"May I Help You?"

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?

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

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

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!

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

How we are getting on?

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

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!

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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?

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?

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

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

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

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

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!

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.

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.

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

bathrooms as well

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

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!

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.

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

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!

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.