How to annoy the folks who recommend your business...

[Morticia]

A couple of things this year that have erased certain locals from our memory banks:

• We went out for lunch and sat for 20 minutes at a restaurant where everyone else who came in after us, and who were seated at the tables next to us, were served. We never had anyone acknowledge we were even there. Emailed the owner, never got a reply. Oops. I can't remember the name of that place. (This was not the first 'bad day' with this place.)
• We pay for guests to be picked up at the train. Yes, WE pay. For the second time, the taxi did not pick up MY guests but DID pick up the people going to the big hotel next door. It's the only taxi in town but I have to take that 'free' service off my website if he's not going to pick the guests up when I've called and made arrangements.

Coming up on my list is a server who does not give complete change. He rounds. To his advantage. Nope, not on my dime. If it was once or he did not give me 'that look' and ask, 'Oh, you WANT the 8 cents? Let me go get that for you,' in that tone of voice I might have let it go. Plus, he has zero personality. And not just with grandma here. A table of 20-somethings was next to me and he didn't give them the time of day, either.
And the guy who chastised me for not being home when he made an unexpected delivery and then would not give one of my guests a bag to carry her purchases. Another owner I know who will hear from me this week.
Don't peeve the people who do the referring. Sure, you're right there on 'Main St' but guests listens to what we tell them.

 

[Lee2014]

That is correct. Did you let them know WHO you are and how many guests you have a year to send or not send to their establishment. My aunt just joined Uber since they do a great job with our guests here. They are now remembering to stop at the front door for their passengers. The cab service in town didn't show up for three time in a row so now we recommend uber. They are here within five minutes even for our 15 bachalorette girls party. (It took two cars and a van)

 

[JBloggs]

Uber?

 

[Jcam]

I spend a good deal of my time shouting at the taxi companies who take my guests to the other hotel of similar name up the street despite my guests having a printed address.

 

[MtnKeeper]

We keep a book of local restaurants that we recommend. Another innkeeper who has a restaurant was rude to some of my guests when they went. I listened but of course only got one side so didn't take his menu out. The following week my hubby called to make a reservation for some guests. His wife answered and offered them a time and hubby checked with guests and called back to accept it. The guy accused my husband of lying that his wife said 8pm was OK. Hubby assured him he had made the call and she said it was Ok and sent the guest. I then shredded his menu and have never recommended him again - morale of the story … don't call the guy feeding you guests a liar or treat him badly, that revenue stream can dry up in a snap!

 

[Morticia]

Uber?.

Uber?

The guests will need to call Uber on their own. I don't have the app. But I'll suggest it to them. The taxi is licensed and insured but not so reliable it appears.

 

[Morticia]

That is correct. Did you let them know WHO you are and how many guests you have a year to send or not send to their establishment. My aunt just joined Uber since they do a great job with our guests here. They are now remembering to stop at the front door for their passengers. The cab service in town didn't show up for three time in a row so now we recommend uber. They are here within five minutes even for our 15 bachalorette girls party. (It took two cars and a van).

I did let the restaurant know who we are and how we were treated but the owner is fairly well off without the income I don't think she cares.

 

[Copperhead]

I had an issue with a tour company a few years ago. There are 3 such tours in the area but this one company is 5 minutes from me. They get an overwhelming majority of our guests heading their direction.

This tour requires everyone to be 30 minutes early for the tour.
Sounds simple but as we know people don't follow directions. So if I am aware of their tour/time I remind them of this.

For several mths we got calls from the tour company's owner yelling that Mr/Mrs Doe are late, are they coming? This was 2-5 minutes being late. Most were most likely walking up to the office when they called. When they did not call us, they were calling the guest cell #. One lady came back after the tour in tears as she said she was yelled at in front of others.

I talked to the owner about it and he almost let me have an ear full so I stopped promoting them at all.
A few months went by and the mgr came by to see us. He asked if we were still in business. He was worried about us. The unspoken was the fact that he was missing the business we had been sending his way.
He told me the owner had decided to turn things completely over to him (mgr) and that things were going much smoother. TA reviews showed the change too.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

3 years ago we started doing small weddings and elopements. I sent one couple with 25 guests to the only upscale restaurant we have in our area They're also the only restaurant that will take reservations. They tried to steal my wedding! The bride was in tears and I was fuming. I never sent them another dime of business. This restaurant flounders in our area because the whole area is casual and customers won't pay for upscale prices. The whole area's restaurants are already very expensive, even the casual ones. Think $20 for fish & chips lunch and that's for a 6 oz portion of fish.
That restaurant that tried to steal my wedding could have been making many, many thousands of dollars from our referrals. That first wedding party I sent was $3,000 on a night where they would have been lucky to make $500. Their greed did them in and now I see that one of their properties has been foreclosed. I still will never send them one dime of business.

 

[Morticia]

3 years ago we started doing small weddings and elopements. I sent one couple with 25 guests to the only upscale restaurant we have in our area They're also the only restaurant that will take reservations. They tried to steal my wedding! The bride was in tears and I was fuming. I never sent them another dime of business. This restaurant flounders in our area because the whole area is casual and customers won't pay for upscale prices. The whole area's restaurants are already very expensive, even the casual ones. Think $20 for fish & chips lunch and that's for a 6 oz portion of fish.
That restaurant that tried to steal my wedding could have been making many, many thousands of dollars from our referrals. That first wedding party I sent was $3,000 on a night where they would have been lucky to make $500. Their greed did them in and now I see that one of their properties has been foreclosed. I still will never send them one dime of business..

We had inn owners here in town who used to do that. We'd been told several times by guests that someone had approached them, asked where they were staying, and then said their place was a lot nicer and with better amenities.

 

[Generic]

We get along well with most of the other B&Bs in town... and if I don't, that's fine too. I send people to other B&Bs when I'm full... no use sending them to hotels.
We have had very few of the local businesses come to us to push their wares, one exception was a nice little restaurant. We had one that offered our clients 10% off if they booked in the name of the B&B (but have since moved too far away for guests to go by foot.)
Now, there is this one place that has a good reputation and an excellent wine list. It's the place we send people from the Midwest because they don't really have anything on the menu that will really shock them, other than veal sweetbreads. There is no elk, no deer, duck, etc... it's salmon and chicken and beef and pork. Anyway, we went in there ourselves one winter evening. We don't announce ourselves, we don't want them to know we are from the B&B, we want to experience the service as anyone else. The service that night was HORRIBLE. Only one waiter smiled, the rest seemed like they didn't want to be there. We left the tip in cash, but there were coins, so we warned them about the coins. The waitress's sneer was so bad that I was tempted to go back and leave with the tip money. So I contacted the owner in email about it. He took responsibility and promised me that my guests would never receive such service, personally. And I told him that I would be checking up with my guests about the service. Over the years I have sent him hundreds of tables, he couldn't afford to have me steer them elsewhere. And since then all my guests have been happy with the service. And it's the only time we have ever had to intervene.
We usually only introduce ourselves after the meal is done and paid for, so they can't bribe us. And only so they can put a face to the interactions.
Some of these businesses don't really understand that they should put their best foot forward to us. They don't understand that people ask us about them. That we are the people who get them on to T/A.

 

[Lee2014]

That is correct. Did you let them know WHO you are and how many guests you have a year to send or not send to their establishment. My aunt just joined Uber since they do a great job with our guests here. They are now remembering to stop at the front door for their passengers. The cab service in town didn't show up for three time in a row so now we recommend uber. They are here within five minutes even for our 15 bachalorette girls party. (It took two cars and a van).

I did let the restaurant know who we are and how we were treated but the owner is fairly well off without the income I don't think she cares.
.

That's too bad. Whether you need the money or not, you should have good relations since you never know what might happen in the future. Gomez could end up the town mayor/ governor!

 

[Jcam]

3 years ago we started doing small weddings and elopements. I sent one couple with 25 guests to the only upscale restaurant we have in our area They're also the only restaurant that will take reservations. They tried to steal my wedding! The bride was in tears and I was fuming. I never sent them another dime of business. This restaurant flounders in our area because the whole area is casual and customers won't pay for upscale prices. The whole area's restaurants are already very expensive, even the casual ones. Think $20 for fish & chips lunch and that's for a 6 oz portion of fish.
That restaurant that tried to steal my wedding could have been making many, many thousands of dollars from our referrals. That first wedding party I sent was $3,000 on a night where they would have been lucky to make $500. Their greed did them in and now I see that one of their properties has been foreclosed. I still will never send them one dime of business..

We had inn owners here in town who used to do that. We'd been told several times by guests that someone had approached them, asked where they were staying, and then said their place was a lot nicer and with better amenities.
.

What saddens me is when they come to you then never follow it up ie restaurant we are happy to recommend asked to make an appointment to see us with a new marketing idea ie everyone who says they are from us will get a free glass of prosceco and a pound will go on a tab for us to use ie eventually free dinner or whatever
I said happy to do so but would recommend a coupon as guests feel reasured about asking if they have something in their hand to show its a real thing and each property writes on the back name of B&B so easy to track who is sending you the most business - also could we have some food photo's etc to put on our blog to advertise this - never got an email or coupons what a surprise. We want to help you give us the tools!