Arrowhead Manor
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- Joined
- Sep 20, 2011
- Messages
- 19
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I am curious to know what other small B&Bs like ours do when folks just stop by unannounced and request a tour...???
Before becoming a Caretaker here, I thought it was unthinkable to turn someone away if they were interested in learning more about the place - it's more business, and more business is good... right? After having spent some time dealing with it on a day-to-day basis, I understand a little more how this can turn into an issue. Our inn is quite noticable, and we are located directly off of a main highway, though in a small mountain community, so when people drive by, they automatically see our building and want to stop in and see the place just for kicks (not necessarily interested in booking... more like snooping since these visits rarely turn into a booking). We have had folks actually show up at 9:00 PM and ring the doorbell wanting us to show them around, see some rooms. What a lot of people don't get, I think, is that we live on-site, that we have a staff that you can count on one hand, and we are human and need our rest. Luckily, we have kind of a cool security setup. When a person rings the doorbell, it rings all the phones in the house so that we can answer the door without actually answering the door and be able to sort of "screen" those who walk into our home. We also have a few security cameras throughout the common areas and outside the building. (This may sound like overkill for a B&B, but it may have actually saved our lives... long story...) Usually our response is something to the tune of, "I'm so sorry, we do require appointments for tours, but I would be happy to schedule you in for another day! Please take one of our business cards by the door..." Yes, this policy is stated very boldly on our front door, so people know this before they ring the bell, but are hoping for a different answer. Some people accept this answer with a smile, and others seem extremely put out that they cannot even see our "lobby" (living room). Every so often, we will have time, and can (and do) accept walk-ins, but we are usually immersed in a project or cleaning, or dealing with other Guests.
So, I guess my question is... Is this practice rude or unheard of? Does anyone else do this? Is there a better way to handle random visitors without throwing off our schedule, dropping everything and catering to strangers who haven't yet (and probably won't) paid? What are your policies, and how do you enforce them? I appreciate any feedback. Thanks!
Before becoming a Caretaker here, I thought it was unthinkable to turn someone away if they were interested in learning more about the place - it's more business, and more business is good... right? After having spent some time dealing with it on a day-to-day basis, I understand a little more how this can turn into an issue. Our inn is quite noticable, and we are located directly off of a main highway, though in a small mountain community, so when people drive by, they automatically see our building and want to stop in and see the place just for kicks (not necessarily interested in booking... more like snooping since these visits rarely turn into a booking). We have had folks actually show up at 9:00 PM and ring the doorbell wanting us to show them around, see some rooms. What a lot of people don't get, I think, is that we live on-site, that we have a staff that you can count on one hand, and we are human and need our rest. Luckily, we have kind of a cool security setup. When a person rings the doorbell, it rings all the phones in the house so that we can answer the door without actually answering the door and be able to sort of "screen" those who walk into our home. We also have a few security cameras throughout the common areas and outside the building. (This may sound like overkill for a B&B, but it may have actually saved our lives... long story...) Usually our response is something to the tune of, "I'm so sorry, we do require appointments for tours, but I would be happy to schedule you in for another day! Please take one of our business cards by the door..." Yes, this policy is stated very boldly on our front door, so people know this before they ring the bell, but are hoping for a different answer. Some people accept this answer with a smile, and others seem extremely put out that they cannot even see our "lobby" (living room). Every so often, we will have time, and can (and do) accept walk-ins, but we are usually immersed in a project or cleaning, or dealing with other Guests.
So, I guess my question is... Is this practice rude or unheard of? Does anyone else do this? Is there a better way to handle random visitors without throwing off our schedule, dropping everything and catering to strangers who haven't yet (and probably won't) paid? What are your policies, and how do you enforce them? I appreciate any feedback. Thanks!