Im thinking of giving up the gites.

[bubbles]

Sorry, missed out the last category:

O) - Oh dear!!

[Théière]

[:D][:D][:D]

 

 

[AnOther]

There is of course one all overriding quality missing from the top of the list - is he rich [Www]

[mint]

[quote user="AnOther"][quote user="teapot"]Victoria Beckham or Margaret Beckett?[/quote]You fair know how to spoil a persons morning teapot [+o(]




[/quote]

Don't worry, Teapot, you're sussing him out all right.  He might fancy Victoria Beckham's body but it's Margaret Beckett's caravan that he's really after.

Isn't that right, Erns??????

[dave21478]

First big breakage in the small gite today.

Typically, I spotted it after giving their deposit back.

The guests left this morning, I did the usual inspection and the place looked fine, so I gave their deposit back there and then as I normally do, and they left.

I then started preparing for the next guests arriving this afternoon. They had left the place pretty clean so I was quite happy, having not much to do ontop of their cleaning.

I sat down for a breather in one of the armchairs, and my arse went right through the base, leaving me with my knees next to my ears.

An inspection of the lounge showed that infact the damaged chair was originaly in the more prominant location, where it had been broken. They have then swapped it with another, less prominant chair, and bodged it up with string so it held itself together, and at a glance, seemed fine.

Thing is - if they had come clean, I wouldnt have been bothered. The chairs are starting to show their age a bit, and as they were leftover furniture, didnt suit the decor very well, so any excuse to change them would have been welcome. However, them hiding the damage they have done has annoyed me more than the actual damage.

I cant do anything about it now though, except add their name to me "not welcome back next year" list.

[blink]

[Clair]

[quote user="dave21478"]I cant do anything about it now though, except add their name to me "not welcome back next year" list.[/quote]

We could do a name exchange:

I send you the names of the Belgians "what broke a bed, nicked some towels and used the others to clean their shoes with" and you send me the names of "them what broke the chair"... [:D]

[dave21478]

Sounds fair!

We should set up some kind of Rogues Gallery with names and photos, so we know who to turn away next year!

As a foot-note, dont you just love it when the guests turn up 4 hours early, whilst you are stuffing Supernoodles down your face/over your t-shirt on the patio?

[:$]

[Clair]

[quote user="dave21478"]As a foot-note, dont you just love it when the guests turn up 4 hours early, whilst you are stuffing Supernoodles down your face/over your t-shirt on the patio?

[:$][/quote]

I make a point of locking the front and back doors before getting in the shower after one lot got here early last year... [Www]

[Wendy_S]

Yes, I know what you mean.  The last time I had guests turn up early for their B & B room, after a very stressful morning of other guests leaving and all the rooms to do etc. I told them to go away as they were too early.  I had said it before I realised it was not a very welcoming first approach! However, they apologised and said they only wanted to leave their luggage and would be back later.  Must engage brain before mouth next time.

We have had very clean and good customers in our gite this summer and also our B & B rooms, but one couple having stayed a week in the B & B did not feel happy until they had made various comments.  They wanted a room with an ensuite bathroom so that they dog had somewhere to sleep.  Not a problem I gave them the room as requested. Next they had not realised that the room was on the 2nd floor, did we have one on the first floor as problem for the dog to climb 2 sets of stairs.  Next day I showed them to the now empty room on the 1st floor.  They decided not to take this as it meant the bathroom for this one was across the corridor and too far away from the dog! So back to room one. Dog problem solved they put it into a bag and carried it up the stairs!  However, room was too hot, obviously my fault that it has been 30c each day for most of the last 8 weeks.  Put fan in room for a few hours, seemed to cure problem.  Not happy with having to pay 15 euros per night for the meals (3 courses including wine).  I suggested, very politely, that they could go to a restaurant and did not have to eat with us, this they declined and so it went on.  I know you can't win them all and some people are just plain difficult, but does not make me a happy bunny, when I think of all the sunshine I have missed doing "housework" and cooking meals.

[jon]

What do you give for 15 euros including wine....

Afeter the prep...shopping and washing up.....can it be worth it.

If you were doing 40 covers with help...maybe.

15 euros minus tax is nothing....

would be you a few samwiches in London.....and then there is no washing up for the caterer.

In a B and B we have to include everything in the price...correct?

My local restaurants charge 30 euros plus for a 4 euro bottle of wine and 6 euros for mineral water 3/4 euros for coffee.....coffee?????and 45 euros for the most unknown champagne!

[jon]

What do you give for 15 euros including wine....

After the prep...shopping and washing up.....can it be worth it.

If you were doing 40 covers with help...maybe.

15 euros minus tax is nothing....

would buy you a few samwiches in London.....and then there is no washing up for the caterer.

In a B and B we have to include everything in the price...correct?

My local restaurants charge 30 euros plus for a 4 euro bottle of wine and 6 euros for mineral water 3/4 euros for coffee.....coffee?????and 45 euros for the most unknown champagne!

[Quillan]

Sorry but your post shows a complete misunderstanding of what Table D'hote is (and it's not the version described in Wikipedia). You are inviting your guests to sit down with you and have a share of your evening meal. You are not a restaurant you are private individual which is why special dispensation is given tax wise. The system goes back to when Chambres D'hotes was staying in a room on a farm etc and you shared the farmers evening meal. Put guest on seperate tables, offer them a menu or don't sit with them and its a different ball game all together i.e. you are classed as a restaurant and have to meet the requirements of a restaurant and cannot benefit from the advantageous tax regime according to French law. The Table D'hote system is unique to France (although it is a phrase used elsewhere in the world but does not mean the same as in France) and you are not looking at the same prices as you would pay in a restaurant for both the food or the wine. Also technically (even though some do) you can't charge them for the wine, it must be included in the price of the meal.

If you look around at Chambres D'hotes the average price for Table D'hote ranges from a minimum of 15 Euros to about 25 Euros. People who take Table D'hote are not looking for restaurant class meals more ordinary French style home cooking.

[Russethouse]

Jon, I think you are in a different business ...I'm not sure how much you charge for actually teaching, but according to one web site it looks as if for a five day package, for the non cook in the party, you are charging £250 + per night. ( To be fair it includes trips out etc)

 Its horses for courses......................

[jon]

Excuse me Mr Q I do include the wine with the meal....the mineral water and the coffee!
However I was refering to the restaurants mark -ups.....they are not my mark-ups.

I do usually try to sit down with the clients especially when the meal is just a few courses.

During the last cookery course we had Americans and they wanted some simple dishes.....but with 7 courses as it is sometimes and as I do part of the cooking and washing up it is  not possible.It can take from early afternoon to 12pm at night to take care of peoples preperation,cooking and serving as we make everything virtually except the butter,cheese and sometimes the bread.

Our cookery holidays include receipes,hands on cooking in the kitchen...watching the prep of dinner....medevial feast...visit to a lovely park...Guided tour of st Emilion vineyards[tour guide]....meals in restaurants.....in general 5 days crammed with great things to do and eat if you love good food.I charge about the same price as everyone else who has the same standard of accomodation.

Yes restaurants are different!
I was pointing this out.

However if I want this liscence I can have it. Restaurant liscence....but currently we have enough work to keep us going.The cookery courses are where I am going to concentrate.

 

[Russethouse]

Sorry Jon, your last post was deleted as it was a 'child post' of the duplicate..

I'm sure you do an admirable job but its not quite the same as people who are catering for holiday makers  on more limited budgets.

[jon]

I agree...I  am not  catering for those on a low budget!

[Fi]

'ere we go again [:D]

I only have gites, which by definition do not include any food etc, but I have been asked if it would be possible to provide an evening meal for first/last nights.  I am happy to do so, I have cooked for the public before, however, I would need to get a type 3 license to provide this service.  Having discussed at length with some more talkative guests, they didn't want 7 courses of haute cuisine for 70 euros, more along the lines of salade au chevre, coq au riesling, some chocolatey gooey number and cheese.  Which is eminently do-able for 15 euros, including a limited quantity of superior plonk, especially when the vegetation/fruit elements come from the garden.

I think we all know exactly, and in minute detail, Jon's business model, but as has previously been mentioned, you cater for your audience.

Going for a lie down, just got rid of lunch guests and have a mild headache.  Stuff the pots!

Fi

[Wendy_S]

Yes, gites are much easier.  Sometimes our gite customers request that they join our B & B guests for an evening meal and this is not a problem.  Although the majority do cater for themselves, which makes life more relaxing for me.

However, I normally charge 18 euros (it is going up slightly next year) for 4 courses, which include a starter, main course, cheeses and dessert and of course wine, bread, water etc.  I charged the other customers in question 15 euros because (to be quite truthful) I could not be bothered with starters as well for 6 nights!  They came from Marseille, so I do not think they were on a low budget, just did not understand the concept of Table d'hotes. I would agree most customers prefer chicken or fish for main course, local cheeses and tasty pudding. Where possible using fruit and veg from garden.

Also, we can have many different nationalities eating at any one time, so the decision is always do you have to provide bigger portions because they are English or Dutch, or do you provide French size portions (and then the others may complain they do not have enough)?

Having laid the table with all the food for one main course and then returned to the kitchen to do a few dishes, a certain Dutch lady returned to the kitchen and said could she have some more chips!  "No" was my reply, bearing in mind that I do not have a chip fryer, I am not a restaurant, it takes 20 mins to reheat the oven and then 20 minutes to cook more chips, and anyway what did she expect for 18 euros!

Having said this, no one else has complained in 5 years so we must be doing something right.

[jon]

Yes....I agree ..what can people expect for 18 euros!

What  do we all expect for 18 euros ...in uk it equates to half a bottle of house wine, some mineral water...coffee and thats it....no food.

Lets not forget all the washing up...the veg picking....the runing to and from the table 40/50 times.

15/18 euros is nothing!

 

[Russethouse]

Well maybe 15/18 euros is nothing on planet Jon but many many UK restaurants offer a set menu these days, two places we enjoy offer :

http://www.forburys.co.uk/menu_market.php

http://www.myalacarte.co.uk/assets/pdfs/Mya-daily-26thAug-15thSep-09.pdf

and since they are both pretty busy (booking advisable even weekday evenings) I think the results speak for themselves....[Www]

 

 

[Russethouse]

Well maybe 15/18 euros is nothing on planet Jon but many many UK restaurants offer a set menu these days, two places we enjoy offer :

http://www.forburys.co.uk/menu_market.php

http://www.myalacarte.co.uk/assets/pdfs/Mya-daily-26thAug-15thSep-09.pdf

and since they are both pretty busy (booking advisable even weekday evenings) I think the results speak for themselves....[Www]

 

 

[Wendy_S]

Yes,  Jon I agree.

I now have a couple of quiet days with no guests, so now have to make the jams and chutneys from the garden fruit and veg for next years guests, but not before I go into the garden for a well earned spot of sunbathing and once again, late lunch nearly 2pm here again!

Wendy

[Grimaud dreamer]

Hi Dave

I think what you need is one of those ways of making a living that doesn't actually involve working, and certainly not one involving people.  I really do think you have gone into the wrong business.

And why I wonder would you be so upset that your guests hadn't reported that the knackered old chair you had left in their property had collapsed?  From your own admission it needed replacing so why would you expect your paying guests to put up with it, and not only that but to pay to replace it??

Unless you are very lucky (unlucky in your case) your gites won't even be occupied for half the year, so presumably all those things you want to do can be done when you have earned your money from your poor unsuspecting guests.  Look on the bright side.  You could have to work 14 hour days in a coalmine, and those people can't go off and play either during their working hours.

 

[baypond]

Grimaud dreamer, I think you are missing the point..... Dave instigated this thread as an amusing anecdotal look at the trials and tribulations of running a gite, a place to let of steam if you like. I have been permanently amused from start to finish, and it keeps pushing me to hold off letting my place out next year!

Giles

[dave21478]

Well done on completely missing the point of this whole post GD. I guess you are not too good at picking up sarcasm, so I will spell it out for you - This whole thread from page 1 has been a light-hearted rambling about my experience of running gites. Some people have even gone as far as to suggest I write a book about it. Its an occasionally funny, occasionally serious, always honest account of what I do here.

As for the chair, there is a very large difference between an older chair thats starting to look tatty and a chair that has been, I assume, jumped on smashing the frame and dropping the springs out the bottom.

And yes, I am actually very lucky, or unlucky depending on your point of view, as the gites are rented out all year round and there is very little free time for me. Peak season has been pretty much 100% occupancy, and both gites are solidly booked until the middle of October, with more booking requests arriving all the time, including xmas and new year.

[8-)]