First posting so Hi to All
I'm impressed at how generous members of LMH are with advice to others - advice that I suspect has been won the hard way over many years. It's good to know that competition doesn't preclude cooperation.
We're relatively new to the Dordogne and have just completed our second rental season with 3 gites. When we arrived, we knew little about our region (or running gites) so we asked guests to help us by contributing their experiences and advice to our visitor's books - some knew the Dordogne well from previous visits. They really took to the challenge (some wrote pages!) and we now have a terrific resource for future visitors -and we've learned a lot ourselves. All our guests say how much they prefer reading the experiences of others rather than trawling through interminable info leaflets. We're planning to put some of the best and most amusing stories onto a blog to accompany our website.
I wondered what other owners thought was the single most appreciated thing about their gite(s) which sets them apart.
Jim
What makes your visitors love your gite?
Hi Jim.Don't guests enjoy reading other guests comments? I was quite surprised at this but then shouldn't have been really as that's what I like as well 
I suspect we all have different things that makes our places special,some people admit to their homes not being special but it is themselves who are!! I think with mine, it's the atmosphere of being in an old ,much loved house , with all the modern bits we need for the level of comfort we are used to and all the antiques that aren't museum pieces but actually contribute to the ambiance,plus a stunningly quiet location handy for lots of small ports with their restaurants etc. Hard to be objective without blowing your own trumpet too loud because there are a lot of people on here with equally loved properties that guests adore! Aren't we lucky? 
I suspect we all have different things that makes our places special,some people admit to their homes not being special but it is themselves who are!! I think with mine, it's the atmosphere of being in an old ,much loved house , with all the modern bits we need for the level of comfort we are used to and all the antiques that aren't museum pieces but actually contribute to the ambiance,plus a stunningly quiet location handy for lots of small ports with their restaurants etc. Hard to be objective without blowing your own trumpet too loud because there are a lot of people on here with equally loved properties that guests adore! Aren't we lucky? 
We have just had our 3rd season - very much novices when we started. We wanted to provide reasonably priced accommodation that was equipped to a very good standard. We used our own experiences as a 'what to do /what not to do' guide. We try to give added value with small details and this is appreciated.This is always what we get fed back to us both from English and French guests. I think for us the location really helps and I do think that we contribute to people's holidays. My years in primary education come in handy when giving the children some extra fun and games.
As Fraise says I think you create something you are proud of - and when you get the clients in you use their feedback to continually improve. Repeat bookings are the best confirmation that you have got something right.
As Fraise says I think you create something you are proud of - and when you get the clients in you use their feedback to continually improve. Repeat bookings are the best confirmation that you have got something right.
I think for us it's a mix of the peace & quiet that surrounds us, coupled with a stunning local area too. Then again, many folk come here to explore the area and end up spending more time on site than us!
We work hard to create a feeling of 'sinking in' to a different lifestyle. People lead such busy lives and want/need desperately to get away from all of that. We're on hand if they need us, drinks in the farmhouse if they're up for it, or their own solitude if required. Each guest comes here for different reasons, but we think they all leave refreshed and ready to face the world again.
I guess we 'recycle their spirit'!
I know from reading on here that many others do just the same as us.
We work hard to create a feeling of 'sinking in' to a different lifestyle. People lead such busy lives and want/need desperately to get away from all of that. We're on hand if they need us, drinks in the farmhouse if they're up for it, or their own solitude if required. Each guest comes here for different reasons, but we think they all leave refreshed and ready to face the world again.
I guess we 'recycle their spirit'!
I know from reading on here that many others do just the same as us.
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Giddy Goat
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Welcome Jimbo, and I hope this is the start of a long and mutually beneficial association!
Our visitors' book isn't A4 size or anywhere near it, so perhaps it was a bad choice, as it doesn't exactly encourage people to write reams - in fact only one family has done so. We've had fantastic feedback in it, but not the extra info that the next guests would benefit from. So when it has filled up, I'll replace it with something larger!
Apart from the property's visual appeal, photos of which being what largely attracts a visitor to it when they find it on a listing site, the single most appreciated thing setting it apart from its rivals has been location/views - just as others have said.
Developing that idea a bit, what encourages people to re-book? After their holiday, what is it that makes them come back for more? Not just the above, to be sure. It's the total experience, and probably calls for a new topic in its own right! There are just so many factors to add in at this stage, and returners is what we all strive for!
Our visitors' book isn't A4 size or anywhere near it, so perhaps it was a bad choice, as it doesn't exactly encourage people to write reams - in fact only one family has done so. We've had fantastic feedback in it, but not the extra info that the next guests would benefit from. So when it has filled up, I'll replace it with something larger!
Apart from the property's visual appeal, photos of which being what largely attracts a visitor to it when they find it on a listing site, the single most appreciated thing setting it apart from its rivals has been location/views - just as others have said.
Developing that idea a bit, what encourages people to re-book? After their holiday, what is it that makes them come back for more? Not just the above, to be sure. It's the total experience, and probably calls for a new topic in its own right! There are just so many factors to add in at this stage, and returners is what we all strive for!
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be
I'm assuming that terrific location/comfortable gites/friendly ambiance/lots to do/pool/website/welcome pack and the like are -if we've done our homework and we're serious about our business - common to us all. These are the 'big things' that we're aware of needing to provide when buying a gite complex and renting it to guests. What I'm digging away at trying to discover are the 'little things' that makes US attractive and encourages guests to re-book and recommend OUR gite rather than going next year to the stunning ones in the next valley.Developing that idea a bit, what encourages people to re-book? After their holiday, what is it that makes them come back for more? Not just the above, to be sure.
Some clues in the answers. Enid's 'attention to small details' is important, as is GG's 'total experience'. I particularly loved Stu and Syb's 'recycling their spirit'. In our case, what gets our guests here initially is our terrific location - no question. However, the 'little things' that keep our visitors happy and coming back are more subtle and difficult to discover. But, in the end, I'm certain those 'little things' will make the difference between the success and failure of our enterprise. And it gets harder because, as time goes on, you no longer see the detail in the sharp focus that you did when you arrived.
Jim
Little things: The welcome items, noticing a birth date on the booking form and making a rich French style chocolate cake, keeping the flowers looking lovely, providing pool towels, taking people to the doctors, teasing the children and making them laugh, responding to each family's needs individually, for us living on site knowing when they want you and when they don't and keeping that balance. Many of our guests say that they feel that they shared our lives a little and accessed little parts of French life they haven't done before.We have 12 weeks booked with returners for next year - perthaps it's the walnut wine we give them?
Very,very hard to quantify value added.
Very,very hard to quantify value added.
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Giddy Goat
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Enid, that's fantastic, and not surprising! It does frustrate me not being able to offer the same level of personal service - so I have to work at the rapport-building by email or phone, and doing what I can to help remotely, eg with extra information, asking after the baby (several families who stayed last year had babies due soon after booking, and who had been born by the time the holiday came about).enid wrote:We have 12 weeks booked with returners for next year - perthaps it's the walnut wine we give them?.
And above all, making sure their expectations are met, or better still, exceeded, on arrival!
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be
I think Enid's hit the nail on the head there. It certainly IS about building a rapport, and making people feel like they're sharing your lives to an extent. Don't forget that for many of the guests we all attract, we're 'living their dream'. Not everyone's fortunate enough (or has the sheer guts) to have the kind of lifestyle we share. That's important I think. The fact that we tease them a little with snippets, feed them morsels to attract them into our care, and then completely have them fall in love with our homes, with our lifestyles, and with us.
Building up a remote rapport isn't hard to do, GG. We always attempt to respond within an hour of the initial contact, we keep it deliberately informal, and we lead the potential guest by the hand into our world. One great piece of advice we've had, and that I'd like to share with you was "don't tell them everything. Leave something for next time."
We do that here, and it's true of many lines of work, but especially so for us here. We'll relay humourous tales here & there after the initial 'business' contact, with the promise of 'lots more like that, but we'll tell you when we see you....'.
It's not unkind, or callous in any way, it's gently leading the guest into our lives. We've made some absolutely wonderful friends in this line of work in just the year and a half that we've been here. Our enthusiasm hasn't waned one iota. We're thrilled that, like Enid, people want to re-book for next year as they see it as returning to familiar haunts, to meet with friends and see what we've done next! It's simply the most satisfying thing when someone says "we'd like to book for next year please".
Building up a remote rapport isn't hard to do, GG. We always attempt to respond within an hour of the initial contact, we keep it deliberately informal, and we lead the potential guest by the hand into our world. One great piece of advice we've had, and that I'd like to share with you was "don't tell them everything. Leave something for next time."
We do that here, and it's true of many lines of work, but especially so for us here. We'll relay humourous tales here & there after the initial 'business' contact, with the promise of 'lots more like that, but we'll tell you when we see you....'.
It's not unkind, or callous in any way, it's gently leading the guest into our lives. We've made some absolutely wonderful friends in this line of work in just the year and a half that we've been here. Our enthusiasm hasn't waned one iota. We're thrilled that, like Enid, people want to re-book for next year as they see it as returning to familiar haunts, to meet with friends and see what we've done next! It's simply the most satisfying thing when someone says "we'd like to book for next year please".
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Giddy Goat
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Wish we were lucky enough to be there full time too Stu and Syb - it's always hard when we lock up after a week snatched here and there! But one day .... the only trouble is that the joys of letting would then be behind us. We weren't thinking about letting when we found the house we loved - it was only after, that we realised that it was going to be pretty much a necessity! If we did it all over again, we'd be looking for two properties, one for us and one for our guests - on the same plot of land.Stu & Syb wrote:. Don't forget that for many of the guests we all attract, we're 'living their dream'. Not everyone's fortunate enough (or has the sheer guts) to have the kind of lifestyle we share. .
Ho hum! But still plenty to count blessings for. You have exactly the right ideals for the business you're in and your guests are lucky indeed! You too - Alan, Enid as well, and others who are in the same situation - it's such hard work, but the personal contact is so satisfying. It's certainly true to say that the more you put into life, the more etc etc.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be
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Alan Knighting
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Not everyone's fortunate enough (or has the sheer guts) to have the kind of lifestyle we share.
Looking back on it, making the decision to live where we really wanted to live wasn’t such a brave thing to do. Having the motivation and doing the research meant it wasn’t much different from moving from one house to another.You too - Alan, Enid as well, and others who are in the same situation - it's such hard work, but the personal contact is so satisfying.
Making guests happy and finding new friends amongst them didn’t seem like hard work.
A changing market and advancing years have moved our emphasis more towards longer term lets but we’re still here. We are having an easier time but we still have our smaller cottage for holiday lets and we still have guests.
Fluffy
I must be a bit odd, because I don't really have the Stu and Syb approach! Yes, I make people welcome and am friendly, but I try to keep a low profile and if they want to speak to me about different things, then that's OK, but I tend to play it by ear and not impose on any guests. Some want to chat, others prefer to keep themselves to themselves. As far as living the dream, I am really embarassed if anyone thinks that, so I always make it clear I have another job here and point out the pitfalls as well as advantages of having a rental business if they ask(social charges etc. if you are not retired!). Saying that, we've had 20% repeats this year and have made some good friends too, so different approaches can work!
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Giddy Goat
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I guess it boils down to taking your cue from your guests as to how much involvement they would welcome; that requires a degree of sensitivity! This summer we were self-catering with friends in Italy. The owner didn't live on site but was really and truly over-assiduous in his desire to make us happy, and would ring before, or simply turn up unannounced on any tiny pretext. He was so sweet, but it all got a bit much, and I even hid one day when he arrived!
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be
Alan,
I know what you mean about it not seeming so 'brave' when you look back on it, but I tend to think that of the two choices - staying in the UK, or opting for a new life in France, the bravest one is the French move. It's so easy to opt for the 'comfort zone', instead of reaching out and stretching your horizons. I believe that anyone who makes that sort of decision is 'brave'. Believe me, I took some convincing of that, but was finally persuaded by a pal of ours down the road here. He too has the God Given Right to speak plainly (every Yorkshireman's birthright...), and he told us we were brave, so we must be!
Susan, you're no different to any of us really. You may have a different approach to some, but you're still offering pieces of you out to folk. I understand what you mean about the embarrassment of 'living their dream', we felt it too. Then we just said, oh sod it. Heads down and get on with it. We, like you, will offer help, advice etc when asked to do so, and keep our distance when we're plainly not invited. It's easy to gauge with most people. Whatever the situation, we'll respond in a fitting manner, we hope.
Syb's just said to me that with us, it's the place that draws people in, it isn't us. It may be after folk have been here and gotten to know us a bit. That's where we then become friends. We actually write that in the inside cover of our guest books, we hope that people arrive as guests and leave as friends. It sounds sooooo cliched, but it's also true!
Anyway, here's hoping everyone's well, and chat soon. Off to pick up my eldest's poorly scooter!
I know what you mean about it not seeming so 'brave' when you look back on it, but I tend to think that of the two choices - staying in the UK, or opting for a new life in France, the bravest one is the French move. It's so easy to opt for the 'comfort zone', instead of reaching out and stretching your horizons. I believe that anyone who makes that sort of decision is 'brave'. Believe me, I took some convincing of that, but was finally persuaded by a pal of ours down the road here. He too has the God Given Right to speak plainly (every Yorkshireman's birthright...), and he told us we were brave, so we must be!
Susan, you're no different to any of us really. You may have a different approach to some, but you're still offering pieces of you out to folk. I understand what you mean about the embarrassment of 'living their dream', we felt it too. Then we just said, oh sod it. Heads down and get on with it. We, like you, will offer help, advice etc when asked to do so, and keep our distance when we're plainly not invited. It's easy to gauge with most people. Whatever the situation, we'll respond in a fitting manner, we hope.
Syb's just said to me that with us, it's the place that draws people in, it isn't us. It may be after folk have been here and gotten to know us a bit. That's where we then become friends. We actually write that in the inside cover of our guest books, we hope that people arrive as guests and leave as friends. It sounds sooooo cliched, but it's also true!
Anyway, here's hoping everyone's well, and chat soon. Off to pick up my eldest's poorly scooter!
Sometimes I like a bit of privacy too - it is always a bit of a relief when it gets to the end of the outdoor season when I don't have to be on full view through the windows and can draw the curtains and hide! My daughter and 2 stepsons always make friends with the other kids who stay during the summer and we usually have the guests' children in our house throughout July and August thanks to this - but I don't mind at all, it's part of the job and it is only a couple of months!