full up for fall

"Hi, do you have any rooms available for October 8th? Or is that just too funny?"

I love callers who realize that it IS ridiculous to expect to get a room with one week's notice during foliage season. They make my job so much easier.

Pet Peeves

Some pet peeves:

-People who call NOW and are surprised that there are no rooms available for the first week of October, which is peak foliage season. This particular caller actually wanted to make a reservation for a stay of ONE WEEK. Good luck. If you want to stay for a full week in the middle of foliage season, you'd better book about a year in advance. More on how far in advance you should make reservations for a specialty B&B in another post.

-People who pronounce it "FOIL-age." It's "FO-li-age." Three syllables. The "i" is after the "l."

-Guests who clearly ignore everything I am saying to them on the tour, then come back to the desk several times throughout the evening to ask me where the ice machine is, do we have an elevator, how do I turn on the air conditioner, can I eat the fruit on the rack labeled "for chef's use only"? Classic example: on every tour, I point out the coffee in air pots and mention that the coffee is out from 6:30AM until 9:00PM every day. Last night a couple came down at ten minutes after nine and asked me when the coffee was going to be put away - while standing DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF the empty coffee bar.

-Callers who think it's MY responsibility to find them another room in the area if we are booked. Are you kidding? I will give you the phone number of the Other Notable Inn or the Chamber of Commerce, and that's it. Don't try to bully me. You do not pay my paycheck.

Complainers from Every Country

Here's another story about the two Venezualan women I mentioned in the last post. Originally, the reservation was for just one, the younger woman (the daughter), Sophia. Her four night reservation was for our smallest room, which is cozy, but a fine size for one person. It has a double bed and is on the third floor. We don't have an elevator.

When Sophia checks in on Friday, her mother is with her (to our surprise). She explains that her mother, Gordana, decided to come with her, and can they switch to another room? It's Labor Day weekend. We're totally booked except for the last night of their stay. I offer to move them for that last night, but they say no because it's a more expensive room.

I served breakfast to them Monday morning and asked how their stay had been so far. Sophia says it's been fine, but Gordana complains about the room size and the stairs. I remind her that we do have our ground-level room (a larger room) available for that night, and we would be happy to switch them if she would like. She declines, again.

The next morning we notice a note in the guest book: "Unfortunately, I was not able to enjoy my four night stay because of the very uncomfortable, very small room in the loft." In pen. Not that it would really be ethical to erase it if we could, but still.

Some people just love to complain.

An American idiot?

I just checked in two women from Venuzuela who are here to visit their daughter/granddaughter. After I brought them upstairs and gave them all the formalities, I told them my name and said that I'd be downstairs until 10 if they needed anything. The grandmother looked at me and said pleasantly, "You are not American?"

I was taken aback for a moment, but smiled and replied, "Actually, I am."

"Oh," she said. "You don't speak like one. Your enunciation is so good. You're very clear."

I think I'll take it as a compliment.