My Value Added Theory...

[JBloggs]

A phone call from the road, the man inquires about a room for tonight. He then asks if we offer an active military discount, to which I say "Yes we do, 10% off." To which he replies, "Good, and do you offer a travel agency discount?" I pause, think about this, what is this? I reply, "No, but I did just offer you 10% off, did you not hear me?" He says "Yes I heard you, just wondered if I could get a travel agency discount also."
Two sisters buy a GC ONE night stay for their mother for this Friday. I have the room booked Sat for one night, so I took the one night no problem. They ask me "Does it include dinner as well?" DINNER? Is this a BnD or a BnB?
So now to my theory. My theory is not that the regular BnB goers are being cheapskates, I think these are NEW possible BnB goers and heard/read about the value added staying in a BnB so are trying to achieve that extra added value.
Your thoughts? Are you getting more first timers? More calls asking about strange discounts and additions to the room and breakfast?

 

[Proud Texan]

We've only been open a year, but I'd venture to say that 30% of our visitors have been first timers.
There was a recent article posted by BedandBreakfast.com that indicated that most of this is caused by the current economy. There are more people requesting single nights and doing whatever they can to save a buck.
I think most people have champagne taste on a beer budget.

 

[Don Draper]

I seem to have the opposite. Our first timers are the ones who are in awe of everything, blown away, just so grateful...it is the frequent travelers who seem to think we are a roadside motel willing to sell our rooms for $25/night...geesh.
Had what looked like a legitimate inquiry for our smallest room for a weeknight next week...but wanting to know what the rate would be just to "use the room for the day" as they will have to leave in the evening to get back to their kids. Yuck. Didn't even answer that one.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I seem to have the opposite. Our first timers are the ones who are in awe of everything, blown away, just so grateful...it is the frequent travelers who seem to think we are a roadside motel willing to sell our rooms for $25/night...geesh.
Had what looked like a legitimate inquiry for our smallest room for a weeknight next week...but wanting to know what the rate would be just to "use the room for the day" as they will have to leave in the evening to get back to their kids. Yuck. Didn't even answer that one..

EWWWWWWWW!

 

[JBloggs]

I seem to have the opposite. Our first timers are the ones who are in awe of everything, blown away, just so grateful...it is the frequent travelers who seem to think we are a roadside motel willing to sell our rooms for $25/night...geesh.
Had what looked like a legitimate inquiry for our smallest room for a weeknight next week...but wanting to know what the rate would be just to "use the room for the day" as they will have to leave in the evening to get back to their kids. Yuck. Didn't even answer that one..

So maybe that is it? Seems they don't know what a BnB is for the most part though.
We DO have many first time BnB goers here, and I agree they appreciate it all. This is phone calls first though...

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I seem to have the opposite. Our first timers are the ones who are in awe of everything, blown away, just so grateful...it is the frequent travelers who seem to think we are a roadside motel willing to sell our rooms for $25/night...geesh.
Had what looked like a legitimate inquiry for our smallest room for a weeknight next week...but wanting to know what the rate would be just to "use the room for the day" as they will have to leave in the evening to get back to their kids. Yuck. Didn't even answer that one..

I love first timers. We get a lot of them. The ones I hate are those that think some day they are going to have their own B&B. They look at everything very critically and have really no clue what it just took to make their room and environment look the way it does. Last week we had a couple take our least expensive room (smallest), wrote wonderful things in the room journal, then left a comment card complaining that the fan that's in their small closet was a little difficult to take out and the fire extinguisher in the closet wasn't very obvious.
Oh gee, really? You found it! You don't think I'm aware the closet is a bit tight? Also, our B&B has fire extinguishers in every room and every common area. Oh yeah, they appreciated HAVING a fan, but what they ment was, couldn't you just get a bigger closet so I don't have to use an ounce of energy to get it out? That wouldn't be a problem now, would it? They also left a note saying to look for their B&B in about 10 years.....hahahahahaha....they looked to be around 60. Think that's ever going to happen?

 

[Proud Texan]

I seem to have the opposite. Our first timers are the ones who are in awe of everything, blown away, just so grateful...it is the frequent travelers who seem to think we are a roadside motel willing to sell our rooms for $25/night...geesh.
Had what looked like a legitimate inquiry for our smallest room for a weeknight next week...but wanting to know what the rate would be just to "use the room for the day" as they will have to leave in the evening to get back to their kids. Yuck. Didn't even answer that one..

I seem to have the opposite. Our first timers are the ones who are in awe of everything, blown away, just so grateful...it is the frequent travelers who seem to think we are a roadside motel willing to sell our rooms for $25/night...geesh.
Had what looked like a legitimate inquiry for our smallest room for a weeknight next week...but wanting to know what the rate would be just to "use the room for the day" as they will have to leave in the evening to get back to their kids. Yuck. Didn't even answer that one.

It's the same price. What kind of check in time do you have? Most have theirs at around 3pm. with a checkout at 11am. We rent the room for that time frame. There is a stipulation in our policies that there is no refund for early departure. So, if someone wants to pay full price for a "quicky" great! I'll just flip the room after they leave and rent it again.

 

[Don Draper]

I seem to have the opposite. Our first timers are the ones who are in awe of everything, blown away, just so grateful...it is the frequent travelers who seem to think we are a roadside motel willing to sell our rooms for $25/night...geesh.
Had what looked like a legitimate inquiry for our smallest room for a weeknight next week...but wanting to know what the rate would be just to "use the room for the day" as they will have to leave in the evening to get back to their kids. Yuck. Didn't even answer that one..

I seem to have the opposite. Our first timers are the ones who are in awe of everything, blown away, just so grateful...it is the frequent travelers who seem to think we are a roadside motel willing to sell our rooms for $25/night...geesh.
Had what looked like a legitimate inquiry for our smallest room for a weeknight next week...but wanting to know what the rate would be just to "use the room for the day" as they will have to leave in the evening to get back to their kids. Yuck. Didn't even answer that one.

It's the same price. What kind of check in time do you have? Most have theirs at around 3pm. with a checkout at 11am. We rent the room for that time frame. There is a stipulation in our policies that there is no refund for early departure. So, if someone wants to pay full price for a "quicky" great! I'll just flip the room after they leave and rent it again.
.

It's the same price. What kind of check in time do you have? Most have theirs at around 3pm. with a checkout at 11am. We rent the room for that time frame. There is a stipulation in our policies that there is no refund for early departure. So, if someone wants to pay full price for a "quicky" great! I'll just flip the room after they leave and rent it again.

Thought about it, but I really don't want them here hanging around all day, doing Lord knows what in our tiniest room for all the house to hear.

 

[Hangfive]

I seem to have the opposite. Our first timers are the ones who are in awe of everything, blown away, just so grateful...it is the frequent travelers who seem to think we are a roadside motel willing to sell our rooms for $25/night...geesh.
Had what looked like a legitimate inquiry for our smallest room for a weeknight next week...but wanting to know what the rate would be just to "use the room for the day" as they will have to leave in the evening to get back to their kids. Yuck. Didn't even answer that one..

I seem to have the opposite. Our first timers are the ones who are in awe of everything, blown away, just so grateful...it is the frequent travelers who seem to think we are a roadside motel willing to sell our rooms for $25/night...geesh.
Had what looked like a legitimate inquiry for our smallest room for a weeknight next week...but wanting to know what the rate would be just to "use the room for the day" as they will have to leave in the evening to get back to their kids. Yuck. Didn't even answer that one.

It's the same price. What kind of check in time do you have? Most have theirs at around 3pm. with a checkout at 11am. We rent the room for that time frame. There is a stipulation in our policies that there is no refund for early departure. So, if someone wants to pay full price for a "quicky" great! I'll just flip the room after they leave and rent it again.
.

It's the same price. What kind of check in time do you have? Most have theirs at around 3pm. with a checkout at 11am. We rent the room for that time frame. There is a stipulation in our policies that there is no refund for early departure. So, if someone wants to pay full price for a "quicky" great! I'll just flip the room after they leave and rent it again.

Thought about it, but I really don't want them here hanging around all day, doing Lord knows what in our tiniest room for all the house to hear.
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We get a lot of wierd calls. We also get them at wierd hours. I always answer the phone, because more often than not if someone staying with us has a problem they end up calling our main number.
I attribute most of the wierd calls to callers seeing us on their GPS's or I-phones and not realizing that we are a B&B.