Real Visitors Book

[Windy]

therealvisitorsbook.co.uk

Anyone heard of these guys - they emailed me today.

Looks half interesting but I'm a bit wary of this sort of thing

Any thoughts?

J

[Windy]

Well I went ahead and emailed all my old bookers and today got a glowing review!!!

http://www.therealvisitorsbook.co.uk/readreview1.php

(if it ain't on that page do a search on Windermere Lodge)

If nothing else it gives me more Googlejuice from the inbound link and if people find it on a search it can't hurt!

[Rocket Rab]

Looks like a neat site, Windy! Pity there isn't an equivalent for non-UK accommodation? Inbound link? Certainly can't do any harm, as you say, and may well do a lot of good. Ears crossed your other bookers come up with the goods, too...

[SherborneCottages]

Is this the only place that you have an online guest book? I've thought it would be a great idea but as we already have that facility through tripadvisor/flipkey, brownbook, myspace, facebook (group, fan page, profile) and several other free directories and such that we belong to.

Just trying to figure out where the balance is.... Don't want to hassle our past guests as we obviously would like them to come back (and just plain don't want to be a bother) but we know that our guests are very pleased with the accommodation so we'd like to publicize this.

Oh its a fine line!

[greenbarn]

Looks an interesting site, but has a glaring and fundamental error in asking the question "Exceed Expectations?"
What about the expectations of a returning guest? Is meeting, whilst not exceeding, the expectations of a guest with very high expectations a failure? Apparently so.

[boring mode on]
No Quality Management System would entertain the use of "exceeding Customer expectations" as a sensible performance indicator; the target is to meet expectations - including the expectations of existing customers with previous dealings, and who therefore have a solid base from which to measure.
If a supplier of any sort (that's us lot) is always exceeding expectations, then they are failing badly in creating the correct expectations in the first place - bad business.
If a supplier is looking always to exceed expectations, they will go nuts, broke, or both. "What the hell can I do for them this time that I haven't done before, and that they won't be expecting?"

I know! The Spanish Inquisition! Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

[boring mode off]

There, I feel better now.

[Windy]

There, I feel better now.

Good - Now go and have a lie down

Fair point about expectations management though

[greenbarn]

There, I feel better now.

Good - Now go and have a lie down

Fair point about expectations management though

Righto - I've had a lie down, it's now a bright sunny morning and ahm rarin' ta go!

The notion of the real visitor book site appeals, and being pretty new into the business I'd also be very interested to know more about the other suggestions made by SherborneCottages. I've never really investigated facebook, and it certainly hadn't occurred to me that it might be useful for this sort of purpose - how well does it work? I'll have a nose around it and see if I can fathom it, but expect me back with daft questions!

I know even less about the other suggestions - I could be in for some long googling sessions - any useful information/experiences to assist me??

Thanks!

[LaVilleauTady]

No Quality Management System would entertain the use of "exceeding Customer expectations" as a sensible performance indicator; the target is to meet expectations - including the expectations of existing customers with previous dealings, and who therefore have a solid base from which to measure.
If a supplier of any sort (that's us lot) is always exceeding expectations, then they are failing badly in creating the correct expectations in the first place - bad business.
If a supplier is looking always to exceed expectations, they will go nuts, broke, or both. "What the hell can I do for them this time that I haven't done before, and that they won't be expecting?"

Not at all boring Greenbarn! I think you are spot on.

I always ask guests if I met their expectations, exceeded them or failed to meet them. My target is to meet expectations as the other two I take to be a failure on my part if I have either oversold the cottage, or undersold it.

Of the two, I would rather undersell of course, but it does help me guage my pitch.