Do you bother to refer guests to other inns?

[egoodell]

I also recommend that we visit other inns, any and all we can so we can see how others do things.
Some times I read things on this forum and I really cannot picture it, but in person I say AHHHH! I get it now. Innkeepers do things their way for a reason, sometimes there are some really cool ways to do things we have not really thought of yet! But seeing it online makes no sense to me. You all know what I mean. Walking a day in that innkeepers shoes you think, okay, this works well here..

That's exactly why we love to stay at other B&Bs. For ideas!!!!!!!
Riki

 

[EmptyNest]

I referred to my friends and to those who referred to me. THat is it. I feel no need to help those who never helped me..

Please do not take this as a slam, not meant to be, just a statement. I never looked at it as helping only those who helped me because I have no way of knowing who helped me. I have gotten help (discovered MUCH later) from sources I would never have thought of.
That is why I try to help all adn the reason I only recommend MABB member B & Bs is that they are the only ones I know about. I they are going to other states, I definitely refer to Forum inns - again because I know about them.
.

Well, I guess I should have worded that differently. I am ASSUMING...we were speaking of other B & B's not the local chamber or stores etc...
Locally I KNOW (what other innkeepers) referred people to me and who did not. So those are the folk I reciprocate. Not the others. And I have reasons WHY I would not refer as well...not just the fact they did not do it for me.
In the case of the BBAV members, if folks were traveling to another part of the state..OF COURSE I referred them to our association members!!!! There are some however, that I would not...unfortunately. Just because they are a member, does not automatically mean I would send someone to them.

 

[gillumhouse]

I referred to my friends and to those who referred to me. THat is it. I feel no need to help those who never helped me..

Please do not take this as a slam, not meant to be, just a statement. I never looked at it as helping only those who helped me because I have no way of knowing who helped me. I have gotten help (discovered MUCH later) from sources I would never have thought of.
That is why I try to help all adn the reason I only recommend MABB member B & Bs is that they are the only ones I know about. I they are going to other states, I definitely refer to Forum inns - again because I know about them.
.

Well, I guess I should have worded that differently. I am ASSUMING...we were speaking of other B & B's not the local chamber or stores etc...
Locally I KNOW (what other innkeepers) referred people to me and who did not. So those are the folk I reciprocate. Not the others. And I have reasons WHY I would not refer as well...not just the fact they did not do it for me.
In the case of the BBAV members, if folks were traveling to another part of the state..OF COURSE I referred them to our association members!!!! There are some however, that I would not...unfortunately. Just because they are a member, does not automatically mean I would send someone to them.
.

I was referring to other B & Bs. And I do agree that just because they are members does not mean they get referred by me. We had one that is no longer in business (thankfully) that I did not recommend. If i was asked about inns in their city, they were mentioned and that was as far as I would go. And it was strictly on the safety issue for me - nice place, nice people but I did not like the egress.

 

[happykeeper]

I do because we have several other B&Bs here that were here long before we opened. They're a different experience though, as we are smaller & owner operated totally. We're all just a bit different. I'm trying to carve out a niche here as a "traditional" B&B with more service, amenities, and attention to the small things that people might be looking for.

.

Right On Samster. Carving out a niche is our thing. I could go on and on about how important that is.

 

[happykeeper]

I also recommend that we visit other inns, any and all we can so we can see how others do things.
Some times I read things on this forum and I really cannot picture it, but in person I say AHHHH! I get it now. Innkeepers do things their way for a reason, sometimes there are some really cool ways to do things we have not really thought of yet! But seeing it online makes no sense to me. You all know what I mean. Walking a day in that innkeepers shoes you think, okay, this works well here..

That's exactly why we love to stay at other B&Bs. For ideas!!!!!!!
Riki
.

That has been one of the neatest things about being innkeepers. We have gotten so many good ideas and we have seen several different ways to run things. Really helps set the table!

 

[user 26]

yes, referred out all the time. but i did say, even if i knew the innkeepers, i had not stayed in those places. i would talk up the innkeepers.
if i didn't know the innkeepers, i would tell them that too ... and i had those books that were put out by the state to give.
often i asked guests to let me know if they stayed at different places and how it went. hardly ever (to never) got a response but once got an email with subject 'report card' and i thought what on earth is this? had forgot all about it months later.

 

[gillumhouse]

I do because we have several other B&Bs here that were here long before we opened. They're a different experience though, as we are smaller & owner operated totally. We're all just a bit different. I'm trying to carve out a niche here as a "traditional" B&B with more service, amenities, and attention to the small things that people might be looking for.

.

Right On Samster. Carving out a niche is our thing. I could go on and on about how important that is.
.

That is why I do not do a lot of "scatter gun" marketing. Niche usually costs less and has a better return. Guests looking for an elegant place would be VERY unhappy here, a place where one review started out - I felt I could take off my shoes and kick back....

 

[Copperhead]

I referred to my friends and to those who referred to me. THat is it. I feel no need to help those who never helped me..

Please do not take this as a slam, not meant to be, just a statement. I never looked at it as helping only those who helped me because I have no way of knowing who helped me. I have gotten help (discovered MUCH later) from sources I would never have thought of.
That is why I try to help all adn the reason I only recommend MABB member B & Bs is that they are the only ones I know about. I they are going to other states, I definitely refer to Forum inns - again because I know about them.
.

Well, I guess I should have worded that differently. I am ASSUMING...we were speaking of other B & B's not the local chamber or stores etc...
Locally I KNOW (what other innkeepers) referred people to me and who did not. So those are the folk I reciprocate. Not the others. And I have reasons WHY I would not refer as well...not just the fact they did not do it for me.
In the case of the BBAV members, if folks were traveling to another part of the state..OF COURSE I referred them to our association members!!!! There are some however, that I would not...unfortunately. Just because they are a member, does not automatically mean I would send someone to them.
.

Locally I KNOW (what other innkeepers) referred people to me and who did not. So those are the folk I reciprocate. Not the others. And I have reasons WHY I would not refer as well...not just the fact they did not do it for me.

In my earlier post, I said it depends... I too think I should clarify my statement.
There use to be a second B&B in my area, now closed over 3 years now. She had been in business serveral years when we opened. No matter how many times I referred guests to her, it was never reciprocated. At least twice, if not more, I recieved calls back after referring them to her saying that she was very rude or abrupt and thought I should know. I wondered how many others she treated that way and what they must think of ME for recommending them to her...From that time on I no longer referred them to her. If they asked about the other B&B, I gladly stated where it was, how far from town, etc. but stayed very neutral on anything.. This was before TA was around, so I did not have that to refer them to.
The closest B&B's to me now are 30-40 miles away and it does depend on the reason for the visit what I do. I only know 2 innkeepers well enough to 'recommend' and speak highly about. The others are there and I will give out names but can not recommend as I do not know them or their establishment. After reading this forum, I find that ya'll seem to have a more neighborly association with the innkeepers in your areas. I do wish this was the case here but it is not, for the most part.

 

[Morticia]

I referred to my friends and to those who referred to me. THat is it. I feel no need to help those who never helped me..

Please do not take this as a slam, not meant to be, just a statement. I never looked at it as helping only those who helped me because I have no way of knowing who helped me. I have gotten help (discovered MUCH later) from sources I would never have thought of.
That is why I try to help all adn the reason I only recommend MABB member B & Bs is that they are the only ones I know about. I they are going to other states, I definitely refer to Forum inns - again because I know about them.
.

Well, I guess I should have worded that differently. I am ASSUMING...we were speaking of other B & B's not the local chamber or stores etc...
Locally I KNOW (what other innkeepers) referred people to me and who did not. So those are the folk I reciprocate. Not the others. And I have reasons WHY I would not refer as well...not just the fact they did not do it for me.
In the case of the BBAV members, if folks were traveling to another part of the state..OF COURSE I referred them to our association members!!!! There are some however, that I would not...unfortunately. Just because they are a member, does not automatically mean I would send someone to them.
.

Locally I KNOW (what other innkeepers) referred people to me and who did not. So those are the folk I reciprocate. Not the others. And I have reasons WHY I would not refer as well...not just the fact they did not do it for me.

In my earlier post, I said it depends... I too think I should clarify my statement.
There use to be a second B&B in my area, now closed over 3 years now. She had been in business serveral years when we opened. No matter how many times I referred guests to her, it was never reciprocated. At least twice, if not more, I recieved calls back after referring them to her saying that she was very rude or abrupt and thought I should know. I wondered how many others she treated that way and what they must think of ME for recommending them to her...From that time on I no longer referred them to her. If they asked about the other B&B, I gladly stated where it was, how far from town, etc. but stayed very neutral on anything.. This was before TA was around, so I did not have that to refer them to.
The closest B&B's to me now are 30-40 miles away and it does depend on the reason for the visit what I do. I only know 2 innkeepers well enough to 'recommend' and speak highly about. The others are there and I will give out names but can not recommend as I do not know them or their establishment. After reading this forum, I find that ya'll seem to have a more neighborly association with the innkeepers in your areas. I do wish this was the case here but it is not, for the most part.
.

Ditto here...if we get reports back that guests we referred were not treated well or were not contacted at all after messages were left, we won't refer to that place again. One guest drove all the way over here to complain one day when the place we referred her to did not return her calls.

 

[gillumhouse]

I referred to my friends and to those who referred to me. THat is it. I feel no need to help those who never helped me..

Please do not take this as a slam, not meant to be, just a statement. I never looked at it as helping only those who helped me because I have no way of knowing who helped me. I have gotten help (discovered MUCH later) from sources I would never have thought of.
That is why I try to help all adn the reason I only recommend MABB member B & Bs is that they are the only ones I know about. I they are going to other states, I definitely refer to Forum inns - again because I know about them.
.

Well, I guess I should have worded that differently. I am ASSUMING...we were speaking of other B & B's not the local chamber or stores etc...
Locally I KNOW (what other innkeepers) referred people to me and who did not. So those are the folk I reciprocate. Not the others. And I have reasons WHY I would not refer as well...not just the fact they did not do it for me.
In the case of the BBAV members, if folks were traveling to another part of the state..OF COURSE I referred them to our association members!!!! There are some however, that I would not...unfortunately. Just because they are a member, does not automatically mean I would send someone to them.
.

Locally I KNOW (what other innkeepers) referred people to me and who did not. So those are the folk I reciprocate. Not the others. And I have reasons WHY I would not refer as well...not just the fact they did not do it for me.

In my earlier post, I said it depends... I too think I should clarify my statement.
There use to be a second B&B in my area, now closed over 3 years now. She had been in business serveral years when we opened. No matter how many times I referred guests to her, it was never reciprocated. At least twice, if not more, I recieved calls back after referring them to her saying that she was very rude or abrupt and thought I should know. I wondered how many others she treated that way and what they must think of ME for recommending them to her...From that time on I no longer referred them to her. If they asked about the other B&B, I gladly stated where it was, how far from town, etc. but stayed very neutral on anything.. This was before TA was around, so I did not have that to refer them to.
The closest B&B's to me now are 30-40 miles away and it does depend on the reason for the visit what I do. I only know 2 innkeepers well enough to 'recommend' and speak highly about. The others are there and I will give out names but can not recommend as I do not know them or their establishment. After reading this forum, I find that ya'll seem to have a more neighborly association with the innkeepers in your areas. I do wish this was the case here but it is not, for the most part.
.

Ditto here...if we get reports back that guests we referred were not treated well or were not contacted at all after messages were left, we won't refer to that place again. One guest drove all the way over here to complain one day when the place we referred her to did not return her calls.
.

Yes, that does remind me that I referred a B & B in the next town and the guest called me arrival day when it was hot as hell (I was booked and that was why I referred her) and all she wanted was her room and no one answered the phone or the door. I was not only booked but in the middle of fixing a dinner and had no way to do anything for that lady. I felt badly, but could do nothing. I do not send many their way since then, I send to another if I can,

 

[DaisyMae]

we had a guest call us last summer inquiring about a reservation. he said that another local innkeeper (he did say specifically who) had told him they were booked but that he could check with their "sister inns" , the 2 other inns they own (us & someone else!) and see if we have a vacancy.
first off, we are not owned by anyone but us (me & dh) secondly, i am 99.9% positive that inn #2 is only owned by the couple that owns it.. i must have sounded surprised or something because he asked me if i did not knew the person. i said that i knew of the other innkeeper but had actually only spoken to him on 1-2 other occasions for about 5 minutes each time. he asked me what they served for breakfast & what their inn looked like. i told him i did not know because i had never been inside their inn.
i've never said anything to that other innkeeper but i will always remember...
anyway, point being, i do not refer to them simply because i was put off by the incident.