Pita Powers

[Morticia]

I want to say thank you for all the gyrations and innmate decoy rockets to divert homing torpedoes from the PITAS. You all gave me strength to be ON for them, to not begrudge but to bounce them off my innkeeper flackjacket back.
My secret? I smothered them with kindness. It worked, it really did. They are headin' back to Joisey..

...My secret? I smothered them with kindness.

Or you could just smother them. Either method is satisfying.
.

...My secret? I smothered them with kindness.

Or you could just smother them. Either method is satisfying.

 

[Morticia]

I want to say thank you for all the gyrations and innmate decoy rockets to divert homing torpedoes from the PITAS. You all gave me strength to be ON for them, to not begrudge but to bounce them off my innkeeper flackjacket back.
My secret? I smothered them with kindness. It worked, it really did. They are headin' back to Joisey..

...My secret? I smothered them with kindness.

Or you could just smother them. Either method is satisfying.
.

There are several I would like to do this to this week...especially the people who booked our historic Inn and then grumbled all the way in about lack of elevator even though I was carrying all their bags. Old and cranky...hopefully they are better after a good dinner.
.

OK, had a walk-in earlier who asked the price and I gave a nice discount. She is headed out the door to the car to 'consult' with BF and she pops back in to ask if we do a CAA discount. WHAT? Then, the BF tells me she can't eat what I'm serving (gluten allergy), setting off a chain reaction of everyone checking in who now also cannot eat what we're serving tomorrow.
I go thru what options we have for people who can't eat what we're serving and now she can't have what I offered (dairy allergy) and then, on top of it all he asks if we can POACH an egg for her as she can't really have any kind of fat either. I looked right at him and said, 'You are pushing your luck right now.' (Seriously, I was that peeved.)
Did I mention anywhere I understand now why innkeepers quit? This is supposed to be the 'easy' season. Retirees who are no problem at all. (Really. They are our easiest guests.) Arrrgh! All I'm getting are people who can't even open a stupid door without an instruction manual, can't eat anything (YES, some are from the other coast), can't count how many are in their party, the list goes on.
Ahhhh, deep breath. Count to 10 (that's how long it takes to pour another glass of wine). Ahhhh. Much better. All smiles now.
Oh, even better. Here's the receipt from today's grocery shopping. What do I see? B&J NY SprFdgChk. YES! My fav ice cream! Happy dance!

 

[Arks]

I want to say thank you for all the gyrations and innmate decoy rockets to divert homing torpedoes from the PITAS. You all gave me strength to be ON for them, to not begrudge but to bounce them off my innkeeper flackjacket back.
My secret? I smothered them with kindness. It worked, it really did. They are headin' back to Joisey..

...My secret? I smothered them with kindness.

Or you could just smother them. Either method is satisfying.
.

There are several I would like to do this to this week...especially the people who booked our historic Inn and then grumbled all the way in about lack of elevator even though I was carrying all their bags. Old and cranky...hopefully they are better after a good dinner.
.

OK, had a walk-in earlier who asked the price and I gave a nice discount. She is headed out the door to the car to 'consult' with BF and she pops back in to ask if we do a CAA discount. WHAT? Then, the BF tells me she can't eat what I'm serving (gluten allergy), setting off a chain reaction of everyone checking in who now also cannot eat what we're serving tomorrow.
I go thru what options we have for people who can't eat what we're serving and now she can't have what I offered (dairy allergy) and then, on top of it all he asks if we can POACH an egg for her as she can't really have any kind of fat either. I looked right at him and said, 'You are pushing your luck right now.' (Seriously, I was that peeved.)
Did I mention anywhere I understand now why innkeepers quit? This is supposed to be the 'easy' season. Retirees who are no problem at all. (Really. They are our easiest guests.) Arrrgh! All I'm getting are people who can't even open a stupid door without an instruction manual, can't eat anything (YES, some are from the other coast), can't count how many are in their party, the list goes on.
Ahhhh, deep breath. Count to 10 (that's how long it takes to pour another glass of wine). Ahhhh. Much better. All smiles now.
Oh, even better. Here's the receipt from today's grocery shopping. What do I see? B&J NY SprFdgChk. YES! My fav ice cream! Happy dance!
.

...I looked right at him and said, 'You are pushing your luck right now.' (Seriously, I was that peeved.)...

Good for you! I'll bet that made you feel better. Hope so. It lifted my spirits just reading it.
As I've said before (and been spanked for saying it), I think B&B's go way above and beyond the call of duty in trying to please people's very unusual needs, and I think it's a big part of why so many innkeepers burn out after 6 or 7 years in the business.
You're not a hotel. You shouldn't be expected to supply as much as folks can get from a Ritz-Carlton. You're not a restaurant. You shouldn't be expected to supply the variety of foods available from a business that ONLY does food.
Here's the part I really got called on the carpet about. I think some innkeepers create these spoiled guests, burn themselves out in the process, and the spoiled guests then go on to cause other innkeepers to burn out. A vicious cycle.
Enjoy that B&J ice cream! We can't get it here!

 

[JBloggs]

I agree Arkie. We need to set boundaries as much as we expect them for our guests. We invite much of the daily dilemmas. Some days we can carry the load, other days it is the straw for ye old camel.
I don't think anyone would disagree that innkeepers can create the monsters, let's see allowing noon check ins then the guest rolls up here and is adamant they CAN and WILL check in at noon. Even if their room is not even cleaned yet. Innkeepers who bend over backgrounds and become personal dietitions for guests whims create monsters for the rest of us as these same monsters expect us to cater to their every desire. The list goes on from being nice and adding amenities to demands. Oh yeah there is no doubting this, we all agree with you. I would call it feeding the dragon.
I just want to remind us all that guests are paying for a B&B, not a mountain top experience.

 

[Arks]

I agree Arkie. We need to set boundaries as much as we expect them for our guests. We invite much of the daily dilemmas. Some days we can carry the load, other days it is the straw for ye old camel.
I don't think anyone would disagree that innkeepers can create the monsters, let's see allowing noon check ins then the guest rolls up here and is adamant they CAN and WILL check in at noon. Even if their room is not even cleaned yet. Innkeepers who bend over backgrounds and become personal dietitions for guests whims create monsters for the rest of us as these same monsters expect us to cater to their every desire. The list goes on from being nice and adding amenities to demands. Oh yeah there is no doubting this, we all agree with you. I would call it feeding the dragon.
I just want to remind us all that guests are paying for a B&B, not a mountain top experience..

I just want to remind us all that guests are paying for a B&B, not a mountain top experience.

Makes me think about some of the quotes overheard from B&B newbies and posted here:

• Can you believe it? They let us come and go as we please here.
• They even let us use their living room and we can use their back yard!
• She's the homeowner and she took time to talk to me!

At what point do these innocent newbies, who are amazed to even be in someone's fine old home, turn into these demanding monsters?

 

[Emily Spiers]

I want to say thank you for all the gyrations and innmate decoy rockets to divert homing torpedoes from the PITAS. You all gave me strength to be ON for them, to not begrudge but to bounce them off my innkeeper flackjacket back.
My secret? I smothered them with kindness. It worked, it really did. They are headin' back to Joisey..

...My secret? I smothered them with kindness.

Or you could just smother them. Either method is satisfying.
.

There are several I would like to do this to this week...especially the people who booked our historic Inn and then grumbled all the way in about lack of elevator even though I was carrying all their bags. Old and cranky...hopefully they are better after a good dinner.
.

OK, had a walk-in earlier who asked the price and I gave a nice discount. She is headed out the door to the car to 'consult' with BF and she pops back in to ask if we do a CAA discount. WHAT? Then, the BF tells me she can't eat what I'm serving (gluten allergy), setting off a chain reaction of everyone checking in who now also cannot eat what we're serving tomorrow.
I go thru what options we have for people who can't eat what we're serving and now she can't have what I offered (dairy allergy) and then, on top of it all he asks if we can POACH an egg for her as she can't really have any kind of fat either. I looked right at him and said, 'You are pushing your luck right now.' (Seriously, I was that peeved.)
Did I mention anywhere I understand now why innkeepers quit? This is supposed to be the 'easy' season. Retirees who are no problem at all. (Really. They are our easiest guests.) Arrrgh! All I'm getting are people who can't even open a stupid door without an instruction manual, can't eat anything (YES, some are from the other coast), can't count how many are in their party, the list goes on.
Ahhhh, deep breath. Count to 10 (that's how long it takes to pour another glass of wine). Ahhhh. Much better. All smiles now.
Oh, even better. Here's the receipt from today's grocery shopping. What do I see? B&J NY SprFdgChk. YES! My fav ice cream! Happy dance!
.

B&J NY SprFdgChk. YES! My fav ice cream! Happy dance!

Hands down, my absolute favorite, too.

 

[Don Draper]

I want to say thank you for all the gyrations and innmate decoy rockets to divert homing torpedoes from the PITAS. You all gave me strength to be ON for them, to not begrudge but to bounce them off my innkeeper flackjacket back.
My secret? I smothered them with kindness. It worked, it really did. They are headin' back to Joisey..

...My secret? I smothered them with kindness.

Or you could just smother them. Either method is satisfying.
.

There are several I would like to do this to this week...especially the people who booked our historic Inn and then grumbled all the way in about lack of elevator even though I was carrying all their bags. Old and cranky...hopefully they are better after a good dinner.
.

OK, had a walk-in earlier who asked the price and I gave a nice discount. She is headed out the door to the car to 'consult' with BF and she pops back in to ask if we do a CAA discount. WHAT? Then, the BF tells me she can't eat what I'm serving (gluten allergy), setting off a chain reaction of everyone checking in who now also cannot eat what we're serving tomorrow.
I go thru what options we have for people who can't eat what we're serving and now she can't have what I offered (dairy allergy) and then, on top of it all he asks if we can POACH an egg for her as she can't really have any kind of fat either. I looked right at him and said, 'You are pushing your luck right now.' (Seriously, I was that peeved.)
Did I mention anywhere I understand now why innkeepers quit? This is supposed to be the 'easy' season. Retirees who are no problem at all. (Really. They are our easiest guests.) Arrrgh! All I'm getting are people who can't even open a stupid door without an instruction manual, can't eat anything (YES, some are from the other coast), can't count how many are in their party, the list goes on.
Ahhhh, deep breath. Count to 10 (that's how long it takes to pour another glass of wine). Ahhhh. Much better. All smiles now.
Oh, even better. Here's the receipt from today's grocery shopping. What do I see? B&J NY SprFdgChk. YES! My fav ice cream! Happy dance!
.

This is supposed to be the 'easy' season. Retirees who are no problem at all. (Really. They are our easiest guests.)

This is typically the case with us for this season as well, and these ages/types of folks are usually my absolute favorite but they are all incredible fusspots this year. All acting about 20 years older than their age as well. AND thinking I'm here to be the maid/butler. They are all getting an education REAL fast.

 

[Don Draper]

I agree Arkie. We need to set boundaries as much as we expect them for our guests. We invite much of the daily dilemmas. Some days we can carry the load, other days it is the straw for ye old camel.
I don't think anyone would disagree that innkeepers can create the monsters, let's see allowing noon check ins then the guest rolls up here and is adamant they CAN and WILL check in at noon. Even if their room is not even cleaned yet. Innkeepers who bend over backgrounds and become personal dietitions for guests whims create monsters for the rest of us as these same monsters expect us to cater to their every desire. The list goes on from being nice and adding amenities to demands. Oh yeah there is no doubting this, we all agree with you. I would call it feeding the dragon.
I just want to remind us all that guests are paying for a B&B, not a mountain top experience..

I just want to remind us all that guests are paying for a B&B, not a mountain top experience.

Makes me think about some of the quotes overheard from B&B newbies and posted here:

• Can you believe it? They let us come and go as we please here.
• They even let us use their living room and we can use their back yard!
• She's the homeowner and she took time to talk to me!

At what point do these innocent newbies, who are amazed to even be in someone's fine old home, turn into these demanding monsters?
.

At what point do these innocent newbies, who are amazed to even be in someone's fine old home, turn into these demanding monsters?

GREAT question, one I've been pondering myself. We get some of the nicest newbies, they are absolutely blown away by everything. Now we're in a run of grouchy retired people who have been to b&b's before and they're amazed by things like no elevator.

 

[JBloggs]

I have the worst story and I still have the scars to show for it. I will have to relay later on...wait a tid bit for now... She was the worst needy guest in the world, showed up in the kitchen as we are prepping brekkie for a full house, in her bathrobe asking one of us to go to her car to get her makeup as she doesn't want to disturb her husband from sleeping.

 

[Samster]

Just had a pita check out today who was with me for 7 days. No a bad person but very, very, needy. She was afraid to be in the house if I wasn't home so she needed to know when I was going out to run errands so she could be out too. Then she would call me on my cell (I know it was a big mistake giving her my number) to find out when I was going to be back. Was afraid of other guests. Needed food microwaved. Could she use the computer. Brought her own special food, etc. You get the picture. Today was check out day. 1:30 and she was still here packing so I left. I bet she finished packing pretty fast after I was gone..

She needed an emotional support service animal. ;-)