Wendy Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Yep, the first whingers of the season seem to have arrived en masse this year, all English, and all extremely put out because the grass out front is burnt and brown from the heat. "Shabby and unlooked after" they say. Before they even get inside!! Hello?? holiday in the south of France in June and what do you get...HEAT! Funny how its always the English. And funny how 'shabby and unlooked after' the females looked when they arrived. Miki, what would you say?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hastobe Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Here's a watering can... ?(p.s. your bathwater has been re routed to the lawn.)Kathie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Posted June 30, 2006 Author Share Posted June 30, 2006 Nice:)) watering can...for the grass or the Missus?. Both Id say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russethouse Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 As they are English haven't they looked around their homes lately? We are in a hose pipe ban area and virtually every lawn is reduced to brown. Are they from the North ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 [quote user="wen"]Yep, the first whingers of the season seem to have arrived en masse this year, all English, and all extremely put out because the grass out front is burnt and brown from the heat. "Shabby and unlooked after" they say. [/quote]Did they seriously say that, Wen? Strewth! Pommie ****! If they had said that to me I would have told them to take a hike. Do you need sheets like that? Sorry, slipped into Italian there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 Wen, Our grass is a mixture of green and brown and isn'tgrowing......that'll do me nicely thank you very much. If they don'tlike it, then they should bring their own shouldn't they !I often just grin and bear a lot of what some guests have said to me over the years, untilthat is, they say something even more stupid, like the othermorning when the chap says, "can you book me a special place for a mealwith my wife today"..." Yes" and what price bracket" says I........"Oh not too dear".... "well how much" I said..."how much would you spend"says he...."not my money on this occasion, spend what you think issufficient perhaps" ......"Yes but what is the cheapest but the best"By now, all I want to do really, is pull my finger nails off and stick my hands in vinegar and lemon juice."Shall I just book one for you "? "Yes please but around how much will it cost""Listen to me, it will cost you from around 25 euros for lunch and Ipromise it will be lovely but wine and coffee will be extra"" How much is wine""No idea, how many botttles and how many coffees you will drink""Well not many"...I kid you not, he went on and on and was deadly serious about it all.Tina seeing my face whispered. "walk away"Bottom line.......................he said the food was lovely , thewine was a little dear and he said, they wanted €3,75 euros for coffee,so my wife had one and I didn't.The drive back here in their new looking Mercedes along the scenic coast road must have been lovely...................................Now go back to the original question (above) he asked me and do you seehow nothing is adding up. I nearly snapped and wanted to say, youwanted something special, you say the food was lovely and wine (which Iknow starts at around €14) and yes perhaps coffee at 3,50 is not in theback of a town café price range............... oh I am not going on, whycan't they just leave their money at our entrance door and p**off [;-)]Most guests are lovely, well if they weren't, who would do this kind of work !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 [quote user="Miki"]Wen, By now, all I want to do really, is pull my finger nails off and stick my hands in vinegar and lemon juice.[/quote]Miki - that's superb.Don't know how you stop yourself from screaming at these people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerise Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 wen - a while ago I wrote about a picky eater who had written. After much correspondence (mostly with me suggesting they went to restaurant) the party decided that a plain roast chicken dinner would do the trick. On the appointed day the number of guests meant that I had to raost 3 chickens and the weather meant that it was 42°c in my kitchen. Imagine my delight when having served up this feast, my friend picky eater says 'Pity it is too hot to eat food like this ......' If you see a man with a roast chicken in an unlikely place you'll realise he was one of my guests. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 [img]http://www.alltooflat.com/geeky/etc/arod/arod_chicken.jpg[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Posted July 1, 2006 Author Share Posted July 1, 2006 Thanks all for those sterling replies, Miki, scenarios like that should be copied down for future use maybe as a sitcom. Honestly, the first couple, older types, we were racing back from the accountants ( two hours drive away) and my Mum was here to check them in. She said they sat out in their car for 15 minutes before deciding to get out. She said they had that 'look' on them, you know, the one where the mouth resembles a cats bum (pursed lips). Well, as the sight of the grass so offended them 'she' stated they would need to view the room first. Sorry, not 'modern enough'. They really were just looking an excuse and then questioned my Mum as to what she was doing here in France!. They decided that they couldnt possibly stay as... a) they were the only guests in at the time and they didnt wish to be the only guests... b) they had ordered a meal from us for that first night and couldnt possibly eat in a dining room with no other guests and..., c) there was no atmosphere as there were no other guests staying!. Telling them that they had landed on a quiet day was no good, the next day we were going to be near capacity, no good. Pretentious snobs. Why do some people elevate themselves to royalty when they go on holiday? Love the chook photo, but if you look closely... ahem...it's a girl chook:)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Good grief, Wen. With guests like that .... don't you think you were better off without them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Posted July 1, 2006 Author Share Posted July 1, 2006 Well, as they were booked for four days I reckon in cases like that you are spared four days of constant whining and over the top demands with the final thrust made when they are given the bill. Thank goodness those types are few and far between but its weird how we had a run of them all within the last couple of weeks. But there certainly are 'guests' that you are better off without. But Ive a few questions as Im baffled...why do people book a place in the countryside and then complain that its rural? why choose a 300 year old establishment and then complain that its not 'modern like the ETAP?' why holiday in the south of France in June and then complain about the heat?. why choose a family-friendly place and then complain about the presence of children?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-cat Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Just wanted to say that I have so much admiration to one & all, who run B&B's or a gite business. You deserve medals!! You must have the patience of a saint to be able to put up with the picky & rude guests you get. I hope the good ones, make up for the bad!! [:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Ali, most guests are a delight to have and we love having them to stay. The bad 'uns are few and far between.It's funny what Wen says about not knowing what some people are expecting. We have had enquiries from people asking how far we are from the beach because they don't want to have to walk too far (we're about an hour and a half from the coast by car - not sure how long that takes on foot), whether we are close to Nantes (about 2 hours?) etc. I guess some people prefer just to call places at random until they get the right answer, rather than look at a map. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerise Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Cassis - glad my picky party has reached Normandy then[:)]Most of our guests are great, but there are a few who seem to delight in being a pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opas Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 [quote user="Cerise"]wen - a while ago I wrote about a picky eater who had written. After much correspondence (mostly with me suggesting they went to restaurant) the party decided that a plain roast chicken dinner would do the trick. On the appointed day the number of guests meant that I had to raost 3 chickens and the weather meant that it was 42°c in my kitchen. Imagine my delight when having served up this feast, my friend picky eater says 'Pity it is too hot to eat food like this ......' If you see a man with a roast chicken in an unlikely place you'll realise he was one of my guests.[/quote]I would have hoped they were staying another night, and seved the left over chicken ........Madras style![B] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy Posted July 1, 2006 Author Share Posted July 1, 2006 How about these...last month we had a group of four Taiwanese book an overnight with us. They arrived at the train station and phoned us to come and collect them (ignoring, as most do, that we require advance notice with the booking if guests want a pickup). They would have needed dropping back there the next morning and as 'there and back' is a 70km round trip we charge for the service. Well, we had the english speaker of the group wailing down the phone at us for nearly 30 mins as she thought it was very unfair that they had to pay for the ride. Would they then get a bus... much cheaper? no. Didnt want a bus as we are a 2 km walk from the village and, even though they were backpacking, they didnt want to walk anywhere. Didnt wish to pay 50 euros for a taxi either. Well she carried on and on about how they were students and it wasnt fair we wanted to charge them to drive them around and how they didnt have much money, blah blah blah. Then she asked if we were near the beach. No, we are near the mountains as it clearly states in the info when they booked us. Well, they ended up not staying with us that night as they wouldnt pay for the pickup and we dont work for nothing. Cars dont run on air!. She lastly informed me that if they had no where to sleep that night it was our fault as they shouldnt have to pay for us to collect them and drive them back (on a Sunday too mind you). On the other side, a Canadian family stayed in our gite two years ago and over the three days were such brilliant guests that we write regularly to each other to this day. I think things can go wrong if you get too familiar with your guests but these people were real fun, and their two teenage daughters kept my two year son old well occupied (which was bliss). This business can be both a joy and a nightmare in the space of a few hours.That chicky pic keeps me giggling...Im just picturing Posh Spices head on it, or is the chook too fat:)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 [quote user="wen"]On the other side, a Canadian family stayed in our gite two years ago and over the three days were such brilliant guests that we write regularly to each other to this day. [/quote]Received this 'enquiry' this morning. Doesn't sound much like your Canadians, Wen! I've deleted the "enquirer's" name and address. =========================================HOLIDAYADVERTISING.COM - CUSTOMER ENQUIRY =========================================Date of Enquiry : Sat 01 July 2006 22 36Customers Name : J.vacation@********.netCustomers e-mail address : J.vacation@********.net Tel : Enquiry : Hello Am James Am from me and my family will like to know how yourun this rentel,well are on a vacation for this year Below Details of the Reservation Below:Date:1st of Oct to 30th Nov 2006Time of arrival:10 amRooms:ApartmentNo of people:2 adults And 1 son and we are as well willing to buy a small house around that area that your house is located,well we are referring to that will wanted to Rent your aprt that you havefor rent on a monthly rentel or weekly rentel we are planning staying i mean we wanted to buy a small house in that area butbefore then we wanted to stay for 2 Months rentel ionly want to stay around and check the security area before i buy the house that i intends to buy in that area ok,so i will be veryglad to have the amount for the monthly rentel and if you do no trun monthly rentel we are as well ok by weekly rentel,i will be very glad to tell you that we are much interested in renting your home,well will like have all info that you think real tenetwill n! eeded to know about,wel l we wi ll be starting the rentel by (1st of Oct 2006 checking till 30 Nov 2006 Checkout a nd as well while we stay in t he aprtwe will be making uses of things like bike and some otherassecories i hope that is Ok.i have 1 kids and one wife and me allmaking 2 in number,i will needs to know more about the house you have for rent,any way Here is my Information below :Address :2016 ******** Road,Abbotsford, BCV3G 2J5 Canada ,Mr And Mrs James ********* Bc CanadaBusiness Located here in Uk.Wife Destination Neltherlands.Rev James FamilyJ.vacation@********.net=========================================Property Owner : Phil GRAHAMProperty Type : Bed and BreakfastProperty Country: FranceProperty Web Ref: 284Property Webpage: http://www.normandie-chambres.co.ukThis email has been sent through www.holidayadvertising.com website. It is a direct e-mail from a member of the public and not from holidayadvertising.com directly. Please ensure you respond appropriately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali-cat Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Oh! how iwish i could right & explain i want things aswell as he !& 1 other does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Hi, AliBy bizarre coincidence (?) that email 'enquiry' arrived a couple of hours before a reminderthat our free trial period with that rubbish portal was up. It is the only enquiry we have had during the free period. Do youthink we should pay up to renew? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gastines Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Only one nightmare, of the Swiss kind.After doing all his and her dirty washing in the shower-room ]black fluff everywhere] when Madame eventually came down to breakfast. 2pots of honey =4 jams/marmalade etc etc. "Do you have Organic Honey?" I'm glad they lost at football. Funny thing is that the problems are at the start and end of the season.May be time to retire into the sunset!.B&B St.Malo. ourinns.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Guests arrived two hours later than expected yesterday coinciding with the moment when the first England penalty was about to be taken. Mama didn’t bother to ring the bell, she smacked the front door handle down with one suitcase and started bashing the door with another bag and kicking it with her foot to open it. I gave her a look and checked the door for damage. The two lads in the party were happy to watch the shoot out but Mama insisted on being shown straight up to her room. I took her up and gave her a ‘Oui’ when she said they had arrived at the wrong time. They left this morning ten minutes after official kicking out time and it looks like Mama used our towels to clean her shoes. She also made off with all the makeup remover pads, soap and hand towels from both rooms (I assume it was her, not the lads). They’ve gone onto our blacklist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Now Phil, how did you 'respond appropriately' to your Canadian request? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Well spotted! Yes, it does indeed say 'Please ensure you respond appropriately' at the bottom. I have now done so by sending it to the poubelle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted July 2, 2006 Share Posted July 2, 2006 Ah, that good old circular filing cabinet. My favourite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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