Friday, April 29, 2011

B&B Etiquette: Email or Phone Contact?

Check out the wisteria from last year! As soon as the sun returns full-time, our wisteria will bloom. Seagull Cottage looks so marvelous covered with lavender blossoms. The cottage is already booked from the beginning of June to the last week of August. Our reservations are way up this year. Strangely enough, almost three-fourths of the guests will travel here from Europe.

Some innkeepers prefer to be contacted by phone. Others prefer email. On the Chez Sven Web site, our preference is mentioned. It should be clear that we prefer email.

I multi-task and tend to be very busy. Answering the phone is not always convenient, like earlier in the week, for example, in the middle of dinner, when I was rushing to get ready for the second night of Town Meeting. Now, I could have not answered, true. But, perhaps someone important was calling? So I picked up the receiver and sat back down at the computer clicking open the online availability calendar.

CALLER: “I want to reserve for August.”

ME: “For what dates?”

CALLER: “August 4, 5, 6, 7. Do you have availability?”

ME: “Yes, those dates are free. We do prefer contact by email. I’m running out, going to town meeting. Sorry, I’m really in a rush. Could you email me your request? Oh, wait a second. I was looking at April. Nope, I’m sorry, we are fully booked August 4, 5, 6, 7.”

The man hangs up on me. Now I realize I was a bit short with him, but still. This phone call was a stark reminder of why innkeepers burn out so fast. Some strangers have no respect.
Posted by Alexandra Grabbe at 6:30 AM
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Melanie's avatar

Melanie · 725 weeks ago

Email makes a lot of sense. Everyone can respond at a time that works for them. Phone is much more insistent.
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VM Badertscher · 725 weeks ago

I just read an article about how people don't use the phone any more. "It used to be the rule that you would not phone after ten p.m. Now the rule is don't phone at all." Perhaps if you told him that in the interest of complete accuracy, you liked to have reservation requests on e-mail if that was possible?? (Make it to his benefit?)
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Geoff · 725 weeks ago

No offense, but if someone is calling offering to spend money at your business I believe you should take the call. Without the customers you won't have a business in Wellfleet, and what happens at the town meeting won't matter. Not that I believe he should have hung up on you - You can bet that this one stranger has told multiple people about the negative experience.
2 replies · active 725 weeks ago
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chezsven 82p · 725 weeks ago

Hi, Geoff. Thanks for your comment. I do not agree. I just this very instant took another call and declined a stay tomorrow night, for one night. We do not do one night. It's 9 pm. How many jobs require answering phones after hours? Sven is 73. I am 64. It is up to us to decide how much work we can handle and when. We know our limits. And don't worry about our business. We are practically full for most of the summer already. If we have so many guests it is because word of mouth functions well, especially in Europe where people tell friends about us. You may be interested in my post tomorrow because it will be more on the same subject. I could choose not to answer the phone, but what if one of my children were calling with an emergency? (I do not to own a cell phone, as I believe holding a cell phone against the head can cause brain tumors. My ex worked in the phone industry in France and warned our kids of this prior to retirement.) But this response is not really about phone calls, it is about rude people. They don't sit well with me and I prefer they not come to our B&B. Would you want them at yours?
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Geoff's avatar

Geoff · 724 weeks ago

No, I agree. Nine is too late to be calling a B&B. My best advise for you - get caller ID. Then you'll know if it is one of the kids or someone you know - or if you should just let it go to the answering machine.
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LANGER's avatar

LANGER · 713 weeks ago

I ALWAYS phone before anything . You have an instant gut feeling when I hear the people that is always right, whatever the good or bad reviews about a place...
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
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chezsven 82p · 713 weeks ago

Thanks, Langer. It's interesting to have the opinion of a guest. Yes, I remember you did call. I assume you were pleased with what you heard because you made a booking. But your call also came at a reasonable time of day. It's dreadful how many people call in the evening and act condescending over the phone. I think that's why I prefer email.

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