So You Want to be an Innkeeper

We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee.”

~ Marian Wright Edelman

They always look at you with their rose-colored glasses and say, ‘Oh, it must be so nice to sit here and chat with your guests every morning.’ And I think, ‘Yeah, but you forget I’ve been up for the past two hours cooking,’

Running this morning and reflecting on what a hectic but wonderful weekend we had with our guests; they pass through fleetingly it seems; each in their own way makes a difference and hopefully it’s mutual.

1) Time. You decided to convert that old farm house into a Bed & Breakfast. In fact, you decided to do a minimum of work on the place, because after all, the property’s “run down” look is one of the things make it so attractive. After the initial enthusiasm wears off, it dawns on you that running a bed-and-breakfast (B&B) might have seemed like a dream job, but the reality is that it’s a business. A business that just so happens to demand a 24/7 commitment. That means that your responsibility doesn’t end after you hand over the keys to a family of 5 or a love-sick couple of newlyweds.

The 24/7 nature of it can be biggest shocker,;You’re really tied to your guests. You miss birthday parties, Christmas, all kinds of things. And if you don’t, you turn rooms away, which is revenue.”

Then there’s the fact that innkeepers not only have to cook the breakfast, but they also have to look presentable as they serve it. And they can’t just serve a glob of scrambled eggs; the food has to look presentable too. Toilets have to be cleaned, rooms vacuumed, sheets washed, Web sites maintained. Once that’s done, owners have to be ready and smiling to welcome the next batch of guests.

Just as many B & B’s go OUT of business as go INTO business. A recent study pinpointed the problem not to poor accommodations or bad food but poor “customer service”. You remember them, the C-U-S-T-O-M-E-R… the individual who pays for a service and expects to be treated in a decent manner.The concept of customer service is widely accepted as the lifeblood of any operation .

For day-to-day operations or any of the business aspects of innkeeping. I find that a semi-schedule helps me and I am a great list maker! But flexibility is key because you never know when you can get dragged away from something by a guest . I also learned from working at the inn, that cleaning rooms was a whole lot easier with 2 people working together, because one of you could deal with guests if need be & the other could keep working on the rooms. Fortunately, dan and i have figured out a division of labor that seems to work Just some food for thought…..

The Nitty Gritty…1) Interest. If you can’t feign happiness 7 days a week, week after week – especially during holidays (when you might have wanted to spend time with your family) than running a Bed & Breakfast is the wrong job to pursue. Whether you have only one room to rent (a mini-B & B if you will) or a suite of 10 or more rooms, you need to resign yourself to be outgoing and friendly whether or not you feel like it. Of course for some people that comes easy. Are you one of them?

2) When Dan and I first went from our corporate jobs to the software engineering business (due to outsourcing), our biggest challenge was stepping out of a large business is that you now have to do all those things they took for granted. These can include an HR function, a health plan, a payroll system, unjamming the copier and selecting a telephone provider. Fortunately our strengths complement one another so I was (and still am for the bed and breakfast) what I’ve titled “Logistics Supervisor”.

We ‘ve developed (and continue to refine) our standard operating procedure (SOP) when guests arrive including a welcome tour, welcome kit, and of course the grand tour showing them where everything is with Manker (aka the B&B dog”) always winning hearts and leading the tour. We tend to spend time with our guests making them feel at home and for the most part have become friends.

But the best part is it’s wonderful having these people drop into your life. Some innkeeping insiders that work for us not just as innkeepers but will help no matter what journey you’re on. It’s all about relationship.

• Become genuinely interested in other people.
• People are most interested in themselves.
• Remember people’s birthdays and other important details.
• Find the interests of others and talk about those things. Urge others to talk about themselves. Ask intelligent questions.
• Be a good listener. Give your exclusive attention to others.
• Smile. Smiling comes through even over the phone.

One question we always ask, is about dietary restrictions and requests. Some are plum amazed we ask during the reservation process, be it over the phone or on our online reservation system. But as with any aspect of innkeeping meeting these challenges becomes a “game” and is encouraging when it works and you have super happy guests. Mistakes will always happen–they are part of life and business. What matters to your customers is how you handle them when they occur. It’s your choice…

But make no mistake… tis the season here for some serious comfort food. not to mention Super BowlBy now, you’re in the 4th quarter of planning out your Super Bowl buffet. Over at Epicurious they’ve rounded up 22 recipes from current and past NFL-ers. It’s being done in conjunction with a fundraiser, Taste of the NFL, that will take place in Phoenix the day before the big game and will benefit America’s Second Harvest.

You could whip up Chad Hennings Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, Donny Anderson’s Chicken Spaghetti, Stu Voigt’s Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup, Now that’s a win, win, if ever I saw.