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

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Breakfast Diva

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Joined
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I had a woman call me about 3 weeks ago. She wanted our most popular room for a Sat night only at the end of this month (we have a 2 night minimum). She offered to pay more for the room, I politely turned her down. I told her that if it had not rented by the Wed. of that week, I would open it up for a 1 night stay, but told her that it was highly unlikely that it would still be open by then, and as predicted the room is filled now for 2 nights.
Last week she called (I didn't know this until my DH told me today) and spoke with DH, who told her once again about our policy. He saw I had rented our most expensive room for 1 night that same weekend on the Friday with lots of add ons, so we will make a good amount of $$ for just a Fri night and still hopefully will fill it on the next day (Sat)., so he offered her that room for the Sat she is looking for. Oh no, she only wants the other room.
So, she calls AGAIN today and starts quizing me on how is it possible that I rented that other room for 1 night to someone on that weekend and not her? She turned down the other room again.
After I hung up I got really mad. Probably a good thing it didn't happen while I was talking with her. HOW DARE SHE! If this ever happens again, I'll be prepared..."my business, my rules".
People are getting more and more bold. Now why would I want to welcome her into my inn and be gracious?
 
cheers.gif

You make the rules. Good on ya! This is the year to not let those type people get their way, to walk over you and dig their heels into the back of our necks. I am not allowing it, I just won't. People can be whatever they want to be, but BEFORE they get in the door if they are rude and pushy and demeaning - no way jose!
 
Hello,
Long time lurker, first time poster - decided it's finally time to join in as this is one of my pet peeves!
We are constantly baffled as to why people think that being rude to us on the phone might encourage us to allow them into our home.
I once had this conversation:
Man on phone: "I need to book a room for one night next Tuesday".
Me: "I'm sorry - I'm afraid we have a 2 night minimum".
Man (huffing and puffing): "Well one of the reasons I called you was because it does NOT say on your website that you have a minimum".
Me: "Sorry if you missed it, but if you look on our "Policies" page, in the paragraph titled "Minimum Stay" it does say we have a 3 night minimum in the summer and 2 night minimum at all other times".
Man (now furious): "Well THAT doesn't get me a room, does it?"
Me: "But you think being rude to me might?"
Man then hung up on me.
God help whoever actually took him in!
 
Hello,
Long time lurker, first time poster - decided it's finally time to join in as this is one of my pet peeves!
We are constantly baffled as to why people think that being rude to us on the phone might encourage us to allow them into our home.
I once had this conversation:
Man on phone: "I need to book a room for one night next Tuesday".
Me: "I'm sorry - I'm afraid we have a 2 night minimum".
Man (huffing and puffing): "Well one of the reasons I called you was because it does NOT say on your website that you have a minimum".
Me: "Sorry if you missed it, but if you look on our "Policies" page, in the paragraph titled "Minimum Stay" it does say we have a 3 night minimum in the summer and 2 night minimum at all other times".
Man (now furious): "Well THAT doesn't get me a room, does it?"
Me: "But you think being rude to me might?"
Man then hung up on me.
God help whoever actually took him in!.
SomeGuestsSuck said:
Me: "But you think being rude to me might?"
<snicker>
 
Hello,
Long time lurker, first time poster - decided it's finally time to join in as this is one of my pet peeves!
We are constantly baffled as to why people think that being rude to us on the phone might encourage us to allow them into our home.
I once had this conversation:
Man on phone: "I need to book a room for one night next Tuesday".
Me: "I'm sorry - I'm afraid we have a 2 night minimum".
Man (huffing and puffing): "Well one of the reasons I called you was because it does NOT say on your website that you have a minimum".
Me: "Sorry if you missed it, but if you look on our "Policies" page, in the paragraph titled "Minimum Stay" it does say we have a 3 night minimum in the summer and 2 night minimum at all other times".
Man (now furious): "Well THAT doesn't get me a room, does it?"
Me: "But you think being rude to me might?"
Man then hung up on me.
God help whoever actually took him in!.
Welcome!!!! You had me at "some guests suck"...
 
Hello,
Long time lurker, first time poster - decided it's finally time to join in as this is one of my pet peeves!
We are constantly baffled as to why people think that being rude to us on the phone might encourage us to allow them into our home.
I once had this conversation:
Man on phone: "I need to book a room for one night next Tuesday".
Me: "I'm sorry - I'm afraid we have a 2 night minimum".
Man (huffing and puffing): "Well one of the reasons I called you was because it does NOT say on your website that you have a minimum".
Me: "Sorry if you missed it, but if you look on our "Policies" page, in the paragraph titled "Minimum Stay" it does say we have a 3 night minimum in the summer and 2 night minimum at all other times".
Man (now furious): "Well THAT doesn't get me a room, does it?"
Me: "But you think being rude to me might?"
Man then hung up on me.
God help whoever actually took him in!.
I don't know who you are SomeGuestsSuck but have you been living in my body and in my B&B? Have you been standing beside me with every single guest every day that I have owned a B&B?
I LOVE YOU, YOU ARE MY HERO.
Are you Amish? is about the best line I have ever heard.
A shoehorn? ahhh!!!
Milking a cow!
WELCOME!!! FEEL FREE TO CHIME IN ANY TIME.
cheers.gif

 
Hello,
Long time lurker, first time poster - decided it's finally time to join in as this is one of my pet peeves!
We are constantly baffled as to why people think that being rude to us on the phone might encourage us to allow them into our home.
I once had this conversation:
Man on phone: "I need to book a room for one night next Tuesday".
Me: "I'm sorry - I'm afraid we have a 2 night minimum".
Man (huffing and puffing): "Well one of the reasons I called you was because it does NOT say on your website that you have a minimum".
Me: "Sorry if you missed it, but if you look on our "Policies" page, in the paragraph titled "Minimum Stay" it does say we have a 3 night minimum in the summer and 2 night minimum at all other times".
Man (now furious): "Well THAT doesn't get me a room, does it?"
Me: "But you think being rude to me might?"
Man then hung up on me.
God help whoever actually took him in!.
SomeGuestsSuck said:
Man (now furious): "Well THAT doesn't get me a room, does it?"
Me: "But you think being rude to me might?"
Man then hung up on me.
God help whoever actually took him in!
So true! So true!
RIki
 
Thank you so much for the warm welcome - it's very much appreciated. So fantastic to have found like-minds - have become tired of the warm and fuzzy B&Bers who drone on about how wonderful it is to have so many faaaaaaabulous people in your home. In these days of TripAdvisor and having to keep our lips buttoned and our smiles fixed in the face of every unreasonable thing, the blog has become my therapy. SO happy to join your throng!
 
Thank you so much for the warm welcome - it's very much appreciated. So fantastic to have found like-minds - have become tired of the warm and fuzzy B&Bers who drone on about how wonderful it is to have so many faaaaaaabulous people in your home. In these days of TripAdvisor and having to keep our lips buttoned and our smiles fixed in the face of every unreasonable thing, the blog has become my therapy. SO happy to join your throng!.
SomeGuestsSuck said:
Thank you so much for the warm welcome - it's very much appreciated. So fantastic to have found like-minds - have become tired of the warm and fuzzy B&Bers who drone on about how wonderful it is to have so many faaaaaaabulous people in your home. In these days of TripAdvisor and having to keep our lips buttoned and our smiles fixed in the face of every unreasonable thing, the blog has become my therapy. SO happy to join your throng!
Seriously....just thanks. We are fortunate enough to have a local set of like-minded innkeepers (professional, knowledgeable, hospitable and happy to serve but sick of being walked all over) so it is nice to dish the day to day stuff with them, but so nice to have some like-minded people here who know the really grit of being an innkeeper. I was starting to wonder if some innkeepers have drugs to which I do not have access, or if it is just personality or what.
 
Thank you so much for the warm welcome - it's very much appreciated. So fantastic to have found like-minds - have become tired of the warm and fuzzy B&Bers who drone on about how wonderful it is to have so many faaaaaaabulous people in your home. In these days of TripAdvisor and having to keep our lips buttoned and our smiles fixed in the face of every unreasonable thing, the blog has become my therapy. SO happy to join your throng!.
SomeGuestsSuck said:
Thank you so much for the warm welcome - it's very much appreciated. So fantastic to have found like-minds - have become tired of the warm and fuzzy B&Bers who drone on about how wonderful it is to have so many faaaaaaabulous people in your home. In these days of TripAdvisor and having to keep our lips buttoned and our smiles fixed in the face of every unreasonable thing, the blog has become my therapy. SO happy to join your throng!
We also run wine tours, and my therapy is cheerfully telling batcherlorette groups that we don't run group tours and sending them to a limo company. It's amazing how people are so suprised that I dont' want to drive drunks around who are wearing stupid things on their heads insulting all the tasting room servers. No amount of money would entice me to do that.
RIki
 
Thank you so much for the warm welcome - it's very much appreciated. So fantastic to have found like-minds - have become tired of the warm and fuzzy B&Bers who drone on about how wonderful it is to have so many faaaaaaabulous people in your home. In these days of TripAdvisor and having to keep our lips buttoned and our smiles fixed in the face of every unreasonable thing, the blog has become my therapy. SO happy to join your throng!.
SomeGuestsSuck said:
Thank you so much for the warm welcome - it's very much appreciated. So fantastic to have found like-minds - have become tired of the warm and fuzzy B&Bers who drone on about how wonderful it is to have so many faaaaaaabulous people in your home. In these days of TripAdvisor and having to keep our lips buttoned and our smiles fixed in the face of every unreasonable thing, the blog has become my therapy. SO happy to join your throng!
Seriously....just thanks. We are fortunate enough to have a local set of like-minded innkeepers (professional, knowledgeable, hospitable and happy to serve but sick of being walked all over) so it is nice to dish the day to day stuff with them, but so nice to have some like-minded people here who know the really grit of being an innkeeper. I was starting to wonder if some innkeepers have drugs to which I do not have access, or if it is just personality or what.
.
Don Draper said:
SomeGuestsSuck said:
Thank you so much for the warm welcome - it's very much appreciated. So fantastic to have found like-minds - have become tired of the warm and fuzzy B&Bers who drone on about how wonderful it is to have so many faaaaaaabulous people in your home. In these days of TripAdvisor and having to keep our lips buttoned and our smiles fixed in the face of every unreasonable thing, the blog has become my therapy. SO happy to join your throng!
Seriously....just thanks. We are fortunate enough to have a local set of like-minded innkeepers (professional, knowledgeable, hospitable and happy to serve but sick of being walked all over) so it is nice to dish the day to day stuff with them, but so nice to have some like-minded people here who know the really grit of being an innkeeper. I was starting to wonder if some innkeepers have drugs to which I do not have access, or if it is just personality or what.
I was wondering the same thing, and I do think they are on drugs. Yes I do, and/or heavily inntoxicated.
There is no way you can live inn this business, literally live inn this business with everyone's weirdness and not be affected by it. I mean, some of the things we hear and see are beyond un-bloody-believable. If we tell someone outside of innkeeping, they would not believe it.
BUT ALAS, those innkeepers who - on other forums and such "pretend" that innkeeping is JUST A CUP OF TEA are liars, they are saving face, trying to appear as the SUPER INNKEEPERS! We are all human, if you cut us we bleed...if you pee in our beds, we don't smile and say "All part of hospitality folks..." and move on. Peeing in someone's bed = not good, not "isn't that cute?" !
Some innkeepers wear masks to the hide what really goes on at the inn. I don't think we need to let on what really goes on for most of the time, but here on this forum, we are REAL. What happens here is REAL. It is not fiction, and how innmate deal with it is always a learning curve for the rest of us, or a support group. We need each other, we need to vent, we need to share. For those who do everything perfectly - they need to go to the "Innkeepers are perfect and medicated to feel that way" forum.
poke.gif

(Sorry did I majorly hijack? Oops)
 
Thank you so much for the warm welcome - it's very much appreciated. So fantastic to have found like-minds - have become tired of the warm and fuzzy B&Bers who drone on about how wonderful it is to have so many faaaaaaabulous people in your home. In these days of TripAdvisor and having to keep our lips buttoned and our smiles fixed in the face of every unreasonable thing, the blog has become my therapy. SO happy to join your throng!.
SomeGuestsSuck said:
Thank you so much for the warm welcome - it's very much appreciated. So fantastic to have found like-minds - have become tired of the warm and fuzzy B&Bers who drone on about how wonderful it is to have so many faaaaaaabulous people in your home. In these days of TripAdvisor and having to keep our lips buttoned and our smiles fixed in the face of every unreasonable thing, the blog has become my therapy. SO happy to join your throng!
Seriously....just thanks. We are fortunate enough to have a local set of like-minded innkeepers (professional, knowledgeable, hospitable and happy to serve but sick of being walked all over) so it is nice to dish the day to day stuff with them, but so nice to have some like-minded people here who know the really grit of being an innkeeper. I was starting to wonder if some innkeepers have drugs to which I do not have access, or if it is just personality or what.
.
Don Draper said:
SomeGuestsSuck said:
Thank you so much for the warm welcome - it's very much appreciated. So fantastic to have found like-minds - have become tired of the warm and fuzzy B&Bers who drone on about how wonderful it is to have so many faaaaaaabulous people in your home. In these days of TripAdvisor and having to keep our lips buttoned and our smiles fixed in the face of every unreasonable thing, the blog has become my therapy. SO happy to join your throng!
Seriously....just thanks. We are fortunate enough to have a local set of like-minded innkeepers (professional, knowledgeable, hospitable and happy to serve but sick of being walked all over) so it is nice to dish the day to day stuff with them, but so nice to have some like-minded people here who know the really grit of being an innkeeper. I was starting to wonder if some innkeepers have drugs to which I do not have access, or if it is just personality or what.
I was wondering the same thing, and I do think they are on drugs. Yes I do, and/or heavily inntoxicated.
There is no way you can live inn this business, literally live inn this business with everyone's weirdness and not be affected by it. I mean, some of the things we hear and see are beyond un-bloody-believable. If we tell someone outside of innkeeping, they would not believe it.
BUT ALAS, those innkeepers who - on other forums and such "pretend" that innkeeping is JUST A CUP OF TEA are liars, they are saving face, trying to appear as the SUPER INNKEEPERS! We are all human, if you cut us we bleed...if you pee in our beds, we don't smile and say "All part of hospitality folks..." and move on. Peeing in someone's bed = not good, not "isn't that cute?" !
Some innkeepers wear masks to the hide what really goes on at the inn. I don't think we need to let on what really goes on for most of the time, but here on this forum, we are REAL. What happens here is REAL. It is not fiction, and how innmate deal with it is always a learning curve for the rest of us, or a support group. We need each other, we need to vent, we need to share. For those who do everything perfectly - they need to go to the "Innkeepers are perfect and medicated to feel that way" forum.
poke.gif

(Sorry did I majorly hijack? Oops)
.
cheers.gif

 
Thank you so much for the warm welcome - it's very much appreciated. So fantastic to have found like-minds - have become tired of the warm and fuzzy B&Bers who drone on about how wonderful it is to have so many faaaaaaabulous people in your home. In these days of TripAdvisor and having to keep our lips buttoned and our smiles fixed in the face of every unreasonable thing, the blog has become my therapy. SO happy to join your throng!.
SomeGuestsSuck said:
Thank you so much for the warm welcome - it's very much appreciated. So fantastic to have found like-minds - have become tired of the warm and fuzzy B&Bers who drone on about how wonderful it is to have so many faaaaaaabulous people in your home. In these days of TripAdvisor and having to keep our lips buttoned and our smiles fixed in the face of every unreasonable thing, the blog has become my therapy. SO happy to join your throng!
Seriously....just thanks. We are fortunate enough to have a local set of like-minded innkeepers (professional, knowledgeable, hospitable and happy to serve but sick of being walked all over) so it is nice to dish the day to day stuff with them, but so nice to have some like-minded people here who know the really grit of being an innkeeper. I was starting to wonder if some innkeepers have drugs to which I do not have access, or if it is just personality or what.
.
Don Draper said:
SomeGuestsSuck said:
Thank you so much for the warm welcome - it's very much appreciated. So fantastic to have found like-minds - have become tired of the warm and fuzzy B&Bers who drone on about how wonderful it is to have so many faaaaaaabulous people in your home. In these days of TripAdvisor and having to keep our lips buttoned and our smiles fixed in the face of every unreasonable thing, the blog has become my therapy. SO happy to join your throng!
Seriously....just thanks. We are fortunate enough to have a local set of like-minded innkeepers (professional, knowledgeable, hospitable and happy to serve but sick of being walked all over) so it is nice to dish the day to day stuff with them, but so nice to have some like-minded people here who know the really grit of being an innkeeper. I was starting to wonder if some innkeepers have drugs to which I do not have access, or if it is just personality or what.
I was wondering the same thing, and I do think they are on drugs. Yes I do, and/or heavily inntoxicated.
There is no way you can live inn this business, literally live inn this business with everyone's weirdness and not be affected by it. I mean, some of the things we hear and see are beyond un-bloody-believable. If we tell someone outside of innkeeping, they would not believe it.
BUT ALAS, those innkeepers who - on other forums and such "pretend" that innkeeping is JUST A CUP OF TEA are liars, they are saving face, trying to appear as the SUPER INNKEEPERS! We are all human, if you cut us we bleed...if you pee in our beds, we don't smile and say "All part of hospitality folks..." and move on. Peeing in someone's bed = not good, not "isn't that cute?" !
Some innkeepers wear masks to the hide what really goes on at the inn. I don't think we need to let on what really goes on for most of the time, but here on this forum, we are REAL. What happens here is REAL. It is not fiction, and how innmate deal with it is always a learning curve for the rest of us, or a support group. We need each other, we need to vent, we need to share. For those who do everything perfectly - they need to go to the "Innkeepers are perfect and medicated to feel that way" forum.
poke.gif

(Sorry did I majorly hijack? Oops)
.
Could not agree more Joey and Don.
The we-all-live-on-a-fluffy-cloud-of-joy people are either mad, so lonely they're desperate for ANY company or just plain liars. Hadn't actually considered the drugs...now there's a thought...
And I suspect it may have been me, Mrs (now slightly embarrassed) Newbie, who is the hijacking offender - my huge apologies for that (and they are real apologies - not fake "Ooooo my gosh I am sooooo sorry" guest ones).
 
Welcome SGS!
welcome.gif

This forum is definitely a place where we keep it real. Most of us have no desire to be "Stepford" Innkeepers, but still, it gets tough some times!
I tell aspiring innkeepers that it's like the old 70s sitcom:
"You take the good, you take the bad,

you take them both and there you have

The Facts of Life, the Facts of Life."
That's the life of an innkeeper.
 
Same here with Stag do's and they are like "Oh i want 6 twins for me and my friends who are comming for a night out in hGT" ha ha not likely!
 
I know this sometimes catches me off guard because we may have filled in a Sat or Fri when another guest booked Th-Fr or Sat-Sun and then THAT guest cancels. Now I'm stuck with a one-nighter. I push guests who want one night to take that room on the open night. They never want that room and always want to know how come the other person could do that?
I have explained the 2-night booking cancellation (even if that was actually a lie at that point in time) or I say it's a member of my family. I don't like giving explanations because it opens me up to arguments about how their situation is the same.
One guy called and I explained the 2-night min and he booked for 2 nights. A week before arrival he called to cancel one night. I explained it was a two-night min and if he canceled one night, he was going to lose the other. As it turned out, I had a waiting list for the one night he wanted out of so I let him off. And you know what I got? Sarcasm. Not a thank you that I wasn't making him look elsewhere on a holiday weekend. Nope, sarcasm that it seemed I made up the rules as I went along.
Needless to say we never saw him again.
 
We once had guests staying with us yell at me bc other guests were just here for one night & they demanded to know why we made them book 2 nights. I explained that the one night guests filled a ONE NIGHT opening between reservations & that they had wanted to stay longer, but that the room was only available for the one evening.
This after I drove them all around town, picked them up from the beach, drove them to the ferry dock & helped them exchange their tickets at 2 minutes past them time the ticket office officially closed, took them to the grocery store (where they spent like 45 minutes), made the towels into a "turtle" because they had children.....
People can be nuts.
 
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
 
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.
One Day said:
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
EXCEPT - they offered her a room twice for one night and she refused it because she wanted a different room that was available for two night. She should take it or shut up. The other person given one night was not given the popular room. So yes, her policies, her rooms, her choice. And if they didn't like it they should call another B&B.
Just like some restaurants don't take reservations, but will hold a table for customers they like that give them lots of business.
Riki
 
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!!
 
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