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Madeleine

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OK, so read that other post about what kind of customers you attract and then read this about my day thus far...
65% of the guests turned down an absolute guest favorite breakfast. Poor DH had 3 'cook to order' breakfasts he wasn't prepared for. (I asked, he said it was ok, but then when it was not 1 room but 2 and then 3 and then 4 it was not ok any longer.)
How did we attract these guests?
One room said they were repeats but investigating showed they'd cancelled the last time (and copious notes have gone into their db in case they book again). Another room we knew about and we always prepare the same thing for them every year. Another room was an overbooking from elsewhere so they were already not happy with their downgraded room here. The 4th room the reservation was made by someone else. EVERY room was asked about dietary issue. EVERY room (except the one we knew about) denied any issues at all until faced with breakfast. (In 2 cases the spousal unit argued with the other person to 'grow up and just try it!')
And the housekeeper called in sick. Better that than sharing her germs but still.
And a late arrival left without paying. They were out the door in the middle of breakfast and I didn't see them go.
OTOH, one room rebooked for next year and another said they'd see us again in the spring (and they will, they come several times/year). And last weekend 4 rooms rebooked on the way out the door. So, yeah, we attract them and most of the time it works out!
 
well, i'm glad about the OTOH people ... and there isn't much you can do about a sick housekeeper ... and the out the door without paying i used to collect payment on arrival to avoid that scenario but we each are different, i know.
as for the different breakfasts. no. even though dh was accommodating and wanting to please ... the answer has to be 'this is what we have available for breakfast this morning.' sweetly and that's it. because one special sets off more requests for 'something else'. and it does go back to getting what you allow ... if i start making exceptions in whatever position i am in, more exceptions are requested. like dominoes or something ...
isn't it time for quiet season soon?
hot cocoa all around!!
 
Questions:
Are they all there for a similar reason? ie college, shopping, birding
Are they all from a similar place? ie a state that is nearby your state
Are they all a similar age group/demographic? ie retirees middle class
 
well, i'm glad about the OTOH people ... and there isn't much you can do about a sick housekeeper ... and the out the door without paying i used to collect payment on arrival to avoid that scenario but we each are different, i know.
as for the different breakfasts. no. even though dh was accommodating and wanting to please ... the answer has to be 'this is what we have available for breakfast this morning.' sweetly and that's it. because one special sets off more requests for 'something else'. and it does go back to getting what you allow ... if i start making exceptions in whatever position i am in, more exceptions are requested. like dominoes or something ...
isn't it time for quiet season soon?
hot cocoa all around!!.
thumbs_up.gif

 
Madeleine said:
OTOH, one room rebooked for next year and another said they'd see us again in the spring (and they will, they come several times/year). And last weekend 4 rooms rebooked on the way out the door. So, yeah, we attract them and most of the time it works out!
That is a huge percentage of rebooking. Congrats on that.
 
Questions:
Are they all there for a similar reason? ie college, shopping, birding
Are they all from a similar place? ie a state that is nearby your state
Are they all a similar age group/demographic? ie retirees middle class.
Not all the same reason. We had some visiting family, some for a sports event, one was a birthday and the others were repeats.
GA, MA, NH, CT
40's to 60's except for the 11 yo. 2 high end Mercedes and a Range Rover. Plus the usual (for us) low end Ford and Toyota.
I totally get what sea shanty said about not caving on the requests. Except for the folks we know about and who we make the same thing for every year. They eat the same thing all 3 days they're here.
Then the instinct to help take over! And dh only makes what he wants. You get scrambled eggs and toast if you don't like the main.
It's good to do this one in awhile. It puts paid to the idea we might try to offer a menu. ;-)
 
well, i'm glad about the OTOH people ... and there isn't much you can do about a sick housekeeper ... and the out the door without paying i used to collect payment on arrival to avoid that scenario but we each are different, i know.
as for the different breakfasts. no. even though dh was accommodating and wanting to please ... the answer has to be 'this is what we have available for breakfast this morning.' sweetly and that's it. because one special sets off more requests for 'something else'. and it does go back to getting what you allow ... if i start making exceptions in whatever position i am in, more exceptions are requested. like dominoes or something ...
isn't it time for quiet season soon?
hot cocoa all around!!.
Totally time for quiet season! Another 2 weeks and it's dead quiet.
 
It is hard to say no to a request. DH went to a lot of trouble to make a huge breakfast for 15 all at one time only to have one of the guests reveal that he doesn't eat milk, so could we maybe make hard boiled eggs?
Now if we thought they wanted hard boiled eggs instead of the fluffy scrambled eggs made with milk, life would have been quite a bit easier.....but he went ahead and made 6 hard boiled eggs. All of them were eaten, so the effort was appreciated, but still....
We try to accommodate, but if I had half my rooms refuse what I offered, I'd be beyond peeved.
 
Maddie- Please go online right now and order the hardcopy or download the ebook.
Attracting Perfect Customers: The Power of Strategic Synchronicity
DO THE EXERCISES in the book the way they say to do them.
Don't look for the answer you want to find and toss it aside.
Really- this resource continues to help us choose our guests.
 
well, i'm glad about the OTOH people ... and there isn't much you can do about a sick housekeeper ... and the out the door without paying i used to collect payment on arrival to avoid that scenario but we each are different, i know.
as for the different breakfasts. no. even though dh was accommodating and wanting to please ... the answer has to be 'this is what we have available for breakfast this morning.' sweetly and that's it. because one special sets off more requests for 'something else'. and it does go back to getting what you allow ... if i start making exceptions in whatever position i am in, more exceptions are requested. like dominoes or something ...
isn't it time for quiet season soon?
hot cocoa all around!!.
Totally time for quiet season! Another 2 weeks and it's dead quiet.
.
Mine has already arrived. Doornail time.
 
Maddie- Please go online right now and order the hardcopy or download the ebook.
Attracting Perfect Customers: The Power of Strategic Synchronicity
DO THE EXERCISES in the book the way they say to do them.
Don't look for the answer you want to find and toss it aside.
Really- this resource continues to help us choose our guests..
its our quieter time so Im going to give it a spin to - always learning!
 
Maddie- Please go online right now and order the hardcopy or download the ebook.
Attracting Perfect Customers: The Power of Strategic Synchronicity
DO THE EXERCISES in the book the way they say to do them.
Don't look for the answer you want to find and toss it aside.
Really- this resource continues to help us choose our guests..
its our quieter time so Im going to give it a spin to - always learning!
.
I just ordered it
 
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