The Squishy Handshake upon arrival

[YellowSocks]

I'm coming in late on this one....
And I have to say that I'm "all of the above."
Sometimes I meet them at their car, sometimes I wait til they ring the bell (and yes, sometimes they try first and then ring), sometimes I wait til I see them approaching the door and open it before they can ring. Heck, a couple of days ago multi-night guests let in the checking-in guests then called me to tell me they'd done so. I told them I was on my way, and thanks. Later we joked that they should have gone ahead with "the tour" and showed them how to use the door!
Usually I say, "Hi, I'm Kathy." They can tell me their names, or not, but I figure it's easy for them to forget mine. It's amazing how many make a sincere effort to learn and remember the ds5x2's names. Anyway, most of them then tell me their names as well, or I might say, "and you're so-and-so." Again, like Tim, four rooms, easier for me to do. (But not so easy when I have a full house!)
When I say "Hi, I'm Kathy," I usually stick out my hand and shake hands all around. But not always.... If their hands are full, or I dunno, for whatever reason sometimes the shake doesn't happen. Hugs don't usually happen on check-in, although they do sometimes with repeat guests. Or huggy guests. (But definitely NOT with business guests!) If they're hispanic or similar culture, we could do the kissy thing.
Sometimes I run their money... or not. (If they're a one night stay they only need to sign their slip anyway, and I usually remember that.) We settle what time is breakfast, do the tour, show the room. Sometimes they get the dinner spiel. Sometimes we get chatting right away and check in takes a while. Sometimes their check in takes 5 minutes and I don't see them again until breakfast.
It's all good!
=)
Kk.

 

[JBloggs]

guess i'm a cold, new england fish !! ~~ i didn't shake my guests' hands upon arrival unless they offered theirs, which wasn't often. doesn't mean i didn't smile a lot and give them what to me was a warm welcome .... but i didn't bite ... not on their first visit!.

guess i'm a cold, new england fish !! ~~ i didn't shake my guests' hands upon arrival unless they offered theirs, which wasn't often. doesn't mean i didn't smile a lot and give them what to me was a warm welcome .... but i didn't bite ... not on their first visit!

Me, too. (cold NE fish)
But I was thinking about the whole greeting at the car because it IS a completely different model from the one I practice. And because I look at everything from my own point of view, I realized I would not want someone greeting me at the car, unless their entire reason was to carry the bags. After a long drive, probably spent arguing with hubs about the last wrong turn, and I'm hungry and out of sorts anyway, having to suddenly be friendly to a complete stranger would make me uncomfortable. I'd like to stretch, look around, get my bearings, work the kinks out but not immediately talk to someone. That walk from the car to the door is a great calmer. Like my kids walking home from school instead of taking the bus. Time to adjust to new surroundings and shake off the stress of the drive.
So, that's how I would look at it.
As long as the innkeepers answered the door with a smile, I wouldn't need them to greet me at my car.
.

guess i'm a cold, new england fish !! ~~ i didn't shake my guests' hands upon arrival unless they offered theirs, which wasn't often. doesn't mean i didn't smile a lot and give them what to me was a warm welcome .... but i didn't bite ... not on their first visit!

Me, too. (cold NE fish)
But I was thinking about the whole greeting at the car because it IS a completely different model from the one I practice. And because I look at everything from my own point of view, I realized I would not want someone greeting me at the car, unless their entire reason was to carry the bags. After a long drive, probably spent arguing with hubs about the last wrong turn, and I'm hungry and out of sorts anyway, having to suddenly be friendly to a complete stranger would make me uncomfortable. I'd like to stretch, look around, get my bearings, work the kinks out but not immediately talk to someone. That walk from the car to the door is a great calmer. Like my kids walking home from school instead of taking the bus. Time to adjust to new surroundings and shake off the stress of the drive.
So, that's how I would look at it.
As long as the innkeepers answered the door with a smile, I wouldn't need them to greet me at my car.

We used to live on acreage and we always greeted folks at their car - just to give them their bearings. I think if you have a paved parking lot with a front door entrance it is entirely different situation. We also walked people to their car. I will always remember someone we met and had dinner with who stood in their doorway and said goodbye and shut the door. I was completely put off, lack of hospitality to the max. They could have kicked us off the stoop, and it would have been the same thing. I still walk guests out... I never wave good bye and they let themselves out. Yes, even with dishes and check out and all that is going on, the other guests can and do wait, each one gets my attention.
Likewise if I am emptying the trash or going to my car or out of it and guests arrive they will be greeted at the car, I won't act like I don't know who they are or what they are here for. I have stayed at BnB's and later saw the same person and it WAS the host! What the heck?
Interesting topic. What about those who repel from shaking your hand? They are so unfamiliar with common manners that they back up like you are trying to grab them or something!

 

[Morticia]

guess i'm a cold, new england fish !! ~~ i didn't shake my guests' hands upon arrival unless they offered theirs, which wasn't often. doesn't mean i didn't smile a lot and give them what to me was a warm welcome .... but i didn't bite ... not on their first visit!.

guess i'm a cold, new england fish !! ~~ i didn't shake my guests' hands upon arrival unless they offered theirs, which wasn't often. doesn't mean i didn't smile a lot and give them what to me was a warm welcome .... but i didn't bite ... not on their first visit!

Me, too. (cold NE fish)
But I was thinking about the whole greeting at the car because it IS a completely different model from the one I practice. And because I look at everything from my own point of view, I realized I would not want someone greeting me at the car, unless their entire reason was to carry the bags. After a long drive, probably spent arguing with hubs about the last wrong turn, and I'm hungry and out of sorts anyway, having to suddenly be friendly to a complete stranger would make me uncomfortable. I'd like to stretch, look around, get my bearings, work the kinks out but not immediately talk to someone. That walk from the car to the door is a great calmer. Like my kids walking home from school instead of taking the bus. Time to adjust to new surroundings and shake off the stress of the drive.
So, that's how I would look at it.
As long as the innkeepers answered the door with a smile, I wouldn't need them to greet me at my car.
.

guess i'm a cold, new england fish !! ~~ i didn't shake my guests' hands upon arrival unless they offered theirs, which wasn't often. doesn't mean i didn't smile a lot and give them what to me was a warm welcome .... but i didn't bite ... not on their first visit!

Me, too. (cold NE fish)
But I was thinking about the whole greeting at the car because it IS a completely different model from the one I practice. And because I look at everything from my own point of view, I realized I would not want someone greeting me at the car, unless their entire reason was to carry the bags. After a long drive, probably spent arguing with hubs about the last wrong turn, and I'm hungry and out of sorts anyway, having to suddenly be friendly to a complete stranger would make me uncomfortable. I'd like to stretch, look around, get my bearings, work the kinks out but not immediately talk to someone. That walk from the car to the door is a great calmer. Like my kids walking home from school instead of taking the bus. Time to adjust to new surroundings and shake off the stress of the drive.
So, that's how I would look at it.
As long as the innkeepers answered the door with a smile, I wouldn't need them to greet me at my car.

We used to live on acreage and we always greeted folks at their car - just to give them their bearings. I think if you have a paved parking lot with a front door entrance it is entirely different situation. We also walked people to their car. I will always remember someone we met and had dinner with who stood in their doorway and said goodbye and shut the door. I was completely put off, lack of hospitality to the max. They could have kicked us off the stoop, and it would have been the same thing. I still walk guests out... I never wave good bye and they let themselves out. Yes, even with dishes and check out and all that is going on, the other guests can and do wait, each one gets my attention.
Likewise if I am emptying the trash or going to my car or out of it and guests arrive they will be greeted at the car, I won't act like I don't know who they are or what they are here for. I have stayed at BnB's and later saw the same person and it WAS the host! What the heck?
Interesting topic. What about those who repel from shaking your hand? They are so unfamiliar with common manners that they back up like you are trying to grab them or something!
.

Yup, I am missing the hospitality gene. I bet at least 25% of the guests here leave without even seeing us to say goodbye. I try to listen for them so I can thank them before they go, but they'll load up the car, go shopping and then come back and drop the keys off and disappear. Even if I'm standing right in the kitchen they will drop the keys on the desk and without a backwards glance walk out the door.
Then again, a lot of them leave in the middle of breakfast and they don't even say goodbye or thank you to the guest who gets up from the table to hold the door open for them as they cart 15 suitcases thru the dining room. So it's probably not me at that point, it's them. They just needed a place to stop for the night.
And yet, I just talked to someone looking for a place for 2 adults & 2 kids and they have no baby gear. Why are they traveling with no gear? Anyway, I directed them to another B&B that has all that stuff, plus room for 4 in one room. Then I directed them to the laundromat. And then, last question as I'm trying to get the cookies out of the oven is, 'Where's the playground?' which I also answered.

 

[JBloggs]

guess i'm a cold, new england fish !! ~~ i didn't shake my guests' hands upon arrival unless they offered theirs, which wasn't often. doesn't mean i didn't smile a lot and give them what to me was a warm welcome .... but i didn't bite ... not on their first visit!.

guess i'm a cold, new england fish !! ~~ i didn't shake my guests' hands upon arrival unless they offered theirs, which wasn't often. doesn't mean i didn't smile a lot and give them what to me was a warm welcome .... but i didn't bite ... not on their first visit!

Me, too. (cold NE fish)
But I was thinking about the whole greeting at the car because it IS a completely different model from the one I practice. And because I look at everything from my own point of view, I realized I would not want someone greeting me at the car, unless their entire reason was to carry the bags. After a long drive, probably spent arguing with hubs about the last wrong turn, and I'm hungry and out of sorts anyway, having to suddenly be friendly to a complete stranger would make me uncomfortable. I'd like to stretch, look around, get my bearings, work the kinks out but not immediately talk to someone. That walk from the car to the door is a great calmer. Like my kids walking home from school instead of taking the bus. Time to adjust to new surroundings and shake off the stress of the drive.
So, that's how I would look at it.
As long as the innkeepers answered the door with a smile, I wouldn't need them to greet me at my car.
.

guess i'm a cold, new england fish !! ~~ i didn't shake my guests' hands upon arrival unless they offered theirs, which wasn't often. doesn't mean i didn't smile a lot and give them what to me was a warm welcome .... but i didn't bite ... not on their first visit!

Me, too. (cold NE fish)
But I was thinking about the whole greeting at the car because it IS a completely different model from the one I practice. And because I look at everything from my own point of view, I realized I would not want someone greeting me at the car, unless their entire reason was to carry the bags. After a long drive, probably spent arguing with hubs about the last wrong turn, and I'm hungry and out of sorts anyway, having to suddenly be friendly to a complete stranger would make me uncomfortable. I'd like to stretch, look around, get my bearings, work the kinks out but not immediately talk to someone. That walk from the car to the door is a great calmer. Like my kids walking home from school instead of taking the bus. Time to adjust to new surroundings and shake off the stress of the drive.
So, that's how I would look at it.
As long as the innkeepers answered the door with a smile, I wouldn't need them to greet me at my car.

We used to live on acreage and we always greeted folks at their car - just to give them their bearings. I think if you have a paved parking lot with a front door entrance it is entirely different situation. We also walked people to their car. I will always remember someone we met and had dinner with who stood in their doorway and said goodbye and shut the door. I was completely put off, lack of hospitality to the max. They could have kicked us off the stoop, and it would have been the same thing. I still walk guests out... I never wave good bye and they let themselves out. Yes, even with dishes and check out and all that is going on, the other guests can and do wait, each one gets my attention.
Likewise if I am emptying the trash or going to my car or out of it and guests arrive they will be greeted at the car, I won't act like I don't know who they are or what they are here for. I have stayed at BnB's and later saw the same person and it WAS the host! What the heck?
Interesting topic. What about those who repel from shaking your hand? They are so unfamiliar with common manners that they back up like you are trying to grab them or something!
.

Yup, I am missing the hospitality gene. I bet at least 25% of the guests here leave without even seeing us to say goodbye. I try to listen for them so I can thank them before they go, but they'll load up the car, go shopping and then come back and drop the keys off and disappear. Even if I'm standing right in the kitchen they will drop the keys on the desk and without a backwards glance walk out the door.
Then again, a lot of them leave in the middle of breakfast and they don't even say goodbye or thank you to the guest who gets up from the table to hold the door open for them as they cart 15 suitcases thru the dining room. So it's probably not me at that point, it's them. They just needed a place to stop for the night.
And yet, I just talked to someone looking for a place for 2 adults & 2 kids and they have no baby gear. Why are they traveling with no gear? Anyway, I directed them to another B&B that has all that stuff, plus room for 4 in one room. Then I directed them to the laundromat. And then, last question as I'm trying to get the cookies out of the oven is, 'Where's the playground?' which I also answered.
.

Then again, a lot of them leave in the middle of breakfast and they don't even say goodbye or thank you to the guest who gets up from the table to hold the door open for them as they cart 15 suitcases thru the dining room. So it's probably not me at that point, it's them. They just needed a place to stop for the night.

Happened to me jsut this past week, two couples at the table I go to clear the main plates and the one fellow stands right up and nearly knocks heads with me, gee can you not at least let me remove your plate - what's the hurry murry! No manners whatsoever, I was taken aback by it (nearly floored!) That was the first time anyone has done that. Feel free to stand up AFTER your plate in my hand it out of range!

 

[Tim_Toad_HLB]

guess i'm a cold, new england fish !! ~~ i didn't shake my guests' hands upon arrival unless they offered theirs, which wasn't often. doesn't mean i didn't smile a lot and give them what to me was a warm welcome .... but i didn't bite ... not on their first visit!.

guess i'm a cold, new england fish !! ~~ i didn't shake my guests' hands upon arrival unless they offered theirs, which wasn't often. doesn't mean i didn't smile a lot and give them what to me was a warm welcome .... but i didn't bite ... not on their first visit!

Me, too. (cold NE fish)
But I was thinking about the whole greeting at the car because it IS a completely different model from the one I practice. And because I look at everything from my own point of view, I realized I would not want someone greeting me at the car, unless their entire reason was to carry the bags. After a long drive, probably spent arguing with hubs about the last wrong turn, and I'm hungry and out of sorts anyway, having to suddenly be friendly to a complete stranger would make me uncomfortable. I'd like to stretch, look around, get my bearings, work the kinks out but not immediately talk to someone. That walk from the car to the door is a great calmer. Like my kids walking home from school instead of taking the bus. Time to adjust to new surroundings and shake off the stress of the drive.
So, that's how I would look at it.
As long as the innkeepers answered the door with a smile, I wouldn't need them to greet me at my car.
.

That walk from the car to the door is a great calmer. Like my kids walking home from school instead of taking the bus. Time to adjust to new surroundings and shake off the stress of the drive.
So, that's how I would look at it.
I think part of that may be related to the arrangement of your inn. You would be coming out of and walking them to the same place you came from. I think Tim mentioned he has separate quarters on the property. We have separate quarters too so most of the time I am coming out of my quarters to meet guests in the parking area and walk them to their cabin. Otherwise it is not completely clear to them where they should go.
That being said, I can tell that most of the time people are happy to have some guidance to orient them and get them settled. On some occaisions though there are times when I can tell the people were just in the middle of a travel squabble or some other little thing that could have used more time to settle out...but it wouldn't have helped them settle if I didn't come out..they'd just be ticked over not quite knowing where to go.
.

"I think Tim mentioned he has separate quarters on the property. We have separate quarters too so most of the time I am coming out of my quarters to meet guests in the parking area and walk them to their cabin."
This is true and the main house blocks our view of the parking area. The renovated barn we live in is about 300' from the parking area, so if its after hours like many check-ins are, I can't really ambush people like the image being conjured by a few here.
Unless I'm really quiet about sneaking up on them. LOL
Actually, talk about putting people on edge. I make sure they know I'm coming which is another reason that even during daylight hours, I don't approach the parking area until I see two sets of feet come out of the car doors.
"Otherwise it is not completely clear to them where they should go."
Especially at say 10:30, 11pm or even later and its pitch black out to big city folk. We country types develop good night vision, urbanites are lost once away from the mercury vapor street lights.
"That being said, I can tell that most of the time people are happy to have some guidance to orient them and get them settled."
That is one of our primary jobs as hosts and innkeepers isn't it? At least that's what the Dummies Guide for being a Good Innkeeper told me.

 

[happykeeper]

I'm coming in late on this one....
And I have to say that I'm "all of the above."
Sometimes I meet them at their car, sometimes I wait til they ring the bell (and yes, sometimes they try first and then ring), sometimes I wait til I see them approaching the door and open it before they can ring. Heck, a couple of days ago multi-night guests let in the checking-in guests then called me to tell me they'd done so. I told them I was on my way, and thanks. Later we joked that they should have gone ahead with "the tour" and showed them how to use the door!
Usually I say, "Hi, I'm Kathy." They can tell me their names, or not, but I figure it's easy for them to forget mine. It's amazing how many make a sincere effort to learn and remember the ds5x2's names. Anyway, most of them then tell me their names as well, or I might say, "and you're so-and-so." Again, like Tim, four rooms, easier for me to do. (But not so easy when I have a full house!)
When I say "Hi, I'm Kathy," I usually stick out my hand and shake hands all around. But not always.... If their hands are full, or I dunno, for whatever reason sometimes the shake doesn't happen. Hugs don't usually happen on check-in, although they do sometimes with repeat guests. Or huggy guests. (But definitely NOT with business guests!) If they're hispanic or similar culture, we could do the kissy thing.
Sometimes I run their money... or not. (If they're a one night stay they only need to sign their slip anyway, and I usually remember that.) We settle what time is breakfast, do the tour, show the room. Sometimes they get the dinner spiel. Sometimes we get chatting right away and check in takes a while. Sometimes their check in takes 5 minutes and I don't see them again until breakfast.
It's all good!
=)
Kk..

Yes Coming in late as well and all of the above too! It all seems so situational anyway. Lots of kissing in Hawaii and the occasional touching noses while taking in a breath (traditional greeting). Often hugging. Having said that, we do have a rule that we follow 99.9% of the time. We greet every guest from the lanai (porch) as they are getting out of their car. We often greet them this way upon their return from an outing. We have a buzzer that alerts us that someone is driving up the drive. I only go down to help with luggage if there no one in the group is hale enough.
I do not think there is more than a handful of guests that have left Kalaekilohana without "we'll be waving- it's what we do". We wave until they have made it down the long drive and onto the road and they have driven out of sight. Our return guests look forward to it. Our new guests almost always chuckle or smile that we would do this. We even had one family that had a special wave they use when they leave the family house- it was a riot. The practical side is that it gives us a moment, no matter how busy, to reflect upon something nice about our departing guest. We almost always say something like, "They sure enjoyed the coffee", or " That was a nice visit", or "They were a lot of fun"

 

[YellowSocks]

I'm coming in late on this one....
And I have to say that I'm "all of the above."
Sometimes I meet them at their car, sometimes I wait til they ring the bell (and yes, sometimes they try first and then ring), sometimes I wait til I see them approaching the door and open it before they can ring. Heck, a couple of days ago multi-night guests let in the checking-in guests then called me to tell me they'd done so. I told them I was on my way, and thanks. Later we joked that they should have gone ahead with "the tour" and showed them how to use the door!
Usually I say, "Hi, I'm Kathy." They can tell me their names, or not, but I figure it's easy for them to forget mine. It's amazing how many make a sincere effort to learn and remember the ds5x2's names. Anyway, most of them then tell me their names as well, or I might say, "and you're so-and-so." Again, like Tim, four rooms, easier for me to do. (But not so easy when I have a full house!)
When I say "Hi, I'm Kathy," I usually stick out my hand and shake hands all around. But not always.... If their hands are full, or I dunno, for whatever reason sometimes the shake doesn't happen. Hugs don't usually happen on check-in, although they do sometimes with repeat guests. Or huggy guests. (But definitely NOT with business guests!) If they're hispanic or similar culture, we could do the kissy thing.
Sometimes I run their money... or not. (If they're a one night stay they only need to sign their slip anyway, and I usually remember that.) We settle what time is breakfast, do the tour, show the room. Sometimes they get the dinner spiel. Sometimes we get chatting right away and check in takes a while. Sometimes their check in takes 5 minutes and I don't see them again until breakfast.
It's all good!
=)
Kk..

Yes Coming in late as well and all of the above too! It all seems so situational anyway. Lots of kissing in Hawaii and the occasional touching noses while taking in a breath (traditional greeting). Often hugging. Having said that, we do have a rule that we follow 99.9% of the time. We greet every guest from the lanai (porch) as they are getting out of their car. We often greet them this way upon their return from an outing. We have a buzzer that alerts us that someone is driving up the drive. I only go down to help with luggage if there no one in the group is hale enough.
I do not think there is more than a handful of guests that have left Kalaekilohana without "we'll be waving- it's what we do". We wave until they have made it down the long drive and onto the road and they have driven out of sight. Our return guests look forward to it. Our new guests almost always chuckle or smile that we would do this. We even had one family that had a special wave they use when they leave the family house- it was a riot. The practical side is that it gives us a moment, no matter how busy, to reflect upon something nice about our departing guest. We almost always say something like, "They sure enjoyed the coffee", or " That was a nice visit", or "They were a lot of fun"
.

The practical side is that it gives us a moment, no matter how busy, to reflect upon something nice about our departing guest. We almost always say something like, "They sure enjoyed the coffee", or " That was a nice visit", or "They were a lot of fun"

I think that's simply fabulous! I wish I had a long driveway so I could do that, too!
We do, often, wave them off, since the ds5x2 are big into goodbyes...
=)
Kk.

 

[Tim_Toad_HLB]

I'm coming in late on this one....
And I have to say that I'm "all of the above."
Sometimes I meet them at their car, sometimes I wait til they ring the bell (and yes, sometimes they try first and then ring), sometimes I wait til I see them approaching the door and open it before they can ring. Heck, a couple of days ago multi-night guests let in the checking-in guests then called me to tell me they'd done so. I told them I was on my way, and thanks. Later we joked that they should have gone ahead with "the tour" and showed them how to use the door!
Usually I say, "Hi, I'm Kathy." They can tell me their names, or not, but I figure it's easy for them to forget mine. It's amazing how many make a sincere effort to learn and remember the ds5x2's names. Anyway, most of them then tell me their names as well, or I might say, "and you're so-and-so." Again, like Tim, four rooms, easier for me to do. (But not so easy when I have a full house!)
When I say "Hi, I'm Kathy," I usually stick out my hand and shake hands all around. But not always.... If their hands are full, or I dunno, for whatever reason sometimes the shake doesn't happen. Hugs don't usually happen on check-in, although they do sometimes with repeat guests. Or huggy guests. (But definitely NOT with business guests!) If they're hispanic or similar culture, we could do the kissy thing.
Sometimes I run their money... or not. (If they're a one night stay they only need to sign their slip anyway, and I usually remember that.) We settle what time is breakfast, do the tour, show the room. Sometimes they get the dinner spiel. Sometimes we get chatting right away and check in takes a while. Sometimes their check in takes 5 minutes and I don't see them again until breakfast.
It's all good!
=)
Kk..

Yes Coming in late as well and all of the above too! It all seems so situational anyway. Lots of kissing in Hawaii and the occasional touching noses while taking in a breath (traditional greeting). Often hugging. Having said that, we do have a rule that we follow 99.9% of the time. We greet every guest from the lanai (porch) as they are getting out of their car. We often greet them this way upon their return from an outing. We have a buzzer that alerts us that someone is driving up the drive. I only go down to help with luggage if there no one in the group is hale enough.
I do not think there is more than a handful of guests that have left Kalaekilohana without "we'll be waving- it's what we do". We wave until they have made it down the long drive and onto the road and they have driven out of sight. Our return guests look forward to it. Our new guests almost always chuckle or smile that we would do this. We even had one family that had a special wave they use when they leave the family house- it was a riot. The practical side is that it gives us a moment, no matter how busy, to reflect upon something nice about our departing guest. We almost always say something like, "They sure enjoyed the coffee", or " That was a nice visit", or "They were a lot of fun"
.

knkbnb,
I don't know why but your post nearly made me break out in tears of joy.
The passion, the sincere interest in your guests, the proper prioritization of everything from not only taking the time to make every guest feel so welcome, but making the time for that and to allow yourselves to feel good about this vocation we've all chosen.
Very touching and affirming, when so much of what gets posted is the trials and tribulations of doing this.
We try to remind ourselves every day about how lucky we are to be living out a dream, especially at our relative young age and as people who embrace what we call "the kaliedoscope of humanity" in all its colors, shapes, backgrounds, lifestyles, etc. the vibrancy that welcoming so many different people into our home provides for us.
Thanks

 

[Iris]

Also...see I have much to say on this subject, there IS a divide between North and South on this one. Small town vs big city. West Coast vs East.
Seriousely. A southerner always shakes hands, kids, ladies, all of them. Scroungey lookin' covered in red dirt - missin' teef, they shake your hand after wiping theirs on their overalls first.
My sister lives in Europe, so they have to KISS you, people they know- Kiss, People they don't know - Kiss. Kiss Kiss Kiss and a fake little shoulder embrace type hug. No bear hugs..

hehe, that's not so where I come from. I wonder which part of Europe we're talkin' about here
I make it a point to know my guests names before they arrive and will greet them in that manner. Some times, when more than 1 party checks in, that can get comical as I am trying to guess which ones these people may be. It breaks the ice and gets the conversation going.
I love meeting new people, so for me it is always exciting to see someone driving in. Of course you can imagine that after meeting hundreds during the summer there comes a time in the fall where I want to slam the door in their faces (well, maybe not that bad but you know what I mean)
Right now I have the "house" full with people that have been with me quite a few times before. They all get hugs and we enjoy a chat in the mornings

 

[Morticia]

I'm coming in late on this one....
And I have to say that I'm "all of the above."
Sometimes I meet them at their car, sometimes I wait til they ring the bell (and yes, sometimes they try first and then ring), sometimes I wait til I see them approaching the door and open it before they can ring. Heck, a couple of days ago multi-night guests let in the checking-in guests then called me to tell me they'd done so. I told them I was on my way, and thanks. Later we joked that they should have gone ahead with "the tour" and showed them how to use the door!
Usually I say, "Hi, I'm Kathy." They can tell me their names, or not, but I figure it's easy for them to forget mine. It's amazing how many make a sincere effort to learn and remember the ds5x2's names. Anyway, most of them then tell me their names as well, or I might say, "and you're so-and-so." Again, like Tim, four rooms, easier for me to do. (But not so easy when I have a full house!)
When I say "Hi, I'm Kathy," I usually stick out my hand and shake hands all around. But not always.... If their hands are full, or I dunno, for whatever reason sometimes the shake doesn't happen. Hugs don't usually happen on check-in, although they do sometimes with repeat guests. Or huggy guests. (But definitely NOT with business guests!) If they're hispanic or similar culture, we could do the kissy thing.
Sometimes I run their money... or not. (If they're a one night stay they only need to sign their slip anyway, and I usually remember that.) We settle what time is breakfast, do the tour, show the room. Sometimes they get the dinner spiel. Sometimes we get chatting right away and check in takes a while. Sometimes their check in takes 5 minutes and I don't see them again until breakfast.
It's all good!
=)
Kk..

Yes Coming in late as well and all of the above too! It all seems so situational anyway. Lots of kissing in Hawaii and the occasional touching noses while taking in a breath (traditional greeting). Often hugging. Having said that, we do have a rule that we follow 99.9% of the time. We greet every guest from the lanai (porch) as they are getting out of their car. We often greet them this way upon their return from an outing. We have a buzzer that alerts us that someone is driving up the drive. I only go down to help with luggage if there no one in the group is hale enough.
I do not think there is more than a handful of guests that have left Kalaekilohana without "we'll be waving- it's what we do". We wave until they have made it down the long drive and onto the road and they have driven out of sight. Our return guests look forward to it. Our new guests almost always chuckle or smile that we would do this. We even had one family that had a special wave they use when they leave the family house- it was a riot. The practical side is that it gives us a moment, no matter how busy, to reflect upon something nice about our departing guest. We almost always say something like, "They sure enjoyed the coffee", or " That was a nice visit", or "They were a lot of fun"
.

I'll be waving the guests goodbye on Thursday at the airport. They have been unable to arrange for a cab so I'm taking them there myself. Luckily, their flight is at 6 AM so I'll be back for breakfast before the other guests know I'm gone! I'll have to vacuum the dog hair out of the car tomorrow.

This is highly unusual, but we've done it before on the odd ocassion.

 

[happykeeper]

I'm coming in late on this one....
And I have to say that I'm "all of the above."
Sometimes I meet them at their car, sometimes I wait til they ring the bell (and yes, sometimes they try first and then ring), sometimes I wait til I see them approaching the door and open it before they can ring. Heck, a couple of days ago multi-night guests let in the checking-in guests then called me to tell me they'd done so. I told them I was on my way, and thanks. Later we joked that they should have gone ahead with "the tour" and showed them how to use the door!
Usually I say, "Hi, I'm Kathy." They can tell me their names, or not, but I figure it's easy for them to forget mine. It's amazing how many make a sincere effort to learn and remember the ds5x2's names. Anyway, most of them then tell me their names as well, or I might say, "and you're so-and-so." Again, like Tim, four rooms, easier for me to do. (But not so easy when I have a full house!)
When I say "Hi, I'm Kathy," I usually stick out my hand and shake hands all around. But not always.... If their hands are full, or I dunno, for whatever reason sometimes the shake doesn't happen. Hugs don't usually happen on check-in, although they do sometimes with repeat guests. Or huggy guests. (But definitely NOT with business guests!) If they're hispanic or similar culture, we could do the kissy thing.
Sometimes I run their money... or not. (If they're a one night stay they only need to sign their slip anyway, and I usually remember that.) We settle what time is breakfast, do the tour, show the room. Sometimes they get the dinner spiel. Sometimes we get chatting right away and check in takes a while. Sometimes their check in takes 5 minutes and I don't see them again until breakfast.
It's all good!
=)
Kk..

Yes Coming in late as well and all of the above too! It all seems so situational anyway. Lots of kissing in Hawaii and the occasional touching noses while taking in a breath (traditional greeting). Often hugging. Having said that, we do have a rule that we follow 99.9% of the time. We greet every guest from the lanai (porch) as they are getting out of their car. We often greet them this way upon their return from an outing. We have a buzzer that alerts us that someone is driving up the drive. I only go down to help with luggage if there no one in the group is hale enough.
I do not think there is more than a handful of guests that have left Kalaekilohana without "we'll be waving- it's what we do". We wave until they have made it down the long drive and onto the road and they have driven out of sight. Our return guests look forward to it. Our new guests almost always chuckle or smile that we would do this. We even had one family that had a special wave they use when they leave the family house- it was a riot. The practical side is that it gives us a moment, no matter how busy, to reflect upon something nice about our departing guest. We almost always say something like, "They sure enjoyed the coffee", or " That was a nice visit", or "They were a lot of fun"
.

The practical side is that it gives us a moment, no matter how busy, to reflect upon something nice about our departing guest. We almost always say something like, "They sure enjoyed the coffee", or " That was a nice visit", or "They were a lot of fun"

I think that's simply fabulous! I wish I had a long driveway so I could do that, too!
We do, often, wave them off, since the ds5x2 are big into goodbyes...
=)
Kk.
.

We have a lot of people say, "My grandma used to do that". I think it is one of those lost arts or something.

 

[user 26]

oh dear, am i such a crumb? sometimes when the guests left, i'd plop onto my sofa and close my eyes with a 'whew'. i always needed just a few more hours of down time in between, it seems.

 

[happykeeper]

I'm coming in late on this one....
And I have to say that I'm "all of the above."
Sometimes I meet them at their car, sometimes I wait til they ring the bell (and yes, sometimes they try first and then ring), sometimes I wait til I see them approaching the door and open it before they can ring. Heck, a couple of days ago multi-night guests let in the checking-in guests then called me to tell me they'd done so. I told them I was on my way, and thanks. Later we joked that they should have gone ahead with "the tour" and showed them how to use the door!
Usually I say, "Hi, I'm Kathy." They can tell me their names, or not, but I figure it's easy for them to forget mine. It's amazing how many make a sincere effort to learn and remember the ds5x2's names. Anyway, most of them then tell me their names as well, or I might say, "and you're so-and-so." Again, like Tim, four rooms, easier for me to do. (But not so easy when I have a full house!)
When I say "Hi, I'm Kathy," I usually stick out my hand and shake hands all around. But not always.... If their hands are full, or I dunno, for whatever reason sometimes the shake doesn't happen. Hugs don't usually happen on check-in, although they do sometimes with repeat guests. Or huggy guests. (But definitely NOT with business guests!) If they're hispanic or similar culture, we could do the kissy thing.
Sometimes I run their money... or not. (If they're a one night stay they only need to sign their slip anyway, and I usually remember that.) We settle what time is breakfast, do the tour, show the room. Sometimes they get the dinner spiel. Sometimes we get chatting right away and check in takes a while. Sometimes their check in takes 5 minutes and I don't see them again until breakfast.
It's all good!
=)
Kk..

Yes Coming in late as well and all of the above too! It all seems so situational anyway. Lots of kissing in Hawaii and the occasional touching noses while taking in a breath (traditional greeting). Often hugging. Having said that, we do have a rule that we follow 99.9% of the time. We greet every guest from the lanai (porch) as they are getting out of their car. We often greet them this way upon their return from an outing. We have a buzzer that alerts us that someone is driving up the drive. I only go down to help with luggage if there no one in the group is hale enough.
I do not think there is more than a handful of guests that have left Kalaekilohana without "we'll be waving- it's what we do". We wave until they have made it down the long drive and onto the road and they have driven out of sight. Our return guests look forward to it. Our new guests almost always chuckle or smile that we would do this. We even had one family that had a special wave they use when they leave the family house- it was a riot. The practical side is that it gives us a moment, no matter how busy, to reflect upon something nice about our departing guest. We almost always say something like, "They sure enjoyed the coffee", or " That was a nice visit", or "They were a lot of fun"
.

knkbnb,
I don't know why but your post nearly made me break out in tears of joy.
The passion, the sincere interest in your guests, the proper prioritization of everything from not only taking the time to make every guest feel so welcome, but making the time for that and to allow yourselves to feel good about this vocation we've all chosen.
Very touching and affirming, when so much of what gets posted is the trials and tribulations of doing this.
We try to remind ourselves every day about how lucky we are to be living out a dream, especially at our relative young age and as people who embrace what we call "the kaliedoscope of humanity" in all its colors, shapes, backgrounds, lifestyles, etc. the vibrancy that welcoming so many different people into our home provides for us.
Thanks
.

Thanks- That was nice to read.

 

[YellowSocks]

oh dear, am i such a crumb? sometimes when the guests left, i'd plop onto my sofa and close my eyes with a 'whew'. i always needed just a few more hours of down time in between, it seems..

oh dear, am i such a crumb? sometimes when the guests left, i'd plop onto my sofa and close my eyes with a 'whew'. i always needed just a few more hours of down time in between, it seems.

No, we do that, too... after we wave them off.... at least, sometimes!

 

[Morticia]

oh dear, am i such a crumb? sometimes when the guests left, i'd plop onto my sofa and close my eyes with a 'whew'. i always needed just a few more hours of down time in between, it seems..

oh dear, am i such a crumb? sometimes when the guests left, i'd plop onto my sofa and close my eyes with a 'whew'. i always needed just a few more hours of down time in between, it seems.

Of course not. You basically did the whole thing by yourself at the end of a dirt road, on a shoestring budget, with no place to socialize with anyone other than the guests who expected 2 separate breakfast times hours apart and would climb in thru your upstairs window (via the fire escape ladder) if you didn't open the door when they rang at 12:30 PM! And let's not forget the guy who crept into the kitchen trying to 'get lucky' who you had to fend off with a cast iron fry pan.
If you just wanted to sit down on the couch and say 'whew' no one deserved it more!

 

[Tim_Toad_HLB]

oh dear, am i such a crumb? sometimes when the guests left, i'd plop onto my sofa and close my eyes with a 'whew'. i always needed just a few more hours of down time in between, it seems..

A crumb? No, more like a real person not an automaton without feelings, frustrations, vulnerabilities, emotions and limitations on stamina.
I am just amazed at the responses so far on a topic I just had no idea where it would or could lead us.
I had my trepidations about introducing it for fear of it going negative like so many topics here can, but all in all, I'd say its been very revealing about what motivates so many of us.

 

[user 26]

i had fun. it just would have been better to have some help ... or longer days maybe. and those of you who are two could probably use help as well.
applause all around!

 

[gillumhouse]

oh dear, am i such a crumb? sometimes when the guests left, i'd plop onto my sofa and close my eyes with a 'whew'. i always needed just a few more hours of down time in between, it seems..

Of anyone here, you would be the last one i would term "a crumb". I would challenge anyone to do what you did for as long as you did it and with 1.5 hands tied behind your back.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Okay I have thought about it and here is my final answer.
Ownership.
That is the difference. When you arrive at a Bed and Breakfast and the person who greets you shakes your hand, it is ownership. Welcome to MY home, we're glad you're here.
Could this be the reason the majority of our guests make their bed? Young and old?
As mentioned, some days and some guests I am not overtly "there" for them. I greet them, feed them, assist with directions, activities and some small talk.
When they leave I shake their hand again and thank them, is this expected after the initial greeting, so they make their bed? Knowing that we will see them eye to eye face to face again? I think so. I remember when I first joined the forum or the older forum someone said "a guest who makes their bed is hiding something" and I found that strange, as most of ours really do make theirs, even at check out. I walk in and find the room almost as they found it. Used towels in the tub, (not all guests, there are exceptions, like in everything).
This past weekend we had 5 rooms booked in and each one made their bed. Saved me a ton of time! But then on Sunday night we had some guests from an overseas country who only slept here and were not friendly at all, nor did they make their bed at check out, which I knew would be the case, and is fine.
I think after my psychoanalysis of this subject - after all we are in the people business, I have come to this conclusion.

Shake their hands and welcome them into YOUR place. See if you are treated any differently?

 

[SweetiePie]

Okay I have thought about it and here is my final answer.
Ownership.
That is the difference. When you arrive at a Bed and Breakfast and the person who greets you shakes your hand, it is ownership. Welcome to MY home, we're glad you're here.
Could this be the reason the majority of our guests make their bed? Young and old?
As mentioned, some days and some guests I am not overtly "there" for them. I greet them, feed them, assist with directions, activities and some small talk.
When they leave I shake their hand again and thank them, is this expected after the initial greeting, so they make their bed? Knowing that we will see them eye to eye face to face again? I think so. I remember when I first joined the forum or the older forum someone said "a guest who makes their bed is hiding something" and I found that strange, as most of ours really do make theirs, even at check out. I walk in and find the room almost as they found it. Used towels in the tub, (not all guests, there are exceptions, like in everything).
This past weekend we had 5 rooms booked in and each one made their bed. Saved me a ton of time! But then on Sunday night we had some guests from an overseas country who only slept here and were not friendly at all, nor did they make their bed at check out, which I knew would be the case, and is fine.
I think after my psychoanalysis of this subject - after all we are in the people business, I have come to this conclusion.

Shake their hands and welcome them into YOUR place. See if you are treated any differently?.

"a guest who makes their bed is hiding something" Were they inferring that they were hiding something in the bed and that's why they made it, or just shifty in general?