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Question for our next issue:
Do you think it's worth the time and money to attend innkeeping conferences?
Why or why not?
Email your responses to InnkeeperNews@BedandBreakfast.com.
If we publish your comments, we'll thank you with a $25 credit in our Featured
Properties Auction program!
We Asked: You
love your guests, but as they say, nothing’s perfect. What are your pet peeves
about your guests?
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 Ash Street Inn, Amelia Island, FL
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We had a cathartic gripe session in response to this question, with the most
common complaints relating to:
Early check-in (the leading peeve)
Late arrivals
Late checkouts
Other timing issues
Makeup stains on towels/linens
Food issues
Sloppy/destructive/thoughtless guests
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In reviewing these pet peeves, keep these points in mind:
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Does it really matter? A few innkeepers griped about folks who call on
their toll-free phone line, wasting their time and money instead of making
reservations. If that's your pet peeve, then negotiate a cheaper phone rate,
and forget about it. Life is too short! As Dotty Kyle (West Hill House, Warren,
VT)
says: "If it weren't for these darn guests, we could run a really great
B&B!"
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Try to see it from the guest's point of view. Imagine you're going away
for a romantic getaway - without kids - for the first time in years. Would you
really want to set the alarm to make sure you're ready for breakfast on time?
Or let's say you've been traveling in unfamiliar territory for six hours, and
arrive at your destination earlier than expected. Wouldn't you want to access
your room asap for R&R? Don't expect guests to know that you're a one-man
show; many think that B&Bs are staffed just like hotels. Don't assume
(you know what they say about "assume") that guests will tell you what's
bothering them; you have to ask, "Is everything OK?" and really mean it.
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Focus on solutions: If guests fail to use your coasters, leaving
water rings on your antique furniture, then have glass tops made to protect
both the decor and your nerves. If guests leave dinner leftovers in your
refrigerator, or rummage through your cupboards looking for wine glasses, then
set up a guest pantry area with a small refrigerator, microwave, glasses and
mugs, and hot and cold beverages. If early check-ins are a major problem,
prepare an activities sheet with local sights of interest, and send it with
your confirmations. If most guests follow a similar route to your B&B,
ceate an itinerary of recommended stops (to shop, eat, & sightsee) to keep
them occupied until check-in time. Keep additional copies on by your entrance
door as well, with a note that "here are some things you might enjoy doing if
you arrive before our check-in time." If late arrivals are a headache, make
sure that your confirmation notice includes your regular and toll-free numbers;
ask guests to be sure to call if they'll be arriving after 7 P.M. so that "we
won't be worrying whether you're lost."
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Get a life:: If petty annoyances fill your mind with negative energy,
rethink what you are doing and why. Go stay at some other B&Bs, without
revealing your identity as an innkeeper, so you can remember what it feels like
to be a guest.
Top marks for creative complaining (with a sense of humor) goes to Rob Tate, Ash
Street Inn, Amelia Island, FL
"Fortunately, the vast majority of our guests are a joy. Here are a few
exceptions:
Tammy Faye Syndrome:
With so much industrial-strength make-up on robes, towels, and sheets it is a
miracle that any of it ends up on these women's faces. When a make-up removal
cloth is in clear sight, embroidered with the words "Make-Up Remover," they
still opt to use a white washcloth.
The Stealth Guest:
This person invades private spaces like a bad virus. It's nice that guests feel
at home, but I would prefer that they not feel comfortable enough to rummage
through our kitchen cabinets, drawers and refrigerator after hours.
The Architecturally Dyslexic:
Why would someone, when first arriving at a B&B, choose to enter
through the back door? Forget the fact that you worked like crazy on the front
of the house to create the welcoming ambience that sets the tone for their
visit. They would much rather ambush you by entering through the laundry room.
Early Checkinitis:
This syndrome robs people of any concept of time. If check-in is at three, they
are guaranteed to show up at noon to see if their room is ready. Typically,
these are one-night guests who live 30 minutes away. It's possible that they
have calculated the hourly rate for the room and are trying to maximize value.
We attempt to accommodate them by checking them into the room, then vacuuming
the rugs directly outside their door until check-in time."
Thanks also to Yvonne Martin, White Oak Inn, Danville, OH, who mentioned
some of the same problems, and added:
"People who are asked about food allergies, preferences, and dislikes and say
they'll eat anything -- until you set the food in front of them and they tell
you they can't or won't eat something that you've just prepared.
People who spill food or drink in the room and don't bother to tell you. By the
time you find the stain you have to guess what it is, and have a hard time
getting it out of the carpet, furniture, and/or linens."
Nickie Aldridge, Tree Streets Inn, Waynesboro, VA reminds us that
innkeepers are not mind readers:
"Our pet peeve is when our guests don't tell us about something that is
bothering them in time to fix the problem. We had a guest who stayed for three
days; in our room comment book, he raved about our service, comfort, and
hospitality, but noted that the coffee was too strong for his taste. If he had
told me in person after the first cup, I could have made the coffee to his
taste. And this was not a shy man."
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 Christopher Place: An Intimate Resort,
East Tennessee
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Our holiday promotions resulted in record sales of BedandBreakfast.com gift
certificates. The lucky recipients are going to be searching for B&Bs that
will redeem them. Make sure you're listed! To join the over 2400 participating
inns, just log in to your home base with your property ID and password, then
click Gift Certificate Program.
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For your protection, your traffic statistics and member information are shown only
in the email we sent you. For more details, please log in with your property ID
and password. Can't remember your password?
Click here, then enter your property ID and we'll email it to you.
Don't like your password? Once you're logged in to Home Base, just click
"Change Password" (first item in the left-hand column), and choose another
that's easier to remember.
More information
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Time to move on? Sell your property by listing it on the leading Internet site
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Email us today and we'll put you on our special offer mailing list. "BedandBreakfast.com
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