Comments on: Get me out of here http://www.francethisway.com/wp/get-me-out-of-here/2009/08/ Living in France and daily life for a UK expat in the French blog! Thu, 24 May 2012 13:33:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Boris http://www.francethisway.com/wp/get-me-out-of-here/2009/08/comment-page-1/#comment-15941 Boris Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:24:30 +0000 http://www.francethisway.com/wp/?p=1121#comment-15941 That's a very interesting thought - I know a couple of people who move out for the summer so they can rent out their homes, but always assumed it was an advantage. Never crossed my mind it would all be too much, too personal, to be comfortable. Almost no-one phones us before booking, perhaps one or two people a year. Paradoxically it might be because I say on our gite website that people are very welcome to phone, demand proof of the property existing, speak to us for reassurances etc. I think the act of saying all that is perhaps enough reassurance...! That’s a very interesting thought – I know a couple of people who move out for the summer so they can rent out their homes, but always assumed it was an advantage. Never crossed my mind it would all be too much, too personal, to be comfortable.
Almost no-one phones us before booking, perhaps one or two people a year. Paradoxically it might be because I say on our gite website that people are very welcome to phone, demand proof of the property existing, speak to us for reassurances etc. I think the act of saying all that is perhaps enough reassurance…!

]]> By: hartlepool1945 http://www.francethisway.com/wp/get-me-out-of-here/2009/08/comment-page-1/#comment-15940 hartlepool1945 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:37:28 +0000 http://www.francethisway.com/wp/?p=1121#comment-15940 I am England-based. Had an issue this year, first ever, where found it necessary to move on before staying. Property was not a holiday let, it was realistically a very personal holiday home - too personal (even the freezer was to full for our own purchases for Pentecoste weekend....... We will now probably decide to rely on locally-based owners, which we haven't previously and which will lock out some 40%+ of properties. Incidentally we nearly always email AND telephone to check our needs etc., AND yes, will often ask for a tight price if still available with only a week or less to go - after all, do you want some money or no money? I am England-based.
Had an issue this year, first ever, where found it necessary to move on before staying. Property was not a holiday let, it was realistically a very personal holiday home – too personal (even the freezer was to full for our own purchases for Pentecoste weekend…….
We will now probably decide to rely on locally-based owners, which we haven’t previously and which will lock out some 40%+ of properties.
Incidentally we nearly always email AND telephone to check our needs etc., AND yes, will often ask for a tight price if still available with only a week or less to go – after all, do you want some money or no money?

]]> By: Johnny Norfolk http://www.francethisway.com/wp/get-me-out-of-here/2009/08/comment-page-1/#comment-15746 Johnny Norfolk Fri, 07 Aug 2009 20:02:16 +0000 http://www.francethisway.com/wp/?p=1121#comment-15746 Keep the standards high. Keep the price fair. People tell their friends. Do your customers want your attention ? do other want to be left alone. Give some customers an inch and the take a yard. Difficult at times to know what to do. I hope you have a good season Keep the standards high. Keep the price fair. People tell their friends. Do your customers want your attention ? do other want to be left alone. Give some customers an inch and the take a yard. Difficult at times to know what to do.

I hope you have a good season

]]> By: Boris http://www.francethisway.com/wp/get-me-out-of-here/2009/08/comment-page-1/#comment-15740 Boris Fri, 07 Aug 2009 05:04:55 +0000 http://www.francethisway.com/wp/?p=1121#comment-15740 Johnny, I didn't realise that NT did that, it sounds ideal - I doubt they let their standards slip. I've been trying to think of ways on our website that we can 'prove' that we are for real but without much success - since photos, guest reviews, etc can all easily be faked or used very selectively. We have quite a lot of photos on our website but following Johnny's comments will probably add more if that improves customer confidence. I agree Jon, my main concern is that people start losing confidence in direct booked holiday rentals if all they hear are reports of properties that don't exist or are never cleaned etc. The majority of people, who had a good time in a decent property, are much less vocal. This year I think lots of people are booking very late (we are still seeing lots of August booking requests) and wanting things at a bargain price without appreciating that bargain price doesn't usually mean top quality. On the other hand I know several owners with very few bookings, who are struggling financially, and who clearly won't be replacing their furniture / towels / whatever if they don't earn enough from their properties to pay their bills, so there is certainly need for 'research, research, research' when booking. Johnny, I didn’t realise that NT did that, it sounds ideal – I doubt they let their standards slip.
I’ve been trying to think of ways on our website that we can ‘prove’ that we are for real but without much success – since photos, guest reviews, etc can all easily be faked or used very selectively.
We have quite a lot of photos on our website but following Johnny’s comments will probably add more if that improves customer confidence.
I agree Jon, my main concern is that people start losing confidence in direct booked holiday rentals if all they hear are reports of properties that don’t exist or are never cleaned etc. The majority of people, who had a good time in a decent property, are much less vocal.
This year I think lots of people are booking very late (we are still seeing lots of August booking requests) and wanting things at a bargain price without appreciating that bargain price doesn’t usually mean top quality.
On the other hand I know several owners with very few bookings, who are struggling financially, and who clearly won’t be replacing their furniture / towels / whatever if they don’t earn enough from their properties to pay their bills, so there is certainly need for ‘research, research, research’ when booking.

]]> By: Jon in France http://www.francethisway.com/wp/get-me-out-of-here/2009/08/comment-page-1/#comment-15739 Jon in France Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:39:06 +0000 http://www.francethisway.com/wp/?p=1121#comment-15739 We had a family leave here for their second week somewhere else and they called after 24 hours asking if they could come back. As it happened, the group who had just arrived had to leave due to a family problem (they had been before and have been since, so this was genuine) so we could accomodate. I'm hearing a lot more in the way of discontented rumblings this year about sub-standard accommodation. Not good for the industry, that. We had a family leave here for their second week somewhere else and they called after 24 hours asking if they could come back. As it happened, the group who had just arrived had to leave due to a family problem (they had been before and have been since, so this was genuine) so we could accomodate. I’m hearing a lot more in the way of discontented rumblings this year about sub-standard accommodation. Not good for the industry, that.

]]> By: Johnny Norfolk http://www.francethisway.com/wp/get-me-out-of-here/2009/08/comment-page-1/#comment-15736 Johnny Norfolk Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:07:14 +0000 http://www.francethisway.com/wp/?p=1121#comment-15736 the NT rent out cattages, light houses etc.it is run as a separate company Over the years I have stayed in about 4 or 5 in various parts of the country and I have never had to complain. the best we had was the old school in durgan in Cornwall on the Helford River. It was in a spot right on the old harbour by the beach. Able to buy fresh lobsters off the local fishermen. the NT rent out cattages, light houses etc.it is run as a separate company

Over the years I have stayed in about 4 or 5 in various parts of the country and I have never had to complain. the best we had was the old school in durgan in Cornwall on the Helford River. It was in a spot right on the old harbour by the beach. Able to buy fresh lobsters off the local fishermen.

]]> By: Boris http://www.francethisway.com/wp/get-me-out-of-here/2009/08/comment-page-1/#comment-15735 Boris Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:26:45 +0000 http://www.francethisway.com/wp/?p=1121#comment-15735 Looking for loads of photos and an owner that can't hide 500 miles away sounds like good advice. But don't National Trust properties have teams of volunteers to make sure everything is spotless, windows are gleaming clean etc - it's pretty hard to match that for a rental property when the owner only has access for 6 hours each Saturday. And I can't help wondering if NT properties might sometimes have mice / damp etc that you would only know about if you actually stayed in the property for a few days... Looking for loads of photos and an owner that can’t hide 500 miles away sounds like good advice.
But don’t National Trust properties have teams of volunteers to make sure everything is spotless, windows are gleaming clean etc – it’s pretty hard to match that for a rental property when the owner only has access for 6 hours each Saturday. And I can’t help wondering if NT properties might sometimes have mice / damp etc that you would only know about if you actually stayed in the property for a few days…

]]> By: Johnny Norfolk http://www.francethisway.com/wp/get-me-out-of-here/2009/08/comment-page-1/#comment-15734 Johnny Norfolk Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:41:44 +0000 http://www.francethisway.com/wp/?p=1121#comment-15734 I like to see lots of photos. all rooms inside and the view from each aspect. I prefere for the owners to be near by. Research, reasearch, research. We have no problem with old just clean. The National Trust in the uk have a good standard, anything less i would complain. I like to see lots of photos. all rooms inside and the view from each aspect. I prefere for the owners to be near by.
Research, reasearch, research.

We have no problem with old just clean.

The National Trust in the uk have a good standard, anything less i would complain.

]]>