With my letting annex going live any day now and the place ready for guests, well almost, just minor things needed such as tea & coffee sachets, a tea pot as the one I ordered from Amazon arrived broken, and other minor things.
My mind has now moved on to getting the guest info finished. I have been typing away most evenings and written a few bits and bobs. The main sections being emergency numbers, owners contacts, wifi password, appliance info, the local area, check out, escape procedure and fire equipment.
Can anyone offer any tips that I might not have thought of? Mine is reading a bit serious and boring at the moment but perhaps that's ok I'm not sure.
Also, Out of Eden have a lovely folder for £19.95 (Wren Folder) It's more than I expected but do you think it's money well spent?
Guest information folder
Hi Jeddy, exciting time for you. Good luck. I have 2 books for visitors:
1. Healthy and Safety Guidance - this contains all the serious stuff such as safety procedures, fire precautions, care of small children and the elderly, use of BBQ and lounge open fire, evacuation procedures etc. Also list telephone numbers and addresses for hospitals, A&E + Minor Injuries + Walk In Centre, dentist, vet, housekeeper and myself. For foreign visitors I also list how to use the 999 services. I separately email H&S requirements to visitors who are bringing dogs.
I try to make the whole booklet more friendly by emphasising that guests' safety is my top priority and that all the H&S guidance is towards this end. Before guests journey to the house, I ask the party lead Booker to ensure they read the Guidance on arrival and pass all the information on to all the other guests.
2. Visitor Book - this is more "friendly" and participative. It starts with welcome phrases and the history of the house, then a section on how everything in the house works and what the visitors need to do. The third section gives info on recommended places to go, beaches, local activities, pubs, restaurants, shops....including telephone numbers and names of owners where I personally know them. The fourth section is for Visitor comments on the house and their holiday. I ask them to put in their favourite places/activities to help subsequent visitors. I also ask children to do the same. Most entries run to over an A4 page and are really interesting, especially the children's entries.
1. Healthy and Safety Guidance - this contains all the serious stuff such as safety procedures, fire precautions, care of small children and the elderly, use of BBQ and lounge open fire, evacuation procedures etc. Also list telephone numbers and addresses for hospitals, A&E + Minor Injuries + Walk In Centre, dentist, vet, housekeeper and myself. For foreign visitors I also list how to use the 999 services. I separately email H&S requirements to visitors who are bringing dogs.
I try to make the whole booklet more friendly by emphasising that guests' safety is my top priority and that all the H&S guidance is towards this end. Before guests journey to the house, I ask the party lead Booker to ensure they read the Guidance on arrival and pass all the information on to all the other guests.
2. Visitor Book - this is more "friendly" and participative. It starts with welcome phrases and the history of the house, then a section on how everything in the house works and what the visitors need to do. The third section gives info on recommended places to go, beaches, local activities, pubs, restaurants, shops....including telephone numbers and names of owners where I personally know them. The fourth section is for Visitor comments on the house and their holiday. I ask them to put in their favourite places/activities to help subsequent visitors. I also ask children to do the same. Most entries run to over an A4 page and are really interesting, especially the children's entries.
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I divide mine into sections like that too - the serious reference stuff, and the cheerier area/things to do section.
The main thing that I find helps is to have one subject per page, with a big header and a picture.
I used to spend ages fielding questions from guests that were all in the info folder. People just don't want to read loads of stuff, it takes too long.
Now I have a big header and a picture for each section, they can find what they want easily by flipping through. Even if it seems really pointless, like putting a picture of a remote control on the page with the TV instructions. It helps a lot - the info folder is really popular and people always comment on it.
The main thing that I find helps is to have one subject per page, with a big header and a picture.
I used to spend ages fielding questions from guests that were all in the info folder. People just don't want to read loads of stuff, it takes too long.
Now I have a big header and a picture for each section, they can find what they want easily by flipping through. Even if it seems really pointless, like putting a picture of a remote control on the page with the TV instructions. It helps a lot - the info folder is really popular and people always comment on it.
Chalet la Foret, Chamonix
+1Martha wrote: like putting a picture of a remote control on the page with the TV instructions.
If any of your media technology is remotely complex, leading-edge or non-standard, re-double your efforts to explain which buttons to press. Using photos with arrows + text helps a lot!
Web: https://yofftoo.com/property/esmes-cottage
Twitter/Facebook/Instagram: @esmescottage
Twitter/Facebook/Instagram: @esmescottage
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+1 to lots of pictures.
I have pictures wherever I can - it makes it obvious what the page is about and breaks up the text so it's not too daunting if there's a lot of it.
We've photocopied the key pages from the equipment user guides and I've also set up 'quick start' pages for the TV, washing machine and central heating. These pages have photos of things like the remote control with key buttons circled and simple numbered instructions for 'How to watch a DVD'; 'how to make the cottage warmer'; etc.
As time goes by you'll realise what things are likely to cause confusion and you can add some 'trouble shooting' notes. E.g. what to do if the TV comes on with a 'new channels found' message and so on.
We've put our own notes into a PDF which is on the guests page of our website so they can refer to it before they stay (or while they're there if they can't find the paper version).
I'm in the process of scanning in the relevant pages of the user guides so I can put them on-line too.
We keep tourist info in separate folders from the house info because there's quite a lot of it by the time our own notes are combined with all the leaflets and maps that we've collected.
Bear in mind that some people will tinker first and only reach for the house book as a last resort. With this in mind I have some of the key points for using the thermostat, for example, in a small picture frame on the wall right next to the thermostat. Also, what goes in which bin on the wall above the bins and so on.
I have pictures wherever I can - it makes it obvious what the page is about and breaks up the text so it's not too daunting if there's a lot of it.
We've photocopied the key pages from the equipment user guides and I've also set up 'quick start' pages for the TV, washing machine and central heating. These pages have photos of things like the remote control with key buttons circled and simple numbered instructions for 'How to watch a DVD'; 'how to make the cottage warmer'; etc.
As time goes by you'll realise what things are likely to cause confusion and you can add some 'trouble shooting' notes. E.g. what to do if the TV comes on with a 'new channels found' message and so on.
We've put our own notes into a PDF which is on the guests page of our website so they can refer to it before they stay (or while they're there if they can't find the paper version).
I'm in the process of scanning in the relevant pages of the user guides so I can put them on-line too.
We keep tourist info in separate folders from the house info because there's quite a lot of it by the time our own notes are combined with all the leaflets and maps that we've collected.
Bear in mind that some people will tinker first and only reach for the house book as a last resort. With this in mind I have some of the key points for using the thermostat, for example, in a small picture frame on the wall right next to the thermostat. Also, what goes in which bin on the wall above the bins and so on.
Jo
Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
Thank you, lots of great tips. I'm re-doing it in two separate folders and it's looking better already. Just photographed the remote controls but writing it is a job for this evening.
May I ask what sort of folders you used? I can't find anything smart that's not costing a fortune, perhaps I'm being too fussy.
We have 3 bookings! I have a few questions but I'll start a new post.
Thanks
May I ask what sort of folders you used? I can't find anything smart that's not costing a fortune, perhaps I'm being too fussy.
We have 3 bookings! I have a few questions but I'll start a new post.
Thanks
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I haven't found the ideal binder yet. Last time I looked most of the interesting ones seem to be made for restaurant menus and don't hold enough pages. At the moment we use presentation ring binders from Rymans - the type with clear pockets on the cover so we can insert our own spine label and front cover. They look a bit more business-like than I'd prefer. On the plus side they hold a lot and it's easy to add and remove pages.
When you're comparing prices bear in mind that whatever you get now will probably last for many years. And, if you find a source of interesting binders please let us know!
When you're comparing prices bear in mind that whatever you get now will probably last for many years. And, if you find a source of interesting binders please let us know!
Jo
Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
Joint owner of Baker's Cottage in Chester & Chandler's Cottage in Sidmouth
I just use good old Tesco A4 black binders - less than £2 each. They look quite reasonable, not bulky like a ring binder. One for H&S has 20 A4 plastic pockets. The Visitor Book is a spiral binder which has lasted 2 seasons for visitor comments. Likely to last another 2. When full, I'll buy another and call it Part II.
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I bought this, but you do need a 4 ring hole punch for it (I already had one of those) and I didn't pay anywhere near that price for it. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1
I laminate each page, and replace anything at each visit. Guests also get a link to an online version before they arrive.
I laminate each page, and replace anything at each visit. Guests also get a link to an online version before they arrive.
- Sanchisimo
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I think you should get the folder you want for the property and the cost is not really that much of an issue - it should last quite some time and says something about how you value your guests. Important though to have one that is easily updatable - as people say, there are things you may not of thought of yet.
The first part is important and should be a quick go to guide before they call you. All sorts of things come up over time. For example, one of the things that we hadn't put in was to wait for a bit after turning on the TV before connecting it to the internet - if you try too soon the TV asked you to go through the whole process of inputting the password, leave it and it will do it automatically. A tiny thing but irritating. Another example is a village idiot guide to changing a gas bottle.
The second part is what people seem to love - a local guide - we put in things like how to get to the Alhambra in Granada by car or bus, opening times for museums and galleries and where to go for bars, cafes and restaurants. These include sections like 'off the beaten track", "somewhere special", "some of our favourites", "drink with a view" and so on. I think these will help with your reviews.
Interestingly, we have stayed in rather smart apartments in Lyon and Cadíz recently, nice places but NOTHING! For Lyon, the capital of French food, unforgiveable!
The first part is important and should be a quick go to guide before they call you. All sorts of things come up over time. For example, one of the things that we hadn't put in was to wait for a bit after turning on the TV before connecting it to the internet - if you try too soon the TV asked you to go through the whole process of inputting the password, leave it and it will do it automatically. A tiny thing but irritating. Another example is a village idiot guide to changing a gas bottle.
The second part is what people seem to love - a local guide - we put in things like how to get to the Alhambra in Granada by car or bus, opening times for museums and galleries and where to go for bars, cafes and restaurants. These include sections like 'off the beaten track", "somewhere special", "some of our favourites", "drink with a view" and so on. I think these will help with your reviews.
Interestingly, we have stayed in rather smart apartments in Lyon and Cadíz recently, nice places but NOTHING! For Lyon, the capital of French food, unforgiveable!