As holiday home owners we need to avoid the things that make our guests go hmmmm; the things that disappoint guests.
I heard this catchy song on the radio last week (it takes me back!) and I realised how applicable this phrase is to us in the self catering industry.
If you can please refrain from bursting into song (there’s time for that at the end) I’ll explain what I mean.
I’m talking about the things that don’t ruin a holiday but don’t delight guests and win them over either. Guests still make the most of their precious holiday time, but they are unlikely to become your raving fans; unlikely to tell friends and family to book with your, unlikely to write 5 star reviews and unlikely to book to come back again.
Not good! And it’s so easy to avoid the hmmmm from happening.
It’s highly unlikely to be the big things that disappoint your guests.
For example, it’s unlikely to be on the scale of: guests expecting a swimming pool and there not being one, guests expecting a rural location and the property is in the centre of town, 5 guests arriving and there only being bed space for 4.
It is however, very likely to be the smaller things that disappoint your guests.
The things small enough for guests not to even bother picking up the phone to let you know about it. They’ll think “oh well, best make the most of it”, “ that’s a shame”, “that’s disappointing”, “that’s not what I expected”. They will still get on with their holiday. But the hmmmm has still happened. The bubble and the initial excitement of staying there has burst.
I know this feeling as a guest; I’ve experienced it myself. And I certainly don’t want my guests to feel this way. I want them to be delighted, not disappointed.
So how can you avoid this?
I know my guests have nice homes. I’m not talking multi-million pound swanky mansions, but “normal” nice homes. I know that when they come on holiday they expect to stay somewhere that’s equally as well equipped, comfortable and homely as their own place. I know my guests well. This is my starting point. And it’s not that my guests are being ultra fussy, they are within their rights to expect certain standards, that’s after all what they are paying for.
Here are some things that would make my guests go hmmmm:
Guests are expecting
All linens and towels to be provided
Large (bath sheets), fluffy towels
Unlimited Wifi (within reason)
A good supply of logs and kindling
Full central heating
As well as a tv in the lounge, a tv in the family room
(as per pic on website)
A welcome hamper of local produce
A comfy squishy to relax on
A well stocked holiday cottage
If guests were to find
– No additional hand towel in the cloakroom and by the kitchen sink and no washing up cloths
– Small, hard, thin towels
– Poor quality wifi that can’t handle more than one device accessing it at a time
– A couple of logs and pieces of kindling (a starter pack) that will last one evening
– The radiator in the second bedroom not working
– The TV in the family room is no longer there because the website picture is out of date
– Only tea bags and a small packet of biscuits
– An uncomfy sofa with broken springs
(even though it looks OK)
– Only one toilet roll, no cleaning products and no liquid soap in the cloakroom and by the kitchen sink
It’s not specifically about meeting guests expectations and exceeding them (that is a given for any self respecting holiday home owner) it’s about thinking through the detail. It’s about
- not just providing but personalising the welcome hamper for each set of guests
- not just providing a starter stock of logs, toilet roll, coffee etc but providing enough for my guest’s use throughout their stay
- thinking like a boutique hotel and providing bathrobes, toiletries and slippers, in addition to the towels and linen which come as standard
- furnishing, styling and equipping my property as a home not a holiday let
- providing black out blinds as well as curtains and providing a variety of pillows (soft, medium and firm) to ensure guests have a great night’s sleep
- not just providing a basic garden seat and table, but also sun loungers, outdoor games, a parasol, outdoor tableware etc
It’s about going the extra step, to avoid any chance of those hmmmm moments
Song time!
C + C Music factory ft Freedom Williams – 1991 – The Things That Make You Go Hmmmm
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