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Samster

Well-known member
Joined
May 30, 2008
Messages
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Location
South Carolina
I haven't been checking in on the forum much lately or posting but thought I'd share that I just had some folks visit us who I have not seen since I was a kid. One of them asked why we had closed the business because we had such a nice place. "I mean, it can't be that difficult to make breakfast, clean some rooms, and then check folks in your place in the evening, can it?" Yeah, what was I thinking? hahaha...
That's your laugh for the day....
 
I had the same thing this morning oh you can do what you like for the rest of the day - yup and the rabits can check people in manage online booking do the shopping sort out the loony guests answer the phone deal with the handyman etc? i go spare! I said oh theres more to it than you see.
 
Oh my. I hope you educated them!
Next week is super light, but there's at least one room here every day. Just took a reservation for a one night stay for, of course, the one day there wouldn't have been a check-in. I'm grateful for the business but man, why does it always have to work out this way? Getting even one afternoon off would make such a difference...
 
I had lovely Italian couple with little baby (baby was silent all the time!) had to catch a train at 7am so did morning call at 6am, then another morning call at 7am for room 9, then her friend called so took the phone up so she could speak to her, then did breakfast, got room 9 into here taxi with 20 bags (i do not joke) sorted out the toymaster dates for next year as was worried they would clash with the Royal College of Nursing (10,000 delegates) it doesn't thank goodness! got 4 rooms booked in for that next year. had breakfast and now am having a coffee before tackling the last of the washing up and taking the car in for service.
 
Oh my. I hope you educated them!
Next week is super light, but there's at least one room here every day. Just took a reservation for a one night stay for, of course, the one day there wouldn't have been a check-in. I'm grateful for the business but man, why does it always have to work out this way? Getting even one afternoon off would make such a difference....
Yes DD, I did educate them!
regular_smile.gif
One of the friends is tired of their professional job and thought this would be an "easy" replacement. Cambs, part of the education also included that they would give up getting to work at 9 AM and only working M-F.
I think they left here with their heads spinning on what is involved.
whatchutalkingabout_smile.gif

People just have no idea....
 
I'm toying with saying to guests, 'It IS very easy. The housekeeper does the rooms and the laundry, the gardener takes care of the outside, the accountant takes care of the bills, our web designer does all the online stuff and, oh, sorry, it's time for my daily massage, excuse me...'
 
Oh my. I hope you educated them!
Next week is super light, but there's at least one room here every day. Just took a reservation for a one night stay for, of course, the one day there wouldn't have been a check-in. I'm grateful for the business but man, why does it always have to work out this way? Getting even one afternoon off would make such a difference....
Yes DD, I did educate them!
regular_smile.gif
One of the friends is tired of their professional job and thought this would be an "easy" replacement. Cambs, part of the education also included that they would give up getting to work at 9 AM and only working M-F.
I think they left here with their heads spinning on what is involved.
whatchutalkingabout_smile.gif

People just have no idea....
.
Part of the trouble is it is our job to make it look easy if you see what I mean? plus they only see what they want to see. I work had on my marketing for each event which takes time and research but I don't have to pay any commission for those bookings plus all the joys of a 1906 building for example my extractor blew up thursday so after a fruitless search for parts I have had to go buy a new one. It was hilarious as I reserved one over the phone then room 4 said room 5 the last check in wont be here till 9.30 is that ok. Thought oh well I can get down to the shop and pick up the extractor got through the shop door emergency line rings "actually he's come now!" great! so i bought it quickly stuffed into the car as figured i was there anyway and bezzed it back. Luckily they were all toy people and thought it was hilarious and acted like naughty little boys. told them they were all sent to their rooms! Plus helping a thai lady who didn't speak much english sort out how to get into her case when she lost her keys. Helped my south Africans with extra luggage as they have bought so much stuff and with phone stuff as his father has died unexpectedly. I sort out taxies, things to do, restaurants, trains, busses, walks, storing luggage, parking, B&B committee meetings the list is endless.
 
See I get the opposite..." oh I could never work that hard!" No wonder you closed.
 
Ha! Well ya'll are clearly doing something wrong! I spend my days sipping pina coladas at the beach :)
(so think my guests!! right, little magic folks do the laundry, cleaning, washing, drying, mopping, sprucing, reservations, accounting, web maintenance, weeding, sweeping, car maintenance, question answering, emailing, phone inquiries/questions, etc., etc.!!)
 
Ha! Well ya'll are clearly doing something wrong! I spend my days sipping pina coladas at the beach :)
(so think my guests!! right, little magic folks do the laundry, cleaning, washing, drying, mopping, sprucing, reservations, accounting, web maintenance, weeding, sweeping, car maintenance, question answering, emailing, phone inquiries/questions, etc., etc.!!).
Paradise said:
Ha! Well ya'll are clearly doing something wrong! I spend my days sipping pina coladas at the beach :)
(so think my guests!! right, little magic folks do the laundry, cleaning, washing, drying, mopping, sprucing, reservations, accounting, web maintenance, weeding, sweeping, car maintenance, question answering, emailing, phone inquiries/questions, etc., etc.!!)
You know...there are B&B opportunities like that out there. Almost all the places we've stayed have owners who 'own' and innkeepers who do all the work. The owners manage the business side, have nothing to do with the guests except to sail thru and grace us with their presence, and then go off to their real lives.
We, here, are owner-operators. BIG difference.
Guests think we're ALL running it as an owner, not as an innkeeper who does the actual work. And that's why we hate it when they show up at noon and find us 'working'! We want them to see us sipping wine on the deck just waiting for them to show up.
 
I find the hardest thing is deciding where to spend marketing money ie what will get me the best return for my hard earned cash? you can't really tell where that will be and just because it works for someone else doesn't mean it will work for me. I agonise for days about it.
 
See I get the opposite..." oh I could never work that hard!" No wonder you closed..
That's what they said when they heard the whole story about what I did on my own.
regular_smile.gif

Most people don't know about the paperwork, licensing, insurance, additional taxes, marketing, and on & on. It's interesting that they don't realize that owning/operating a B&B is similar to many other small businesses.
Not to mention that your property always has to be in tip-top shape and the maintenance, projects, and improvements are never ending, as everyone here on this forum does know.
 
See I get the opposite..." oh I could never work that hard!" No wonder you closed..
That's what they said when they heard the whole story about what I did on my own.
regular_smile.gif

Most people don't know about the paperwork, licensing, insurance, additional taxes, marketing, and on & on. It's interesting that they don't realize that owning/operating a B&B is similar to many other small businesses.
Not to mention that your property always has to be in tip-top shape and the maintenance, projects, and improvements are never ending, as everyone here on this forum does know.
.
Samster said:
Not to mention that your property always has to be in tip-top shape and the maintenance, projects, and improvements are never ending, as everyone here on this forum does know.
I think this is the part that they really don't get, because they figure "Hey, I work full time and I do my own yard work"...yes, but you don't have to do it to the standards to which we are held and you also get factored in time off in which to do it. Try weeding the yard while dressed in your nice "work clothes" and having to look like Martha Stewart when someone comes to check in.
 
Oh my. I hope you educated them!
Next week is super light, but there's at least one room here every day. Just took a reservation for a one night stay for, of course, the one day there wouldn't have been a check-in. I'm grateful for the business but man, why does it always have to work out this way? Getting even one afternoon off would make such a difference....
Yes DD, I did educate them!
regular_smile.gif
One of the friends is tired of their professional job and thought this would be an "easy" replacement. Cambs, part of the education also included that they would give up getting to work at 9 AM and only working M-F.
I think they left here with their heads spinning on what is involved.
whatchutalkingabout_smile.gif

People just have no idea....
.
Part of the trouble is it is our job to make it look easy if you see what I mean? plus they only see what they want to see. I work had on my marketing for each event which takes time and research but I don't have to pay any commission for those bookings plus all the joys of a 1906 building for example my extractor blew up thursday so after a fruitless search for parts I have had to go buy a new one. It was hilarious as I reserved one over the phone then room 4 said room 5 the last check in wont be here till 9.30 is that ok. Thought oh well I can get down to the shop and pick up the extractor got through the shop door emergency line rings "actually he's come now!" great! so i bought it quickly stuffed into the car as figured i was there anyway and bezzed it back. Luckily they were all toy people and thought it was hilarious and acted like naughty little boys. told them they were all sent to their rooms! Plus helping a thai lady who didn't speak much english sort out how to get into her case when she lost her keys. Helped my south Africans with extra luggage as they have bought so much stuff and with phone stuff as his father has died unexpectedly. I sort out taxies, things to do, restaurants, trains, busses, walks, storing luggage, parking, B&B committee meetings the list is endless.
.
What is an extractor?
 
Oh my. I hope you educated them!
Next week is super light, but there's at least one room here every day. Just took a reservation for a one night stay for, of course, the one day there wouldn't have been a check-in. I'm grateful for the business but man, why does it always have to work out this way? Getting even one afternoon off would make such a difference....
Yes DD, I did educate them!
regular_smile.gif
One of the friends is tired of their professional job and thought this would be an "easy" replacement. Cambs, part of the education also included that they would give up getting to work at 9 AM and only working M-F.
I think they left here with their heads spinning on what is involved.
whatchutalkingabout_smile.gif

People just have no idea....
.
Part of the trouble is it is our job to make it look easy if you see what I mean? plus they only see what they want to see. I work had on my marketing for each event which takes time and research but I don't have to pay any commission for those bookings plus all the joys of a 1906 building for example my extractor blew up thursday so after a fruitless search for parts I have had to go buy a new one. It was hilarious as I reserved one over the phone then room 4 said room 5 the last check in wont be here till 9.30 is that ok. Thought oh well I can get down to the shop and pick up the extractor got through the shop door emergency line rings "actually he's come now!" great! so i bought it quickly stuffed into the car as figured i was there anyway and bezzed it back. Luckily they were all toy people and thought it was hilarious and acted like naughty little boys. told them they were all sent to their rooms! Plus helping a thai lady who didn't speak much english sort out how to get into her case when she lost her keys. Helped my south Africans with extra luggage as they have bought so much stuff and with phone stuff as his father has died unexpectedly. I sort out taxies, things to do, restaurants, trains, busses, walks, storing luggage, parking, B&B committee meetings the list is endless.
.
What is an extractor?
.
Tom said:
What is an extractor?
Because Cambs might be offline now, I'll answer- it's a vent hood for the kitchen.
 
Oh my. I hope you educated them!
Next week is super light, but there's at least one room here every day. Just took a reservation for a one night stay for, of course, the one day there wouldn't have been a check-in. I'm grateful for the business but man, why does it always have to work out this way? Getting even one afternoon off would make such a difference....
Yes DD, I did educate them!
regular_smile.gif
One of the friends is tired of their professional job and thought this would be an "easy" replacement. Cambs, part of the education also included that they would give up getting to work at 9 AM and only working M-F.
I think they left here with their heads spinning on what is involved.
whatchutalkingabout_smile.gif

People just have no idea....
.
Part of the trouble is it is our job to make it look easy if you see what I mean? plus they only see what they want to see. I work had on my marketing for each event which takes time and research but I don't have to pay any commission for those bookings plus all the joys of a 1906 building for example my extractor blew up thursday so after a fruitless search for parts I have had to go buy a new one. It was hilarious as I reserved one over the phone then room 4 said room 5 the last check in wont be here till 9.30 is that ok. Thought oh well I can get down to the shop and pick up the extractor got through the shop door emergency line rings "actually he's come now!" great! so i bought it quickly stuffed into the car as figured i was there anyway and bezzed it back. Luckily they were all toy people and thought it was hilarious and acted like naughty little boys. told them they were all sent to their rooms! Plus helping a thai lady who didn't speak much english sort out how to get into her case when she lost her keys. Helped my south Africans with extra luggage as they have bought so much stuff and with phone stuff as his father has died unexpectedly. I sort out taxies, things to do, restaurants, trains, busses, walks, storing luggage, parking, B&B committee meetings the list is endless.
.
What is an extractor?
.
Tom said:
What is an extractor?
Because Cambs might be offline now, I'll answer- it's a vent hood for the kitchen.
.
You are spot on it sucks all the smell and heat out of the kitchen which is great except it has broken! got a new one installed now so back in business.
 
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