Tea stations

For everything specific to B&Bs as opposed to holiday rentals.
aasta
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Tea stations

Post by aasta »

Another question? This is a bit lengthy...

A graduate student in hotel management left questionaires (approved by local tourism counsel --we were first notified by them that she would be calling us) requesting that we give to guests. Takes 5 to 7 minutes to complete.
We give to guests who stay 3 days or longer on last day or morning of departure.

Has been an interesting learning experience, since we look at each one.

Guests can rate on a scale of 1 to 7 how satisfied they are with a list of things: comfort of beds, room decor, professionalism of staff, cleanliness, breakfast etc etc.

We are puzzled that several English guests,overall pleased with their stay, have marked our tea stations with a 3 or 4....we provide per room on a seperate spacious shelf, easily accessible, hot water kettle that comes off the heating pad for pouring, 2 mugs, jar of different types of organic tea bags, jar of biscuits, packets of sugar, 2 spoons, 2 cloth napkins, fresh fruit....so what is missing for English guests??? What do you put in your tea stations??? Should there be a small teapot?
aasta
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

I am not a fan myself, but many English people like instant coffee, and do you provide milk? I wouldn't expect a teapot though.
GillianF
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Post by GillianF »

It's often difficult to get proper English tea outside of the UK so that might be the problem. I think you have to provide milk AND a teapot.

Our self-catering guests often ask if there is a proper kettle and a teapot before they book.

I would expect a teapot in a room, where the hosts/owners were English, if there was a tea tray and I always provide one for my guests - even family who might never use it!

Gillian
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French Cricket
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Post by French Cricket »

I wouldn't expect a teapot; although we do provide them (but that's only because we already had loads from a previous life!) nobody ever uses them; nor 'English' tea. I would want some kind of milk - not those horrible little plastic pots though, ideally fresh milk, if there's a fridge. And I would definitely like - well, need! - to have coffee, though like Helen I hate the instant stuff.

In our own cdh suite we normally provide teabags (Liptons and Earl Grey), infusions (verveine, tilleuil, fruit 'teas' etc), proper coffee and a cafetiere to make it in, and milk in the fridge. If people are staying a while we ask if there's anything else they especially like and if we can add that we will - like fresh lemon, for instance.

aasta, are your questionnaires anonymous, or could you contact the guests in question to find out what stopped them giving you a higher mark?

PS When I first read the title of this thread I had visions of it being about hill stations in the Himalayan foothills :lol:
Last edited by French Cricket on Wed Sep 05, 2012 5:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
aasta
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Post by aasta »

We do get English Breakfast tea an organic brand...maybe that is too unknown. I do offer Milk, but since there is no fridge int he room I provide it in a small pitcher when they ask for it. So will have to get a small teapot for each room.
aasta
Marks
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Post by Marks »

Do you supply standard British 'builders' tea bags such as PG Tips or Tetleys? Brits are fussy about tea and will take their own to be on the safe side.
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
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French Cricket
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Post by French Cricket »

Oh bof! If Brits are that fussy about tea when they go to a beautiful unspoilt untouristed bit of Portugal they should probably go elsewhere :shock:
B&B netherlands
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Post by B&B netherlands »

i provide 6 different kinds of teabags, sugar and cream (the small plastic thingies enough for 1 cup of coffee, fresh milk for the cafe con leche for spanish guests is always available). in one room with more space, 'real' coffee with a filter and a thermos - and a kettle of course. the other room offers 4 kinds of instant coffee (sachets) plus sugar & cream.

i have a really nice french teapot available on a little 'stove', it has never been used. tealeaves to brew a proper pot of tea: it gets harder and harder to buy them in my local supermarkets - if there, just one kind, ceylon tea.

when i have brits staying, i specifically ask if they want milk for their tea. the usual answer is: 'we're on the continent now, so we should follow the customs here.' ;)

french hardly drink any tea, though the inlaws of my son in paris, have a huge selection of both leaves and bags, and have their own mixture for making fresh mint tea! exceptional...

english breakfast tea is what is drunk here most by the dutch, though i also offer earl grey. infusions (bags) are a good second.
Marks
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Post by Marks »

French Cricket wrote:Oh bof! If Brits are that fussy about tea when they go to a beautiful unspoilt untouristed bit of Portugal they should probably go elsewhere :shock:
I used to supply a small welcome pack which included English Breakfast tea bags of an unknown brand to 99.9% of Brits. The boxes were rarely opened and those that were usually had a couple of bags missing. I now supply Tetley when asked, never any bags left.
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

I fill our tea canister at each visit with UK Tetley teabags. On each return trip there are several small and unopened boxes of liptons and tetley (french version is not the same). The UK Tetley teabags have gone.
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Bellywobble
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Post by Bellywobble »

I would really appreciate sachets of hot chocolate as I don't drink tea or coffee. I would think milk in some form is a must, otherwise I think what you supply is great.
tavi
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Post by tavi »

can you actually BOIL the water? or does it just heat up?

(very important detail that actually)
:wink: :roll:


edit: that and the already discussed builder's Tetly or PG Tips, preferably imported from the UK as the rubbish that is sold under the same brand name in Portugal is a down market version - possibly with sawdust added :)
B&B netherlands
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Post by B&B netherlands »

tavi, you CAN'T make a decent cuppa, if the water doesn't boil! i've checked all three of my kettles: NO they don't. when needing a quick meal (boiling rice or pasta) i put 'hot' water from the kettle in a pan - add rice or pasta and see NO bubbles. needs another minute of two before the water starts boiling.

alas, in the meantime, everybody got used to machines at the workplace, mini-teabags with only tea dust (giving colour, but NO flavour) for one cup.

the old-fashioned kettle you filled and put on the stove... does it still exist...?
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pete
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Post by pete »

we have a 'guest fridge' in the entrance hall and supply on the top an english kettle assorted teabags and a jar of instant coffee, there is fresh milk in the fridge.

There are a variety of mugs on the top and its always the biggest that go first and the english teabags, even to our french guests.

No one has ever complained that there is not one in each room, and its only ever the english that will make tea before breakfast.

I dont think that what you supply is not worth the top marks, we have been to many places (bbs) where you cant even get a cuppa during the day.
aasta
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Post by aasta »

thanks for all your input.

Questionaires are anonymous or I would email those unhappy tea station guests and ask what their improvement suggestions would be.

We have also offered Yello Label Lipton tea bags----seems they come from England...or is this also rubbish???!!
aasta
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