When you are out of sorts

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JBloggs

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There are times when you are out of sorts, either mentally emotionally health-wise, stress, tiredness, overwhelmed, or even under a tornado warning...so that when you answer the phone or email you do not say what you should say.
Example the child I accepted and now in a small romantic room not conducive to children, in the least. Why and how I answered this inquiry is beyond me, and I try to teach myself to NOT answer the phone when I am not 100% or distracted. So then I get mad and think, dang it! I let that slip by, or allowed something I would not normally. So instead of the person choosing one of the two rooms with a sofa bed (and a third person charge) they are squeezing them into the most romantic room.
Have you ever had to sound like a loon and send a second email after you already sent the first? I hate doing that, and most of the time I just EAT IT, eat whatever needed to be corrected. I hate having to be on 100% of the time - as I don't want this business to RUN ME, but if I don't I mess up and let things slip.
 
In a case like this I would call and explain the room is really too small for 3 people. Move them to the bigger room, eat the extra person charge, but make it so it's not bothering you until the day they arrive.
If I have to switch another guest to make this happen, I will.
Yes, I've had to make these changes after making a reservation when I was distracted.
 
Yes, I have days like that and yes, I usually just take the hit. I come off the phone, think about the conversation and then think to myself "Why on earth did I agree to do that?".
Part of being on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year I guess.
 
Yes, I have days like that and yes, I usually just take the hit. I come off the phone, think about the conversation and then think to myself "Why on earth did I agree to do that?".
Part of being on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year I guess..
Highlands John said:
Yes, I have days like that and yes, I usually just take the hit. I come off the phone, think about the conversation and then think to myself "Why on earth did I agree to do that?".
Part of being on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year I guess.
Yeah and it all falling on us.
I guess in my mind I don't want the business to control my thoughts 24 hours a day, recently getting away and not having to deal with the B&B 24/7 was a nice break. So in my own mind, I want to not BE THE INN all the time. Hard to explain but many of you understand. I don't want the INN TO BE ME, I don't want it to be my only identity. So for that, I need to be sick when I am sick, or down when I am down, or under tornado warning when there is one...it is a part of owning and LIVING in your own business. You can run but you can't hide! :)
 
Have you ever had to sound like a loon and send a second email after you already sent the first? I hate doing that, and most of the time I just EAT IT, eat whatever needed to be corrected. I hate having to be on 100% of the time - as I don't want this business to RUN ME, but if I don't I mess up and let things slip.
Who hasn't? JB, I love you dearly, but I have to ask this - why should you be different? NONE of us is perfect. You beat yourself up any time this are not just so. LIVE. my friend. You are human! Tell the guest in a call or an e-mail that room just is not suitable for a child and you will be booking them into xxx room so all will be more comfortable and you will be waiving the charge for THIS visit.
 
Yes, I have days like that and yes, I usually just take the hit. I come off the phone, think about the conversation and then think to myself "Why on earth did I agree to do that?".
Part of being on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year I guess..
Highlands John said:
Yes, I have days like that and yes, I usually just take the hit. I come off the phone, think about the conversation and then think to myself "Why on earth did I agree to do that?".
Part of being on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year I guess.
Yeah and it all falling on us.
I guess in my mind I don't want the business to control my thoughts 24 hours a day, recently getting away and not having to deal with the B&B 24/7 was a nice break. So in my own mind, I want to not BE THE INN all the time. Hard to explain but many of you understand. I don't want the INN TO BE ME, I don't want it to be my only identity. So for that, I need to be sick when I am sick, or down when I am down, or under tornado warning when there is one...it is a part of owning and LIVING in your own business. You can run but you can't hide! :)
.
Yesterday, when I was in the middle of trying to resurrect the blog the phone rang. I ignored it. I was grumpy and stressed. DH looked at the caller id and said, 'It's CVS.' (the pharmacy) I told him to forget it and he answered it and said, 'Yes, she's right here.' He KNEW I was stressed, knew I had said to not bother I didn't want to talk to them, KNEW all of this and still handed me the phone. I barked at the pharmacist. Told her to remove me from the calling list I did NOT want to be reminded about anything. And I hung up.
He gets mad at me when I'm rude to callers. But I am not permitted to be mad at him for completely ignoring my request to not answer the phone, not hand the phone to me, etc.
So, yes, if I can't put a happy face on, I try to let the calls go to the machine. The machine has clear directions for what to do if we can't be reached.
 
When you're out of sorts, stressed or just feel like disengaging from the biz, don't answer the phone. Let the voice mail take it. If they don't leave a message, too bad. You need to live your life sometimes.
One technique I learned in my last profession was when I was confronted with a call for work (independent contractor) that I was uncomfortable with, I would say I was not able to take their information right now, but was there a number I could call them back in 15 minutes? This works great with b&b problem calls also. It gives you time to collect your thoughts and have a plan of attack.
Don't beat yourself up, it happens to all of us.
 
Have you ever had to sound like a loon and send a second email after you already sent the first? I hate doing that, and most of the time I just EAT IT, eat whatever needed to be corrected. I hate having to be on 100% of the time - as I don't want this business to RUN ME, but if I don't I mess up and let things slip.
Who hasn't? JB, I love you dearly, but I have to ask this - why should you be different? NONE of us is perfect. You beat yourself up any time this are not just so. LIVE. my friend. You are human! Tell the guest in a call or an e-mail that room just is not suitable for a child and you will be booking them into xxx room so all will be more comfortable and you will be waiving the charge for THIS visit..
gillumhouse said:
NONE of us is perfect.
[/quote
I thought we were!
wink_smile.gif
 
Have you ever had to sound like a loon and send a second email after you already sent the first? I hate doing that, and most of the time I just EAT IT, eat whatever needed to be corrected. I hate having to be on 100% of the time - as I don't want this business to RUN ME, but if I don't I mess up and let things slip.
Who hasn't? JB, I love you dearly, but I have to ask this - why should you be different? NONE of us is perfect. You beat yourself up any time this are not just so. LIVE. my friend. You are human! Tell the guest in a call or an e-mail that room just is not suitable for a child and you will be booking them into xxx room so all will be more comfortable and you will be waiving the charge for THIS visit..
gillumhouse said:
NONE of us is perfect.
[/quote
I thought we were!
wink_smile.gif

.
Ice said:
gillumhouse said:
NONE of us is perfect.

[/quote
I thought we were!
wink_smile.gif
A shocking thought isn't it! I am heading for the corner for a 30 minute timeout for being so foolish to suggest imperfection.
 
You know, I almost did this yesterday. A lady called, wanted a room for 4 nights. Actually, she needed two rooms b/c she had two kids 6 and 10 (we advertise that we take kids 7+). We were going to be gone over those days and would have an innistter and I'd alrerady taken at least one reservation where the lady had told me specifically that they were coming to get away from the kids. I could have made an exception, but rather explained that we really didn't have room and referred them to a more kid-friendly inn in our association.
Yes, I just watched $750 walk down the street, BUT I felt ok about it b/c I avoided a potential for a really uncomfortable situation.
 
First let me say that I feel for you....we all want to please our guests, help them to have a memorable time and welcome them with open arms. When we are feeling out of sorts and not thinking clearly we all cave from time to time, accepting conditions that we normally would turn down. Unfortunately, sometimes the old adage "No good deed goes unpunished" applies. Since we do not book on-line, we speak guests before booking them. Over the years we have made some hard and fast rules and vowed to stick to them no matter what! I post a note by the phone to myself to remind me WHY we made the rule...usually a few names of "memorable "guests will do the trick...they are names I will remember for a life time!
pita.gif
The first thing I ask when people call for availability is "Are you looking for accommodations for 2 adults?" If they have kids, or pets I refer them to appropriate B+B's or hotels. If they are 3 adults, I will try to sell them an additional accommodation for the 3rd person.
We do not take children. Period. Each accommodation has a maximum occupancy of 2 people. Period. We do not take pets. Period. We are not handicap accessible. Period. We do not do weddings. Period
While it is true that, with 3 accommodations we are limited to 6 people total, we technically could put 3 people in one accommodation, but we don't....that pretty much eliminates the kid issue as well. When people complain to us about not putting a third person on the sofa bed in the cottage we just tell them that we have a maximum occupancy of 2 people...they are welcome to reserve a suite in the main house for the third person. I am sure that we have lost business but, on the other hand, we do get folks to reserve the additional suite on occasion. In the end, we are MUCH happier with our day-to-day B+B lives with these restrictions. (We are not required by law to take handicap, kids or pets into our home.)
 
First let me say that I feel for you....we all want to please our guests, help them to have a memorable time and welcome them with open arms. When we are feeling out of sorts and not thinking clearly we all cave from time to time, accepting conditions that we normally would turn down. Unfortunately, sometimes the old adage "No good deed goes unpunished" applies. Since we do not book on-line, we speak guests before booking them. Over the years we have made some hard and fast rules and vowed to stick to them no matter what! I post a note by the phone to myself to remind me WHY we made the rule...usually a few names of "memorable "guests will do the trick...they are names I will remember for a life time!
pita.gif
The first thing I ask when people call for availability is "Are you looking for accommodations for 2 adults?" If they have kids, or pets I refer them to appropriate B+B's or hotels. If they are 3 adults, I will try to sell them an additional accommodation for the 3rd person.
We do not take children. Period. Each accommodation has a maximum occupancy of 2 people. Period. We do not take pets. Period. We are not handicap accessible. Period. We do not do weddings. Period
While it is true that, with 3 accommodations we are limited to 6 people total, we technically could put 3 people in one accommodation, but we don't....that pretty much eliminates the kid issue as well. When people complain to us about not putting a third person on the sofa bed in the cottage we just tell them that we have a maximum occupancy of 2 people...they are welcome to reserve a suite in the main house for the third person. I am sure that we have lost business but, on the other hand, we do get folks to reserve the additional suite on occasion. In the end, we are MUCH happier with our day-to-day B+B lives with these restrictions. (We are not required by law to take handicap, kids or pets into our home.).
I should put the list by the phone. Altho we've only ever booked obx repeats in again a couple of times, we've luckily never booked in a second time someone we truly did not want.
 
Have you ever had to sound like a loon and send a second email after you already sent the first? I hate doing that, and most of the time I just EAT IT, eat whatever needed to be corrected. I hate having to be on 100% of the time - as I don't want this business to RUN ME, but if I don't I mess up and let things slip.
Who hasn't? JB, I love you dearly, but I have to ask this - why should you be different? NONE of us is perfect. You beat yourself up any time this are not just so. LIVE. my friend. You are human! Tell the guest in a call or an e-mail that room just is not suitable for a child and you will be booking them into xxx room so all will be more comfortable and you will be waiving the charge for THIS visit..
gillumhouse said:
NONE of us is perfect.
[/quote
I thought we were!
wink_smile.gif

.
Ice said:
gillumhouse said:
NONE of us is perfect.
[/quote
I thought we were!
wink_smile.gif
Shouldn't it be "None of us ARE perfect"
poke.gif
 
Have you ever had to sound like a loon and send a second email after you already sent the first? I hate doing that, and most of the time I just EAT IT, eat whatever needed to be corrected. I hate having to be on 100% of the time - as I don't want this business to RUN ME, but if I don't I mess up and let things slip.
Who hasn't? JB, I love you dearly, but I have to ask this - why should you be different? NONE of us is perfect. You beat yourself up any time this are not just so. LIVE. my friend. You are human! Tell the guest in a call or an e-mail that room just is not suitable for a child and you will be booking them into xxx room so all will be more comfortable and you will be waiving the charge for THIS visit..
gillumhouse said:
NONE of us is perfect.
[/quote
I thought we were!
wink_smile.gif

.
Ice said:
gillumhouse said:
NONE of us is perfect.
[/quote
I thought we were!
wink_smile.gif
Shouldn't it be "None of us ARE perfect"
poke.gif

.
I believe None is the singular (as in no one) subject and of us is the modifier (sorry English grammar and diagraming sentences was over 50 years ago) and is = the singular verb..
 
We've all been there...
Be kind to yourself and don't beat yourself up about this.
Move these guests to a more appropriate room (if they're not there already on your full weekend) and charge them the same rate as for the romantic room. Email them with the change and sell it as an upgrade to make them more comfortable.
Hang in there!!
 
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