Thursday, October 27, 2011

Why Green Guests Are The Best

Every Chez Sven guest fills out a short questionnaire at registration. One of the questions: How important to you is our being green? Another, How important to you is eating organic? Guests have the choice of 1, 2, 3, or 4, with 4 meaning “very.” In 2011, most guests circled 3 on both questions. Some circled 3 for the first question, and 4 for the second. Others, 4 for the first, and 3 for the second. When I get two circles around 4, part of me cheers because I know we will have a lot in common. On a recent weekend, the Green Room and Liberty Coin guests circled 4 on both questions. Guess what type of car graced our parking area while they were at Chez Sven? All together now, PRIUS!

The Green Room guests, Jack and Anne, instigated the private tour of Hatch Cottage and the Biddle compound with Cape Cod Modern House Trust’s Peter McMahon.

In Liberty Coin that same weekend, we had photographer Steve Schaub and eleven-year-old daughter Greta. They needed a sugar-free breakfast because the family is conducting a very unusual experiment: for ten months, all family members have eschewed all forms of sugar, except fruit. Steve’s wife is writing a book about the experience. (Check out her blog A Year of No Sugar.)

Sven and I enjoyed both visits immensely and hope these guests will return.

Guests who circle 4 are intelligent and environmentally aware. They turn off lights upon departure, they do not leave the heat on unnecessarily while out exploring. Green guests willingly recycle and eschew plastic bags/bottles. These guests are my kind of people. They understand Chez Sven is not a hotel and behave accordingly.

The questionnaire serves two purposes. 1.) It clues me in to appropriate behavior on my part, 2.) It offers the occasion to suggest guests who circle, say 1 on eating organic, might want to think twice when eating strawberries from California, due to pesticide residue.

If you had to fill out our questionnaire, what numbers would your answers be?

Comments (9)

Loading... Logging you in...
  • Logged in as
What a nice way to personalize your guests' experiences, and at the same time, ensure that you know what you are getting.
My recent post 6 Easy Ways to Regain the Weight You've Lost
I can totally see how this shared common value would bond your time together, and give you more to talk about and to discover about one another with interest. It's like you are kind of inviting friends you didn't know you had until they arrived, to your home!
My recent post Writing Anxiety of the Day: Memoir or Novel?
1 reply · active 692 weeks ago
Wow! Merr, that's a perfect way to describe it. Thanks.
I'm interested in that year of no sugar. Sounds wonderful (will click over in a minute). I want to do that too! I'm not sure what questions I'd put on such a questionnaire but I do think it's good to have guests who care about the environment and aren't just hedonists. Sounds like you've had some lovely people lately chez Sven!
alisa bowman's avatar

alisa bowman · 692 weeks ago

I think it also is symbiotic because the green guests get what you are all about and appreciate the finer touches -- like the organic local soap in the showers.
My recent post Everyone is a Failure
Living Large's avatar

Living Large · 692 weeks ago

It has to be great when your guests really appreciate what you do for them and the lengths that you go to provide a green experience.
My recent post 50 litres of Milk and a Possum
I'd love to hear more about the sugar-free breakfast. I can't help but notice the green drink, I've been experimenting with spinach in smoothies, is that what it is?
I would definitely be all 4s - and totally understandable that you'd cheer for those guests. And that's awesome that Steve and family are giving up sugar. Good for them! I did that back in my 20s and felt SO much better. I think it's time to revisit that food philosophy.
My recent post Happy Halloween! What’s the Scariest Movie You’ve Ever Seen?

Post a new comment

Comments by