Advice and stories from the hotel trade

Book Review "Successful marketing get brilliant results fast by Pauline Rowson

2012-02-12T00:50:00.000-08:00

ISBN - 9781854584816 - would say this is a very basic marketing book at the level where if you were thinking of starting a business and were looking for a placed to start this might be it. Is a good tool for looking at your strengths and analysing your competitors but has nothing in social media marketing at all. The tips for how to make your newsletters and e-shots interesting are helpful and putting in a request for people to forward them to anyone they think may be interested in your product is not something I had thought of. The main thread of this section is to make anything you send out interesting so that people will send it on as something to read therefore free advertising to people who havnt heard of you before and so potential customers. It reminds you that marketing is a long term job and is all about making people realise you are there and is something that you build into everything you do not an after thought.

Some sensible advice even if you arn't in France!

2012-02-12T00:29:00.001-08:00

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/expatproperty/9059433/Expat-guide-to-running-gites-and-BandBs-in-France.html

The article gives some good advice and I have bought the book and it is next on my review list!

Be a web Savvy accommodation business

2012-02-05T10:42:00.000-08:00

This is an older volume now but would be a good place to start if you didn't know anything about the internet and the accommodation industry. Susan Briggs the author writes in an easy to read non technical style which is accessable to all. I would point out that as an update to her books she has a web site called www.tourismknowhow.com which has free classes and worksheets on and is much more up to date. ISBN 9780709584315
www.Soyouwanttorunabedandbreakfast.com

"May I Help You?"

2011-12-24T07:26:00.000-08:00

Book Review - I was recommended to read this book by the folk at BandB Edition and found it a fun read. Its full title is Thank you very much a book for anyone who has ever said "May I Help You?" by Holly Stiel. This is a small volume so if you are a busy hospitality owner you will easily find time to slot in the quotes and sections betwee customers! Holly Stiel worked on the front desk in a large hotel for 16 years and rose to the high rank of Concierges and now works as an inspirational trainer and speaker. This book is full of quotes both serious and amusing about front desk service life and is handy as a pick me up for those days in which everything goes horribly wrong. It reminds us all of what we are all striving for and what makes a difference to the lives and experiences of our customers. ISBN 0-89815-673-4

Holiday Trade or Business Traveller?

2011-09-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

this is one of the things you have to be clear on when setting up your policies ie business trade usually needs an early start, holiday people prefer a lie in. Business travellers will need stong wi-fi and preferably in their room so they can work in the quiet. If you have conference trade like I do I have to have all my people through for breakfast by a set time (ie all have to be at an event at the same time) and so on. This will also affect how you market and what upselling opportunities you will have. I would say business people's needs and holiday people generally overlap but I would say business people tend to be more demanding of their facilities where are holiday people tend to be more demanding on your time.

Trip Adviser Attractions

2011-09-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

Just this week took a look on Trip Adviser to see what attractions were showing -ie attracting people to my town and there was hardly any , 5 of which are pubs apparently! So have spent all this week applying for attractions to be accepted which now shows a lot better for example our theatre, museums, art gallery etc. I am also now getting anyone with a trip adviser account who has been to any of our attractions to review them to give a good accounting of their displays etc. If you have a B&B etc take a look at your town you will be shocked what is missing!

The Joy's of Building Work

2011-08-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

This is the finished result! However some advice - 1. things never run to time or plan. 2 - Everything makes twice as much muck as you think it will. 3 - anybuilding over 10 years old will have been tinkered with by cowboys at any given time and you will hit these problems one at a time as you do work. (ie we found our sewage pipes were held together by Duct tape when we did some digging at the back) 4 - Not only will a ton of dust be produced it will get through any dust sheets, coverings and into rooms where the work isn't being done so plan for it. 5 - No work man ever cleans to your standard so whatever they say don't expect it. 6 - No work will ever be up to your standard there will always be a loose end or unfinshed part - so please don't be surprised. 7 - try and build a crew of trusted workmen and ask others for recomendations you can't always guarantee that they won't let you down even so but it does make for better odds.

Some more pics as the work progresses!

2011-08-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

cos I can never have too much building work going on! lol

How we are getting on?

2011-08-08T07:29:00.001-07:00

Day 1 of the new windows going in! there is a ton of muck every where. While we are shut we are deep cleaning everywhere and all the curtains are going to the laundry. Its a good opportunity to pull everything right out and do all the jobs. Will keep this updated with photos as we go along.

The Calm Before the Storm

2011-07-11T05:50:00.000-07:00

In Harrogate there is a period of of about 11 days when booking accommodation here is mad. But for accommodation providers there is a sort of buzz in the air. Don't get me wrong its hard work, a lot of changes, a lot of check in's and 100% occupancy. However there is an excitement that fills the air from the moment on the Monday morning that the lorries start rolling into town you feel it. Also our email ring chims into action as the conference delegates and Yorkshire Show exhibitors tend to change their bookings last minute and so we all want to fill the little gaps these changes leave behind. Also there are the genuine last minute cancellations due to ill health or family emergencies for which if we resell we won't charge so we do our best. It is like a massive game of tetrus where we all shuffel blocks and people to get everyone in and lined up. I used to get the same feeling on days before a big event when I worked in a large hotel all the running round to get everything ready before the function hits.

Parking!

2011-07-11T01:09:00.000-07:00

No matter how much or how little parking you have this will be a problem. We are in a terrace with a generous car park of 9 spaces at the back on our confirmation we send a little map as an email attachment of how to get round the back and by our front gate we have a large sign that says "Car Park at Rear" even so if I had a pound for every time I had a guest pull up at the front and ask "Where am I supposed to park?" I would be a rich lady. Also when they get to your parking they still need to be supervised they will park sideways across 3 spaces given half a chance never thinking for one second as to where the other guests are going to park. If you have any kind of weird system I recomend that you put this on your confirmation (90% wont read it but at least you have the moral high ground) Also despite common sense if they can't immediately see where to park they will drive round and round in circles trying to find somewhere - (ie won't stop and ask what to do). Where I am there is a compliacated system of permits and discs - we have them all you only have to ask but they won't - "oh we could see it was a disk zone so just kept on looking" feel like shouting WE LIVE HERE AND KNOW THE DRILL MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AND ASKED? oh well we live and learn

DIY verses a professional

2011-06-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

This is an area where it can go either way. You cannot be calling out a handyperson for every little thing but somethings benefit from the attention of a professional. I myself have a decorator, Im not a bad painter myself mind but Paul can repaper a room and do all the woodwork in 3 days which means I can have that room back in operation and earning money again. Every day a room isn't let it potentially costs you a booking and therefore money. It is all a balancing act. I am having to do a lot of decorating this year as the previous owners televisions are all old style and stick out of the walls on stands. This means that to put in new style flat screen televisions yo have to redecorate the room which means about 8 rooms need doing. However this means a lot of planning and scheduling as you need to book the decorator to do it when you (hope) you will not be blocking bookings and when I have 5 days together to free up the room. I would also say as basic common sense don't try and do anything to do with Gas or Electric unless you are a qalified technician.

Things to consider when designing a room.

2011-05-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

Remember when designing a bedroom you or your chamber maid will have to clean it hundreds of times a year (hopefully!). For example that chair that looks lovely in the shop, will it be easy to move to vacume under it? and or round it? If you have zip and link beds you need small light bedside cabinets so they are easy to move as and when. Lamps should be small with a low center of gravity as otherwise they will be knocked over and broken.

Grumpy Old Men

2011-05-19T07:04:00.000-07:00

Anyone reading this could be forgiven for thinking everyone in the Accommodation industry hates their customers but this is far from the case. For example this week I have had in lovely guests for 3 days and though they have been beset by various troubles from missing luggage keys, language barriers and in the case of one guest the sad passing of his father. They have been for the past 3 days lovely company and have restored my faith in people. This has been followed up buy several lovely reviews which were unsolicited by me but have appeared by magic and have also perked up my spirits. It shows when you are ready to believe the worst of humanity they will always surprise you. One of our guests has a broken foot and is currently hobbling round town with one of DH's (Dear Husband) croc's on her injured foot as it is just the right size to go over the bandages. I guarantee you would not get that kind of service in a hotel! The trouble is despite the overwhelming majority of guests who are lovely it seems those who we would most like to forget stay most prominently in our minds.

Privacy and Lack of it.

2011-04-29T13:12:00.001-07:00

Remember that if you are moving into the accommodation business you are opening your home and life to your guests. Be aware that if you don't lock it up then it will be touched and looked at. If a door is shut then to a guest this means there is something interesting behind this please take a look. If you put Private on it translates to there must be super interesting that is why we want to keep you out. Also be aware that a lot of your guests may not speak English as a first language so may not read the signs you put up and on the other hand the rest just wont bother.

In your first two weeks

2011-04-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

This came to me as a thought as one of my neighbouring guest houses sold just before Christmas (it is now the end of April) and should be re-opening in the next week. So I was wondering about advice to give her about what to expect in those first days. One thing I will say is expect to be exhausted, don't think your exhausted now just because of all the renovation work it is the mental exhaustion that will kill you now. Even if when you open your doors for the first time from being closed or converting a property you will be on edge for the phone ringing the door ringing and when you get the first guests through the door for them ringing for things. Also brief your family & friends don't even think about ringing before 9.30am or after 10pm cos you will be in the middle of breakfast or dead to the world. (and believe me that sleep will be precious to you when you are putting those sausages in the oven at 6.30am. Also expect that the people who want to stay with you have no concept at all of what you are and will ring at all hours of the day and night (surprisingly international guests usually email which solves this problem or book online). I would also get in a whole stack of ready meals as if you are busy I guarantee you will no have the time nor the energy to mess about with cooking properly. Also guests seem to have some kind of radar which tells them to come and ask you long complicated questions the minute your tea is ready or you are just about to put it in your mouth this is a given.

The Definition of Lying

2011-04-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

If you are new to the trade and in fact if you are not this will be astounding when it happens to you for the first time, by this I mean those who lie to your face that they have had a lovely time, food was beautiful etc and then what happens is a review pops up that from the descripition you know exactly who it was and they state they had a horrible time. When did this become acceptable? It is not the review I object to but the lie on the point of departure if they had simply stated they were checking out and left I would mind less but the ones that state how much they enjoyed their stay and then stab you in the back baffle me. I think as well that if members of the public had any realisation of how reviews personally hurt business owners as well as professionally hurt them they might think twice. I have neighbours in the industry moved to tears over hurtfull and untruthfull reviews and some have even taken people to court. I believe in customers reviews but not without any accountability. For example the good hotel guide if there is a bad review they send someone undercover to check. This sort of system or something similar would be something I would strongly support as I am sure would most of the industry. I have also had neighbours and friends held hostage to the threat of bad reviews ie do me a discount or else Surely this is something we should all stand against.

To be Rated or Not to be Rated?

2011-04-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

This is the hot debate which is raging all over the UK at the moment. To the uninitiated it may seem something that had never occured to you but it is splitting the accommodation industry in half. Back in the olden days before the internet all there was to help you decide where to stay was 3 things 1. the AA handbook 2. the Visit Britain handbook (from now on refered to as VB) and the tourist information of whereever you were going. Usually people bought one of the books read through the description looked at one maybe two tiny pictures (if that) and made the best decision they could based on that information. That is where the Stars/crowns/diamonds came in you knew approximately what you were getting and that 4 was better than 1. However those days are long gone. With the Birth of the internet things have changed dramatically in a very short space of time. Your information is accessable all over the world 24 hours a day, you can have as many pictures as you like and you can read a multitude of reviews from people who have stayed before you and what they got for their money, their thoughts and pictures. The vast quantity of information avaliable to help the consumer make their decision is astonishing. So there used to be one incentive to stay rated it was backed by the government who insisted that you be rated to work with government agencies and tourist informations. With the advent of the new tourism statement published by the Department of culture, media and sport in March they have removed all official backing from rating schemes. Therefore accommodation businesses are looking again at their marketing budgets and deciding this is money they don't need to spend. For myself a 12 bed Guest Accommodation it works out about £600 a year and that is with VB and the AA is more expensive though they do hold to higher standards. For myself I rejoined VB in order to work with the Harrogate International Conference Center Booking Agency which has now closed its accommodation booking arm so there is no longer any one I work with requires me to be rated. However some areas are bringing in a minimum standards scheme which will have someone come and check you reach minimum standards and then you are fine to work with the TIC I am in favour of this if it is a reasonable price but we will see how it goes.

What is the meaning of Value?

2011-04-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

This has been a big debate online over the last few days as one of our problems is the confusion between Value and Cheapness. Just because something is cheap doesn't mean it is good value and vice versa. Also I don't think the customer has a true basis for value due to all the insane discounting done by the hotel chains over the years they have been trained to always be looking for the "better" deal. Someone I spoke to this week had an amazing review from a customer and he had chosen her B&B over all other places to propose to his now fiance due to the ambiance and so on yet marked her down on Value despite her being comparable with other lodging establishments in the area. I pointed out they may be confusing value for cheapness or don't want you to be lumped in with motel $40 type places. In B&B's value is in all the little things we do that hotels don't - for example free range local eggs - in a hotel you scrambled will be from powder as that is the cheapest way. Other ways that a B&B has built in Value - fresh breakfast food, cooked to order not reheated on the buffet for 2 hours, Beds and mattresses changed regularly, instant management response to problems (ie can make an instant desicion) local knowledge, fresh milk on request, much higher standard and turn over of renovations, in 4 star or above premises free tea and coffee on arrival, free tea & coffee etc in your room and these are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Thinking about lists

2011-03-30T23:55:00.000-07:00

Was just brought to my mind by a phone call last night that one of the things it is important to be on is the lists. This may seem obscure but if you have a B&B near a theatre for example you want to be on the Digs list for theatre people and so on. So if you have a events center, army base etc make sure they are aware of you and this is not always easy (Ive been fighting to be on one particular list for 5 years now no joy) but sometimes you have a breakthrough you just have to keep fighting. Also make sure you are offering an appropriate price to the group that you are aiming at.

Procrastination is the thief of time

2011-03-30T23:53:00.000-07:00

Isn't it amazing how when you do have a little time on your hands (and believe me it isnt often) I seem to fill my valuable time with rubbish? So any ideas on how to stay motivated? (other than a need to put money in the bank?) LOL I try and set targets and I get a treat at the end ie input all this information eat a chocolate bar or go for a walk. Not particularly working so if anyone has any better ideas?

Prices on Web Sites

2011-03-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

This is a matter for debate but today on a web site for a B&B I saw a clear rate table with a set rate chart the same day in day out (ie twin room £90) I wouldn't run with that as if you set it too high you will put people off before you even have a chance to go a bit higher or lower. If it had been a online booking method where you put in a date to find a structured pricing situation but this site particularly struck me as I believe they have set their prices too high and at the moment they are not doing online bookings. I wish them all the best but I hope learning the lesson is not too painful.

Room 1

2011-03-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

Also while all this has been going on I have been completely redecorating room 1 though the lining paper was done buy Paul my decorator who was both an amazing price and did all the work in a day and a half! (ie stripping off all the old paper, 3 layers of that, and re-papering) Then I have painted all the walls so frankly I am pooped and sick to death of painting! Mind you it shows what a professional can do as it looks like the room has been re-plastered and at a fraction of the price.

Also have sorted out some black out curtains for room 4 so it is pitch black in there even during the day! Apparently this is vitally important to the Visit Britain people who may be redundant sooner than we think.

Finally it!

2011-03-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

Well it is done room 7's bathroom is finally complete! 19 days including today I cannot believe it. Got the last of the painting done this morning and it is let tomorro. Managed to get white plastic beading for where the shower tray meets the lino so saved me a job painting it. Then the plumber had the cheek to say gosh it will all need a lot of cleaning don't think you'll get it ready in time! Everything was coated in brick dust from when he gouged huge holes in the walls to fit all the pipes etc into them. Got it all cleared though and ready for action tomorro.

2011-03-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

I like the new radiator expecially (£25 on ebay brand new) as it is not only a radiator but a towel rail as well. Everything looks really clean.

2011-03-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

It is tricky to photograph but I am really pleased with the results

bathrooms as well

2011-03-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

Also have got the bathroom of room 8 done and looking good and the bathroom of room 7 is about half finished so thats 4 down 8 to go!

Cracking on with my renovation

2011-03-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

Well room 1 has been the focus of my attention this week as someone has pulled the wall paper where it was comming up a bit and has ripped it in various places. So started with getting some new curtains as the previous ones were an effort by the previous owners wife who fancied herself arts and crafts (but wasnt) so were not wide enough. They are fab and a grey/black and silver stripe. So under the dado rail we have painted it light grey and have found a great decorator with the help of a fellow guest house owner (www.dragonhousehotel.com) and he is really cracking on. He arrived 9am and had 3 layers of paper off in two hours (these old buildings are like an onion) and by the end of the day today he had half papered the room and will finish tomorro. It shows that sometimes you save money by paying someone to do a job ie it would take me at least a week and a half to do what he has done and so I would not be able to let the room and loose money. Ive also found the perfect wardrobe which fits exactly into the space on one side of the fire place as if it was made for it. (before there was a white melamine one) so now all the furniture matches. I had to redecorate the room to remove the wardrobe as the previous people had wallpapered round it and carpeted round it meaning to change the wardrobe I have had to redecorate and recarpet. This should be a lesson to asirings as it may be slightly cheaper but is much more expensive in the long run. Also I would never buy fitted furniture as if it is damaged it is a nighmare to replace but if it is free standing it is easy. So the top half of the room is going to be cream and ceiling white wish me luck!

2011-02-12T13:36:00.000-08:00

http://innteractiveinns.blogspot.com/2011/02/more-than-just-place-to-lay-your-head.html

A small step in educating the public in the many and varied options avaliable to the paying accommodation seeking public.

2011-02-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

httphttp://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/hotel-star-system-to-lose-official-backing-2192474.html

Some of the issues relating to star rating.

Raging Debate

2011-02-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

Those in the trade may be aware of the HUGE debate currently ongoing in the industry concerning the hot potato about star ratings.

Doesn't time fly!

2011-02-12T09:20:00.000-08:00

Well I am not at the stage where I am tearing my hair out but not far off. Anyone in the trade will sympathise with me on the front of the complete lack of understanding among plumbers, builders and workmen generally about the need to get things done on time.

My plumber was supposed to do two bathrooms in 3 weeks and managed to do 1 in two and a half! why am I not surprised! However I have to admit that I am pleasantly surprised with the work and he is all set to start on the second one from the 6th of March.

Therefore my advice for any budding aspirings whatever time they say it will take to do a job double it and that will be about right.

2010-09-03T11:18:00.001-07:00

Well it is now september and I feel like I am finally making progress with my renovations!

2010-05-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

I seem to start every new post these days with Ive been so mad busy! This last two weeks has been very busy in the B&B as well as my chamber maid's fiance died very suddenly. We are pretty much like family so I have been helping her with all the arrangements which have been dificult as he fell ill while driving to see his sister in London so we had to arrange to have him brought back and organise the service etc. I am counting the days as my chamber maid has a neice who is comming to study in England from Lithuania and wants to work part time for us. We in turn need a part time chamber maid as I am currently working myself raggid. So roll on July! wish me luck for the next few days! we are full of barber shop singers which though lovely are a bit flakey!

2010-04-26T05:38:00.000-07:00

It has been an age since I have had time to post anything! We have been full since last wednesday and look to be full till this wednesday and it has been a nearly full change every day. I am exhausted! To help our chamber maid as soon as a customer has checked out I have been dashing round stripping the room and puting in the right sheets and towels. Plus today is laundry collection day so everything has to be bagged and counted for collection this morning. Its hard work. I walked to the post box for a 5 min break and saw my neighbour who also has a guest house through the window. She came to the door to say hi and confided she was working in her PJ's as she had a full change as well! That reminds me I must buy some more black traksuit bottoms from Asda they are a bargain at £3.00 and are super comfy for dashing round our place.

2010-04-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

Had a mad day today my door bell has broken however we noticed and thought we had it fixed but we hadn't and came up from the basement to find a lady sat in the lounge another guest had let in! She didn't mind and was lovely but I felt awful! Spent the next two hours messing with the bells (if I hear another bell I may loose the plot entirely) Ours work on a radio system so you can take a speaker with you anywhere in the building so you can always hear the bell. When it works its great but it has now decided to no longer ring when in my lounge where I am most often sat and can't see either of the doors. My advice is stick to the old fashioned rings with a cable in between the bell and the push button anything battery operated is fatal. (I am baffled as put in all new batteries and now it doesn't work properly). Also read the instructions as when my dad fished them out it said should be changed about every 18 months and they havn't changed them in 4 years so no wonder they arn't working!

2010-04-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

Ive just been on another course (I am taking my chance as I have a lunatic April comming) about How to write copy people want to buy your product ie do excellent brochures etc. Was quite useful (it was with Business Link should you wish to go yourself) Also met an interesting chap who works for Utility Warehouse who is going to save me some money (I Hope) Have checked them on USwitch and they are very competative so I am changing my gas and electric over and when my phone contract runs out I am changing that to. (I will get a free Blackberry and it will save me about 10 a month). More useful than the course really!

2010-04-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

Have just read How to Buy and Run your own hotel by Mark Lloyd. I was pleasantly surprised with this volume as by now I have read a whole mess of books and some of it gets repetitive. This volume was mainly aimed at people who were in the Pre-owning stage of buying a hotel an area which has not been tackled in any of the volumes I have read. It is well written and humorous and its is obvious that the chap is smart and has done his homework. He goes through the early stages of putting in the offer, what courses you have to take and so on. He doesn't go into much detail as to how things run on a daily basis but that is my only criticism. The people he bought from sound potty as they had 7 staff for a 10 bedroom hotel plus themselves which seems excessive. Plus Mr lloyd only reduces this to 5 which to me seems a bit much. I myself have 12 rooms and we have me, my partner who also works full time, a full time chamber maid and my parents who sit in when needed and that is more than enough. He goes into detail as to what to look for and what to ask for ie accounts and so on which is something I cannot emphasise enough. All in all an entertaining read even if you are past that stage.

2010-03-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Hi chaps , well last week Simon and I went on Accounting and Bookeeping course with business link. I thought it would be things to do to help you with your accounts ie practical exercises and things like that. It was absolutely no practical help what so ever. Basically the advice was for people who were in the pre-start up stage and was telling them to make sure they keep proper records as you can get done if you don't. Also that you should take on an accountant or at least a trained book keeper. Therefore I wasn't really impressed with the course. However I am going on another course with business link about maximising your web site so I will report back what I think. However I suppose it is all free so we can't complain. The link is -
www.businesslinkyorkshire.co.uk/events

2010-03-12T03:18:00.000-08:00

The second group are whingers and ususally start their complaint with I don't usually like to complain but .... they will tell you in graphic detail about whatever the problem is. The main problem with this group is they don't know what they want. So one of the techniques is to simply ask them what they want. (This takes balls) usually this stops them right in their tracks. If they come up with something that is reasonable then run with it. However what usually happens is they don't know what they want. So always have a selction of options for example room move, compliamentary dinner or whatever but don't offer more than is relevant to the problem. Ie there wern't any tea bags an equal compensation is a free pot of tea delivered not a free dinner. One of the things is remember especially if you are an owner run business you are the highest authority don't get angry if you feel they are criticising your place but remember you are in charge and some people can't be pleased and its best that they leave. This is a last resort but don't be afraid to ask people to leave and that this is an option you have at your disposal.

2010-03-12T02:54:00.001-08:00

Some tips for handeling complaints. There are three main categories of complainants we call them Shouters, whingers and last but not least those with a genuene problem.

The shouters are trying to intimidate you into giving them a discount or are making a scene for the benefit of an audience ie a girlfriend or the whole of reception. It is usually a man though I have had some women do this to. With these people the trick is primarily to get them away from their audience for example into a more private area. Also they are worce if they have had chance to work up a head of steam or have had to wait for someone to speak to so if you can get to them right away. Also with this type get them sat down as this gives you the advantage they are all at the same level and it also stops them looming over you. If you can get someone else to make a pot of tea that is sometimes helpful to offer it to them as this also breaks their chain of thought and helps to calm them down. Pay them (and this goes for all complaints) your full attention I don't care if the phone is ringing or whatever don't excuse your self to answer it as this will agrivate them further. Ask them about the problem and write notes people who complain want more than anything to be listended to. Try not to look as if dealing with them is the last thing you want to be doing do your best to look interested and concerned. However with shouters some of them will never be placated and if you can get them on their way before they spread their grumpy vibes all over the place. In this category there are the professional complainers they will have a go to get any kind of discount. I have only met one couple who fall into the cattegory and they were violently unpleasant and the manager where I was working kicked them out. After they left they had the cheek to ask us to post their hotwater bottle back for free!

2010-03-11T09:15:00.000-08:00

Went on a retaining customers by super customer service course provided by Welcome to Yorkshire. To be fair I tried to go into the thing with an open mind but was not particularly wowwed. The best complaints training I have ever had was with the Inland Revenue who due to the nature of the business is almost entirely complaints. Plus once you have been told at full volume that you are single handedly destroying a man's business and destroying his life there isn't much that can phase you. After two years there I developed hide like a rhino which has stood me in good stead for my hospitality work.

2010-03-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

Now I'm split two ways about taking groups for 1 night stays for example we have a group of lads who stay with us and are lovely and never any trouble but they only stay on a saturday night. They book up the whole place which is a lovely bit of business but it blocks the Friday two night bookings. This thought is brought home to me by a group we have just had in who also book out the whole place but they only come on the friday and so block saturday breaks a bit. Oh well we just have to grin and bear it.

2010-03-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

Was in discussion with people about one night stays. Some people before now would not take people for less than two nights as this increases your laundry and servicing costs. Well I'll be honest in the state that the economy is in as accomdodation providers I don't think we can afford to be that picky. I know a lady who wouldn't take people less than two nights as she did all her own laundry and now is in serious difficulties. The choice is yours but I'd think about it very carefully.

2010-03-05T12:34:00.000-08:00

Second they are pushing Business Link which is a really good organisation providing free (Yes chaps thats free!) courses on all sorts of things marketing, first aid, financial planning, VAT and all sorts. They ask that you cancel if you can't come 48 hours in advance which I don't think is unreasonable. I am signed up for Marketing your business and another marketing one. If they are any good I will report back. They hold these courses all over and quite a number of times so you can fit them into your schedule . They are also different times of day which helps as well.

I would also recomend that you all have a look at the carbon trust web site which provides interest free loans for improvements to your business to save energy. I am considering applying for one to have all of our windows replaced with PVC as at the moment they are very draughty sash windows which are a pain to paint. We will see how we go.

2010-03-05T10:11:00.000-08:00

Well I went to the Welcome to Yorkshire meet and great yesterday and learned a few things. One is that they are extraordinarily nieve. The impression I get from them is that they seem to think people don't get rated because they worry they aren't good enough. They simply havn't realised people don't see it as important and certainly don't see any financial value in it. I myself pay £409 per year for the pleasure of being a member of the AA (do we hear some sarcasm?) and in 5 years can count on the fingers of one hand the number of people who have said they have heard about us from the AA. I think partly it is to do with our name it begins with a C. This may not initially make any sense but if you had an AA book and were looking for a place to stay you start ringing at the start of the section which is in alphabetical order and work through by the time they get to C in my town its too late and they are already fixed up.

2010-03-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJmkp5cwx1g film of room 10

2010-03-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

Well chaps Ive had a day of it I can tell you. Woke up to a strange noise of running water and found that water was gushing out of the fire alarm break point I was therefore not happy camper. I then had a lady ring to confirm her booking of two rooms for which we only had one! I then rang the booking agent who had booked it for her to find the other room was actually for her colleague whose name we had so crisis averted as I had already booked out 4 rooms for that night and was hoping not to have a 5th! Picked out my new dryer and have installed it woo hoo. However it turns out the water problem was caused by the pipe to the sewage being undone somewhere and was pouring in behind the tanking and when it got to the top of the tanking of the basement it poured in over the top lovely! so my virtually new carpet is covered in filtered sewage water and we can't use any of the rooms on the back of the hotel. Everything in my bedrooms stinks of sewage lovely!

2010-03-01T15:40:00.000-08:00

As regards the pen idea I leave them at another hotel in town their guests have a reason to be in my town and hopefully they will find their way back to me next time.

1 I signed up with the bed and breakfast directory and have had zero business through this channel I signed up for 2 years as its a good price so I am going to wait and see but I am not impressed so far.

2 remember you and your service are what you are selling. Most people are crap and need to have it handed to them on a plate how amazing you and your product are. (I am assuming) So now is not the time to hide your light under a bushell. If you are close to an amazing attraction say so you do pankakes for breakfast let them know and if you are doing something for free other people are charging for then point this out.

2010-03-01T15:31:00.000-08:00

Hi a friend asked me for marketing advice today and I wasn't sure where to start but here are some tips.
1. Take a stack of business cards with you everywhere you go you never know when the opportunity will arise.
2. if you are not online got online and don't think having a web site is enough by a long chalk.
3. use social networking sights ie YouTube, Facebook and Twitter for example I am currently filming all our bedrooms and putting them on You Tube and as I have linked this with my facebook they automatically update each other which saves me a lot of time. It also means that you can even send a customer a film of the room they will stay in when they book. (be careful of this in case you have to move them but if they have booked a feature room specifically then its safe enough)
4 Use your old reg cards send out advertising postcards get people thinking about you. I have ordered extra large postcards with special offers on from VistaPrint and 50 for £2.00 it just takes time to address them.
5 Get real about collecting email when you get an enquiry even if they never book save the email address its a free way to market and if they were enquiring they have a reason to be where you are and may have a crap time at another place and so come to you next time if they are the first name they have to hand.
6 think about having some branded stuff made for example pens and leave them in places they will get picked up this is inexpensive and they will adveritse for you as they are passed from hand to hand.

2010-02-24T10:13:00.000-08:00

Hello some advice on what to do if you are ever over booked. We try not to let this happen but it does happen now and again. A place up the street from us put the wrong dates into their online booking service for example and we forgot we had given some rooms to an accomodation agent. When this happens and it will I strongly advise that you pick the people to go straight away and ring them about it. I always try to head them off before they reach you as there is nothing worce than getting to you only to be told there is no room at the inn. I always find them alternative accomodation and sort it all out before I call because then you can say yes we have made a mistake or had a plumbing problem or whatever but I have found you somewhere else very close by for the same price and you just need to go to the alternative location. We are lucky as we have 4 places within 4 doors of us of an equal standard which placates a lot of people. In some cases you can't get hold of them so its a case of doing your best.

2010-02-23T12:43:00.000-08:00

I have also been sorting out to use Booking.com as an agent. It has taken me about 3 weeks to get a straight answer out of them about their service. In case anyone else needs this information They ask for 1 free night for every 100 they sell for you this is for their area reps when they come to your area but you don't have to take them. You only have to give 14 days to terminate the contract and there is no minimum contract. Hope this helps.

2010-02-23T12:37:00.001-08:00

A lady asked me this week for any tips on smiling at the customers when you really don't feel like it. I was a bit stumped apart from the fact that sometimes if you don't laugh you'll cry. We tend to try and think of our guests as people we really like to see (even though we havn't met yet) and are pleasantly surprised that they have arrived. Another tip is to actually practice smiling and laughing. (I know this sounds bonkers) but laughing is actually a learned behaviour so you have to get your self into the habit of smiling and being happy. As we all know there are times when you just want to bang your head on the nearest hard surface. (I got over booked by 4 and believe me I was not smiling!) but Ive sorted out all the people and everything is back on an even keal so you get there. I am lucky to have a good relationship with my neighbours. I think one of the most valuable skills to have in customer service is the ability to laugh at yourself.

2010-02-18T10:48:00.001-08:00

Also one of the reasons I havn't been blogging as much is I have been trying out direct mailing. Where I am is a conference town so I have been looking at the conference web sites getting a list of exhibitors and then searching them out on the internet and emailing them direct. So far I have been successful. This method cost nothing except your time rescearching and for one conference I did 8 hours rescearch and mailing and filled my entire place and my neighbour up the street as well so I feel the effort as regards the pay back was worth it.

2010-02-18T10:43:00.000-08:00

Well have been on a really good course titled Confident Communications. I was a bit gutted because it was supposed to be held in my home town but that session was cancelled so I went to the one in Hawes (a good hour and 1/2 drive away) The main thrust of the course was about using all means of communication to contact your potential customers for example You Tube which is not a form I had ever considered before. Met some really nice people and had a free lunch. The teacher showed us how to make a slide show on Windows Movie Maker and then you can upload it to You Tube. The main thrust is to use every avenue avaliable to you to promote your business and to find ways of using areas which you hadn't even considered would be usefull such as Facebook or Twitter.

2010-01-17T11:57:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone well I had hoped to be moved in by now but it is not at all going to plan! (not beyond shocked!) Well with the awful weather we have been having some of our pipes in the basement froze over because the builders could not fill them all in with insulation due to the snow. (There is a degree of irony there I feel) So that took at least a day to get fixed luckily the main problem was that they had to cut a hole in the bathroom wall to get at the pipes and therefore made a right mess. However we insulated today and should have all the jobs in the bathroom done by the end of tomorro. The electrician is comming tomorro to put up the three light fittings so that is one less job to do! So all that is left is to touch up the paint in the bathroom and put up a small shelf!. The carpet man who has been giving me run around all week should also be comming tomorro Wish me luck!

2010-01-09T12:13:00.001-08:00

Finally nearly finished the decorating etc on the new flat (we have built proper living accomodation in the basement of the hotel!) However we did have a day of it yesterday as some of the pipes froze due to the super fun weather we have been having lately. Therefore we couldn't get any water in or out of the basement. There is a degree of irony in that if it hadn't snowed the builders would have insulated the pipes but havn't been by because of the snow! Oh well tomorro is another day.

2010-01-01T11:56:00.000-08:00

Just another tip what decorators charge may seem extortianate and you may think to yourself I can do that and save the money. That may be but you loose the money in the time the room is out of commission. Also it will also pay dividends in the long run if you try and decorate you rooms in the same colours as it is so much easier to say have two colours in rather than 12 for touch ups. We also try to paint the lower part of the room in a darker colour such as red or brown as it doesn't show the damage from cases that are repeatedly banged into your walls. The upper parts a lighter colour so as not to overwhelme the room. The choice is yours.

2009-12-19T13:38:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone mentioned that I was trying out a new printing company and am happy to report they are excellent. When Royal mail lost all the brochures I had ordered they have replaced them all for free and got them out to me in 5 days. I have also claimed back the money from the Royal Mail so may have had them for free which is even better. I have also ordered 2 mugs from them and have been pleased (i.e. picture of the hotel and the phone number) Also advertising postcards, more business cards, linen bags, tee-shirts, pens with the phone number on, gift vouchers and have been happy with them all. I would point out that this company regularly does special offers so if you are wanting something specific I would wait till it pops up. They seem to email me once or twice a week so I just wait.

2009-12-18T16:42:00.000-08:00

Another top tip is if you don't want to use the little sachets of butter you can get from the wholesaler and wish to be more artistic at the Yorkshire Hotel where I used to work they slice up blocks of butter first into rectangles then cut the rectange into two triangles and arrange them in an artistic manner on the plate. This is up to you but what I would recomend if you fancy this style is get a jug of boiling water and put the knife you intend to use into it to get the blade really hot (keep this jug next to you) then cut the butter till the blade stops sliding through. Then dip again in the water. This makes the job so much easier and stops the butter looking like a donkey's hind leg. bye for now

2009-12-18T16:40:00.000-08:00

Just started decorating the new flat I have just built. Thought of another tip if you want to seal new plaster board for any reason PVA Glue is the thing to use. We were put onto this by a builder friend (yes the stuff we used in play group!) you buy it from builders merchants in a big bottle and paint it on like paint. We are doing the walls and ceilings and you can put it on with a roller and do the edges with a brush. It drys really quickly and then you can get right on and paint.

2009-12-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

Just finished Running a B&B a Landlady's Guide by Christabel Milner. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book it is of a size that fits in your handbag and I finished it in 3 days. Christable writes in a no nonsence style that I approve of and is full of handy hints. However her book is more aimed at people who are aiming to keep their opperation below 6 rooms so be aware of this if you are thinking larger. However I think this book is a good place for anyone wanting to get into the trade to start. I like the way she seems to think of things and pop them in at random and the short list of tips at the end of each chapter is also useful. I strongly agree with her advice to get a good accountant as I used to work the for Inland Revenue and I found that the reason most small businesses fail is due to bad record keeping and accounting. Make sure you are getting all the benefits and tax breaks you are entitled to! Keep Every Receipt! This is her advice and she is spot on.

2009-12-08T08:22:00.000-08:00

Sorry havn't had time to keep you up to date. Am now running my own place full time as well as being up to my eyebrows in builders. Grappling with the previous owners booking system which is going to make me grey! bye for now

2009-07-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

Just finished Start your Own Bed and Breakfast by Adams. Would also mention has a good section on advertising which I have found useful even as an experienced hotelier. Would recomend this as a bit of light reading full of useful tips and is easily fitted in between customers!
bye for now Kimberley

2009-06-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

Entrepreneur magazine's book Start your own Bed and Breakfast by Terry and Rob Adams this is a light harted look at starting up in the trade though the section on questionaring customers is useful in its suggestions for you to include.

There are also good tips on how to go about choosing a property which would be useful for anyone looking for an ideal property to get started in.

Another good section of tips is what to look for if you are buying an operating business occupancy figures etc.

2009-06-30T04:09:00.000-07:00

How to open and operate a Bed and Breakfast by Jan Stankus 8th edition. I am not sure if I have already reviewed this book but I have just re-read it and it is full of great suggestions and ideas written in an easy to ready format. It also includes a lot of useful forms and plans for example for marketing. To be fair it is aimed squarly at the American Market and at least a couple of chapters arn't relevant but in the main it is a good relevant read. In some areas she goes a bit far as I am not hand making my own bread and picking out table centre pieces every day but it could be fun for Hallowene for example depending on your clientel (ie business executive might not be amused) The book is aimed at the small B&B person who may be only having 3 rooms or so but there are still some nuggets for the larger operators amongst us. My only reservation would be that it was quite an expensive book comparatively I think I paid about £15.00 plus postage but you could always re-sell it. For myself I am keeping it for future reference. I would also point out there is very little reference to the internet which we all know is a huge part of our marketing strategy.

2009-06-30T04:05:00.000-07:00

Hello there I have now received my first batch of business cards, address lables and postcards from vistaprint. They came a week earlier than the estimated delivery date and I am pleased with the quality. Also when I ordered the postcards I got 140 address lables for free which is a great bargain. They quite often do tasters of products for free for a low quantity so far I have had a free linen bag with our hotel logo and details on, 100 free postcards, 140 free lables and a free pen ( you do have to pay for postage and tax) so all in all a good deal.

2009-06-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

As well another tip if people are telling you they have had a really nice time ask them to put a review on trip advisor for you. Its free advertising and nothing is lost.

2009-06-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

Well I have just discovered a useful company called Vista Print they do business cards for £8.99 for 250 (plus VAT and postage) so about £14.00 they also do co-ordinated, stationary, headed paper, Pads, folders, pens, hats, mugs, postcards, calendars, gift tags, and address stickers and compliament slips. You have a large range of patterns and things to choose from to provide your company with a co-ordinated look. I have ordered address lables with our VAT number which we can now use on the top of all of our bills and well as a multitude of uses. Its a useful company but I will have to see what the quality is like before I fully recomend them but I am hopefull. This is a really good price as I have gone to a few printers and they were trying to charge me £84.00 for 250 which is a considerable difference.

2009-06-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

An average day where I work

15/5/09 (Bold is the guest)

When people check into the hotel this is what we have to tell them:-

Checking in?

Please fill this in we need your full address and postcode and would you sign here and here.

Lovely could I please have your credit or debit card so we can do a pre authorisation.

What is a Pre-authorisation?

A preauthorisation is where we do a credit check for your room rate per night plus £25.00 per person per night on top this means that you have credit around the hotel should you wish to charge things to your room. This money is held on your account waiting for us to do a completion on your departure. This money never leaves your account but you cannot spend it.

Or that is not my room rate what is this?

So the difference will be refunded if we don’t spend it?

No the money never leaves your account but it will be released so you can spend it. ( I have had to explain this to people three times before they get it)

(at this point you just want to scream at the guest JUST DO AS I TELL YOU!!!!)

Then its now the lights operate with the key fob you have to put it in the plastic slot on the wall push right down and then tug towards you. This operates the lights (this only operated the lights half the time so you will get phone calls all the time my lights don’t work) Therefore when they ring you must say have you put the key fob in the plastic slot and have you tried tugging it towards you. Etc. Sometimes you will have to send someone to show them.

You must the offer the guest help with their luggage some people get quite offended by this but we do have to offer. People also think that you are looking for a tip and can actually be quite rude.

Then you have to ask if they would like the make a booking for the restaurant.

Then would you like a code for the wi-fi and explain that it is free even though it prints with a price on. However when we have chance we black out the price on the print out so that reduces that problem.

Now we have to say if you need a second set of towels they are in the wardrobe. This is an energy saving idea as then if a room is single occupancy they do not use them all however then the guest can’t find them so will ring down for them.

Breakfast is 7 till 9.30 and it is in the bistro to your left and no we do not have a cocktail bar on the top floor despite what the signs say though we do served cocktails in the main bar which is through the restaurant to your left.

Then as we ticket in the car park you must ask the guest if they are parked in the car park and inform them that they need a permit and they must display it on the dash. They will then ask you where do we put it and you must explain again that they must put it on the dash.

We were told there was parking at the hotel
Yes there is but it is full so you have to park on the street.

What kind of hotel is this that doesn't have a car park?
Well unless I am halucinating what is that on the front of the hotel?

We are parked in the car park is that ok?

Yes anything with a number belongs to the hotel

We are in number 9 is that ok?
(What did I just say is number 9 not a number?)

Should anyone want a paper or a morning call then they must write it on their registration card. We do not encourage this as if someone books a morning call and doesn’t get it and misses a flight or something they can sue us.

Now do you actually think anyone will take all of that in? Well neither do I. Oh well!

2009-03-15T15:17:00.000-07:00

Hi another top tip whether you are looking to buy a B&B, a house to convert to the above or to expanding your own operation. Take a good look at your boiler! will it take the extra load? We are going to put in another 3 rooms and build a flat so we are going to have to put in a second boiler to run this extra capacity. The one we have is right up to the limit so as we want to put in another couple of radiators and put in some larger ones we are going to have to change that as well therefore my advice is check that what you have will provide enough hot water. We have a lot of electric showers which produce their own hot water which is very useful when we have 11 showers on the go at once. Also it is important to think about when you do things for example we don't use the dishwasher or washing machines at the same time as peak showering time so be prepared to amend your schedule.

2009-03-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

Just finished reading Owning and Managing a Bed and Breakfast by Lisa Angowski Rogak this is the first book I have read which addresses the psycological aspects of running a B&B she also speaks to travel writers about what it is they are looking for and recomend which is also a first. This is however quite an old volume and is mainly set in 1994. However all the advice that is given would be applicable to now however she doesn't really cover the internet at all except to say in the future people will probably do all their booking by email. I would say this is a good place to start as it also includes advice on how to write a business plan but be aware it is dated and is mainly aimed at the American market. All in all well written and worth reading.

2009-03-07T05:10:00.000-08:00

Some advice if you are having a bad day Watch Legally Blond Two it will imediately perk you up. And regard my previous post but one.

Don't fight the fabric change it! No one will help you but you! And people often say to me oh but I don't have the time for that kind of thing. Well if you don't pull your finger out you will have entirely too much time on your hands!

2009-03-07T03:05:00.000-08:00

Another tip is to take advantage of every opportunity to promote your business. I myself am delivering yellow pages and with every one they get a flyer about my Guest House so in effect Yellow Pages are paying me to do my advertising. This can also be done with Polling cards so if you have any kids or friends delivering anything you can bribe them to help you!

2009-03-07T02:22:00.000-08:00

Went on a marketing course the other day and many of the other people were from rural areas out in the Yorkshire Dales. They were all complaining to the teacher of the class that the Tourism Parknership's brochures and website were rubbish and mainly focused on Harrogate ( I kept quite that I was from there!) and that they had complained in writing about it and many had withdrawn from it.

I felt like saying and I probably should well why dont' you do something about it! If it was me I would say right A I am going to form the rural dales B&B, Guest House and Selfcatering Accomodation association and get everyone I can think of to join. Then I would say to all the members you bring in anyone you can think of. This would be free. You would have to elect a chairperson to speak for you but then you could say to the Tourism network TIC or whoever I represent 10,000 bed spaces in Yorkshire YOU WILL LISTEN TO WHAT WE WANT!

I would also get our own web site set upand if everyone put in £10.00 it would be paid for and I would put it in sections i.e. Leyburn - Accomodation in Leyburn, Things to do in and arround Leyburn, Places to eat in Leyburn and so on.

Susan Briggs is right people are lazy so if you give them the whole package then they are more likely to come.

If you don't like what people are doing for you and charging you a lot for then do something else!

We used to advertise with the TIC every year and did not decern any bonus so one year we decided not to bother and see how it went we have not lost out and have saved quite a bit of money.

Also if enough people withdraw then it is likeley the TIC, TOurism Partnership etc will notice and pull their socks up as they want the money. This is called voting with your feet!

There are other benefits to being organised the first is it is easier to make referals or advertise vacancies for example with the Harrogate organisation if you have a late cancellation for a buisy time then you send off an email and if anyone in the group has someone ringing up for those dates but is full then they know where to send someone.

The second benefit is that you can get bulk discounts for example if you say to a printer I want 30 sets of brochures printing, 30 sets of business cards and stationary what deal are you going to do for me?

You also can club together to get deals on things like toiletries as in rural areas you have to have them delivered and if you order more than so much then you get a discount. So if you have any close neighbours then you could club together any order in bulk and then get it for a better price.

So top tip from me get organised people and don't be too British! I wrote them a letter about it doesn't get it done.

2009-03-05T14:02:00.000-08:00

ten tips from Ultimate Small Business Marketing Guide by James Stephenson

1. Don't enlarge your logo so it's the main focus of the page. People are interested in what you're selling, not who you are. In fact, the smaller your logo, the more established your company will appear. Check out ads by pros like Nike or Hewlett-Packard.

2. Don't place your logo in the text of your piece. Of course it's fine to use the name of your company in the text of any of your marketing materials, but inserting your actual logo into a headline or body copy is design suicide.

3. Don't use every font at your disposal. Choose one or two fonts for all your materials to build brand equity. Your font choices should be consistent with your image and your industry. For example, a conservative industry = conservative font.

4. Don't use colour indiscriminately. More colour doesn't necessarily make something more appealing. Often it just makes it loud and off-putting. Most, if not all, your text should be the same colour, preferably black for readability. For a unique look, try duotone photographs or print in two colours.

5. Don't be redundant. Don't repeat the name of your industry or product in your company name and your tagline and your headline. Potential customers know your inductry. Restating it implies you don't.

6. Don't choose loq-quality or low resolution photography. A photo may look great in an album, but unless it features balanced lighting and good composition, it's not print worthy. Photos need to be at least 300dpi. And yes, people can tell the difference.

7. Don't fill up every inch of white space on the page. White space, or negative space, brings focus to what's important and gives the eye a rest. You may have a lot to say, but cramming it all in creates chaos and minimizes impact. Your piece will end up visually over-whelming. Think less, now more.

8. Don't focus on the details of your product or service; instead focus on how it benefits your audience. Unless your product is extremely technical, make your offering relvant to your audience by emphasizing its benefits not its features.

9. Don't do exactly what your competitors are doing. When you're positioning your product, it's good to know your competition. But don't copy them. Find out what your customers want and are attracted to. Stand out without sticking out.

10. Don't change design styles with every marketing piece you create. Strive for a consistent look and feel, keeping the same fonts and logo placement. If you use photos in one ad, don't use illustrations in another. If you place your logo in the middle of one brochure, don't place it at the top-right corner in another.

2009-03-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

Another tip is don't be coy about booking or showing people how to book. Get it right out there not at the back of your website where you have to trail through pages and pages to find it. Get your contact details and book now information on the very first page of your site. Its a bit british I know this reticance but if you want to get some business then GET OVER IT!

2009-03-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

What I am also thinking of doing is putting a list in the guests bedrooms saying what facilities would you like to see here and what would enhance your stay and seeing what people actualy want rather than assuming as I have a feeling I may be surprised.
1. Wi-Fi
2. Take away quality Bath products
3. Mini Business centre
4. Acquiring a premisis Liscence
5. Providing Dinners
6. Mini Bars in every room
7. Fresh Milk provided in rooms
8. Further range of complimentary products ie shoe shine kits
9. Further options at breakfast
and then a line on the bottom to say any suggestions I havn't thought of

This is one of the most important rules of the hospitality trade never assume you know what the public wants be sure of it and then make sure they get it. However quite often they don't know what they want till you tell them.

2009-03-05T13:25:00.000-08:00

I have just started reading Ultimate Small business Marketing Guide By James Stephenson I'll let you all know if it is any good!

2009-03-05T13:19:00.000-08:00

Went to a marketing in a downturn seminar to be honest it was not as helpful as I had hoped but one thing was comming through loud and clear don't complete on price alone as there will always be someone who will go cheaper what you want to compete on is value for money. Also make sure if you are doing something cool make sure you promote it. For example do you use your own eggs to make breakfast then you can promote this as you can meet the chickens that make your eggs, you can help collect eggs, you could give away a free box on departure as a free gift and so on these suggestions are free or virtually free and are special. Another suggestion is one that was mentioned to me buy a friend who does training courses all over the country she stayed at a posh hotel and they provided large bottles of quality branded bath products and were displayed saying please feel free to take these with you which left her warm and fuzzy the feeling was destruyed however by the £10.00 a glass of wine so make sure things balance out.

2009-03-05T13:17:00.001-08:00

Just remembered if you or your guests get wax on anything there is a quick and easy way to get it out put your iron on the top setting and then put a piece of kitchen paper over where the wax is then iron it ( the paper) and the wax melts and goes into the paper. I have used this countless times as my boyfriend works with candles all the time and one time he sliped in it and it was all over his trousers and now you would never know.

2009-03-04T15:28:00.001-08:00

Please also be aware that the AA or whoever comes to inspect your place depending who you sign up with are a bit odd. The things they require seem a bit pointless to me but we play along because it is necessary. One of their latest requirements is that bathrooms be tiled up to the height of the sink in the bathroom which was a painful job for my father doing round the sinks. However take their suggestions such as have you thought about a selection of dried nuts with breakfast with a pinch of salt be polite and carry on as you wish to. We took the suggestion of having prunes and grapefruit on the menu and now simply have a few tins of each in to show her every time she comes they are very rarely asked for and my mum usually eats them! But it is required so we carry on.

2009-03-04T15:27:00.001-08:00

Be aware that there may be a guest house and or B&B association in your area this is worth joining as they can often be involved in joint marketing events and can negotiate bulk discounts in certain cases. It may well be that you make friends with other owners this way and you may club together with them we tend to work with the people in our street to get bulk discounts.
I cannot stress this enough if you are just starting out as being your own boss have a good business plan. A few notes on the back of an envelope is not going to cut it! Shop around and ask a ton of questions for example:-

1. What is the interest rate and what will you have to make from the business to pay for it every month does this seem manageable as the bank will always want their money.

2. Never plan to be full all the time this is madness and your bank will think so to and write you off right away. If you can pay all the bills on 30% occupancy then this is more reasonable. By occupancy I mean if you only let rooms 30% of the time ie one third of the year would you make enough money to break even.

3. Look at figures for Gas, Electric and Water if you have a three bed house now then at least triple what you are paying now.

4. Marketing costs – ring printers and ask they will be happy to tell you how much 1000 business cards costs, brochures etc.

5. List everything and anything you can think of and then add a bit more. If it can go wrong then it will.

6. Specialist insurance costs ask a broker.

7. Soaps, shampoo, mending kits and so on they are all on the internet have a look.

8. Cleaning products

9. Renovations and be realistic about what needs doing and then double it.

10. Have a really good look at the property I would go to see at least three times before purchasing and make sure you look at everything from the basement to the loft!

11. If you are going to buy in an area that you don’t know the advice in a book I am currently reading is go to the local tea room and ask what the reputation is like. This may be useful but what is more to the point is get on trip adviser and speak to the local TIC I find they are terrible gossips and you are more likely to get a good picture of the real state of affairs.

12. If you are going to do your own laundry then get down to the shops and see what the prices of pillowcases etc really are not what you think they are. Something to consider is using catalogue that allow you to spread the costs of things. It does mean more cost in the end but it does spread your initial costs. On the other side of this if you are buying a going concern make sure whether they are leaving the linen or not as if not you have to have enough sets ready to go from day one. The same goes for duvets and pillows never assume what people are going to leave make sure of everything! Also Joanne says make sure they are leaving the linen they showed you not the scruffy rags left over and taking the good stuff with them!

13. A good point is to look at what the previous sellers are spending money on Joanne Muller in her book points out if they are spending no money or very little on advertising but say they are nearly always full then where are the people coming from?

14. Also if you have fallen in love with a place in a remote location check things like is the place on mains sewers, gas, water etc as these can be very expensive and tricky to run if you have always lived in a city and have no experience of them. If you are experienced in this area you’ll probably be fine but if the property was previously only domestic it may be worth reassessing capacity as you will have a lot more turnover than previously. (especially the septic tank!)

15. Joanne also mentions how they were taken in as the owners told the surveyor that a guest was in a particular room so he could not see it but it was fine. When they completed and went in the room it stank of damp there was water pouring down the back of the wardrobe and it turned out the roof was leaking and a costly repair. Now you can sue them for this but it doesn’t get your roof mended right away.

16. Try to avoid a place with little or no off street parking whatever you think about the quietness of the street and ability of your guests to get parked also you will not be popular with your neighbours if they can’t get parked either.

2009-03-04T00:34:00.003-08:00

You may also wish to advertise in your local paper which may seem odd but if you offer for example afternoon tea or the equivalent then it may be worth it. When I worked in a larger hotel 42 Beds we advertised our restaurant with a free wine coupon every week which produced good results but unless you are of an equivalent size I think the money could be better spent elsewhere.

If you are buying a going concern you may be tied into a few of the previous owners advertising commitments but be vary wary of this is what they do so I’ll do it to unless you are very sure that what they are doing is producing results. What we do if we are trying a new idea when people call we ask them how they heard about us and if the new advertisement is mentioned then we know it is working.

2009-03-04T00:34:00.001-08:00

Be very wary of anyone who wants you to pay a fee upfront for the hundreds of bookings they say they will bring you this is RUBBISH! I only deal with agencies who work on a commission only basis i.e. they get a percentage of any rooms they sell for you. This way they have an incentive to work for you and get you lots of bookings and get them for a good price. My father asked me what I thought about Infotel they were asking for an upfront fee and promising a large number of bookings I warned him against them on the basis that once they had his money they had no incentive to drive business his way. In a year we had one booking from them as they only wanted rooms when we were full anyway he complained and finally got his money back for breach of promise but it was a long and drawn out process.

People from many and various local papers will ring to persuade you to advertise with them. My advice here is to pick and choose carefully. My parents when in conversation with a guest he recommended we advertise in the magazine which related to the show he was attending to do with small animals this cost £15.00 and generated a full house of guests who returned up to date three years running in a very quiet time of year. These special interest magazines can be useful if you have for example good fishing etc near to you and sometimes newspapers can generate good results but don’t spend too much money if you have never heard of a particular paper as it is unlikely to have a very large circulation.

2009-03-04T00:33:00.002-08:00

Remember to take advantage of any points or savings schemes from your supermarkets. You will be buying ten times the amount of stuff you buy now so they soon mount up. The main schemes are Tesco Points and Sainsburys Points, if you have an ASDA Store card you get good cash back but make sure you pay it off in full every month because they have a very high rate of interest. Also shop around for your credit card you can do as my parents do collect a great number of air miles if you are careful. This is especially the case if you have to buy a lot of big things like washing machines and beds. Also it can be economical from the point of view that the bank charges you to put money into your current account and to take it out. They do not however charge you to use your credit card and the transaction to pay it off is classed as one transaction so this may be cheaper to manage your money this way. Also you have the second advantage of the itemised receipt from the credit card and if anything goes wrong with your purchase you have a secondary guarantee. Only do this though if you have the discipline to pay it off every month!

2009-03-04T00:33:00.001-08:00

Another point is that if you open for example a tin of beans and you only use half you must put what is left over in a proper container not just put cling film over the tin as this can lead to a type of mettle poisoning as most tins are not made entirely of tin only tin coated so once you open them the tin seal is broken and you don’t want your guests poisoned.

Try to make your breakfast room as much self service as you can. Some people start out pouring juice and coffee etc but believe me you are going to have enough to do without adding to it. We leave all the juice, cereal and toast ready for the customers to sort out themselves and concentrate on the cooked breakfast. Tea and Coffee can be self service to but we do it on a pot by pot basis. It is however easy to get a coffee percolator where the guests can help themselves which makes a nice coffee smell for the guests to come down to.

2009-03-04T00:32:00.000-08:00

Top Tips from this book on the area of food are:
1. If you have any food delivered to you, check the state of the delivery vans. Contamination of food can begin long before it reaches you.

2. Refuse bins should be maintained in good condition and cleaned frequently.

3. Don’t scatter food for birds near the guest house. This can encourage vermin, or the formation of a pigeon colony.

4. Always buy good quality food, check it on arrival, and separate damaged fruit and vegetables for quick use.

5. Watch for damaged food packets and containers, and check surfaces of packets for farinaceous (starchy type stuff I had to look this up) material for possible insect infestation. (i.e. check your flour etc doesn’t have bugs in it.)

6. Ensure that your food stores are well ventilated, and fly proof.

7. Rotate your food supplies to avoid stale bread, old packs and smells which may affect sound food.

8. Check your food stores regularly (floor and shelves) for spillages which may attract vermin.

9. Always allow sufficient time for freezer-stored food to defrost. I know you can perform defrosting miracles with modern microwaves, but you can be in real trouble if you cook certain foods, particularly meats, which have not defrosted right through.

10. Make sure all your kitchen work surfaces are thoroughly cleaned on a daily basis, and keep a close check on that surface, or board, on which you do most of your meat and vegetable cutting. If it’s cracked or has deep indentations, it’s time it was replaced. A quick wipe over with a damp cloth will only encourage the breeding of germs, not remove them. (also I would not be happy using boards that come with a place I myself have the Pyrex kind as they don’t mark, double up as a heat resistant surface if you have one on the side next to the hob and can be put in the dishwasher for extra cleanness.) Do not however prepare food on ones that you have just put mucky pots on I have three one by the hob, one for meat and one for veg.

11. Don’t use fly sprays and other aerosols while there’s open food around. The fly which is buzzing around your sink while you peel the potatoes may be very annoying, but don’t start chasing it with a spray.

12. If you employ part-time staff – perhaps a morning waitress or washer up, or vegetable peeler – check their appearance and state of cleanliness regularly. Dirty clothes, finger nails, unkempt hair, open cuts, hair scratching and smoking are not conductive to kitchen hygiene.

13. Always use the proper lids, containers or other items to cover food which is in preparation – not the tea towel which has been used for dish drying.

2009-03-04T00:31:00.003-08:00

Top tips from the book I am reading Called Running Your Own Guest House By Stanley Wright, this is an older volume but well written and interesting. He gives some good advice on room lay out and I am just making note of his pointers about Guest House naming. He says that the name should reflect what you really are for example the Woodlands is no good in the middle of a housing estate and be wary of using joke names as many may not have the same sense of humour as you and there is no point putting people off before they even get in. Make sure you don’t put too much info on your sign as guests can be easily confused and can’t take it all in as they wiz past in a car. It is also important to make sure that you can see the sign clearly from a car as too small is worse than useless.

2009-03-04T00:31:00.001-08:00

A few thoughts on furniture one Lamps should have large bases anything too spindly will get knocked over and I also would not recommend the ones which have a ceramic vase on the bottom as they seem to get smashed on a regular basis. As regards wardrobes you will only need small ones people will be staying with you only a short time so it is necessary to have at most enough hanging space for about a week. Don’t try and compete with your own wardrobe which is bulging at the seams they won’t need the space and it takes over the whole room.

2009-03-04T00:30:00.001-08:00

Also a thought when you are buying your property is that from the tax point of view any mortgage you may have can be offset against tax so it may be that this is something to take into account when you are deciding how much to borrow and what you can afford. There is also to consider when you are deciding how much to borrow the consideration of how much you will need to spend to get things up to scratch as quite often when people are preparing to sell they let things slide and for any start up costs such as new brochures etc. Make sure your sums add up! This is why it is so important to do a thorough business plan as this is where most people go bankrupt.

Be aware that unless you are a big operation you will qualify for small business rate relief take a look on your local council and make sure you fill out your application straight away. This can mean a reduction in your business rates of 50% which as I am sure you can appreciate is worth having. When I worked at the Inland Revenue I was always astonished how many people just pay up and ask no questions when all it takes is a phone call to dramatically reduce your bills. Make sure that you are getting everything that you are entitled to. Also if you have not been applying for small business rate relief they will back date it.

2009-03-04T00:29:00.000-08:00

“You need, as you do in every branch of public service, a fixed smile, the hide of a rhinoceros, and the ability to laugh in adversity – preferably genuinely.”
Be realistic about how much work you can really do. I know so many people who nearly flog themselves to death at the outset trying to do everything yourself. I am not suggesting that you farm everything out or you won’t make a profit but look very carefully at how much there is to do and decide accordingly. If the people you are taking over from have a girl Friday then there is probably a good reason for this so don’t just assume that you can manage without. You can do all your rooms without help on your own but I guarantee that you won’t have time to do anything else. If there is a partner make sure that they pull their weight. I often find that one partner does the rooms and one the paperwork which is often the best arrangement but some days when you have a full change they have to be willing to jump into the fray.

2009-02-28T15:43:00.003-08:00

Speak to your local shops and try and get a good deal for your guests. I myself have been lucky and have just got vouchers for free facials from Molton Brown I haven’t yet decided what to do with them as I could send them out with confirmations or pop them in rooms for guests to use. Its free advertising for them and a nice treat for my guests a good job all round. Be careful not to clutter up the rooms with too many things though as you can get bombarded with coupons from restaurants. We keep the coupons in a box and when someone is discussing where to go for dinner we give them out then. However if you promise to send your guests to certain salons you can get a good discount so at least you are benefiting. When I worked at a large hotel we used to get a 50% off coupon for Peter Gothard on a regular basis for our referrals. There are few perks in this business make sure you get the ones you are entitled to.

2009-02-28T15:43:00.001-08:00

I find that the best marketing ideas pop out at you all the time look at what other people are doing and don’t do the same but do similar and with a twist or be completely different. I often find that the best ideas come to me as I am puttering about doing something else. The trick is to be thinking about the problem and about other things and sometimes you just get illumination. Also it pays to always keep your eye out for opportunities. I free cycled a book and two chaps wanted it and I noticed that the second chap had just started a new business running courses as he used the signature technique to advertise so I sent him an email saying was he looking for space to hold the classes. So keep your eyes peeled for opportunities like these. Also he is doing health and safety courses and basic food hygiene which I now get a discount on. I would also recommend getting out and meeting people as well as doing activities such as Facebook they spread the word like nothing else. I would also recommend that you have a signature which includes the details of your premises i.e. name, address, phone number, email and Website and have this put on the bottom of any emails you send about anything. This is also a really cheap way to advertise as it means that anyone you respond to gets an advertisement for your place. This is really easy to set up if you use Yahoo or Outlook Express and I am sure Hotmail does a similar thing though I have not used it myself.

2009-02-28T15:42:00.002-08:00

Useful tip as regards marketing is when they are staying with you make notes I use the back of their registration card i.e. why they are here and what they particularly enjoyed. If they are here for shopping or say things like we must come back for shopping though we are here for fill in the blank make a note and you can send them a postcard, email or Christmas card in a few months time. I keep a special file for these people as November and December in Harrogate are very quiet and send them Christmas cards at the beginning of November. I also have been super organised this year as I got all my Christmas cards in the January sales for a bargain so I am now prepped for Christmas. I would also recommend doing these cards etc on the afternoon of the day they leave as then you will remember the person and can put a personal message and it will save you trying to do them all at once and if you put stamps on them then it spreads the cost over the year as well. I have a box that I do the card of likely repeat customers and I pop it in and when November comes I take the full box to the post office and my work is done. One book I read suggests that you have your own cards done with a picture of your premises on it for these occasions. This is up to you and if you do it is a useful marketing tool you can use all year round. However I find things like this can be very expensive for the actual revenue you generate from them so be careful. Postcards on a similar theme are a lot cheaper and have the same effect. We are considering having postcards done because then you can leave a few in each guests room and if they send them to relatives then it is free advertising for you, you don’t even have to pay for the stamp yourself.

2009-02-28T15:42:00.001-08:00

I am currently reading How to own and operate a Bed and Breakfast by Jan Stankus I would recommend this book to anyone thinking of starting a B&B. I was a bit wary myself as this is a new edition and therefore I had to buy a new copy from America where it was a bit more expensive. However so far it has been worth paying a bit more for. The only drawback is that it is aimed at American B&B’s so has a large section on American regulations which is less relevant but has an exceptionally useful section on how to deal with pets should you allow them in your premises that I am reading currently. It has a good section on accounts which I would recommend anyone who is currently building their business plan to read and though is full of facts is not a hard read. All in all full of useful subject matter but I would recommend reading it twice to take it all in as it is quite a thick volume. I also like the worksheets of setting up expenses and how to record your figures for marketing which are in the back. I would also say as a warning this seems to be aimed at small home stay operations who don’t rely on the B&B income as their sole source of money. There is advice on how to juggle things with your job and how to make it homelike for your guests in a way that implies you would be unlikely to have more than two couples staying at once. So if you are thinking of taking on something larger such as a guest house it would be less relevant.

2009-02-28T15:41:00.000-08:00

Not sure if I put this in the section about brochures but when you have them done whatever you do, do not put your prices on it. Design your brochure in such a way that a tariff can be slotted into it or put them on a separate sheet which you include with your brochure or I guarantee that your rates will change before you run out of brochures.

Tip I have just picked up from the B&B book I am currently reading buy an accordion file with at least twelve pockets and label them per month i.e. Jan and put any receipts for that month in each section to save work for your accountant and money for you.

As regards taking pets I myself don’t but I wouldn’t jump to a knee jerk reaction to animals. A lot of people like to travel with their dogs especially and with the cost of kennels being prohibitive they can’t afford to go away and do so. Where I live there is only one place I know that takes them in the entire town so I would look at the competition and decide if it would put you ahead of the pack buy taking them. It is up to you but as long as you clean thoroughly I see no problem with it.

2009-02-28T15:40:00.002-08:00

If you are going to use your own sheets make sure you wash any new ones before you put them on the beds. This is because they often spray them with chemicals to keep the shape in the packaging and make them more fire retardant while they are stored and I myself and many others are allergic to this. Also they look a bit odd straight out of the package. This may seem like pointing out the blindingly obvious but my mum ran out of sheets once so dashed to ASDA and bought some and put them straight on the bed we got away with it but we might have had some very ichy people at breakfast the next day.

Coat hangers are an essential for every wardrobe. I would not advocate spending a lot of money on these as they will walk faster than anything else. We get the plastic ones from Morrisons for a pack of 10 it’s about three pounds. Do not be tempted to use the wire ones you get free from the cleaners or anything of this type as they are awful, there is a reason they are so cheap. What happens is people lift the clothes they have brought straight out of the closet and take them away I can see that it is easily done.

2009-02-28T15:40:00.001-08:00

Non-slip bath and shower mats. I would strongly recommend these as people will find ways to have an accident. One chap where I was working in a large hotel was started by the temperature of the shower as he had gotten straight in without testing it leapt out slipped and fell banged his head, leg and back. Now this is an extreme example and the customer thought it was hilarious and so did all his mates but it could have been really serious. These mats are very cheap and you can buy them from Asda for about £2.00 for really basic ones of I have seen really nice ones in Morrisons for about £3.00. You don’t have to spend a lot of money and you can put them in gradually but the safety aspect is quite important. I have also found that older guests are red hot about having them. We had a saga tour in and every guest wanted one! Needless to say we didn’t have enough and we had to nip to the shop and buy some.

2009-02-26T03:55:00.001-08:00

101 ways to grow your business by Hugh Williams may possibly be the most useless book I have ever read there was nothing about marketing at all and it was mainly aimed at people who produce an actual physical product despite his being an accountant who works in a service industry. I was hoping for some low cost marketing ideas to bring my business forward but was sadly disappointed. It is going on freecyle today.