What works for some doesn't for others...

[bbinnsitters]

Absolutely!
It's a funny dynamic when you travel to another B&B as an innkeeper. Some innkeepers are as open as can be wanting to know does this work where you are, how do you handle this and trading war stories. Others clam right up. I've never noticed us being treated 'differently,' tho. No special services, no extras (unless it's an innmate)..

You're so right.
I travel just as much for pleasure as I do as an innsitter. And you're definitely right on the clamming up.
I used to always let the innkeeper know that I'm an innkeeper, too. Now I find that they are generally much more relaxed - and I get the real guest treatment - if they don't know. So I usually keep it to myself.
Until check-out, that is. There's always something truly wonderful about every B&B. When you have the chance to tell them how much you appreciate whatever that wonderful thing is, they love you.
But upfront? Well, as much as that is my general nature, I've learned to keep what I do to myself when traveling. Not unless you want the clamshell shutting down tight!
.

Innkeeper To Go - don't you find that your best marketing tool is being a guest? I don't let them know who I am until I determine if I would like to work there or not. Innkeeping is such a personal thing - it is their house/home, business and so much a part of who they are - I feel that if I can't comfortably "step into their shoes" while they are gone it won't work for either of us. I usually feel some sort of connection to the people that decide to hire me and I think it goes both ways.
But as soon as I let them know who I am/what I do I have my brochures and references very available if they seem interested! I have gotten lots of jobs this way (and it all starts with a nice getaway vacation for me!)
.

SuE do you have a website? I ask as I have received a couple emails of late from within our state from innsitters and links to their websites. Just simple one page websites with their bio and info on who they are and what they have done. I think if they had addressed me personally in the email "Mr & Mrs Joey Bloggs" it would have gone over better and I might have saved it vs Dear Innkeepers.
They did mention PAII endorsements etc. Just mentioning since you mentioned getting a feel for a place and the owners.
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Joey, You can click on my name and there you will see my website - it is a simple 3 pager, but I am in the process of expanding the information - my nephew is going to work on it over the holidays! It will include pictures, references and testimonials from guests and owners, plus a real availability calendar (that is what I am most excited about).
I don't ever "cold call" by just sending my info to B&B's in my area - I have to either know that they are looking or I just introduce myself when I am a guest. I would love to send you my references via e-mail if you are interested.

 

[Don Draper]

Gross on the Bojangles chicken and half-eaten apples!
I agree on the visiting more inns spiel, but I honestly wish more here were open to hearing how others do things...there is such a rush to justify one's OWN way of doing things that dialogue is severely limited. I wish we could give each other the benefit of the doubt more often, it just doesn't seem to happen. Which is why I've taken to more reading than posting

 

[Morticia]

Gross on the Bojangles chicken and half-eaten apples!
I agree on the visiting more inns spiel, but I honestly wish more here were open to hearing how others do things...there is such a rush to justify one's OWN way of doing things that dialogue is severely limited. I wish we could give each other the benefit of the doubt more often, it just doesn't seem to happen. Which is why I've taken to more reading than posting

.

Gross on the Bojangles chicken and half-eaten apples!
I agree on the visiting more inns spiel, but I honestly wish more here were open to hearing how others do things...there is such a rush to justify one's OWN way of doing things that dialogue is severely limited. I wish we could give each other the benefit of the doubt more often, it just doesn't seem to happen. Which is why I've taken to more reading than posting

Here's how that conversation goes: 'I do things like this at my place.' Response: 'Oh, that's nice.' End of conversation. By jumping in with how each of us does something we are sharing how we do things, all of us sharing. Which means everyone has the opportunity to find out new ways of doing things.
Yes, it is a bit tedious if everytime you say X, someone has to say, 'NO, it's Y!' but if you cut thru that crap you get a lot of good info.
Personally, I think we've gotten better at NOT jumping in and saying it's my way or the highway. Or maybe I just skip over the parts I don't want to read or the parts I've heard a million times before and don't agree with! Yes! Selective reading!
I've heard a lot of these stories before and I do skip a lot.
It really can be hard to understand why what seems to work ok here just would not work someplace else or to hear how someone does this and think, 'I could never do that here.' I'm always amazed that even my neighbors get completely different guests with completely different needs.

 

[Don Draper]

Gross on the Bojangles chicken and half-eaten apples!
I agree on the visiting more inns spiel, but I honestly wish more here were open to hearing how others do things...there is such a rush to justify one's OWN way of doing things that dialogue is severely limited. I wish we could give each other the benefit of the doubt more often, it just doesn't seem to happen. Which is why I've taken to more reading than posting

.

Gross on the Bojangles chicken and half-eaten apples!
I agree on the visiting more inns spiel, but I honestly wish more here were open to hearing how others do things...there is such a rush to justify one's OWN way of doing things that dialogue is severely limited. I wish we could give each other the benefit of the doubt more often, it just doesn't seem to happen. Which is why I've taken to more reading than posting

Here's how that conversation goes: 'I do things like this at my place.' Response: 'Oh, that's nice.' End of conversation. By jumping in with how each of us does something we are sharing how we do things, all of us sharing. Which means everyone has the opportunity to find out new ways of doing things.
Yes, it is a bit tedious if everytime you say X, someone has to say, 'NO, it's Y!' but if you cut thru that crap you get a lot of good info.
Personally, I think we've gotten better at NOT jumping in and saying it's my way or the highway. Or maybe I just skip over the parts I don't want to read or the parts I've heard a million times before and don't agree with! Yes! Selective reading!
I've heard a lot of these stories before and I do skip a lot.
It really can be hard to understand why what seems to work ok here just would not work someplace else or to hear how someone does this and think, 'I could never do that here.' I'm always amazed that even my neighbors get completely different guests with completely different needs.
.

I would have to disagree...I felt when I joined the forum last year there was a lot more give and take. Now there's a definite dose of "This is how it should be done, and if you're not doing it this way there's definitely something wrong with you."
There are many folks here whose opinion I value, so I look for those and try to skip over the more unsavory bits. I just definitely don't share as much as I used to, for fear of the holier-than-thou replies.

 

[JBloggs]

Gross on the Bojangles chicken and half-eaten apples!
I agree on the visiting more inns spiel, but I honestly wish more here were open to hearing how others do things...there is such a rush to justify one's OWN way of doing things that dialogue is severely limited. I wish we could give each other the benefit of the doubt more often, it just doesn't seem to happen. Which is why I've taken to more reading than posting

.

Gross on the Bojangles chicken and half-eaten apples!
I agree on the visiting more inns spiel, but I honestly wish more here were open to hearing how others do things...there is such a rush to justify one's OWN way of doing things that dialogue is severely limited. I wish we could give each other the benefit of the doubt more often, it just doesn't seem to happen. Which is why I've taken to more reading than posting

Here's how that conversation goes: 'I do things like this at my place.' Response: 'Oh, that's nice.' End of conversation. By jumping in with how each of us does something we are sharing how we do things, all of us sharing. Which means everyone has the opportunity to find out new ways of doing things.
Yes, it is a bit tedious if everytime you say X, someone has to say, 'NO, it's Y!' but if you cut thru that crap you get a lot of good info.
Personally, I think we've gotten better at NOT jumping in and saying it's my way or the highway. Or maybe I just skip over the parts I don't want to read or the parts I've heard a million times before and don't agree with! Yes! Selective reading!
I've heard a lot of these stories before and I do skip a lot.
It really can be hard to understand why what seems to work ok here just would not work someplace else or to hear how someone does this and think, 'I could never do that here.' I'm always amazed that even my neighbors get completely different guests with completely different needs.
.

I would have to disagree...I felt when I joined the forum last year there was a lot more give and take. Now there's a definite dose of "This is how it should be done, and if you're not doing it this way there's definitely something wrong with you."
There are many folks here whose opinion I value, so I look for those and try to skip over the more unsavory bits. I just definitely don't share as much as I used to, for fear of the holier-than-thou replies.
.

It comes and goes in spurts, I will agree with that. A few may come across "this is the only way to do that" and maybe in real life are not like that, it is this medium we deal with.
I think the worst of it is just innkeepers being innkeepers, and for that they try to always be helpful.
So someone might just post ABOUT something and then it is critiqued or "helpful comments" are made. There are days/spurts when everyone tries to be helpful and we are not asking for help. Again, the electronic format makes it difficult, plus ye ol' people don't read ... including innkeepers.
What comes to mind was a lovely cake posted by an innmate that was taken apart bit by bit and I don't even think that innmate has been back after that. She was just sharing something she created, and the whole discussion went to cost and other areas she was not even ASKING about, only sharing.
So yeah it happens, and we can get ticked off and then cool off and come back and nothing is the same the whole conversation has changed. I just don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Read those who want, ignore those you don't.

 

[Don Draper]

Gross on the Bojangles chicken and half-eaten apples!
I agree on the visiting more inns spiel, but I honestly wish more here were open to hearing how others do things...there is such a rush to justify one's OWN way of doing things that dialogue is severely limited. I wish we could give each other the benefit of the doubt more often, it just doesn't seem to happen. Which is why I've taken to more reading than posting

.

Gross on the Bojangles chicken and half-eaten apples!
I agree on the visiting more inns spiel, but I honestly wish more here were open to hearing how others do things...there is such a rush to justify one's OWN way of doing things that dialogue is severely limited. I wish we could give each other the benefit of the doubt more often, it just doesn't seem to happen. Which is why I've taken to more reading than posting

Here's how that conversation goes: 'I do things like this at my place.' Response: 'Oh, that's nice.' End of conversation. By jumping in with how each of us does something we are sharing how we do things, all of us sharing. Which means everyone has the opportunity to find out new ways of doing things.
Yes, it is a bit tedious if everytime you say X, someone has to say, 'NO, it's Y!' but if you cut thru that crap you get a lot of good info.
Personally, I think we've gotten better at NOT jumping in and saying it's my way or the highway. Or maybe I just skip over the parts I don't want to read or the parts I've heard a million times before and don't agree with! Yes! Selective reading!
I've heard a lot of these stories before and I do skip a lot.
It really can be hard to understand why what seems to work ok here just would not work someplace else or to hear how someone does this and think, 'I could never do that here.' I'm always amazed that even my neighbors get completely different guests with completely different needs.
.

I would have to disagree...I felt when I joined the forum last year there was a lot more give and take. Now there's a definite dose of "This is how it should be done, and if you're not doing it this way there's definitely something wrong with you."
There are many folks here whose opinion I value, so I look for those and try to skip over the more unsavory bits. I just definitely don't share as much as I used to, for fear of the holier-than-thou replies.
.

It comes and goes in spurts, I will agree with that. A few may come across "this is the only way to do that" and maybe in real life are not like that, it is this medium we deal with.
I think the worst of it is just innkeepers being innkeepers, and for that they try to always be helpful.
So someone might just post ABOUT something and then it is critiqued or "helpful comments" are made. There are days/spurts when everyone tries to be helpful and we are not asking for help. Again, the electronic format makes it difficult, plus ye ol' people don't read ... including innkeepers.
What comes to mind was a lovely cake posted by an innmate that was taken apart bit by bit and I don't even think that innmate has been back after that. She was just sharing something she created, and the whole discussion went to cost and other areas she was not even ASKING about, only sharing.
So yeah it happens, and we can get ticked off and then cool off and come back and nothing is the same the whole conversation has changed. I just don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Read those who want, ignore those you don't.
.

That was nicely put Joey. Excellent point about not throwing the baby out with the bathwater...thanx

 

[JBloggs]

Gross on the Bojangles chicken and half-eaten apples!
I agree on the visiting more inns spiel, but I honestly wish more here were open to hearing how others do things...there is such a rush to justify one's OWN way of doing things that dialogue is severely limited. I wish we could give each other the benefit of the doubt more often, it just doesn't seem to happen. Which is why I've taken to more reading than posting

.

Gross on the Bojangles chicken and half-eaten apples!
I agree on the visiting more inns spiel, but I honestly wish more here were open to hearing how others do things...there is such a rush to justify one's OWN way of doing things that dialogue is severely limited. I wish we could give each other the benefit of the doubt more often, it just doesn't seem to happen. Which is why I've taken to more reading than posting

Here's how that conversation goes: 'I do things like this at my place.' Response: 'Oh, that's nice.' End of conversation. By jumping in with how each of us does something we are sharing how we do things, all of us sharing. Which means everyone has the opportunity to find out new ways of doing things.
Yes, it is a bit tedious if everytime you say X, someone has to say, 'NO, it's Y!' but if you cut thru that crap you get a lot of good info.
Personally, I think we've gotten better at NOT jumping in and saying it's my way or the highway. Or maybe I just skip over the parts I don't want to read or the parts I've heard a million times before and don't agree with! Yes! Selective reading!
I've heard a lot of these stories before and I do skip a lot.
It really can be hard to understand why what seems to work ok here just would not work someplace else or to hear how someone does this and think, 'I could never do that here.' I'm always amazed that even my neighbors get completely different guests with completely different needs.
.

I would have to disagree...I felt when I joined the forum last year there was a lot more give and take. Now there's a definite dose of "This is how it should be done, and if you're not doing it this way there's definitely something wrong with you."
There are many folks here whose opinion I value, so I look for those and try to skip over the more unsavory bits. I just definitely don't share as much as I used to, for fear of the holier-than-thou replies.
.

It comes and goes in spurts, I will agree with that. A few may come across "this is the only way to do that" and maybe in real life are not like that, it is this medium we deal with.
I think the worst of it is just innkeepers being innkeepers, and for that they try to always be helpful.
So someone might just post ABOUT something and then it is critiqued or "helpful comments" are made. There are days/spurts when everyone tries to be helpful and we are not asking for help. Again, the electronic format makes it difficult, plus ye ol' people don't read ... including innkeepers.
What comes to mind was a lovely cake posted by an innmate that was taken apart bit by bit and I don't even think that innmate has been back after that. She was just sharing something she created, and the whole discussion went to cost and other areas she was not even ASKING about, only sharing.
So yeah it happens, and we can get ticked off and then cool off and come back and nothing is the same the whole conversation has changed. I just don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Read those who want, ignore those you don't.
.

That was nicely put Joey. Excellent point about not throwing the baby out with the bathwater...thanx

.

That was nicely put Joey. Excellent point about not throwing the baby out with the bathwater...thanx

wahhhhhhhhhhh (that was my baby impersonation) PS the baby and all its diapers had to leave this am at 7am to catch a plane. Funny they marked themselves down for the 8am seating and knew they had a plane to catch. I wonder how they will get all that stuff on a plane - excess luggage fees to the max.