It really depends who and when. Do I get the feeling they are just curious or a potential guest? Are they casing out the joint? Sometimes I say I am full (and sometimes I actually am) and hand them a card or brochure or refer them to the website
Is it a reasonable time of day? Am I in the middle of something?
I don't think there is a "right" or "wrong", you just need to use GOOD OLD COMMON SENSE
I think turning people away 100% of the time "just because they never made an appt" is not an appropriate action..
Right, not 100% of the time, I agree. But it is frustrating when you get the folks that still ring your doorbell and say, "I know your sign says you need an appointment, but I was wondering if we could just look around anyway." As if our time isn't valuable at all... I know that no matter where
I go, unless it is like a restaurant or something, I call ahead - not only out of courtesy for the folks I'll be seeing, but for myself as well. I'd hate to drive all the way into the country just to be turned away. You know what they say about common sense....
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I noticed something interesting the other day when I came in the door...unless someone's nose is pressed against the glass, they can't see inside. So, knowing that, I have been watching guests approach the door. (Wanting to see if signage is clear- it's never clear to everyone, wanting to see what they are looking at, where they are looking, what they're saying, etc)
So, here's the deal- 100% of the guests I have observed have tried to let themselves into the building without ringing the bell (there is a sign for that). The postman did it the other day. The UPS guy knows the door is locked, he rings.
My wonder is now, what if they walked in? What would they do next?
So, if your door is not locked, how do you have the entryway set up so you know someone is there?
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I leave the door open from time to time for fresh air, or a guest that has to pop out for a minute to get luggage.
From time to time we get someone who tries to walk in this way. I'm always right near the door, so I catch them immediately. But the stories that they tell when you catch them are always so cockamamie (contrived). Some of the stories include:
- Today (as I mentioned above) they said they thought it was a restaurant.
- One day last year they actually kicked a sunflower that I put in the doorway to give it some sun until we planted, saying that they wanted to see the house.
- Two girls snuck in on tippy-toes claiming they throught that there was an apartment for rent.
- One guy got caught trying to pry a window open with a credit card claiming that he wanted to see if someone was home (not to steal of course)
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(Previous B&B) One guy rang the bell and I was too busy to answer. When I got to the front he was walking away from the house. I looked at the back window and someone had jumped the fence and was trying to break in via the back door. I called 911, then knocked on the window to get his attention and pointed at the phone (I wanted to stop him before he damaged the door) and he went running. He would not have gotten in the door anyway, we have a door guardian on the door, with 3 to 4" screws for all locks. (Image of door guardian. If you have never seen one, the screws run in the wrong direction and it has a catch that you need to pull down then swing to open. You will damage the door well before you break the door guardian.)
The only legit ones that we see are children (usually college aged) asking to check out the place for their parents. I tell them to call, they make the appointment and they show up and get a complete tour.
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the ones that really annoy me are like this - they ring the bell as we are the first B&B on this section ask about a room etc - "its too expensive, wrong type etc" then start working their way up the street cos they are too cheap well they won't get anything cheaper cos Azealia unmanned so no one there, Scotia -more expensive - Arc- no one there and more expensive - Conference view and Ashgrove same price.
when its busy I tell them where to go and they just head off up the street anyway figure if you are that stupid its your problem as I know the next 6 places are full. Whatever.
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Sometimes when they are nice and ring our door we will call around for them. If they exhibit any attitude, no help at all. All summer long it's people with no plans who want a last minute place to stay.
When I call tell that they are going to try to negotiate rate, I send them to the worst hotel in the country. Just $55 a night most of the year. They aren't my target customer anyway and they won't be back. But they will certainly understand prices after that.
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Eric Arthur Blair said:
Sometimes when they are nice and ring our door we will call around for them. If they exhibit any attitude, no help at all. All summer long it's people with no plans who want a last minute place to stay.
When I call tell that they are going to try to negotiate rate, I send them to the worst hotel in the country. Just $55 a night most of the year. They aren't my target customer anyway and they won't be back. But they will certainly understand prices after that.
Congratulations to me...congratulations to me... I am singing this happy song as the health department inspector just left.
He was very conscientious in our guest rooms, and asked if we have seen any sign of bed bugs, I mentioned that we do everything ourselves and we inspect closely. I told him how I carefully do a visual on every room (bed head, mattresses etc) and then I inquired about the local hotels.
He said, "Oh yeahhhhh, they have them." He then said, that is why we call first before we come over to this B&B as we don't want to disturb you with guests, but at the hotels we just drop in. He said "No one is checking the rooms until we get there."
The one local motel had some guy kill another guy recently, transients on the road, hitchhiking or something. I should send those callers to that motel too, good thinking. Here is something you can afford! I might have to write that number down. "Here is a local hotel in your price range, complete with bed bugs"
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