Who always shows up early?

[Morticia]

The guest with the add on package that is not ready.
I ran out this morning to get flowers for the package. Got them home and there weren't enough to really fill out the vase. Had to go pick flowers in my own yard. (Not bad, but I don't spray anything so they're kinda chewed on, had to pick the best.)
Now I'm chilling their sparkling cider. Doorbell rings. There they are. Had to send them away, it's just not ready yet. I'm still doing laundry and everything is a mess.
'We were just driving by...'

 

[Cathy]

Do you think early is better or worse than late? I hate waiting which is what I am doing now. Early check in... we are ready and where are they?? :s

 

[Morticia]

Do you think early is better or worse than late? I hate waiting which is what I am doing now. Early check in... we are ready and where are they?? :s.

Do you think early is better or worse than late? I hate waiting which is what I am doing now. Early check in... we are ready and where are they?? :s

You've got 2 different questions there...someone who has booked an early arrival who doesn't show is worse to me than someone who just shows up late. Because now you are doubly put out. Once by getting everything done early just for them, secondly by now having to wait because they could be just around the corner. This is why a judicious application of a $50 fee for arriving early can sometimes make guests realize that they can find plenty to do for a couple of hours.

 

[Cathy]

Do you think early is better or worse than late? I hate waiting which is what I am doing now. Early check in... we are ready and where are they?? :s.

Do you think early is better or worse than late? I hate waiting which is what I am doing now. Early check in... we are ready and where are they?? :s

You've got 2 different questions there...someone who has booked an early arrival who doesn't show is worse to me than someone who just shows up late. Because now you are doubly put out. Once by getting everything done early just for them, secondly by now having to wait because they could be just around the corner. This is why a judicious application of a $50 fee for arriving early can sometimes make guests realize that they can find plenty to do for a couple of hours.
.

We are learning slowly. We said they could come early as their overnight bus was arriving early.
Sometimes it does not pay to be nice. Oh, actually it does not pay at all. If we did not get up early they would have arrived. We think they must have headed off to breakfast and then sight seeing or ?? they missed their bus and are no shows.
Have you ever hummed the song ... why are we waiting ... in your head when people are late?

 

[scrambled_eggs]

If they arrive early and the room isn't ready most guests are understanding. I will still take care of the bill and get the paperwork done. Show them where the room is located and give them the key. I will tell them what time it will be ready for them to come back. It has worked out well. That way I don't have to worry about checking them in later. I only have 4 rooms so that would be a problem for a larger place I assume.

 

[Morticia]

If they arrive early and the room isn't ready most guests are understanding. I will still take care of the bill and get the paperwork done. Show them where the room is located and give them the key. I will tell them what time it will be ready for them to come back. It has worked out well. That way I don't have to worry about checking them in later. I only have 4 rooms so that would be a problem for a larger place I assume..

I didn't want to do all that because the room was 'half decorated' with their package. And once guests see the room is not 'messy' they want to know why they can't go into it.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

They are both stressful, early and late

 

[ginocat]

I'll take an early arrival any day over a late one. I hate late arrivals and that's with a capital H. Ruins my dinner, my evening, and raises my stress levels.
If someone comes early and the room is not ready I will take a moment to register them, give them a key, even deposit luggage inside the house. I'll then send them away and tell them to come back in an hour or whatever time works. For me it's a win, win situation because they have the key they can come back when they want and I DO NOT have to worry about them.

 

[Proud Texan]

If they arrive early and the room isn't ready most guests are understanding. I will still take care of the bill and get the paperwork done. Show them where the room is located and give them the key. I will tell them what time it will be ready for them to come back. It has worked out well. That way I don't have to worry about checking them in later. I only have 4 rooms so that would be a problem for a larger place I assume..

If they arrive early and the room isn't ready most guests are understanding. I will still take care of the bill and get the paperwork done. Show them where the room is located and give them the key. I will tell them what time it will be ready for them to come back. It has worked out well. That way I don't have to worry about checking them in later. I only have 4 rooms so that would be a problem for a larger place I assume.

I like that approach. We only have two rooms, so they're usually ready to go at a moments notice. However, as word gets out and we get a little busier, we may have overlaps where the room is not quite ready for an early arrival.

 

[Morticia]

I'll take an early arrival any day over a late one. I hate late arrivals and that's with a capital H. Ruins my dinner, my evening, and raises my stress levels.
If someone comes early and the room is not ready I will take a moment to register them, give them a key, even deposit luggage inside the house. I'll then send them away and tell them to come back in an hour or whatever time works. For me it's a win, win situation because they have the key they can come back when they want and I DO NOT have to worry about them..

Hubs & I were hashing this out yet again as a guest with nose pressed to door at noon had me hiding in the laundry room. (They couldn't see around the 'back at' clock and the notice taped to the door that says we're not here.)
I'm sweaty. The laundry is in piles in the kitchen (which we all know is wide open to guests' view when they enter the house). There are dirty glasses and recyclables everywhere in the kitchen as we fill the dishwasher and sort bottles, etc.
It's just not what I want their first impression to be. I COULD haul all the clean laundry over to my bedroom and take a chance it gets covered in dog hair before I have a chance to fold it, but I don't want that, either.
Hubs does not sit down from 5:30 AM until right about now and yet he has the patience of a saint. Me? I growl when I'm interrupted yet again to answer the door to say, 'I'm sorry, the rooms are not ready until 3 PM.' NOT adding, 'you were told this multiple times when you booked.'
Guests don't get that it stresses me to know they are out there. To know that, once again, I'm being ungracious by not answering the door, or by answering it and telling them they can't come in. Here's my refrain, 'Next summer I have help so I can be gracious, unsweaty and hospitable no matter what time of the day it is.' And, that the help can do it all in 4 hours without me lifting a finger. I'll take up yoga and baking.

 

[ginocat]

I'll take an early arrival any day over a late one. I hate late arrivals and that's with a capital H. Ruins my dinner, my evening, and raises my stress levels.
If someone comes early and the room is not ready I will take a moment to register them, give them a key, even deposit luggage inside the house. I'll then send them away and tell them to come back in an hour or whatever time works. For me it's a win, win situation because they have the key they can come back when they want and I DO NOT have to worry about them..

Hubs & I were hashing this out yet again as a guest with nose pressed to door at noon had me hiding in the laundry room. (They couldn't see around the 'back at' clock and the notice taped to the door that says we're not here.)
I'm sweaty. The laundry is in piles in the kitchen (which we all know is wide open to guests' view when they enter the house). There are dirty glasses and recyclables everywhere in the kitchen as we fill the dishwasher and sort bottles, etc.
It's just not what I want their first impression to be. I COULD haul all the clean laundry over to my bedroom and take a chance it gets covered in dog hair before I have a chance to fold it, but I don't want that, either.
Hubs does not sit down from 5:30 AM until right about now and yet he has the patience of a saint. Me? I growl when I'm interrupted yet again to answer the door to say, 'I'm sorry, the rooms are not ready until 3 PM.' NOT adding, 'you were told this multiple times when you booked.'
Guests don't get that it stresses me to know they are out there. To know that, once again, I'm being ungracious by not answering the door, or by answering it and telling them they can't come in. Here's my refrain, 'Next summer I have help so I can be gracious, unsweaty and hospitable no matter what time of the day it is.' And, that the help can do it all in 4 hours without me lifting a finger. I'll take up yoga and baking.
.

I hear what you're saying. Do they come in the kitchen door?? When guests show up here early I'm wearing terrible comfortable clothes and I'm not looking so great either. Well, they are early and I tell them they are early and I'm not prepared. I don't show them to their room (unless it's ready) but at least I'll give them their key. I don't feel bad if there's a mess or I'm a mess or anything else. They WILL see it clean and tidy (me too) eventually.

 

[Morticia]

I'll take an early arrival any day over a late one. I hate late arrivals and that's with a capital H. Ruins my dinner, my evening, and raises my stress levels.
If someone comes early and the room is not ready I will take a moment to register them, give them a key, even deposit luggage inside the house. I'll then send them away and tell them to come back in an hour or whatever time works. For me it's a win, win situation because they have the key they can come back when they want and I DO NOT have to worry about them..

Hubs & I were hashing this out yet again as a guest with nose pressed to door at noon had me hiding in the laundry room. (They couldn't see around the 'back at' clock and the notice taped to the door that says we're not here.)
I'm sweaty. The laundry is in piles in the kitchen (which we all know is wide open to guests' view when they enter the house). There are dirty glasses and recyclables everywhere in the kitchen as we fill the dishwasher and sort bottles, etc.
It's just not what I want their first impression to be. I COULD haul all the clean laundry over to my bedroom and take a chance it gets covered in dog hair before I have a chance to fold it, but I don't want that, either.
Hubs does not sit down from 5:30 AM until right about now and yet he has the patience of a saint. Me? I growl when I'm interrupted yet again to answer the door to say, 'I'm sorry, the rooms are not ready until 3 PM.' NOT adding, 'you were told this multiple times when you booked.'
Guests don't get that it stresses me to know they are out there. To know that, once again, I'm being ungracious by not answering the door, or by answering it and telling them they can't come in. Here's my refrain, 'Next summer I have help so I can be gracious, unsweaty and hospitable no matter what time of the day it is.' And, that the help can do it all in 4 hours without me lifting a finger. I'll take up yoga and baking.
.

I hear what you're saying. Do they come in the kitchen door?? When guests show up here early I'm wearing terrible comfortable clothes and I'm not looking so great either. Well, they are early and I tell them they are early and I'm not prepared. I don't show them to their room (unless it's ready) but at least I'll give them their key. I don't feel bad if there's a mess or I'm a mess or anything else. They WILL see it clean and tidy (me too) eventually.
.

I hear what you're saying. Do they come in the kitchen door?? When guests show up here early I'm wearing terrible comfortable clothes and I'm not looking so great either. Well, they are early and I tell them they are early and I'm not prepared. I don't show them to their room (unless it's ready) but at least I'll give them their key. I don't feel bad if there's a mess or I'm a mess or anything else. They WILL see it clean and tidy (me too) eventually.

Our entry door is in the dining room. The kitchen is feet away. Hubs said the same thing about the guests having to understand that they are early and things are not 'just so' yet. Do you think they get that or is the first impression of 'chaos' the one they will be telling everyone about?

 

[ginocat]

I think that any normal and sane person will realize that laundry and cleaning have to be done. Kitchens do get upside down, etc. etc.. They certainly can and do understand that we have a job to do - things don't get done by magic. They WILL see it beautiful and organized and will probably have a much greater appreciation about how hard we work.
I do not let them into an unfinished room. Not ever! I don't let them stay while chaos is around. I will register them quickly, give them a key and send them away until at least check-in time.

 

[Mini]

I had a much worse problem this morning.
Sewer back up. Yes, the sewer is plugged somewhere, dh has tried 2 difference length snakes to try to find where. Now he's on his way to home depot, one hour away to find an even longer snake. Can't do laundry or dishes from a full house the night before.
We've never had this problem before. New guests just arrived and well I hope they can't smell a thing.
I always wonder what I would do without my handyman hubby.
Lo

 

[inncogneeto]

I had a much worse problem this morning.
Sewer back up. Yes, the sewer is plugged somewhere, dh has tried 2 difference length snakes to try to find where. Now he's on his way to home depot, one hour away to find an even longer snake. Can't do laundry or dishes from a full house the night before.
We've never had this problem before. New guests just arrived and well I hope they can't smell a thing.
I always wonder what I would do without my handyman hubby.
Lo.

Oh no!
Will your guests be able to bathe?