Hello everyone,
I wonder if someone could help, I have tried searching the threads, but no luck so far in locating one which can tell me what info to put in the visitor boook.
I know one must be there somewhere!
thanks in advance.
visitor/guest book
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Giddy Goat
- Posts: 9054
- Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2005 7:38 am
- Location: UK
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You mean a guest manual which tells people all about the ins and outs of your property I am guessing. Mmmm. Happy to contribute but ours is a bit of a tome and is to blame for some of our guests having done silly things in the past I suspect as they couldn't be bothered to wade through it all!
So the key is to restrict the info to the most useful bits for the guests to know about and the most important for them to know about.
Our very first page therefore welcomes them, and gives the contact details of whoever is the first port of call in the event of something going wrong at the property: caretaker, cleaner eg - plus emergency numbers: police, ambulance, fire brigade, doctor and dentist! (We're in rural France.)
I have to dash, but no doubt someone else will take it from there. I have a lot of info on the house itself, where to find stuff, and do's (rather than "dont's.) In that section I also tell them where the operating instructions for appliances are to be found if needed.
In the next section I include a detailed list of restaurants, and pages on what to see and do - the kind of thing our website carries, but simply repeated in a bit more detail. Like most owners here we provide lots of guidebooks, maps and literature about the area so make sure to mention these and where they are to be found if they are not obvious.
So the key is to restrict the info to the most useful bits for the guests to know about and the most important for them to know about.
Our very first page therefore welcomes them, and gives the contact details of whoever is the first port of call in the event of something going wrong at the property: caretaker, cleaner eg - plus emergency numbers: police, ambulance, fire brigade, doctor and dentist! (We're in rural France.)
I have to dash, but no doubt someone else will take it from there. I have a lot of info on the house itself, where to find stuff, and do's (rather than "dont's.) In that section I also tell them where the operating instructions for appliances are to be found if needed.
In the next section I include a detailed list of restaurants, and pages on what to see and do - the kind of thing our website carries, but simply repeated in a bit more detail. Like most owners here we provide lots of guidebooks, maps and literature about the area so make sure to mention these and where they are to be found if they are not obvious.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be
Apart from the Welcome bit, mine starts off with:
'What you need to know Now' and details the pool alarm, the dos and don'ts of the septic tank and the jacuzzi bath.
Then it says 'the rest you can read at your leisure'.
'What you need to know Now' and details the pool alarm, the dos and don'ts of the septic tank and the jacuzzi bath.
Then it says 'the rest you can read at your leisure'.
Kathy
Waterfront location in Le Faou
"My goal in life is to become as wonderful as my dog thinks I am."
Waterfront location in Le Faou
"My goal in life is to become as wonderful as my dog thinks I am."
How to use the washing machine
Best settings for the fridge/freezer
How to use the air-con/heating and best settings
Safe operating instructions
Internet password
Rubbish removal and recycling
Where to find the parasols
BBQ cleaning
Emergency numbers
Nearest private & health service doctor
Nearest dentist
Nearest hospitals
Security & safety
Communal pool rules
How to get to the beach
Supermarkets
Markets
Bus & taxi information
Bar & restaurant information
Departure day check list
Best settings for the fridge/freezer
How to use the air-con/heating and best settings
Safe operating instructions
Internet password
Rubbish removal and recycling
Where to find the parasols
BBQ cleaning
Emergency numbers
Nearest private & health service doctor
Nearest dentist
Nearest hospitals
Security & safety
Communal pool rules
How to get to the beach
Supermarkets
Markets
Bus & taxi information
Bar & restaurant information
Departure day check list
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
I have a "quick guide to the apartment" on one side of an A4 sheet. I present it in a bulleted list using short sentences (as I know people arriving on holiday have minimal attention spans!) and leave it with my Welcome note.
This is the stuff they really need to know (or that I want them to know) so it's important to make it easy to read... eg.
where tripswitch or water stopcock is.
where to put rubbish
how to put on aircon/heating
where the picnic/beach/etc stuff is
about the door locks
etc...
the rest I put in the general folder.
This is the stuff they really need to know (or that I want them to know) so it's important to make it easy to read... eg.
where tripswitch or water stopcock is.
where to put rubbish
how to put on aircon/heating
where the picnic/beach/etc stuff is
about the door locks
etc...
the rest I put in the general folder.
visitor/guest book
We were most indebted to Martha and her idea of house notes on this page: viewtopic.php?t=15365&postdays=0&postor ... a&start=15
We completely redid our information file in the house, and liberally sprinkled the text with pictures to make it easier for guests (and ourselves) to see what they need to know quickly. However, I have to say that recycling of rubbish continues to elude most people. The same thing is said in lots of places on LMH.Martha wrote:House notes: No-one ever used to read these, so I redid everything with loads and loads of pictures, so they are fun to read through..............
These ideas were all from LMHand have really really helped. It was a LOT of work to do (and there's still lots to improve on) but has saved me loads of time in answering questions and guests have really appreciated it.
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Giddy Goat
- Posts: 9054
- Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2005 7:38 am
- Location: UK
- Contact:
Ooh I missed this thread first time round. Looks like a fab idea, we do something similar for the Guide Books we've compiled but hadn't thought of sending them a link before they actually arrive, brilliant idea. Just need to get all the PDFs onto a downloadable space somewhere........ 
Kathy
Waterfront location in Le Faou
"My goal in life is to become as wonderful as my dog thinks I am."
Waterfront location in Le Faou
"My goal in life is to become as wonderful as my dog thinks I am."
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charles cawley
- Posts: 1205
- Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 1:53 pm
- Location: Herefordshire, Shropshire, Borders
Absolutely essential.
A useful item is to include a paragraph saying guests must inform the owners as soon as practical of any substantial problems so they can be mended / corrected to ensure a good holiday.
This will sort those who may keep quiet about, say, a faulty oven and then, at the end of the week, demand a large discount.
We have general advice which might help on this and other things at: http://www.countryholidaylets.co.uk/lan ... o-pack.htm
We have deliberately designed and provided this advice so it is available to everyone and you do not need to contact us at all as we feel this sort of thing should not be kept secret and greater benefit comes if it is freely available.
A useful item is to include a paragraph saying guests must inform the owners as soon as practical of any substantial problems so they can be mended / corrected to ensure a good holiday.
This will sort those who may keep quiet about, say, a faulty oven and then, at the end of the week, demand a large discount.
We have general advice which might help on this and other things at: http://www.countryholidaylets.co.uk/lan ... o-pack.htm
We have deliberately designed and provided this advice so it is available to everyone and you do not need to contact us at all as we feel this sort of thing should not be kept secret and greater benefit comes if it is freely available.
No web-site for now.
Advice about holiday letting
Advice about holiday letting
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charles cawley
- Posts: 1205
- Joined: Tue Sep 21, 2010 1:53 pm
- Location: Herefordshire, Shropshire, Borders
Lots of great advice here
We found that our file quickly became a bit fat and unwieldy. So we split it, putting all the "things to see and do" stuff in a separate folder from the practical stuff. We´ve put quick reference tabs for the separate categories on them both and put the "house rules" (as brief as poss)at the front of the practical one.
As we live in a tiny village, we´ve also made separate leaflets about the shop and the bar in Spanish and English (as neither speaks much/any English) with the names of the owners and what they sell.
We found that our file quickly became a bit fat and unwieldy. So we split it, putting all the "things to see and do" stuff in a separate folder from the practical stuff. We´ve put quick reference tabs for the separate categories on them both and put the "house rules" (as brief as poss)at the front of the practical one.
As we live in a tiny village, we´ve also made separate leaflets about the shop and the bar in Spanish and English (as neither speaks much/any English) with the names of the owners and what they sell.
If not now, when?
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Holiday Ray
- Posts: 711
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:07 am
- Location: South West France
- Contact:
