Book of the House everyone still using a folder?

From the moment they step through the door your bookings become guests, and their experiences determine whether they ever come back.
ianthy
Posts: 522
Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 9:07 pm
Location: Bologna, Italy

Post by ianthy »

French Cricket wrote:It's very nice indeed, Ianthy - but (with my accountant's hat on) it doesn't seem as though there's anything that couldn't be done on a normal web page so it seems a little expensive to me ...
Thks French Cricket. I also let our London Property via OneFineStay and they use similar technology, with a smart Online book of the house giving all the vital info. I am not technically proficient so if I created a web page it would likely look pretty amateur... and goodness knows how long it would take me ;-( The technology is constantly changing so for me a package is much better use of my time and marketing budget too.
Last edited by ianthy on Wed Sep 02, 2015 6:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Hells Bells
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
Location: French Alps
Contact:

Post by Hells Bells »

I have also signed up to the trial, but like you say I could probably do this myself. I'm about to have the teleconference with Andy to explain the software, but have already played around with the content.
User avatar
Casscat
Posts: 2692
Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2014 10:43 pm

Post by Casscat »

I know that in spite of emailing by (PDF) guest info ahead of their stay most of my guests do actually sit with the bound hard copy manual job and leaf through it. I don't know why but a 'book' is more reassuring. Maybe it's a target market thing, maybe it's an owner (Luddite) thing, I don't really know, but I'm not ready to leave a tablet rather than a book with pages you can flip through and all that.
Hells Bells
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
Location: French Alps
Contact:

Post by Hells Bells »

I most definitely won't be leaving them a tablet! if I decide to go ahead, they are getting the link in advance of arrival to bookmark on their own mobile device. I'm also wondering if I can somehow leave it on my TV via an SD card. If not there will still be a printer and laminated copy in my folder.
Hells Bells
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
Location: French Alps
Contact:

Post by Hells Bells »

I have been told by two sets of guests that they haven't got time to read the guest folder on holiday.
User avatar
greenbarn
Posts: 6146
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 6:41 pm
Location: The Westmorland Dales, Cumbria

Post by greenbarn »

HelenB wrote:I have been told by two sets of guests that they haven't got time to read the guest folder on holiday.
Tell them the wifi password is hidden somewhere in the text. :wink:
User avatar
Casscat
Posts: 2692
Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2014 10:43 pm

Post by Casscat »

HelenB wrote:I have been told by two sets of guests that they haven't got time to read the guest folder on holiday.
Crikey! Really? It's almost the first thing I do when I arrive! :? Nowt so queer and all that. If you don't read what's left for your benefit you cannot subsequently claim that you weren't told.
Hells Bells
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
Location: French Alps
Contact:

Post by Hells Bells »

Both of them had been told about departure instructions and had failed to follow them.

This is what one of them said
Lastly as riveting as the apartment guidelines may be to read, I did not read.
la vache!
Posts: 11065
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 7:22 pm

Post by la vache! »

HelenB wrote:I have been told by two sets of guests that they haven't got time to read the guest folder on holiday.
Email the info in advance in that case!
Essar
Posts: 3243
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2011 5:24 pm
Location: Bournemouth
Contact:

Post by Essar »

HelenB wrote:Both of them had been told about departure instructions and had failed to follow them.

This is what one of them said
Lastly as riveting as the apartment guidelines may be to read, I did not read.
Oh, that's a shame because the last page contains all the massive discount vouchers for all the attractions that you visited and paid full price - loser! :lol:
"Write something, even if it's just a suicide note"
"There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise"
"As for my amnesia, I've had it as long as I can remember"
Real name: Steve
Gender: Male
Hells Bells
Posts: 13173
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
Location: French Alps
Contact:

Post by Hells Bells »

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Had they read it they would have found our guest card which does give discount in some restaurants and also a discount of ski hire, so you aren't actually too far wrong.
FelicityA
Posts: 2816
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:54 pm
Location: Cotswolds
Contact:

Post by FelicityA »

My wifi password is actually hidden in the text! I have taken to sending my very comprehensive ( I don't do short. :roll: ) house book in advance and I am finding that people are reading it. I send it a week ahead of their stay. I forget that I have already told people things and on the meet and greet they chip in with the details they have read so it is cutting down on the time spent explaining things on site too.
User avatar
Robin S
Posts: 190
Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2015 9:24 pm
Location: The Cotswolds
Contact:

Post by Robin S »

I send out a guide as a PDF before guests arrive. Should probably leave a hard copy in the lodge as well but nobody has mentioned the lack of one yet.

We're having a log burner put in next week and i'll be leaving a 2 page guide next to it hard copy.
brendan
Posts: 678
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 4:04 pm

Post by brendan »

I am totally guilty of not regularly updating the local info folder in the villa. In fact, I´m planning to do it later on today after a trip to the tourism office for fresh material.

While contemplating this I wondered about a TV option. In another life I spent a lot of time in hotels and many of them had a channel (?) with hotel info and local info.

Does anyone do this or even know how to do this?
User avatar
roxytoo
Posts: 1701
Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2005 8:23 am
Location: Spain Costa Blanca

Post by roxytoo »

I copied and pasted and tweeked the below from somewhere on linkedin I think, (will I get done for that??) and am seriously thinking of sending something similar next year when I send out the last email with directions etc

this year has been horrendous with comments like

'wheres the air con?' answer- there isn't any , the advert does not say there is

'wheres the wi fi' answer- there isn't any, the advert does not say there is

'I walked into town and all the children have blisters now on their feet, (and its your fault) where is the nearest bus and pay pool?' answer- all answers are on the last email I sent with links

email sent to me whilst they are on holiday

'do you know where the nearest atm is?'

'this isn't the property I booked. mine had a roof solarium and wi fi' answer-- no, if you look at your email you chose this one by sending me the link and on final email I send same link for you to check its correct property

'I've left the address and telephone number of who to contact in the UK' answer- well you're a plonker then (no I didn't say that!!

so tongue in cheek,

From the booking process to the return home, here are 24 things not to do when you holiday in a rental.

Don’t bother to read the entire listing before you book

Pay attention to the entire listing — and take notes!
Every word of the listing is important when you are renting a vacation rental. There simply is no other way to determine if it is what and where you need it to be. Check and double-check the details.

Don’t Expect something that is not mentioned

Don’t expect towels, sheets, Wi-Fi, dishes, air conditioning, heating, or even an oven, unless it is listed.

Don’t Forget to factor in taxes and cleaning fees

Staying in a private rental is not a way to get around paying hotel taxes. It may be in the fine print, but in most cases, the daily rate does not cover the tax. Cleaning fees and damage deposits are common in the rental business. Some of these are refundable, but not all. Read the listing carefully for the details.

Don’t Assume that you will be dealing directly with the owner

Thousands of rental listings come through agents, even on the major rental websites. VRBO stands for Vacation Rentals by Owner, but it also accepts listings from agents.

Don’t Expect parking

There is nothing worse than renting a car to get around your destination, only to realize that that adorable downtown cottage you rented faces an alley with no parking. Refer back to the top of this list. Read. Every. Word. Twice.

Don’t Arrive early

It does not matter if your rental is self-managed and cleaned by the owners or by an agent that hires a cleaning crew. Arriving early does two things: upsets someone’s routine and ensures that you will get a rush job on the cleaning of your rental.

Don’t Think it will be spotless

It most likely will not be spotless. Rentals usually fall short of even hotel standards. If germs are an issue for you, bring or buy sanitizing wipes.

Don’t Expect love at first sight

There will most likely be things you were not expecting. If you are only staying a night or two, get over it. Did you really come for the accommodations? If your stay is lengthy, give it a day to grow on you before you contemplate making a change. I once stayed in a gorgeous four-bedroom hilltop villa. The drive up and down the winding hillside road was a huge time-suck that I wasn’t happy about at first, but three days of returning home at night to that villa and its gardens made up for the road.

Don’t Think it’s a hotel

There may or may not be shampoo, soap, or matching towels. The décor may be funky. The building may be old, the bathroom tiny, the curtains not black-out. Get those things out of your head and you will be fine.



Don’t Expect complete privacy

Even when you have read every word of a listing (twice), there may be tiny details that are undisclosed. These often relate to your privacy on the grounds of your rental. The photos may show your rental from every angle except the angle that shows where it attaches to another dwelling. Or there is someone else’s window two feet from your kitchen window. If privacy is what you seek, then ask the host before you commit.

Don’t Ignore host advice

Hosts (even the absentee kind) are a wealth of information. They can tell you where to eat, where to shop, and whether or not you should feed the cat begging at your back door. Read every written word they provide and ask plenty of questions before you go.

Don’t Leave things in the fridge

There is no sense in perpetuating a problem if other people have left opened stuff behind. And if it was empty when you arrived, then leaving your half-eaten food is extra work for the cleaning crew. Leave behind only things that are in date and unopened.

Don’t Take your pet without asking

You might think your dog is awesome, but the owners might not want one in their home. Never assume that your pet is welcome. The hosts may be animal lovers, but simply hate the extra work involved in cleaning up after other people’s animals. They may also have pets of their own who live on the grounds that deserve not to have their territory constantly invaded by guest pets. Always ask.

Don’t Exceed capacity

If the listing says the rental sleeps two, that does not mean two plus your brother-in-law, or even your 2-year-old, unless you cleared it with the hosts first. It does not matter that your brother-in-law doesn’t mind sleeping on the floor. Your hosts have their reasons for setting capacity, some of which may involve local ordinances or things like their ability to handle extra trash.

Don’t Throw a party

There are cities across the country looking into strengthening ordinances that cover vacation rentals. One of the primary concerns is disruption in neighborhoods caused by parties. You are renting an accommodation for a predetermined number of people, not a frat house.

Don’t Forget to forward the details,

especially the rules and policies, to your travel companions. Everyone joining you on your trip needs full disclosure. Really. You want to lose your cleaning deposit because Aunt Jane brought along her Yorkie?

Don’t Be rude to the neighbours

You are there by the grace of the neighbours. In some cities, all it takes is one phone call to local law enforcement about your attitude, loud music, or your three extra vehicles and you are out. Remember that deposit you put up? Say “bye bye” to that if the neighbours complain.


Don’t Expect hosts to cater to you

There are some rentals where the hosts behave like your newfound family. They may pick you up from the airport, fix your breakfast, or let you use their bicycles. Those are the exceptions. Most rentals are simply business transactions. They have a place for you to sleep; you pay them for it.

Don’t Hog the utilities

No matter what outrageous success stories you have read online, renting space to strangers is not the way to get rich. It helps hosts pay the bills, but only when the bills are reasonable. Go easy on the electricity and be mindful of water usage. I once stayed in a rental that had wired the bedroom air conditioner to shut off if the bedroom door was left open. Rental owners take utility bills seriously.

Don’t Lock yourself out without any clue how to contact the host

Remember when we told you that the owner might not be in the same city, or even the same country? This is when it matters. Absentee owners usually have a contingency plan for these things, but first you must be able to call them.

Don’t Let your children behave the way they do at home

Enforce travel behaviour that includes noise levels suitable for the surroundings, being respectful of other people’s space and property, and staying within your eyesight.

Don’t Get too comfortable

It is so easy to settle into a rental as if it is your second home. That’s the whole idea. Just don’t forget travel security. When you get too comfortable it becomes easy to forget about locking doors when you go for your stroll on the beach. That could cost you your laptop, your cell phones, or your credit cards.

Don’t Overstay your welcome

Late check out means a disruption in the cleaning schedule at best and at worst a lost night of revenue. Don’t expect it unless you made arrangements well in advance.

Don’t Leave it worse than you found it

Don’t forget that you are visiting someone’s home. Even if you never laid eyes on the owners, everything in the rental has meaning for them. Protect their things from harm, clean up after yourself, and consider thanking them in writing for sharing their piece of paradise with you.
Post Reply