s about smokers mostly apply to dog owners. Dog hairs and smells linger, no matter how well you clean, and these can affect your next guests who may have an allergy problem. Far better to direct the dog owning potential guest to a ‘doggie’ hotel.

(g) Do you take very young children? A baby crying during the night is not likely to be welcomed by other guests.

(h) Are they foreign? Are you able to understand them? Your initial phone call should give y

If you have ever thought of running a Bed and Breakfast Venture, you have probably also thought of the possibility of receiving unwanted guests.

Is it possible to filter these people out and minimise the number of such potential guests that could turn up on your door-step.

Although the risk can be lessened it can never completely eliminated. In order to cut your number of mishaps to a minimum it is necessary to establish your own personal rules and regulations for your self-preservation.

1. A non-smoking house will eliminate a high proportion of people. If a person smokes the smell of the cigarettes will cling to any soft furnishings, including curtains. You next guest may well be a non smoker and will react unfavourably to this smell. Even worse, if they are asthma sufferers this could also produce an adverse reaction.

2. It is normally possible to identify whether you and the person requesting a booking are likely to suit each other. If they telephone you, listen very carefully to the very first sentence they use.

(a) Tell-tale signs are if you are addressed as ‘mate’ – no you are not a workmen’s lodging house. (Sorry, maybe you are!)

(b) Can they put a sentence together in a reasonable manner?

(c) Are they courteous?

(d) Are they attending a wedding? Many wedding guests have no respect for property, taking the view that they are very unlikely to be coming back to your area, so what the heck! Many become inebriated with disastrous consequences. Many make considerable demands on the guest house owner – and everything as far as they are concerned is a matter of immediacy.

(e) As your initial conversation progresses, do they start reciting a load of ‘preferences’? If they are trouble on the telephone they will be twice as bad when they arrive.

(f) Do you take dogs? Again the remarks about smokers mostly apply to dog owners. Dog hairs and smells linger, no matter how well you clean, and these can affect your next guests who may have an allergy problem. Far better to direct the dog owning potential guest to a ‘doggie’ hotel.

(g) Do you take very young children? A baby crying during the night is not likely to be welcomed by other guests.

(h) Are they foreign? Are you able to understand them? Your initial phone call should give yo

lations for your self-preservation.

1. A non-smoking house will eliminate a high proportion of people. If a person smokes the smell of the cigarettes will cling to any soft furnishings, including curtains. You next guest may well be a non smoker and will react unfavourably to this smell. Even worse, if they are asthma sufferers this could also produce an adverse reaction.

2. It is normally possible to identify whether you and the person requesting a booking are likely to suit each other. If they telephone you, listen very carefully to the very first sentence they use.

(a) Tell-tale signs are if you are addressed as ‘mate’ – no you are not a workmen’s lodging house. (Sorry, maybe you are!)

(b) Can they put a sentence together in a reasonable manner?

(c) Are they courteous?

(d) Are they attending a wedding? Many wedding guests have no respect for property, taking the view that they are very unlikely to be coming back to your area, so what the heck! Many become inebriated with disastrous consequences. Many make considerable demands on the guest house owner – and everything as far as they are concerned is a matter of immediacy.

(e) As your initial conversation progresses, do they start reciting a load of ‘preferences’? If they are trouble on the telephone they will be twice as bad when they arrive.

(f) Do you take dogs? Again the remarks about smokers mostly apply to dog owners. Dog hairs and smells linger, no matter how well you clean, and these can affect your next guests who may have an allergy problem. Far better to direct the dog owning potential guest to a ‘doggie’ hotel.

(g) Do you take very young children? A baby crying during the night is not likely to be welcomed by other guests.

(h) Are they foreign? Are you able to understand them? Your initial phone call should give y

ooking are likely to suit each other. If they telephone you, listen very carefully to the very first sentence they use.

(a) Tell-tale signs are if you are addressed as ‘mate’ – no you are not a workmen’s lodging house. (Sorry, maybe you are!)

(b) Can they put a sentence together in a reasonable manner?

(c) Are they courteous?

(d) Are they attending a wedding? Many wedding guests have no respect for property, taking the view that they are very unlikely to be coming back to your area, so what the heck! Many become inebriated with disastrous consequences. Many make considerable demands on the guest house owner – and everything as far as they are concerned is a matter of immediacy.

(e) As your initial conversation progresses, do they start reciting a load of ‘preferences’? If they are trouble on the telephone they will be twice as bad when they arrive.

(f) Do you take dogs? Again the remarks about smokers mostly apply to dog owners. Dog hairs and smells linger, no matter how well you clean, and these can affect your next guests who may have an allergy problem. Far better to direct the dog owning potential guest to a ‘doggie’ hotel.

(g) Do you take very young children? A baby crying during the night is not likely to be welcomed by other guests.

(h) Are they foreign? Are you able to understand them? Your initial phone call should give y

ry unlikely to be coming back to your area, so what the heck! Many become inebriated with disastrous consequences. Many make considerable demands on the guest house owner – and everything as far as they are concerned is a matter of immediacy.

(e) As your initial conversation progresses, do they start reciting a load of ‘preferences’? If they are trouble on the telephone they will be twice as bad when they arrive.

(f) Do you take dogs? Again the remarks about smokers mostly apply to dog owners. Dog hairs and smells linger, no matter how well you clean, and these can affect your next guests who may have an allergy problem. Far better to direct the dog owning potential guest to a ‘doggie’ hotel.

(g) Do you take very young children? A baby crying during the night is not likely to be welcomed by other guests.

(h) Are they foreign? Are you able to understand them? Your initial phone call should give y

s about smokers mostly apply to dog owners. Dog hairs and smells linger, no matter how well you clean, and these can affect your next guests who may have an allergy problem. Far better to direct the dog owning potential guest to a ‘doggie’ hotel.

(g) Do you take very young children? A baby crying during the night is not likely to be welcomed by other guests.

(h) Are they foreign? Are you able to understand them? Your initial phone call should give you a clue.

(i) If you are emailed, what is their message like? The above rules more or less apply. If at all possible get them to telephone you saying that you need to discuss certain matters with them.

(j) Heaven forbid that you are sent a text message, this is a definite no-no. In this type of situation why are they not communicating with you in an accepted manner?

These are just a few suggestions for your own ground rules when taking a booking. It is essential you do have a set of guidelines for your own preservation.

As you read through the above list you may wonder – Are there any people that I can accept as guests? The answer is a resounding’ Yes.’

Surprisingly there are still plenty of exceedingly pleasant people around who are looking for good accommodation. You are there to cope with this demand and also retain your security and sanity at the same time. What could be better?