Changeover day

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Jenster
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Changeover day

Post by Jenster »

Not sure if this is the right place but I was wondering if anyone has a Friday changeover day? And if/how it affects bookings?

At the moment I do Saturdays like everyone else in my village and I can see that people mostly prefer this. However a Friday changeover would suit me much better as I would then get Saturday off to spend with my family. If anyone has any experience of doing this I'd be grateful for any input.

thanks
Jenny
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Cymraes
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Post by Cymraes »

My ex-agency said Saturday was most popular closely followed by Friday (I guess people leave after work and get a full weekend in and then still have another full weekend at home before gong back to work)

Sunday though they said was significantly less popular and they didn't recommend it.
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Nemo
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Post by Nemo »

I've had Friday and Monday changeovers since I started in business. I lose some bookings because of not offering Saturdays, but gain way more by being able to offer two short breaks in a week.
marsh frog
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Post by marsh frog »

We have Friday changeovers and I wouldnt do it any differently now. I was worried when we started out, but now we can offer Mon-Fri and Fri-Mon short breaks too and we are rarely unbooked.
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greenbarn
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Post by greenbarn »

What others have said. We do Fri and Mon changeovers in two of our three properties (there simply isn’t enough time to do a changeover in all three in one day) which enables us to offer short breaks, which is a strong year-round market in our area.
Price up a short break at around 75% of a full week give or take.
Joanna
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Post by Joanna »

We do Friday's because it suited us best - we're off site and travel up on a Friday after work and back late on Sunday. Being able to do 2 short breaks in a week is a bonus and I suspect cancels out the loss of guests who prefer Saturday arrivals.

I think it can also give you a slight advantage if you're in an area where most owners offer Saturday changeovers.

We use cleaners who only work weekdays but during quiet periods we sometimes allow Saturday changeovers knowing that we're unlikely to get back to back bookings anyway. Since you're on site you've got the flexibility to do that and also maybe work the odd Saturday if you're lucky enough to get 2 low season bookings come in together.

Of course it does mean that you can't specify a single changeover day on the likes of HL and OD but that's a whole other thread!
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Jenster
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Post by Jenster »

Thanks for all the replies. Great to see so many positives for Friday changeovers. Unfortunately I couldn't do Mondays to allow for two short breaks as I work Mon - Thurs, but I could possibly pay a cleaner for that day. And yes, maybe Fridays would give me a competitive advantage in offering something different. Definitely food for thought. Thanks.
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elena
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Post by elena »

Hi Jenster!

We have 7 gites on one site and a detached house on another site and were forced to different changeover days just to be able to cope.

We do 3 gites on a Fri, 4 on a Saturday and the house on a Sunday and offer flexible start dates outside of July and August.

We haven't had any resistence to any of the days and some people prefer not travelling on the Sat - cheaper flights, roads not as busy etc......

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waterwitch
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Post by waterwitch »

Jenster

I try to stick with Fri changeovers throughout with the exception of June-July-Aug when we do get stuck Sats.

We do get a fair amount of enquirers that insist on the Sat arrival to miss the Fri rush. However, to seal the deal I generally get away with offering a slight discount on a 6 night stay. Added bonus is they get an early arrival on the Sat.
ellerhow
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Post by ellerhow »

Hello Jenster,
We have done both in the past but now do Fridays as it suits us and our guests. We offer weekend and mid week breaks out of season. We spin it as a plus as it gives guests the chance to experience Saturday in the Lakes!
lester1meg
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Post by lester1meg »

I've moved to Friday changeovers where I can because it's much easier to get tradespeople on a Friday. So for example, new dishwasher delivered and plumbed in, new mattress, repair to shower all done without having the house off the market or paying weekend call out fees.
Have also noticed that people tend to arrive later on a Friday leaving more time for the changeover.
brightmike
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Post by brightmike »

We mostly just have weekend bookings which 99% want Friday. I think if we were in a weekly bookings situation I would prefer Friday so if it was not a massive hit on bookings then I would go for that.
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ManxRed1
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Post by ManxRed1 »

If people want to come on the Friday and go home on the Friday then they need to book six days off work. If they do Saturday to Saturday then they only need to book five.

Just thought I'd chuck that in!
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greenbarn
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Post by greenbarn »

ManxRed1 wrote:If people want to come on the Friday and go home on the Friday then they need to book six days off work. If they do Saturday to Saturday then they only need to book five.

Just thought I'd chuck that in!
Fair point but it depends on location (where have I heard that before?). We have guests arrive late Friday having travelled after work; even better if their Friday is a POETS day.
Sometimes guests will arrive very early Saturday instead.
amandajane
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Post by amandajane »

This thread has got me thinking. Being able to do weekends would be great and I'm sure it would suit my caretaker to have one less property on a Saturday.

But as greenbarn points out location is crucial. Many of our guests travel, at a guess, three or four hours to get to South Devon - probably similar to Cornwall, Jenny. Would they want to do that on Friday or is it better to miss that M5 Saturday which is often a nightmare.
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