My Business, My Rules...Why couldn't I have remembered it at the time?

[SomeGuestsSuck]

Diva..
I understand your prespective here....and all others that had responded.
An outside perspective......and lets look at the logic.
Person (A) calls for a room [ most popular regardless, guest (A) does not know this or care ]......Guest (A) requests a room for a one Saturday night stay......offers to pay more than the daily room rate, in exchange for not having to adhear to the 2 night mimimum policy [ a fair requst, no ?]
Guest (B) has secured your best room, for a one night stay [ due to all the add ons, you allow the 2 night minimum slide, basicly paying you more than the one nights rate, similar to guest (A) no ? ]
Guest (A) calls you on it.....You give guest (B) a one night stay, but not guest (A)
Understandable that guest (A) would be puzzled and question you on it...no ?
Yeah........your rules......your business..........and you got called out on it.

Person (A) calls for a room [ most popular regardless, guest (A) does not know this or care ]......Guest (A) requests a room for a one Saturday night stay......offers to pay more than the daily room rate, in exchange for not having to adhear to the 2 night mimimum policy [ a fair requst, no ?]
No, not a fair request. Unless person A is going to pay me what I would have lost by having a Friday night that I can't fill in the off season because rarely does anyone want to drive at least 2 hours to get to my region on a Friday after work, and only stay 1 night.
Guest (B) has secured your best room, for a one night stay [ due to all the add ons, you allow the 2 night minimum slide, basicly paying you more than the one nights rate, similar to guest (A) no ?
No. I allowed guest B to take my most expensive room, not my most popular on a FRIDAY night with added packages, which makes it worth it to me because I can probably rent it again on Sat. night. for a single night. Everyone is looking for a single Saturday night. By renting the expensive room for a single Friday, my chances are pretty great that I can fill in the Sat.
Yeah........your rules......your business..........and you got called out on it
Twice, this woman was offered a room for Sat only, but turned it down, because it wasn't HER room of choice. She wanted only what she wanted and it didn't matter how it affected us.
By the way I got called out on nothing!!
.

Hear, hear!
A big

to that.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Update on situation:
She called back tonight. After all that, she decided to take the expensive room afterall. I had a very good conversation with her and I told her I was apprehensive that she had such great expectations, and I didn't want her to be disappointed. I charged her card and told her that the room was hers and there were no cancellations, no refunds.
The call ended on a positive note and no hard feelings on either side.
I stuck with my policies, I've got the rooms rented that I wanted and it all worked out in the end.
To One Day, I don't think you can really understand the innkeepers side of this until you've spent time in the trenches.

 

[Don Draper]

Update on situation:
She called back tonight. After all that, she decided to take the expensive room afterall. I had a very good conversation with her and I told her I was apprehensive that she had such great expectations, and I didn't want her to be disappointed. I charged her card and told her that the room was hers and there were no cancellations, no refunds.
The call ended on a positive note and no hard feelings on either side.
I stuck with my policies, I've got the rooms rented that I wanted and it all worked out in the end.
To One Day, I don't think you can really understand the innkeepers side of this until you've spent time in the trenches..

Good for you, glad it worked out and I hope she is not a PITA while she is with you.
I guess to me, as an innkeeper and a guest, it doesn't matter WHY the policy exists...I take them at face value. I'm always puzzled when guests ask "Why"...when I am the guest I assume the innkeeper (or restaurant, store, whatever) has formulated a policy that works for them. If it works for me great, but if it doesn't then I just find the next place that will work for me. Why would I ever waste my time asking the business owner to change their policy for me? I guess it's just people thinking they are always the special exception.
For us too, the people who want the one night always want to book like 6 months in advance...come on! MAYBE if it's last minute and I have a single Saturday you can have it, but why in the world would I turn away people who want two nights for 6 months to accommodate you??? People need to start realizing there's a whole big world out there and they are not the only ones in it!

 

[egoodell]

Update on situation:
She called back tonight. After all that, she decided to take the expensive room afterall. I had a very good conversation with her and I told her I was apprehensive that she had such great expectations, and I didn't want her to be disappointed. I charged her card and told her that the room was hers and there were no cancellations, no refunds.
The call ended on a positive note and no hard feelings on either side.
I stuck with my policies, I've got the rooms rented that I wanted and it all worked out in the end.
To One Day, I don't think you can really understand the innkeepers side of this until you've spent time in the trenches..

Update on situation:
She called back tonight. After all that, she decided to take the expensive room afterall. I had a very good conversation with her and I told her I was apprehensive that she had such great expectations, and I didn't want her to be disappointed. I charged her card and told her that the room was hers and there were no cancellations, no refunds.
The call ended on a positive note and no hard feelings on either side.
I stuck with my policies, I've got the rooms rented that I wanted and it all worked out in the end.
To One Day, I don't think you can really understand the innkeepers side of this until you've spent time in the trenches.

And she is probably just doing what those stupid tv ads are promoting wtih WS - demand what you want and demand to pay less. It just took her a while to see that that kind of approach only works for the large hotels.
RIki

 

[Samster]

Update on situation:
She called back tonight. After all that, she decided to take the expensive room afterall. I had a very good conversation with her and I told her I was apprehensive that she had such great expectations, and I didn't want her to be disappointed. I charged her card and told her that the room was hers and there were no cancellations, no refunds.
The call ended on a positive note and no hard feelings on either side.
I stuck with my policies, I've got the rooms rented that I wanted and it all worked out in the end.
To One Day, I don't think you can really understand the innkeepers side of this until you've spent time in the trenches..

Good for you, glad it worked out and I hope she is not a PITA while she is with you.
I guess to me, as an innkeeper and a guest, it doesn't matter WHY the policy exists...I take them at face value. I'm always puzzled when guests ask "Why"...when I am the guest I assume the innkeeper (or restaurant, store, whatever) has formulated a policy that works for them. If it works for me great, but if it doesn't then I just find the next place that will work for me. Why would I ever waste my time asking the business owner to change their policy for me? I guess it's just people thinking they are always the special exception.
For us too, the people who want the one night always want to book like 6 months in advance...come on! MAYBE if it's last minute and I have a single Saturday you can have it, but why in the world would I turn away people who want two nights for 6 months to accommodate you??? People need to start realizing there's a whole big world out there and they are not the only ones in it!
.

You are definitely an exception as a guest by taking policies at their face value! I'm sure you've dealt with these people as an innkeeper that time & time again want you to bend the rules.
In fact, there are people that want to bend rules that you didn't even make ("Give me the single traveler business/government rate for my wife & I on a weekend night even though I don't have government travel orders!")
People are cheeky....

 

[Don Draper]

Update on situation:
She called back tonight. After all that, she decided to take the expensive room afterall. I had a very good conversation with her and I told her I was apprehensive that she had such great expectations, and I didn't want her to be disappointed. I charged her card and told her that the room was hers and there were no cancellations, no refunds.
The call ended on a positive note and no hard feelings on either side.
I stuck with my policies, I've got the rooms rented that I wanted and it all worked out in the end.
To One Day, I don't think you can really understand the innkeepers side of this until you've spent time in the trenches..

Good for you, glad it worked out and I hope she is not a PITA while she is with you.
I guess to me, as an innkeeper and a guest, it doesn't matter WHY the policy exists...I take them at face value. I'm always puzzled when guests ask "Why"...when I am the guest I assume the innkeeper (or restaurant, store, whatever) has formulated a policy that works for them. If it works for me great, but if it doesn't then I just find the next place that will work for me. Why would I ever waste my time asking the business owner to change their policy for me? I guess it's just people thinking they are always the special exception.
For us too, the people who want the one night always want to book like 6 months in advance...come on! MAYBE if it's last minute and I have a single Saturday you can have it, but why in the world would I turn away people who want two nights for 6 months to accommodate you??? People need to start realizing there's a whole big world out there and they are not the only ones in it!
.

You are definitely an exception as a guest by taking policies at their face value! I'm sure you've dealt with these people as an innkeeper that time & time again want you to bend the rules.
In fact, there are people that want to bend rules that you didn't even make ("Give me the single traveler business/government rate for my wife & I on a weekend night even though I don't have government travel orders!")
People are cheeky....
.

I don't think so, honestly most of our guests are FABULOUS about reading/understanding policies. It's the exceptions who give you 1000 phone calls and pester you to death and take up all of your energy. The ones who want to be exceptions are never the ones you want in your house, they're just a nightmare from top to bottom.

 

[Samster]

Update on situation:
She called back tonight. After all that, she decided to take the expensive room afterall. I had a very good conversation with her and I told her I was apprehensive that she had such great expectations, and I didn't want her to be disappointed. I charged her card and told her that the room was hers and there were no cancellations, no refunds.
The call ended on a positive note and no hard feelings on either side.
I stuck with my policies, I've got the rooms rented that I wanted and it all worked out in the end.
To One Day, I don't think you can really understand the innkeepers side of this until you've spent time in the trenches..

Good for you, glad it worked out and I hope she is not a PITA while she is with you.
I guess to me, as an innkeeper and a guest, it doesn't matter WHY the policy exists...I take them at face value. I'm always puzzled when guests ask "Why"...when I am the guest I assume the innkeeper (or restaurant, store, whatever) has formulated a policy that works for them. If it works for me great, but if it doesn't then I just find the next place that will work for me. Why would I ever waste my time asking the business owner to change their policy for me? I guess it's just people thinking they are always the special exception.
For us too, the people who want the one night always want to book like 6 months in advance...come on! MAYBE if it's last minute and I have a single Saturday you can have it, but why in the world would I turn away people who want two nights for 6 months to accommodate you??? People need to start realizing there's a whole big world out there and they are not the only ones in it!
.

You are definitely an exception as a guest by taking policies at their face value! I'm sure you've dealt with these people as an innkeeper that time & time again want you to bend the rules.
In fact, there are people that want to bend rules that you didn't even make ("Give me the single traveler business/government rate for my wife & I on a weekend night even though I don't have government travel orders!")
People are cheeky....
.

I don't think so, honestly most of our guests are FABULOUS about reading/understanding policies. It's the exceptions who give you 1000 phone calls and pester you to death and take up all of your energy. The ones who want to be exceptions are never the ones you want in your house, they're just a nightmare from top to bottom.
.

It's the "taking at face value" part...that implies that they read the policies thoroughly. Seems like there are a lot of people that skim the policies from what I've read here from fellow innkeepers.

 

[Copperhead]

Update on situation:
She called back tonight. After all that, she decided to take the expensive room afterall. I had a very good conversation with her and I told her I was apprehensive that she had such great expectations, and I didn't want her to be disappointed. I charged her card and told her that the room was hers and there were no cancellations, no refunds.
The call ended on a positive note and no hard feelings on either side.
I stuck with my policies, I've got the rooms rented that I wanted and it all worked out in the end.
To One Day, I don't think you can really understand the innkeepers side of this until you've spent time in the trenches..

Glad it all worked out for you.
It is sometimes hard to do, and can't say I am any better at doing it, but the best thing is to not provide explainations at all. Here is what I can offer you.... PERIOD.
This issue may come to play with me very soon. The difference is that the guest taking my room on Fri but not Sat. had previously booked just Tuesday and called to extend for 3 more nights. I guess I could have said I could only extend the stay 2 nights and probably lost the entire reseration or I could could accept this and have a Sat open for a 1 night stay. What I worry most about is the looks at breakfast when there are 'new' faces at the table on Sun. moring. I only have min. stay req. during sp. events & holidays and this has never happened before.

 

[Alibi Ike]

Update on situation:
She called back tonight. After all that, she decided to take the expensive room afterall. I had a very good conversation with her and I told her I was apprehensive that she had such great expectations, and I didn't want her to be disappointed. I charged her card and told her that the room was hers and there were no cancellations, no refunds.
The call ended on a positive note and no hard feelings on either side.
I stuck with my policies, I've got the rooms rented that I wanted and it all worked out in the end.
To One Day, I don't think you can really understand the innkeepers side of this until you've spent time in the trenches..

Glad it all worked out for you.
It is sometimes hard to do, and can't say I am any better at doing it, but the best thing is to not provide explainations at all. Here is what I can offer you.... PERIOD.
This issue may come to play with me very soon. The difference is that the guest taking my room on Fri but not Sat. had previously booked just Tuesday and called to extend for 3 more nights. I guess I could have said I could only extend the stay 2 nights and probably lost the entire reseration or I could could accept this and have a Sat open for a 1 night stay. What I worry most about is the looks at breakfast when there are 'new' faces at the table on Sun. moring. I only have min. stay req. during sp. events & holidays and this has never happened before.
.

This happens here a lot and if anyone gives me the hairy eyeball I tell them straight out that the other person is staying FOUR nights, if they would like to do the same they are welcome.

 

[One Day]

Diva..
I understand your prespective here....and all others that had responded.
An outside perspective......and lets look at the logic.
Person (A) calls for a room [ most popular regardless, guest (A) does not know this or care ]......Guest (A) requests a room for a one Saturday night stay......offers to pay more than the daily room rate, in exchange for not having to adhear to the 2 night mimimum policy [ a fair requst, no ?]
Guest (B) has secured your best room, for a one night stay [ due to all the add ons, you allow the 2 night minimum slide, basicly paying you more than the one nights rate, similar to guest (A) no ? ]
Guest (A) calls you on it.....You give guest (B) a one night stay, but not guest (A)
Understandable that guest (A) would be puzzled and question you on it...no ?
Yeah........your rules......your business..........and you got called out on it.

Person (A) calls for a room [ most popular regardless, guest (A) does not know this or care ]......Guest (A) requests a room for a one Saturday night stay......offers to pay more than the daily room rate, in exchange for not having to adhear to the 2 night mimimum policy [ a fair requst, no ?]
No, not a fair request. Unless person A is going to pay me what I would have lost by having a Friday night that I can't fill in the off season because rarely does anyone want to drive at least 2 hours to get to my region on a Friday after work, and only stay 1 night.
Guest (B) has secured your best room, for a one night stay [ due to all the add ons, you allow the 2 night minimum slide, basicly paying you more than the one nights rate, similar to guest (A) no ?
No. I allowed guest B to take my most expensive room, not my most popular on a FRIDAY night with added packages, which makes it worth it to me because I can probably rent it again on Sat. night. for a single night. Everyone is looking for a single Saturday night. By renting the expensive room for a single Friday, my chances are pretty great that I can fill in the Sat.
Yeah........your rules......your business..........and you got called out on it
Twice, this woman was offered a room for Sat only, but turned it down, because it wasn't HER room of choice. She wanted only what she wanted and it didn't matter how it affected us.
By the way I got called out on nothing!!
.

Sorry.......
I missed something in what I was reading
My apologize...........I'll go slither back under my rock

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Final Update:
My "stalker" arrived yesterday. Boy friend was very happy and I couldn't get a good read on her. Checked them in, was as amusing and polite as I could be, left them alone and today they checked out and everything was peachy. I asked her if she had made the right decision and she said "absolutely".
Soooooo, all this drama and angst, but it worked out fine and I feel better because I stuck by my rules. Please remind me of this in the middle of summer when I start venting! hahahahaha

 

[JBloggs]

BD good on ya! It does work out when we stick by our rules.

Update on my week - guests in the same room as the not so nice guests (who went on to send us a "scathing" email btw, which I didn't share here, but wanted to let y'all know it really sucked) and these new guests were adorable and lapped up the privacy and solitude and every little detail!
So my advice, as always, is not SUCK IT UP IT'S HOSPITALITY - but hang in there, they stay they pay they go away and someone better comes along real soon! I told someone that this is the beauty of this business vs some others, when we DO have bad guests we say sayanara and don't see them (usually) again.
AND...this week we crossed a milestone, we have been here officially 8 years! I made it through the 7 year itch, although I still feel like I have scabies. I will bide my time and do my best and give to the guests like I always do (even though last week I considered dumping a bucket of water over one guest's head. bless her heart)

 

[Breakfast Diva]

JB, congrats on the anniversary and surviving what I hope are the toughest years. There's certainly an ebb and flow over the years of how we as innkeepers deal with guests, our private/personal needs and how we deal with this whole business.
Here's hoping this next year is a year of flow!

 

[gillumhouse]

BD good on ya! It does work out when we stick by our rules.

Update on my week - guests in the same room as the not so nice guests (who went on to send us a "scathing" email btw, which I didn't share here, but wanted to let y'all know it really sucked) and these new guests were adorable and lapped up the privacy and solitude and every little detail!
So my advice, as always, is not SUCK IT UP IT'S HOSPITALITY - but hang in there, they stay they pay they go away and someone better comes along real soon! I told someone that this is the beauty of this business vs some others, when we DO have bad guests we say sayanara and don't see them (usually) again.
AND...this week we crossed a milestone, we have been here officially 8 years! I made it through the 7 year itch, although I still feel like I have scabies. I will bide my time and do my best and give to the guests like I always do (even though last week I considered dumping a bucket of water over one guest's head. bless her heart).

I would normally have said happy anniversary and many more - BUT I know it is time to move on for you -so my wish for you is that you do not see a 9th - for the reason that you are now the POs.

 

[Copperhead]

BD good on ya! It does work out when we stick by our rules.

Update on my week - guests in the same room as the not so nice guests (who went on to send us a "scathing" email btw, which I didn't share here, but wanted to let y'all know it really sucked) and these new guests were adorable and lapped up the privacy and solitude and every little detail!
So my advice, as always, is not SUCK IT UP IT'S HOSPITALITY - but hang in there, they stay they pay they go away and someone better comes along real soon! I told someone that this is the beauty of this business vs some others, when we DO have bad guests we say sayanara and don't see them (usually) again.
AND...this week we crossed a milestone, we have been here officially 8 years! I made it through the 7 year itch, although I still feel like I have scabies. I will bide my time and do my best and give to the guests like I always do (even though last week I considered dumping a bucket of water over one guest's head. bless her heart).

And you both are still together!!! lol Here's hoping that someone else will be celebrating a new begining by this time next year.

 

[JBloggs]

Here is a snippet of the email frm the NICE LOVELY guests I just got "Thank you so much for your hospitality this weekend. The get-away was just what we needed! It was truly delightful to stay at your place."
Night and Day! The other sent a full page and told us we have NO hospitality and are lower than a motel. Yes, this same B&B, these same innkeepers, and we do things the same way all the time. Another assurance that the world indeed holds ugly people, and sometimes they go to B&B's!
Last night and this morning had a lady with her elderly mother. They were so adorable, all dressed up and out on the town, Granny had lipstick on and little button earrings and hre purple hair all set and curled. I will pour my heart out to these sweet guests.

 

[Copperhead]

Here is a snippet of the email frm the NICE LOVELY guests I just got "Thank you so much for your hospitality this weekend. The get-away was just what we needed! It was truly delightful to stay at your place."
Night and Day! The other sent a full page and told us we have NO hospitality and are lower than a motel. Yes, this same B&B, these same innkeepers, and we do things the same way all the time. Another assurance that the world indeed holds ugly people, and sometimes they go to B&B's!
Last night and this morning had a lady with her elderly mother. They were so adorable, all dressed up and out on the town, Granny had lipstick on and little button earrings and hre purple hair all set and curled. I will pour my heart out to these sweet guests..

Night and Day! The other sent a full page and told us we have NO hospitality and are lower than a motel. Yes, this same B&B, these same innkeepers, and we do things the same way all the time. Another assurance that the world indeed holds ugly people, and sometimes they go to B&B's!

This will never change, people are as different as night and day. Had a boss once that provided directions on doing a task, after it was completed and I brought it to her she said I did not do it correctly and gave very different directions. When I brought in the written directions she had given me before she said "so, today I like chocolate".

 

[Alibi Ike]

Here is a snippet of the email frm the NICE LOVELY guests I just got "Thank you so much for your hospitality this weekend. The get-away was just what we needed! It was truly delightful to stay at your place."
Night and Day! The other sent a full page and told us we have NO hospitality and are lower than a motel. Yes, this same B&B, these same innkeepers, and we do things the same way all the time. Another assurance that the world indeed holds ugly people, and sometimes they go to B&B's!
Last night and this morning had a lady with her elderly mother. They were so adorable, all dressed up and out on the town, Granny had lipstick on and little button earrings and hre purple hair all set and curled. I will pour my heart out to these sweet guests..

Night and Day! The other sent a full page and told us we have NO hospitality and are lower than a motel. Yes, this same B&B, these same innkeepers, and we do things the same way all the time. Another assurance that the world indeed holds ugly people, and sometimes they go to B&B's!

This will never change, people are as different as night and day. Had a boss once that provided directions on doing a task, after it was completed and I brought it to her she said I did not do it correctly and gave very different directions. When I brought in the written directions she had given me before she said "so, today I like chocolate".
.

This will never change, people are as different as night and day. Had a boss once that provided directions on doing a task, after it was completed and I brought it to her she said I did not do it correctly and gave very different directions. When I brought in the written directions she had given me before she said "so, today I like chocolate".

And this is why we work for ourselves.

 

[Don Draper]

Here is a snippet of the email frm the NICE LOVELY guests I just got "Thank you so much for your hospitality this weekend. The get-away was just what we needed! It was truly delightful to stay at your place."
Night and Day! The other sent a full page and told us we have NO hospitality and are lower than a motel. Yes, this same B&B, these same innkeepers, and we do things the same way all the time. Another assurance that the world indeed holds ugly people, and sometimes they go to B&B's!
Last night and this morning had a lady with her elderly mother. They were so adorable, all dressed up and out on the town, Granny had lipstick on and little button earrings and hre purple hair all set and curled. I will pour my heart out to these sweet guests..

CONGRATS on the anniversary! You are an innkeeper extraordinaire and a real inspiration to me...as in you are a REAL person who manages to have tremendous grace under fire and a good sense of humor to dissect it all later!
We have had such a run of this lately...different sets of guests here at the exact same time, getting the exact same experience and for some of them it's the greatest thing ever, and for others the biggest disappointment of their lives. There's not much to do except do the best you can, and let it go...some of these people just have so much drama running through their little minds that it has to ooze out somewhere...