At the risk of sounding like a broken record — I have written about this issue before — I'm addressing tour suppliers again because there is mounting evidence that the message is not getting through.

I recently heard from two suppliers in the same small town within minutes of each other — one by phone, one by email — both referencing the ABA report they had just received from their state representative. So far so good.

However, neither had bothered to do any research beyond the report, and were therefore unaware that my company has been including this town and its attractions on itineraries since 1997.

I patiently explained to each of them the reasons why we could not add their particular attractions to the current itinerary. One graciously said she understood and signed off hospitably. The other, even though I explained that we were never there at meal time, proceeded to scold me for omitting his wonderful restaurant.

Really? Since when did criticizing your prospect become accepted practice in a sales pitch? I wish I could say that this was a singular occurrence, but unfortunately it seems to be happening more and more often.

I'm afraid it boils down to a combination of ego and lack of respect. This supplier was so convinced that his restaurant was a must-do in his town that he didn't think to find out why we were never there at mealtime.

Had he done his homework he would have learned that other factors — distance between overnights, location and other activities on a given day — must be considered in itinerary planning. He was so focused on his great restaurant that he forgot to pay me the common courtesy due to a professional, not to mention risking insulting a potential client.

Let's move on to hotels. An ongoing problem for me is those hotels who still regard the group market as a fill-in for offseason dates. In other words, groups are welcome, as long as they don't interfere with their main clientele, be they families, business travelers or conventions.

If a hotel offers better availability on the weekend, it is sure to lean toward business travelers. If it wants you to come on weekdays, it may be more amenable to groups, but the fact that it has a preference at all indicates that groups are not the primary focus. Something to think about.

One hotel that I have done business with in the past is a lovely property, though due to numerous expansions, it sprawls over a considerable amount of real estate. Guests need to leave a trail of bread crumbs to find their way from the lobby to their rooms and vice versa.

Although representatives of this hotel show up at group tour marketplaces and do sporadic marketing to tour operators, it is obviously more interested in conventions. Over the years, the hotel has steadfastly rejected my pleas to include breakfast in the room rate and thinks that having a nice restaurant onsite makes up for this industry standard that is offered by every other hotel up and down the same street.

Its most recent proposal trumpeted free Wi-Fi, a humongous waterslide — c'mon, how many tour planners select a hotel on the basis of a waterslide? I avoid them because they attract screaming kids running up and down the halls at all hours of the night — free shuttle service (for a minimum of 40 people) to a casino 50 miles away, and a pricey restaurant onsite.

No thanks. I think I'll pass.