First booking - panic!

Agencies and other headaches, keys and cleaners, running costs and contracts...in short, all the things we spend so much of our time doing behind the scenes.<br>
Sherry
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2017 5:07 pm
Location: Torbay

First booking - panic!

Post by Sherry »

Just got my first booking via AirBNB, for this Saturday! Currently got the main bathroom stripped down due to a fault with the shower so can't start the deep clean. Still not got the welcome pack finished, nor the inventory done. The agency I'm using has advertised it as a 'test run', with a discount, so hope they will be happy with it. Any advice?
annedab
Posts: 762
Joined: Tue Oct 18, 2005 5:02 pm
Location: Midi Pyrenees

Post by annedab »

Maybe double check that the guests who have booked are aware of why they are getting a discount? Good luck!!
Regards

Anne

If there's no such thing as co-incidence, then why is there a word for it?
zebedee
Posts: 1270
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

Guests won't be too bothered about the inventory, but the place must be clean.
Spotlessly clean.

You can always pass in a bottle of wine after they arrive if you are bothered about a welcome pack ....unless you have made promises on your website for something else??
Sherry
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2017 5:07 pm
Location: Torbay

Post by Sherry »

It appears they are French and don't speak English. This could get interesting.
In the meantime I'm busy steaming/ anti bac/ vacuuming everything
Pirou
Posts: 56
Joined: Mon Jan 30, 2017 12:02 pm
Location: A bit north of Pirou, Normandy (50)

Post by Pirou »

Using one of the online translators, you could compose a brief welcome and how the house works sheet in French. Keep the sentences very simple and at the end, translate it back into English using the same software to see if it still makes sense.

If you're in a holiday area you may find some information in that language in your tourist info office or for that matter some online tourist info may be in multiple languages so you can give them links.

I don't speak Italian but when I've taken a few bookings from Italians / Swiss Italians I've been surprised by how well we've managed to communicate with a bit of effort. If you do a welcome pack (your a holiday cottage?) you can include a couple of typically British items like tea, marmelade and shortbread (always a hit with French people for some reason) and do a brief note in French about the origins. French tea is awful like floor sweepings compared with proper British tea.

People feel welcomed when its obvious a host has thought about them before they've arrived and I'm sure your test run will go brilliantly.
Sherry
Posts: 40
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2017 5:07 pm
Location: Torbay

Post by Sherry »

Got contract cleaners in to clean everything. Is it always such a last minute dash ? Turns out they speak English well. Love the idea of the marmalade though. It will complement my welcome basket. Thank you all.
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