Waiting to Exhale

[bbinnsitters]

I DESPISE walk-ins after our check-in time is over...don't know why it just gets under my skin. If it makes y'all feel any better our two checkins today were together and got here as promised at 3 pm...they are snotty as all get out, very condescending to both DH and myself, whatever. Now they are sitting in my living room eating McD's takeout for dinner....GREAT..

Seriously!? There oughta be a law against people smelling up your house with that stuff - almost as bad as smoking! HA!
.

I know, I hate it. That plus they swore their child was 10, he's lucky if he's 7 and he is complete ADD, into everything. They left everything a giant mess, threw a half empty can of diet coke in the trash can, splashing it all over the wall. WHY does it only take 2 jackasses to completely RUIN an otherwise lovely house of 9??? Two more days of this nonsense.
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How are you doing, DD - are your guests getting any better - or worse?!
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Generally better...we were jam-packed for the first half of October and the second half is definitely slower. We've just had some REAL doozies crammed into the past few weeks. Along with some FABULOUS people as well, but I sit and talk with them so don't have to come back here and gripe about THEM on the forum

Figured out the problem with the people with the kid...he's a pilot and she's a stewardess. He's just VERY used to getting everything he wants and very quickly, without having to actually speak to anyone in the process. He was so condescending and downright MEAN to her, it was embarrassing for the whole house. The little boy settled down after the first day, he was actually sweet and I felt kind badly for him, his name was William and he was to BE a William, not a Will, or Billy. Not really allowed to be much of a kid at all. At least he got to enjoy playing with our dog.
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Sounds like you are making the most of it and I find the more I talk to people the more I get to know them and what makes them tick! Like Oprah says - everyone just wants to be validated (including us!!!)

 

[bbinnsitters]

Yup, I agree with everyone-waiting for late check ins is a pain-but walk-ins are even worse if you had plans for that day cause you had no guests-ie-Friday-planned a nice dinner with hubbie-were gonna grill stakes and have a romantic dinner than a movie-but that got thwarted when we got last minute reservations that afternoon and they didn't show up until 9PM-then breakfast at 7AM..

Had a call last week one day when I had no later check-in scheduled, and I was just about to walk into a movie with DH....they were calling from the road and I bravely told them I hadn't been expecting any more check-ins, and we were in effect closed, because we were having 'date night".
Good, yes?
Then, I started rethinking and I called back and asked when they wanted to check in, and explained the situation, and we worked out a compromise where we got to go to our movie, and they had dinner before they checked in, and we met them after the movie, and then went out to our own dinner.
Funny part was, when they arrived, they made clear that they were 100% percent impressed and appreciative that I had drawn the line at "date night" and were a little bit sorry that I had "caved' into letting them come. It all turned out fine, but maybe I learned that every now and then it's just OK to draw the line. (And maybe I will, soon..... )
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InnBloom,
You handled this very well and gained possibly a repeat customer! I totally would have done the same - said no and then called them back! You never know until you ask - and you made it work for you!

 

[agoodman]

I always ask approx arr times on reservation, and I ask that they call 30-60 mins prior to arr. My conf reminds them to call 30-60 mins before. I have NO problem if people change their arr time AS LONG AS they let me know!! Even if they are arriving at midnight!
Usually I wait an hour ... an hour and a half .. two hours .... after before making a "um I am just checking on your arr time" call "because I had you due to check in at ..."
No more. The other night I had an expected 8pm. No call yet. I (unusually) called them at 8.15 and they told me they would not be in until 11pm (they arrived at 10). Would have been nice if they had called me at 7pm.
In future, I am calling them 15 mins after their expected time. Less stress for me

 

[Joey Camb]

we had two late self check in's last night one was one of our regulars who had missed his connection and was pleased he could let himself in and the others were working the night shift and had arranged to sleep all day ie paid for last night came 6AM this morning. but rang to arrange check in and that they wouldn't have breakfast as they didn't want to bother me (bless) they are all tucked up now and I won't see them till 6pm so had 6 rooms in and only 4 for breakfast woo hoo.

 

[InnBloom]

we had two late self check in's last night one was one of our regulars who had missed his connection and was pleased he could let himself in and the others were working the night shift and had arranged to sleep all day ie paid for last night came 6AM this morning. but rang to arrange check in and that they wouldn't have breakfast as they didn't want to bother me (bless) they are all tucked up now and I won't see them till 6pm so had 6 rooms in and only 4 for breakfast woo hoo..

Life is good!

 

[Don Draper]

I DESPISE walk-ins after our check-in time is over...don't know why it just gets under my skin. If it makes y'all feel any better our two checkins today were together and got here as promised at 3 pm...they are snotty as all get out, very condescending to both DH and myself, whatever. Now they are sitting in my living room eating McD's takeout for dinner....GREAT..

Seriously!? There oughta be a law against people smelling up your house with that stuff - almost as bad as smoking! HA!
.

I know, I hate it. That plus they swore their child was 10, he's lucky if he's 7 and he is complete ADD, into everything. They left everything a giant mess, threw a half empty can of diet coke in the trash can, splashing it all over the wall. WHY does it only take 2 jackasses to completely RUIN an otherwise lovely house of 9??? Two more days of this nonsense.
.

How are you doing, DD - are your guests getting any better - or worse?!
.

Generally better...we were jam-packed for the first half of October and the second half is definitely slower. We've just had some REAL doozies crammed into the past few weeks. Along with some FABULOUS people as well, but I sit and talk with them so don't have to come back here and gripe about THEM on the forum

Figured out the problem with the people with the kid...he's a pilot and she's a stewardess. He's just VERY used to getting everything he wants and very quickly, without having to actually speak to anyone in the process. He was so condescending and downright MEAN to her, it was embarrassing for the whole house. The little boy settled down after the first day, he was actually sweet and I felt kind badly for him, his name was William and he was to BE a William, not a Will, or Billy. Not really allowed to be much of a kid at all. At least he got to enjoy playing with our dog.
.

Sounds like you are making the most of it and I find the more I talk to people the more I get to know them and what makes them tick! Like Oprah says - everyone just wants to be validated (including us!!!)
.

Sounds like you are making the most of it and I find the more I talk to people the more I get to know them and what makes them tick! Like Oprah says - everyone just wants to be validated (including us!!!)

I think you are so right on this. It's just that sometimes I don't have the energy to "go there" with every single person...

 

[JBloggs]

Don I totally get the one night they arrive late, eat and run thing...then this morning the one nighters from Glasgow were so lovely I wanted them to stay!
Off topic I had a ONE OFF today and I will take a photo and share in a little bit, you will be amused, I know I was.

 

[bbinnsitters]

I always ask approx arr times on reservation, and I ask that they call 30-60 mins prior to arr. My conf reminds them to call 30-60 mins before. I have NO problem if people change their arr time AS LONG AS they let me know!! Even if they are arriving at midnight!
Usually I wait an hour ... an hour and a half .. two hours .... after before making a "um I am just checking on your arr time" call "because I had you due to check in at ..."
No more. The other night I had an expected 8pm. No call yet. I (unusually) called them at 8.15 and they told me they would not be in until 11pm (they arrived at 10). Would have been nice if they had called me at 7pm.
In future, I am calling them 15 mins after their expected time. Less stress for me.

Yep, this happened to me one time - I don't usually call cos as an Inn-sitter I am there anyways - got nothing to do but wait for people. But for some reason I called these people when they were 15 mins. later than expected and....they were not even planning on coming that night...they thought their arrival date was the next day! Thank god that was possible and it wasn't a problem at all, but I think calling is an excellent idea. I am a big supporter of calling the day before to confirm their reservation and check in time (especially when they made their reservation several months in advance). I'd rather spend 3 minutes on the phone than 3 hours waiting.