Overnight Manager
May 27, 2008
by B&B Reader
I am the overnight manager at a mid-sized B&B (9 total guest rooms). We have been running into a problem nearly once a week - guests who do not arrive when they intend too.
We make numerous efforts to communicate with our guests (at the time of the reservation, the day before their arrival, at times the day of their arrival) that we do plan our days around our check-ins - and therefor would appreciate knowing their intended arrival time. We have run into guests who do not come when they are scheduled to arrive (rather 2-5+ hours LATER) - and do not answer their cell phones/return our calls. This leaves us in a position of sitting around the inn (or staffing someone to sit around) waiting until they arrive - letting our dinner get cold, missing opportunities to bond with our friends, etc all in the name of good customer service.
How should we phrase the importance of contacting us of a change in arrival time - even the day of? We are tired of our lives being put on hold for guests who don't have the common sense to inform us a change of plans.
Any suggestions would be more than appreciated.
Comments
You have just hit one of the big challenges of being a mid-sized B&B. You are facing the balancing act of business versus hospitality.
My suggestion is to word the importance of wanting to give top-notch service and needing the guests' assistance in doing that. By explaining you are a small property and it's not feasible to have staff around 24x7, it's important for guests to let you know of any delays or plan changes so you can arrange to have staff available when they do arrive. Repeat this message on your website, on any reservation page, in your phone reservation process, and in confirmation notes. All the things you said in your post are important to share too.
Some B&Bs only allow check-in during set hours, and some of those will allow a late check-in for a fee. Some B&Bs leave an envelope near the front door with a key and directions and instructions; not my favorite approach for both security and service reasons.
You could try to set up a lock-box system whereby a late-arriving guest has the code for the box so can get their key and directions/instructions. That still leaves the service aspect dangling, IMHO, but the security aspect is tighter that way.
There are many ways to handle this. I'd love to hear what other innkeepers are doing. And I want to hear what you decide on for your B&B.
Posted by: Kit Cassingham | May 28, 2008 12:23 PM