Totally off balance...need suggestions

[Alibi Ike]

This weekend I am feeling like every guest interaction is not going well. I am stressed (and desserts are not helping!) and angry at what I see as total lack of consideration for our home and our time and talents.
The latest straw, altho not quite the last, was a guest request for a couch so they could sit together.

 

[Penelope]

Breathe!!! Breathe again!!!
Do you have time to take a walk? Even a short one. To the end of the drive. Get out of the house.
If that doesn't work, a rum and coke works every time for me

 

[gillumhouse]

The latest straw, altho not quite the last, was a guest request for a couch so they could sit together.

You ARE stressed out! Normally you would be laughing at this one. Doesn't every hotel/motel/B & B room come with a couch? Offer them a bearskin rug instead - it may be easier to clean.

 

[Eugee]

Feel the same way here, normally great guests but the one I gave a discount to at the last minute kept going up and down the stairs all night to the front patio to smoke, tossed a pack of butts in the garden and 2 empty beer bottles as well. Knocked some jams we sell off a shelf (none broke) and did break one wine glass.. oh yeah, and ashes all over the patio as well. Thankfully the rain took care of that.
He leaves 5am-ish but door is locked upstairs to their room. Was his girlfriend gone or dead or who knows? I queried some guests who all slept fine and heard nothing.. that's good I say. At 10:30 I heard no noise from upstairs and all the other guests were leaving so I got the keys and started at the door. Out pops his blondie girlfriend just awoke and said could she have an hour, 'she was sleeping like a rock.'
Have to turn the house with new guests checking in so agreed with a smile- just an hour. Finally get in the room and everything on the wall was slanted a bit, dorito pieces here and there on the floor, a few wine spots on the floor, ribbons for holding the drapes in the garbage, dollhouse that is in the room experienced an earthquake and my no #1 fave is she wiped her smile off on a couple of towels. (makeup). Four wine glasses (how many were up there?)..Boyfriend who left at 5am returned to pick her up and away they went.. only to call back looking for a room 4 hrs later at which point I just laughed and hung up.
Sometimes, thankfully seldom, guests are just trash and have no clue when they trash... they live like this. Oh, yes, best part was when I was checking him in ( he seemed ok/semi-normal) but then I noticed he seemed, shall we say, 'aroused' when he was reaching for his phone to enter the door combo at which point he said he had to use the bathroom and returned about 2 mins later and then she came trotting in from the car like Anna Nicole.. what the heck, is it a full moon I wondered?
I think I had a worse day than you did! But I am back to my normal guests at the moment it seems after getting the trash out.

 

[agoodman]

Alibi these are your "paying guests" and not your friends, so sadly you just have to remember that maybe you were brought up differently, have more consideration and better manners. Some people just don't know or don't care to know. In addition maybe you are seeing more into it than is actually there. Take 5 mins and then just go back. Every job has it's bad days - the only difference is that our bad "work" days are in our homes.
You should not expect people to have consideration for your talents, if they admire them, great, if they don't, or don't seem to well so be it. Do you admire every person who is doing their job for their talents? The cashier at the store or the bank? The garbage people? The waitress at the restuarant? Their "talents" are in the job THEY are doing although to you and me they are just doing a job.
In the same way, we are doing "our job". Period.

 

[seashanty]

wine. a big glass, chilled, sipped slowly. put aside any work and sip.
although this is probably too late to help ... you need to get out.
sit under the stars alone or with a pal
a hot shower or bath complete with bubbles (don't forget the wine in a plastic cup)
any absolutely unecessary work gets put aside. only vital stuff gets done. you need DOWN TIME.
if you are still feeling totally aggravated in the morning, a brisk walk around may help. much as i loved to sleep in, i often would get up way early and go out the door. just to get OUT. AWAY. ALONE.
this is good for any and all aspirings to read.
when your job is also your home, you can't go home for the night. you are home and your work is staying with you.

 

[muirford]

Holiday weekends are amateur hour. Heightened expectations, big weekend plans, extra stressors like traffic and back-to-school and too many people. Half of mine had no dinner reservations - in my town on a Saturday on a normal weekend, that's kind of a no-no. On a holiday weekend, forget it. Moving your desired time 30 minutes either way isnt's going to help. If it's my favorite restaurant, it's everybody else's favorite, too. Can you tell I've had this conversation several times today? They can't figure out how to be happy themselves and they are taking it out on you.
Thank goodness for my one room of repeats who brought me a dozen homemade cupcakes and paid cash - I love them. After cooking baked goods for the Inn all day, I didn't have to bake something else to take to a friend's for a last minute dinner invite.

 

[gillumhouse]

wine. a big glass, chilled, sipped slowly. put aside any work and sip.
although this is probably too late to help ... you need to get out.
sit under the stars alone or with a pal
a hot shower or bath complete with bubbles (don't forget the wine in a plastic cup)
any absolutely unecessary work gets put aside. only vital stuff gets done. you need DOWN TIME.
if you are still feeling totally aggravated in the morning, a brisk walk around may help. much as i loved to sleep in, i often would get up way early and go out the door. just to get OUT. AWAY. ALONE.
this is good for any and all aspirings to read.
when your job is also your home, you can't go home for the night. you are home and your work is staying with you..

if you are still feeling totally aggravated in the morning, a brisk walk around may help. much as i loved to sleep in, i often would get up way early and go out the door. just to get OUT. AWAY. ALONE
The one thing I think I miss most is - also as much as I hated the alarm going off at 5:30 AM - walking on the trail with my friend in the mornings. We stopped when she developed problems with her foot and her hip. We solved the problems of the City, vented our frustrations, and walked a few pounds off our rumps. It started when she called me and said: I looked in the mirror and decided I need to do something so we are going to walk on the trail. You are elected because you are the only one who will b*tch me out if I try to quit.
She had to endure a lot of - you know you are the only person I would put myself through for this, don't you. We both found it was so theraputic that we missed it in the winter. Would stop when hunting season started because it would make it too easy for someone to "accidently" get either of us and would start again in the Spring. The only time we both had available was 6 AM (unless I had an early breakfast to cook). I think my bathroom scale misses it more than I do......

 

[egoodell]

Remember you WILL get great guests again and they will soon be gone. We lucked out with a four day stay with a couple from MN. Gotta love those wonderful midwestern folks! The other couple were from DC and nice except they took the cookie jar into their room - young and self obsorbed but I can't complain they loved everything.
RIki

 

[JBloggs]

Ike,
I always feel this way when I have family in town and other places I would much rather be. So the inconsideration factor is multiplied in my eyes.
Keep on keepin' on this too shall pass.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

You're tired and your patience is thin. Definitely understandable this time of year! Do you remember when I was in the same condition and I complained about a guest pocketing a soap the day before they checked out? LOLOLOL You never know what'll set you off when tired and stressed.
Hang in there, it gets better!

 

[ServingSouthernComfort]

Awww Alibi, I'm so sorry you are having a tough time this weekend. I hate it when I feel this way - your post has been a good forewarning for me that this feeling will be multiplied when the invaders of my "personal space" are outsiders.
Seeings as I am still a "wannabe innkeeper", I can't really offer any real advice. But I can offer compassion - so here is a virtual {{{hug}}} Hang in there, my new friend! As I think of you this weekend, you can count on me to whisper a little prayer on your behalf.
@}->--- Try stopping for just a moment to smell the roses....
ALL the replies to this post have been full of great advice for this Wannabe! Thanks!

 

[seashanty]

Alibi these are your "paying guests" and not your friends, so sadly you just have to remember that maybe you were brought up differently, have more consideration and better manners. Some people just don't know or don't care to know. In addition maybe you are seeing more into it than is actually there. Take 5 mins and then just go back. Every job has it's bad days - the only difference is that our bad "work" days are in our homes.
You should not expect people to have consideration for your talents, if they admire them, great, if they don't, or don't seem to well so be it. Do you admire every person who is doing their job for their talents? The cashier at the store or the bank? The garbage people? The waitress at the restuarant? Their "talents" are in the job THEY are doing although to you and me they are just doing a job.
In the same way, we are doing "our job". Period..

i just want to say ...
this is our water cooler to grouse around
our safe place to vent.
everyone has to vent sometime

 

[Alibi Ike]

OK, all of my family has now come and gone. The guests who I couldn't seem to connect with are gone. We have tomorrow off. We're going to dinner tonight. I'm starting a new month on Tuesday as far as an exercise program goes. Let's see how this all works out.

 

[Susan]

The latest straw, altho not quite the last, was a guest request for a couch so they could sit together.

You ARE stressed out! Normally you would be laughing at this one. Doesn't every hotel/motel/B & B room come with a couch? Offer them a bearskin rug instead - it may be easier to clean..

Or a plastic sheet....

 

[Breakfast Diva]

OK, all of my family has now come and gone. The guests who I couldn't seem to connect with are gone. We have tomorrow off. We're going to dinner tonight. I'm starting a new month on Tuesday as far as an exercise program goes. Let's see how this all works out..

Have a wonderful day off!! We were just able to go to a friends for a bbq this afternoon (all stayovers) and we felt like 'normal' people. Those 6 hours away made a huge difference!
Ugh, exercise program. I desperately need one! Not gonna happen this week though.

 

[Aussie Innkeeper]

House full of full-paying guests last night (no one asked for the AAA or the AARP discounts). All out this morning by 10am. YAY! No check-ins today. I get a night off.

 

[JBloggs]

House full of full-paying guests last night (no one asked for the AAA or the AARP discounts). All out this morning by 10am. YAY! No check-ins today. I get a night off..

House full of full-paying guests last night (no one asked for the AAA or the AARP discounts). All out this morning by 10am. YAY! No check-ins today. I get a night off.

EXCELLENT! ENJOY YOUR NIGHT. Night off, meaning probably still working, but in your PJ's!

I have the second seating (MI, MO and VA) in a heated debate at the table. The 8am seating were younger, and happy people. GO PEOPLE GO!
PS If we ever do end up with some sort of Innmate road trip event, seriousely, we need to be allowed to live in our pj's the entire time!

 

[Samster]

I like Muirford's take on things....it's the end of Summer, a holiday weekend, and folks' expectations for their final getaway before they have to take on all the mundane stuff of the school year might be a bit high.
All I can say is that you might be tired and stressed out a bit yourself. You've been going great guns all Summer and you need a break from all these people!
Take care of YOU, in whatever way works for YOU,...we forget to do that in the innkeeping business all too often. {{{{{big hugs}}}}}

 

[birdwatcher]

we have no guests this evening either-and we enjoy it. Were gonna do the rooms, but dont have any check ins tonight so we're taking the night off. Its true about this being work and home, I go to the gym when I can tried to get DH to go with but he just doesnt want to-the gym is inexpensive here and i go to Yoga 2 times a week my favorite, do the Zumba once a week , walking when i can and spinning once a week-yea only when i have the time and DH can do the check ins they are in the afternoon we switch and i do breakfasts sometimes, it releaves stress and as Gillumn said my scale is liking it..so get out take a walk. I even go out into the victorian garden sometimes and i just sit in the gazebo with a book, just for a change of scenery..you gotta do that sometimes don't forget your wine, or your margarita or whatever floats your spirit..he he he