost every crime I charge my guests with so I should lighten up..
Morticia said:
I'll intro myself and wait. Nothing.
Just for fun, next time there's this moment of silence, just turn around and go on about your business and see if they ever decide to volunteer any more info without it being pried out of them.
For some reason, I always introduce myself with both first and last name. I must be un-American!
 
Depends on the situation with last name giving, but in this situation is it rarely given. Only the old folks say "We are Mr and Mrs Jenkins" or if they have a title and want people to know about it, then they say their last name. Otherwise it is a more casual introduction.
 
Depends on the situation with last name giving, but in this situation is it rarely given. Only the old folks say "We are Mr and Mrs Jenkins" or if they have a title and want people to know about it, then they say their last name. Otherwise it is a more casual introduction..
I'm wondering if it has anything to do with growing up where crime rates are high or low. I've never thought twice about giving my last name, but I've known city folk who don't like to mention their last name for fear someone will look up their address and come rob them!
 
I don't know about that Ark?
I think it's more about formality....A B&B with 3,5,10 rooms lends to the perception of intimacy....The innkeeper should know who is scheduled to check in that day....Where as a hotel with 30 or more rooms. It wouldn't be expected by the guest, the front desk clerk to know full well who is checking in that day.
 
Pretty evenly balanced here...some only give first names while others are more formal in their introduction...
This topic remindes me though of a guest earlier this year... She was sooooooo excited to be here... I mean I should have sent her picture to Webser for his next ed. They arrived at 7:30 am (had posted a late afternoon time) and she came up to the door trying to get in. I am in the kitchen and think it is one of the current guests having gone for a run. When I open the door she was all in my face - did I say IN my face!!! "We're here - we made it" over and over all while trying to inch herself in. Finally, while she took a breath, I asked her for her name... ha, how could I have not guessed, she was excited ON the phone when she booked. She was VERY disapointed that they could not come in then "they were so tired, driving all night to get here as fast as they could" Well duh!
Sorry - but that woman will always be the 'who are you' guest....
 
I don't know about that Ark?
I think it's more about formality....A B&B with 3,5,10 rooms lends to the perception of intimacy....The innkeeper should know who is scheduled to check in that day....Where as a hotel with 30 or more rooms. It wouldn't be expected by the guest, the front desk clerk to know full well who is checking in that day..
Ha, we used to have an innkeeper here who profiled people by their names. It was her belief that she could 'guess' them right 100% of the time. We can have 7 rooms checking in on any given day. With 2 of us doing the check-ins, neither of us have any idea who is here and who we're waiting for. Toss into the mix the folks who come in separate cars for the same room and all want to check-in when they arrive rather than waiting for everyone, and the walk-ins, let's not forget them, it can be loony tunes here.
Oh, and walk-ins will happily tell you their names but will neglect to mention if they have a rez or not. I just do not remember, especially in season, what names are arriving.
 
My favorite is when I say "Hi, I'm Don" and they just stand there and look at you. AND YOU ARE????? People can be so weird, it's definitely our theme this year.
 
Mine was easy today - one couple and a band. When the couple arrived, she said I would hug you but I am all sweaty. He just hugged. It was kind of easy to tell who was who since there were only two standing there. The band that I expected to be 4 is 5 so 2 are having to double up. Oh well. Nice kids though.
 
All variations on the theme...
  • Here we are!
  • We're here to check-in
  • We have a reservation
  • We're Dick & Jane
  • Is this where we eat breakfast? (Yes, as the first thing they say.)
  • Is this where we come in? (No, you'll need to leave and go around the other side of the house. Yeesh. The door DOES have a welcome, come in sign on it.)
Then I get the ones who think I'm a mind reader. I'll intro myself and wait. Nothing. Then I have to ask if they have a rez. 'Yes.' Nothing else. I'm going to start either asking if I should guess who they are or I'm going to hold the rez forms up to my forehead and play the Amazing Kreskin with them.
However, I am guilty of almost every crime I charge my guests with so I should lighten up..
Mort with your set-up, my dh would be asking if that's where he'd eat breakfast. He's all about the second B in B&B....
 
I find that the usual social niceties rarely work. I don't expect guests checking in to pick up on social cues, so I'm never disappointed. We're a business, after all, and if they don't tell me their last name, I ask. Sometimes just for fun I play 20-questions. "Ah. You're in Room 5!" *Consternation.* "No, I think we have Room 2. That's what our confirmation says." "Of COURSE you do. My mistake. Well, let's find your paper work and get you a key, then we'll give you a tour of the lodge."
I don't think this problem is guests' fault. If they were to find themselves in a large hotel, if they didn't initially provide enough information to the terrifying clerk behind to counter to find their reservation, the clerk would ask them questions until the reservation was found. QED.
It's the same for us. With 14 rooms, we have no compunction about asking questions until we discover who, exactly, we're checking in. What's the big deal? It's not as if we're insulting them because we don't know who the hell they are until they tell us.
Tom
 
I find that the usual social niceties rarely work. I don't expect guests checking in to pick up on social cues, so I'm never disappointed. We're a business, after all, and if they don't tell me their last name, I ask. Sometimes just for fun I play 20-questions. "Ah. You're in Room 5!" *Consternation.* "No, I think we have Room 2. That's what our confirmation says." "Of COURSE you do. My mistake. Well, let's find your paper work and get you a key, then we'll give you a tour of the lodge."
I don't think this problem is guests' fault. If they were to find themselves in a large hotel, if they didn't initially provide enough information to the terrifying clerk behind to counter to find their reservation, the clerk would ask them questions until the reservation was found. QED.
It's the same for us. With 14 rooms, we have no compunction about asking questions until we discover who, exactly, we're checking in. What's the big deal? It's not as if we're insulting them because we don't know who the hell they are until they tell us.
Tom.
When I worked in the corporate business world and met someone new, we introduced ourselves to each other. I did this as an innkeeper and B&B owner also. It's just good manners.
 
All variations on the theme...
  • Here we are!
  • We're here to check-in
  • We have a reservation
  • We're Dick & Jane
  • Is this where we eat breakfast? (Yes, as the first thing they say.)
  • Is this where we come in? (No, you'll need to leave and go around the other side of the house. Yeesh. The door DOES have a welcome, come in sign on it.)
Then I get the ones who think I'm a mind reader. I'll intro myself and wait. Nothing. Then I have to ask if they have a rez. 'Yes.' Nothing else. I'm going to start either asking if I should guess who they are or I'm going to hold the rez forms up to my forehead and play the Amazing Kreskin with them.
However, I am guilty of almost every crime I charge my guests with so I should lighten up..
Mort with your set-up, my dh would be asking if that's where he'd eat breakfast. He's all about the second B in B&B....
.
Samster said:
Mort with your set-up, my dh would be asking if that's where he'd eat breakfast. He's all about the second B in B&B....
It always strikes me as odd because where else do they think they might eat? 4 tables, set for breakfast, yup, we'll be eating somewhere else in this building.
wink_smile.gif

 
All variations on the theme...
  • Here we are!
  • We're here to check-in
  • We have a reservation
  • We're Dick & Jane
  • Is this where we eat breakfast? (Yes, as the first thing they say.)
  • Is this where we come in? (No, you'll need to leave and go around the other side of the house. Yeesh. The door DOES have a welcome, come in sign on it.)
Then I get the ones who think I'm a mind reader. I'll intro myself and wait. Nothing. Then I have to ask if they have a rez. 'Yes.' Nothing else. I'm going to start either asking if I should guess who they are or I'm going to hold the rez forms up to my forehead and play the Amazing Kreskin with them.
However, I am guilty of almost every crime I charge my guests with so I should lighten up..
Mort with your set-up, my dh would be asking if that's where he'd eat breakfast. He's all about the second B in B&B....
.
Samster said:
Mort with your set-up, my dh would be asking if that's where he'd eat breakfast. He's all about the second B in B&B....
It always strikes me as odd because where else do they think they might eat? 4 tables, set for breakfast, yup, we'll be eating somewhere else in this building.
wink_smile.gif

.
See, for him...he would KNOW that but it is SO important to him to have confirmation on where the good food would be, that he would ask. haha! He is not a moron, he's just worried that he might miss out on something. :)
 
Since we pick up our guests at the ferry dock or the airport when they arrive they need to call ahead & as such we then get the info. on "who they are" on the phone. I do, at checkin, however, note down all names in the party as normally the reservation is just under one name & otherwise I'd have no way to remember who the other person (people) is/are.
This helps when sending thank-you emails, too!
 
We write our guests names on a small "Welcome" chalkboard. This serves the purpose of making guests feel special and it also helps us to remember their names.
 
We write our guests names on a small "Welcome" chalkboard. This serves the purpose of making guests feel special and it also helps us to remember their names..
Proud Texan said:
We write our guests names on a small "Welcome" chalkboard. This serves the purpose of making guests feel special and it also helps us to remember their names.
Good idea & you have a 50% chance of getting it right!!! My odds drop to 20%. DH says if we could just get them to wear the same shirt, I could increase those odds a good bit!!!
Had some first time guests this past week that had booked on line...when they came in I reached to introduce myself and they did as well BUT when he said his name while shaking my hand reminded me that they had come by a couple of weeks prior to tour the place...
whatchutalkingabout_smile.gif
I as clueless but then just said, 'oh yes, I thought Mary's voice sounded familar' (her voice was distinctive enough to use) It was well later in the afternoon and
lightbulb.gif
.
 
We write our guests names on a small "Welcome" chalkboard. This serves the purpose of making guests feel special and it also helps us to remember their names..
we also had names of the guests on the board when they arrived...except in cases where someone brought their SO and never told us their name. But, we had a guest book in the front hall where we asked everyone to sign in and then we checked them in. Also name on their receipt which we printed out...so we remembered who they are /were. Of course we only had 3 rooms so for me it was not a big deal..but I also wrote everyone's names on a piece of paper and put it on the refrigerator so my husband would remember who was who....:)
 
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