PMSLI'm half expecting them to come up with a "Guests Welcome" scheme, but see earlier comment re being cynical.
Tourist Board Guide
Hi. Can someone tell me plase, if there is somethink like this: http://www.qualityintourism.co.uk/conte ... %20INT.pdf
valid for Italy?
Yes, I know! The answer is NO!!!
valid for Italy?
Yes, I know! The answer is NO!!!
did any of you go for the pre-check first or did you go straight for the full check and took the risk of paying again if you upgraded. The reason I'm asking is that we are considering getting rated simply to stand out from the competition in our area but there are a couple of issues where I just don't know whether we would be rated 4 or 5 star and there is no point us doing this unless we get five star as the competition claim themselves to be `five star standard` without actually being checked! So, however great 4 star is and I recognise that it is hard to get that, if that is what we were awarded it would look less than the other properties if you see what I mean 
Do they offer a pre-check now? Put off by friend being downgraded under new system from 4 to 1 because she didn't have lined curtains???? Have I heard you need an en suite to achieve 5 star now?
It is better to remain quiet and have one think you are stupid, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt....
The biggest mistake we make in life is thinking we have time.
The biggest mistake we make in life is thinking we have time.
I have to admit I looked at the standards last year so things may have changed but they definitely offered a pre-check (at quite a high price if I remember) but it was designed to point out the things that you might need to get to the next level. If lined curtains are a need then we fail at the first hurdle as we have blinds !!!!
We didn't go for the pre-check; it seemed a lot of money to do (presumably) pretty much the same job as the full bananas, but with nothing to show for it.
What we did get from our assessment (our first after a few months of trading) was some useful pointers, and an assessment that said that our 3 cottages all met 4 star, and that if we wanted to go for five star some very minor or no changes for two of them (different bedside lamps if I recall), and a bit more on the third (some bedroom furniture.) We were given a window of several weeks if we wanted to make the changes and qualify as five star for some or all of the cottages - I got the feeling that we wouldn't get a repeat visit to check, but the inspector would take our word, or possibly ask for receipts, on the improvements.
We had quite a discussion about the pros and cons of 4v5, and again the inspector was helpful with her (personal) opinions. We weren't required to make our decision there and then. In the end we elected to have a four star grading for all three cottages for a number of reasons, some of which may be of interest, and I'd welcome any views:
We were starting into the business at a time of economic recession. We see a significant part of our market as people who take maybe three holidays a year, and the third would be the one to go - especially with people who have retired and recently found their investment income savaged. It seemed the wrong time to start by pricing ourselves at the top of the market for those reasons and also because we needed to build repeat and word of mouth business. We can aim towards upgrading to five star when the timing is right - maybe just one of the cottages initially.
We wanted to be comfortable with the idea that we were at the very least meeting our guests' expectations. If we exceed them, that's fine, although having a policy of seeking always to exceed customers' expectations is foolhardy, and a no-no in the world of quality management. We were comfortable that we could do this at four star level, whilst remaining reasonably stress-free; important, particularly as the cottages are in our grounds.
We had already had some very good experiences with our early guests, who were very friendly, full of praise and happy to make suggestions when asked. We had an underlying concern that the five star market might include a significant proportion of "professional moaners" who would seek to find fault where none existed, or have unrealistic and unmanageable expectations - the "I'm paying for five star so I expect someone to wipe my arse with fresh swans' feathers" type. That type of guest would take a lot of the enjoyment away. Whether we're more likely to hit them at five star level is a point we'd love to learn more about, so any advice would be very welcome.
The result for us was that we took a four star grading, are comfortable that we are at the top of that and don't have to excuse things (generally!), and when the awards for S/C were recently introduced we received a Gold because of our marks in the assessment. Hence we can (and do - it's cost money fercrissake) bill ourselves as Gold Award winning Four Star etc etc etc, which might just mean more to potential guests than five star without the award.
A couple of points to think about: the assessment requires you to have an Access Statement, and to be able to show evidence of a Fire Risk Assessment. Neither of these is beyond the capabilities of any of us, albeit the Access Statement is a test of patience and endurance. I produced ours, and in the end it ran to something close to 5000 words of abject drivel, listing such things as "the door to the lounge is hinged on the left and opens inwards. The handle is a lever type and situated at a height of mumble mumble. The door opening is mumble by mumble etc etc etc." It is a work of huge literary merit, and nobody - absolutely nobody - is ever going to read it. That includes the VB inspector, who glanced at it long enough to confirm that it existed. In fact, you could probably pinch somebody else's from their website (mine, for instance - I'm easy), change a few key words and bingo.
A Fire Risk Assessment is arguably far more important, although the VB inspector needed only to satisfy herself that it existed, and pointed out that she wasn't qualified to comment on the content. Fair enough. I think I'm right in saying that we all need to have one anyway (?), and it's useful to have to show that some thought has been given to the matter. I haven't been around this forum long enough to check yet, but I imagine there's a lot of info, all of which probably conveys the fact that it's not difficult to do, and doesn't need a professional. Which is true - it's common sense, a bit of "what if" imagination, and a simple format.
Finally, remember that it is a points based assessment, so if you haven't got a teapot or the right number of clothes pegs (and I kid you not) you will lose points, but not be dismissed out of hand.
What we did get from our assessment (our first after a few months of trading) was some useful pointers, and an assessment that said that our 3 cottages all met 4 star, and that if we wanted to go for five star some very minor or no changes for two of them (different bedside lamps if I recall), and a bit more on the third (some bedroom furniture.) We were given a window of several weeks if we wanted to make the changes and qualify as five star for some or all of the cottages - I got the feeling that we wouldn't get a repeat visit to check, but the inspector would take our word, or possibly ask for receipts, on the improvements.
We had quite a discussion about the pros and cons of 4v5, and again the inspector was helpful with her (personal) opinions. We weren't required to make our decision there and then. In the end we elected to have a four star grading for all three cottages for a number of reasons, some of which may be of interest, and I'd welcome any views:
We were starting into the business at a time of economic recession. We see a significant part of our market as people who take maybe three holidays a year, and the third would be the one to go - especially with people who have retired and recently found their investment income savaged. It seemed the wrong time to start by pricing ourselves at the top of the market for those reasons and also because we needed to build repeat and word of mouth business. We can aim towards upgrading to five star when the timing is right - maybe just one of the cottages initially.
We wanted to be comfortable with the idea that we were at the very least meeting our guests' expectations. If we exceed them, that's fine, although having a policy of seeking always to exceed customers' expectations is foolhardy, and a no-no in the world of quality management. We were comfortable that we could do this at four star level, whilst remaining reasonably stress-free; important, particularly as the cottages are in our grounds.
We had already had some very good experiences with our early guests, who were very friendly, full of praise and happy to make suggestions when asked. We had an underlying concern that the five star market might include a significant proportion of "professional moaners" who would seek to find fault where none existed, or have unrealistic and unmanageable expectations - the "I'm paying for five star so I expect someone to wipe my arse with fresh swans' feathers" type. That type of guest would take a lot of the enjoyment away. Whether we're more likely to hit them at five star level is a point we'd love to learn more about, so any advice would be very welcome.
The result for us was that we took a four star grading, are comfortable that we are at the top of that and don't have to excuse things (generally!), and when the awards for S/C were recently introduced we received a Gold because of our marks in the assessment. Hence we can (and do - it's cost money fercrissake) bill ourselves as Gold Award winning Four Star etc etc etc, which might just mean more to potential guests than five star without the award.
A couple of points to think about: the assessment requires you to have an Access Statement, and to be able to show evidence of a Fire Risk Assessment. Neither of these is beyond the capabilities of any of us, albeit the Access Statement is a test of patience and endurance. I produced ours, and in the end it ran to something close to 5000 words of abject drivel, listing such things as "the door to the lounge is hinged on the left and opens inwards. The handle is a lever type and situated at a height of mumble mumble. The door opening is mumble by mumble etc etc etc." It is a work of huge literary merit, and nobody - absolutely nobody - is ever going to read it. That includes the VB inspector, who glanced at it long enough to confirm that it existed. In fact, you could probably pinch somebody else's from their website (mine, for instance - I'm easy), change a few key words and bingo.
A Fire Risk Assessment is arguably far more important, although the VB inspector needed only to satisfy herself that it existed, and pointed out that she wasn't qualified to comment on the content. Fair enough. I think I'm right in saying that we all need to have one anyway (?), and it's useful to have to show that some thought has been given to the matter. I haven't been around this forum long enough to check yet, but I imagine there's a lot of info, all of which probably conveys the fact that it's not difficult to do, and doesn't need a professional. Which is true - it's common sense, a bit of "what if" imagination, and a simple format.
Finally, remember that it is a points based assessment, so if you haven't got a teapot or the right number of clothes pegs (and I kid you not) you will lose points, but not be dismissed out of hand.
That's a very lucid summary. I have been present at our own inspection and also that of a friend in Hawkshead, and you comments echo exactly what I experienced at both.
Both inspectors made the point that 4* is good and that 5* may be problematic for exactly the reasons you give. Whilst we are graded 4* will continue with the scheme as we are differentiated from the bulk of 3* lodges around us. If we ever got downgraded then I would stop as I have better things to do with £150.
Your comments on the fire and access statements are on the button to - a drag to do but they are a hoop we have to jump through. At least our guy read the Fire Risk statement and commented that we ought to note in it when the smoke alarm batteries were last checked, which was a helpful and very valid point.
And if you haven't already go out and spend £10 at Asda on 24 wooden hangers before they arrive. As you say "Points win prizes"
Both inspectors made the point that 4* is good and that 5* may be problematic for exactly the reasons you give. Whilst we are graded 4* will continue with the scheme as we are differentiated from the bulk of 3* lodges around us. If we ever got downgraded then I would stop as I have better things to do with £150.
Your comments on the fire and access statements are on the button to - a drag to do but they are a hoop we have to jump through. At least our guy read the Fire Risk statement and commented that we ought to note in it when the smoke alarm batteries were last checked, which was a helpful and very valid point.
And if you haven't already go out and spend £10 at Asda on 24 wooden hangers before they arrive. As you say "Points win prizes"
That's very helpful Greenbarn and, as you say, it seems that going for the full inspection straight out may be the better thing to do given that you were given the opportunity for change to upgrade if you were close to the mark
As to 4 v. 5 star I think it does depend on your competition and you clearly have thought through the pros and cons. Only one other property in the vicinity has been tourist board rated and they are 5 star and, although they say like others they have never knowingly had a booking direct from the tourist office, they are certainly the best booked property around and so I have put 2 and 2 togethr and made 4!
As to 4 v. 5 star I think it does depend on your competition and you clearly have thought through the pros and cons. Only one other property in the vicinity has been tourist board rated and they are 5 star and, although they say like others they have never knowingly had a booking direct from the tourist office, they are certainly the best booked property around and so I have put 2 and 2 togethr and made 4!
Friend only had curtains. We had blinds and got 5* but that was 2006 and not sure if things changed.If lined curtains are a need then we fail at the first hurdle as we have blinds !!!!
It is better to remain quiet and have one think you are stupid, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt....
The biggest mistake we make in life is thinking we have time.
The biggest mistake we make in life is thinking we have time.