Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
In today’s world, there is an emphasis on reviews. Many people do or don’t buy or try a product or service based on someone’s personal opinion about that product or service. In my world, the world of travel, hospitality, and tourism, there are many sites out there for people to leave anonymous reviews of me and my B&B. Trip Advisor, Yelp, BedandBreakfast.com, just to name a few. Not to mention someone’s personal blog or website.
Someone has a bad experience or just a bad day and they can ruin a business’s reputation. Or at least make it difficult to overcome. I have received my share of good AND bad reviews. After the initial upset caused, I have been able to take a step back and really look at what the reviewer is saying. In some cases, their issues were totally valid and I have sought to remedy problems. Things like an a/c unit that is not working properly or someone not wanting to share table space with other guests or not liking something I cook are easy enough to fix. Personality conflicts and not liking my style of running the Inn are not so easy to change, but I try my best. As a result, I have definitely seen a change over the past several years in the number of unhappy guests versus happy guests. It’s not that I received a large number of bad reviews, but when you receive one or two a year, it leaves an impression. The ultimate goal as an innkeeper is to offer a welcoming house for guests and to enhance their lodging experience with a genuinely pleasant and accommodating attitude.
I think I have come a long way from the first 2 years of B&B ownership and a background in Human Resources where policies are policies and you don’t break them and where everything has its place and any deviation caused stress. Taking the review comments from unhappy guests and comments from the happy ones too, I feel so much better now that I listen more and don’t get so worried about the small stuff. If a guest breaks something, I don’t break out into hives anymore; it’s no big deal. It can be replaced. I have gotten rid of some of the fees that I used to charge for things like early check-ins and large group cleaning gratuities. Let the airlines and hotel chains nickel and dime their customers with lots of extra fees.
Many of the changes I have made over the years have come as a result of positive feedback rather than negative feedback. When someone criticizes your way of doing things, it’s easy to ignore their comments or become so defensive that you can’t hear what is being said. But when you have a conversation with a happy guest and they ask if you can change something about your Inn, their room, their breakfast or its operation, it is so much easier to take their words to heart, because you know they are coming from a place of caring about you and your business and because they plan to come back!
My suggestion to anyone getting ready to rip into a business via an anonymous review would be to try speaking to the owner, innkeeper, or manager first. You may find that a few kind words go further than a scathing post on everything you hated about your experience or the product. If that doesn’t work (sometimes a request is out of the control of even the person in charge), then a post with objective information and suggestions for improvement will still probably go further than nothing but negative comments. Even humor goes a long way.
I wanted to share a couple of cards from guests I received recently. How many people sit down and spend a few minutes writing a card to another person, a business? And to receive two cards, one in March & one in April, was so touching that I felt the need to share with my readers and guests how much I appreciate them once they leave the Inn. This is the reason why people looking for a personal experience should consider staying at a B&B versus a hotel. We WANT to establish relationships with our guests.
The first card was sent just before Easter from guests who have been to the Inn 4-5 times over the past couple of years. I had not seen them since the fall so to receive an Easter card was thrilling. The guests wrote: “Thanks so much for remembering us with a gift certificate! That was so thoughtful of you and sweet! Spring has finally come to Indiana; February was our cold, snowy month. We just love you and Blake House and are looking forward to coming down to Asheville again in 2010.”
The second card was sent mid-April from a guest who had stayed here a couple of years ago and had come back to visit family in the area. She wrote, “Dear Leslie, Thanks for launching me into Spring 2010 in royal style. Loved my stay at your beautiful inn. I’ve tormented many with tales of your fabulous breakfasts. (The only attempt I’ve made at imitating was the baked grapefruit.) A success! Best regards. P.S. I’ll be back!”
As an innkeeper, I meet a lot of people; some are just passing through Asheville for one night and some stay for several days. My hope is that everyone enjoys their stay, no matter the amount of time. But if you don’t, you can talk to me and I will listen. If you do, I thank you most ardently for any kind words you say or write, whether you choose to share them with others via online review sites, or if you only share them with me in a sweet card or email.
I love Asheville! I love this Inn! And I love everyone who shares part of their life with me and this old house.
Sunday, March 21st, 2010
Very few business travelers consider staying at a bed & breakfast when traveling for work and they are really missing out! The average B&B offers so much more than a place to sleep and breakfast the next morning. More and more, they are expanding their offerings to include hosting events, fundraisers, cooking classes, and to entice the mid-week business traveler. Following is a list of five reasons why businesses should consider sending their employees to a bed and breakfast for their next trip:
- According to the Professional Association of Innkeepers International (PAII), 94% of B&Bs have private bathrooms for each room. It used to be that many times, guests had to share a bathroom with other guests which could not only be inconvenient, but embarrassing. Not so anymore. Innkeepers have recognized the need to offer private bathrooms along with private bedrooms so the instances of shared bathrooms are few and very far between. As an innkeeper, I am still surprised at the number of calls I receive where the caller is asking if my rooms have shared or private bathrooms. This is obviously a perception that can be laid to rest for the most part, but if the traveler has any concerns, most B&Bs have websites with room photos and descriptions which should indicate if a bathroom is private or shared.
- The 2009 PAII B&B Industry Study also indicates that 93% of bed & breakfasts offer FREE high speed (wireless) internet access. Many hotels still charge for internet access, but I don’t know of one bed & breakfast that does. At a hotel, if you want free internet, you have to wait in a line to use one of the few, highly-sought-after computers down in the lobby, sometimes floors and floors away from your room. How convenient is that?
- Not every business traveler is looking to hang out in the hotel bar when not working. For that person, the average bed & breakfast offers not only internet access in common areas, but games, free movies, a guest refrigerator with either free or reduced drinks, free snacks, magazines, and books. These personal touches in the bed and breakfast really go a long way to making the traveler feel welcome and valued during their stay. In many cases, special requests for something can and will be handled free of charge by the innkeeper.
- When traveling in an unfamiliar city, it can be nerve-wracking and time consuming to figure out where things are. The average innkeeper is intimately invested in the city and is happy to speak with the traveler and point out favorite restaurants and attractions. They carry a large selection of brochures and maps and in many cases can give personal recommendations on must-see places. At a hotel, good luck getting recommendations on anything. There’s a good chance that the front desk personnel aren’t even familiar with the immediate area because they live no where close to the hotel.
- Finally, let’s talk about breakfast. As the second part of the bed and breakfast equation, the breakfast part is quite important. Every business traveler has different needs when it comes to breakfast and every B&B can work around those needs. Although every B&B has a different set up and schedule for their breakfast, just because the full breakfast is served at 9 am doesn’t mean that the business traveler has to miss out. Speaking for my Inn, some business travelers can stay for the 9:00 breakfast, but many have to leave before then. I would never send a guest away hungry unless that is their preference. I keep a breakfast room stocked with continental breakfast items including oatmeal, milk/cereal, fresh fruit, bagels/cream cheese, and coffee. Not only is there a one-cup coffee maker upstairs for guests to help themselves to 24 hours a day, but there is a second coffee pot downstairs in the Breakfast Room with 24 hours access. In addition, I always ask my guests who are leaving early if there is anything special I can have for them to take like muffins, OJ, etc. Most B&Bs will offer the same type of option as well.
While I covered just 5 reasons for business travelers to stay at a bed and breakfast, there are more. Consider the fact that parking at a B&B is most likely more convenient than a hotel. A B&B may even have space for small meetings. Invite your business comrades over to the B&B to get away from the office. The Innkeeper maybe able to set up a catered lunch for your group. I definitely recommend coordinating any onsite meetings with the Innkeeper first, but what a nice way to get out of the office for a couple of hours without distractions and noise. Lastly, many B&Bs offer access to or assistance with sending faxes and making copies (small quantities). Check with the Innkeeper to see what business services they offer. Most are FREE of charge, unlike the average hotel.
The average nightly rate at a B&B is around $150/night, but that varies widely by location, time of year, and room. Bed and Breakfasts WANT mid-week travelers and may offer a corporate discount or some other type of business traveler perk. Don’t assume out of hand that the bed & breakfast is too expensive because you will be surprised with the value you get for the cost. By the time the hotel has nickel and dimed you, you will probably have just paid as much as you would have by staying at the local B&B. However, you would not have gotten the friendly, knowledgeable service you would have received from the small historical house around the corner.
Sunday, March 14th, 2010
Just because that cute little bed and breakfast with the cheap rate has a website doesn’t mean it’s a legitimate business.
I was talking to some guests the other day and they were commenting on the large number of B&Bs in Asheville (somewhere between 40-50 in the Asheville area). I happened to mention that there are even more if you count the illegal B&Bs and vacation rental properties. Well, that started a round of questions.
What do you mean illegal B&Bs? How is that possible? How can we tell? And so on. So we talked for the next 20 minutes about ways to spot a legal versus illegal establishment. So for anyone else who might be wondering, keep these things in mind:
- Legal lodging establishments comply with local, state and federal requirements including obtaining and displaying a business license and Health Department Inspection certificate. We all must display these in an area where guests can see them. Before you book with a place, ask them if they are licensed and inspected. Legitimate places will have no problem answering that question. And once you arrive, look for those certificates to make sure they are up to date. Remember that a health inspection means that the establishment is cleaning the property/dishes and storing food in the proper manner. They also check the guestrooms to make sure certain standards are met in cleanliness and room safety.
- A legitimate establishment with 5 or more rooms is collecting and paying occupancy and sales taxes. If you are not being charged taxes, ask why not? If you are purchasing a package, ask if the taxes have been figured into the package price. In Buncombe County and the City of Asheville, tax paying properties (don’t assume a 4-room B&B is illegal because it does not have to collect taxes) get a listing on the official tourism website. If you come across lodging in the county that rents out 5 or more rooms and it’s not listed on exploreasheville.com, ask the owner some questions.
- An illegal establishment is less likely to comply with fire and safety requirements because, quite frankly, they can be restrictive and/or costly to maintain. Ask if each guestroom has a fire detector and if the fire alarm system is monitored and hard wired to notify the fire department if it goes off. Are there fire extinguishers throughout the house and kitchen? Again, small establishments with under 5 rooms for rent are not considered as “commercial” properties and are not required to comply, but do you want to put your safety or the safety of your family at risk? Small B&Bs that operate on the up and up will take fire safety seriously and will have measures in place.
- Find out if the establishment has liability insurance in case of an accident. Commercial lenders (and B&Bs of more than 5 rooms are usually considered commercial) require a certain amount of liability insurance. Even a place with less than 6 rooms should carry liability insurance if rooms are to be rented out for short or long-term.
- In some areas, the proximity and number of B&Bs is limited. For instance, after 1997, in the Historic Montford District, no new B&Bs could be opened within 500 ft. of another B&B. All existing B&Bs were grandfathered in so that is why you see 2 and 3 in a row. But someone who wants to rent out their house for the summer that happens to sit next to an operating B&B is actually not permitted to, but people do it. Therefore, that house is illegally operating as a vacation property (not licensed, tax collecting, inspected, etc.). You should really think twice about renting it, just to save a few dollars because you could end up paying with much more than money.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand the need for someone to make a little extra money by renting out their property, but I run my business legally and I feel that everyone else should too. An illegal B&B can undercut my prices because they aren’t collecting taxes or paying for a license or insurance. The trade-off as far as I’m concerned is too high. Just do yourself a favor and ask a few questions before booking your next trip, whether here (I hope it’s in Asheville) or Albuquerque or St. Augustine or Austin. You’ll feel a lot better knowing that your safety and comfort are worth more to the B&B owner than money.
