When renting out your holiday home, you have two things to think about. First, there are your customers, who will expect to get the basic items in the home as well as whatever you promise them for the price. Second, there are the friends of your customers, to whom they will hopefully recommend you.
Getting word of mouth recommendations is down to how you deliver for your customers. Obviously the location of the holiday villa and the local amenities will be a key factor in whether your accommodation is recommended to others, but you can also stand out with some impressive thoughtfulness.
Many travellers, for example, will expect to have to find a local supermarket to stock up on essentials when they arrive. What if you start them off with a welcome basket of goodies such as toiletries, cleaning agents, cloths and bedding? Maybe you could even leave them some complimentary delicacies from a local bakery or some fresh fruit. Clearly, such items cost money but you can cover this cost in the prices you charge. If word gets around that you go the extra mile for your clients, the price will not look high, and of course you can promote, using pictures and videos and customer testimonials, what you do on your website or in a brochure.
Here's a list of some essential items you should consider in your holiday home: Toilet roll, kitchen roll, washing up liquid, dish cloths / sponges, all purpose cloths, bin liners, spare light bulbs, hand soap, broom, dustpan and brush, spare batteries, enough crockery and cutlery for more than your maximum occupancy, enough seating for at least your maximum occupancy, basic non perishable food/drink items such as tea and coffee, sugar, and salt and pepper, first aid kit, clothes pegs, matches.
Here are some other things to think about.
Sleeping arrangements
Not all visitors will have the same number of couples or children, so you will need to offer flexibility with the bedding. You can get single beds that clamp together to make a double. Also get some fitted sheets, allowing a choice of singles or doubles. You can also put a couple of folding camp beds in a cupboard as extras in case these are needed.
Torches or candles.
Power cuts can happen. Have some torches handy or, if you don't trust your visitors not to steal them, keep some candles in a safe place for an emergency, and make sure the visitors know where to find them. Or you could use rechargeable LED lamps.
First aid kit
A basic first aid kit is a good idea, with some gauze, bandages and plasters as well as a small pair of scissors. Travellers should always come prepared but a first aid kit is one of those extras that can make a difference to the way your customers judge your service.
Travel plug adaptors
Think about UK to Europe and US to Europe, mainly. You should also think about a universal mobile phone charger cable. Many travellers forget to pack one and end up having to buy one.
Wifi
If you offer wifi, make sure you leave clear instructions about how to connect to it.
Coffee machine
You could opt for a Nespresso-style machine where customers can simply make themselves an espresso, or you could have a filter machine in the house.
Hifi
As well as a TV, which will be essential for most visitors, think about a hifi as well, so they can play CDs or listen to the radio. Likewise, you may want to include a DVD player so the family can watch movies when they come in for the evening and they can't find any channels in their own language worth watching.
Written by Steve Masters, who writes for holidayinthedordogne.com, among other websites.
0 nhận xét:
Đăng nhận xét