Jump to content

Do your guests leave it clean and tidy?


JJ
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 54
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Hi

Our last lot of visitors had an early start and a long journey  and on their last day, they asked me if they could pay to have the cleaning done for them.  No problem except that i'd charged 20€uros for the cleaning and found that they'd left the place spic and span anyway!  I just had to strip the beds, and do the normal amount of cleaning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh dearie me.

Look, while I sympathise with folks who've had their gites trashed.....I really don't understand the whinging about cleaning up a few soiled nappies etc.

Sorry. (And BTW I speak as one who always leaves rooms/gites clean and tidy.)

Every job has downsides and this is part of that. There are always going to be people who are untidy and dirty. You ain't going to change that. So If you don't like it, feel bitter and p-ed off about it,  there is no point ranting....just quit the job! :lol

It all comes down to a competitive market and price. Value for Money. If a gite is rather standard affair, and people are paying quite a lot to stay in it, then its hardly surprising they don't always feel inclined to spend precious holiday time cleaning it! Adding a cleaning charge seems the sensible solution to keep the standard. But, I suspect some owners don't do that because their prices would not appear competitive. Which leads me to conclude they are hoping enough clients are doing the cleaning anyway to make it a good deal because they get the money they would have to pass on to the cleaners. In which case, its the 'good' clients who are getting taken advantage of, not the gite owners.

In my view, cleaning should be included.Cleaning isn't fun. Otherwise you might as well stay at home...or stay in a cheap hotel. (Damage to fixtures and fittings is something else entirely of course and thats where a security deposit comes in.) Remember, you are in a service industry.

Again, sorry to offend. But I've stayed in too many gites run by lazy owners who think the world owes them a living in the Sun. Including one gite where the (English) woman took the key off us when we left in her dressing gown at 11 am. Never did a stroke of work the entire time we were there.  The sofas had loose covers full of food scraps. Semi feral cats had the run of the houses, and we ended up covered in flea bites. We went on to stay at another gite which was the same price (high-to medium price range) but run by a switched on business man from Toulouse who employed professional maids after every departure as a matter of course. In other words he ran it -purely and simply- as a business and didn't get emotionally nvolved with the property. Too many people go to France  and have a Gite or two and expect to get good rental income at the same time as expecting people to behave as if they were personal house-guests. (I really think that the term 'guests' is entirely inappropriate. They are CUSTOMERS. In that they PAY. ) 'Cake and Eat it' comes to mind. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmm....maybe so. To a point. But then again, just as in every business there are difficult people to deal with. You just have to suck it up sometimes. I simply pointed out there are also Gite owners ho make a contract with their clients and don't deliver.

If I may say so, your somewhat implaccable attitude doesn't bode well for someone who is in a service industry dealing not only with people...but also in the leisure sector. You kind of sound like someone at the end of the phone when I am talking to the someone in the 'Customer Service Department' of a large conglomerate.

Sorry but, while that kind of attitude is OK (if infuriating) from a Call Centre....it isn't really going to be something I'want in my life when discussing a holiday. Too unbending. Lots of gites out there, lots of place to stay, lots of more stress free solutions. Sorry. The customer is King.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Mozman"]You kind of sound like someone at the end of the phone when I am talking to the someone in the 'Customer Service Department' of a large conglomerate.

Sorry but, while that kind of attitude is OK (if infuriating) from a Call Centre....it isn't really going to be something I'want in my life when discussing a holiday. Too unbending. Lots of gites out there, lots of place to stay, lots of more stress free solutions. Sorry. The customer is King.[/quote]

Having spent many years of my working life in the service industry (including hotels and restaurants, as well as bespoke decorating and specialist health service), I know I have a very good and sound knowledge of customer satisfaction, which is why I give my visitors a choice: if they do not want to, they do not have to.

You kind of sound like the customer from hell who thinks that his money gives him the right to behave however he likes...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The worst families I ever saw for leaving a house dirty were some very rich yuppies. Two families with two children apiece arrived in very expensive flashy cars. When they left, the full bin liners were outside the door on the terrace in full sun and already stinking nicely. They was a bin liner full of babies nappies full of poo. The wall behind the loo was covered in s**t and the place was a general tip.

Instead of putting up notices threatening to make people pay if they don't do this or that, just add on an extra €50 to the rental.........it's SO much easier. I remember two friends of mine who complained that people always nicked the coathangers. Easy answer go into the coat hanger trade, buy them,  and add on to the rent for them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, but the trouble is it's all very well adding extra onto the rental price but it still reverts to the time factor. One poster mentioned leaving a day between rentals, I don't think that would work as, presuming guests want to book 1 or 2 week spans (which is the norm), this would mean a different start day every time as the season progresses. This would just not be practical.

I think many guests seem to "conveniently forget"  that they are booking a SELF CATERING holiday! Some guests should really be booking a hotel holiday. Albeit at a dearer price but they would have their rooms cleaned daily and not a dirty cooker in sight!

I have had many nice clients who have left our properties in a reasonable/acceptable state of cleanliness. Lets face it, I may be wrong, but in reality, I think every gite owner posting on here does not expect guests to actually leave the property in the same state of cleanliness as they find it. Although, in some cases this does happen (and that's a bonus), we do expect to have to carry out a reasonable amount of cleaning up (not that I would let guests know that!), especially if there have been young children staying. Also, obviously, if guests have been staying for more than 1 week, the property could be expected to be dirtier. This, I feel is acceptable and I would not deduct anything for that from their deposit.

However, I have no qualms in deducting, on a sliding scale, a charge for extra cleaning from the deposit if the property is left in an unacceptable state of cleanliness. Remember we are offering a self catering holiday and we do spell it all out in the T&C.

The thing is we do not have the time or inclination to do the extra cleaning so it is a pain when occasionally (thank goodness just occasionally) this has happened. We have had a couple of pretty bad experiences in the 6 years we have now been renting out. No point in going into the sordid details!

Still wouldn't change our lives in France though as we've met lots of really nice guests over that time. Some want to be chatty, others want to keep themselves to themselves and we try to guage and respect that.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Clair,

Thanks for holding the torch, like you I have to agree, Anna has said it all.

I did not realise when I started this thread how strong the feelings were.

Lots os intersting stuff, but I do stick to my original post.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="JJ"]

Clair,

Thanks for holding the torch, like you I have to agree, Anna has said it all.

I did not realise when I started this thread how strong the feelings were.

Lots os intersting stuff, but I do stick to my original post.

 

Re your original post, if guests leave your property in the state you describe, I would have no hesitation in deducting the whole of their deposit. This season I upted my security/cleaning deposit to £150. Didn't seem to put anyone off booking and, thankfully, so far, this season, I haven't had cause to make any deductions. It's all common sense really and remembering that you are offering self catering accommodation and guests have received and agreed to your T&C. So, although none of us wants to deduct extra cleaning charges, why on earth should we feel guilty if we have to? Otherwise what is the point of taking a deposit (unless it's only for breakages) and going to the bother of mentioning extra cleaning, etc in your T&C? Also, it's really discriminating against the guests who leave the property in a passable/excellent condition to add extra on to the original rental price as they are then, in effect, paying an extra unnecessary charge for cleaning!

Also, I think, if gite owners do not deduct extra cleaning charges when it's obvious they should, they are encouraging these bad clients to go on renting gites, without ever even giving a thought to the state they leave any other property in when, in fact, they should consider giving up holidaying in a gite and consider a hotel/package type holiday!

 

 

[/quote]
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never said the gardens or pool was only taken care of during hand over, the terms and conditions in our case state that the pool p,h etc is inspected every monday, and weather allowing the large lawns are cut as is the outside area,s around the gite.

A  lot of thought and attention has gone into making this both a holiday to enjoy and a very safe one from our point of view.

I never hear on this thread any mention of smoke alarm inspection, wells made secure etc, all this has been seen by us as an area that needed to be taken care off and has been done, on the change over all safety is checked in front of the customer and ie smoke alarms shown tobe working, pool alarm and a full talk ref french law as to the use of the security system and the first aid kit and fire extinguisher in the kitchen are located for use if needed.. they are also shown the telephone numbers for english speaking emergency services and then they sign to say they understand all thats been shown ref the above

(We the owner are not on site and if any accident should happen the customer has a chance to do the right thing)

A very important point is we do live here in france we dont leave people to do change overs and if needed we can be at the gite in 10 mins.

ref checking the pool p.h. every day, You are wrong, and the customer Im sure would not want to feel the owners are one site every day.

We are not new to the servicing of people and do understand that no matter how hard you try you,ll not please all the people all the time but you can only do your best .

It's very easy to give all kinds of views on how to do this and that, and spend time talking, but how many people on this very thread run any sort of gite, b/b ect ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pun,

please stop thinking that you are the only one who knows how to run a gite business successfully. There are lots of people who do this and have done so for a number of years (myself included), so please stop preaching to us what we already know and get back on topic. It is only your first season after all - 5 years down the line you may not feel so self-righteous.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Mozman"]

Oh dearie me.

Look, while I sympathise with folks who've had their gites trashed.....I really don't understand the whinging about cleaning up a few soiled nappies etc.

Sorry. (And BTW I speak as one who always leaves rooms/gites clean and tidy.)

Every job has downsides and this is part of that. There are always going to be people who are untidy and dirty. You ain't going to change that. So If you don't like it, feel bitter and p-ed off about it,  there is no point ranting....just quit the job! :lol

[/quote]

No, no, no Mozman, people should NOT under any circumstances have to clear up dirty nappies left in baths.  Not only are they a health hazard but it is downright FILTHY behaviour.  Would you feel it OK to defaecate on the floor of the gite and leave it there?  It amounts to the same thing.  Fortunately it never happened in my gite because we didn't accept young children but I think it is totally out of order for people to behave in this way.

As for "there being no point in ranting, just quit the job"  This particular forum is for B&B owners to discuss with other B&B OWNERS and every now and then, to preserve sanity it is necessary to let off a little steam.  Have you always thought every aspect of every job you have ever done is wonderful?  Perhaps you're fortunate enough to have been in that position but not many people have and to be able to "sound off" here and discover you are not the only one in the world experiencing these problems is a great stress-reliever.

As for the customer is king.  Well only so far.  I have worked in the service industry - on first-class only cruise liners on world cruises in fact and even there I have seen 4 separate passengers put ashore for differing reasons and their money reimbursed for unacceptable behaviour.  Money doesn't buy you the right to do anything or behave exactly how you like, no matter how anti-social it is.  And as Clair pointed out, if the customer has signed and agreed a contract then they are not king if they break it.  Try arguing that fact with many of the world's top companies who wherever possible DO regard their customer as king.  My OH worked for Xerox for 25 years and it was one of their mantras but if a customer didn't look after a machine as they had contractually agreed to do and then demanded a replacement, it was not forthcoming under any circumstances.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All I know is that on holiay or not I like to live in a cleanish and tidyish house, so when staying in gites, we tend to try & keep them that way and spending an hour giving it quick once over before we leave is no big deal.......but I do appreciate that others simply don't seem to care, dirty nappies are a serious health hazard, rubbish left out attracts vermin - I hate to have to clean up after these folk.....and have no compunction about taking an additional sum out of their damage deposit for additional /hazardous cleaning. After all it has to be done for the next family coming in

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never hear on this thread any mention of smoke alarm inspection, wells made secure etc, all this has been seen by us as an area that needed to be taken care off and has been done, on the change over all safety is checked in front of the customer and ie smoke alarms shown tobe working, pool alarm and a full talk ref french law as to the use of the security system and the first aid kit and fire extinguisher in the kitchen are located for use if needed.. they are also shown the telephone numbers for english speaking emergency services and then they sign to say they understand all thats been shown ref the above

 

Dear Pun

Sorry, but you must make your guests feel like "richt numpties"! A talking to from you, as above, will be just what your guests will appreciate, after a long tiring journey, to make them feel like they are about to have a relaxing holiday in France!

Nothing more to say on this subject really, I think this says it all !!!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Anna"]

I never hear on this thread any mention of smoke alarm inspection, wells made secure etc, all this has been seen by us as an area that needed to be taken care off and has been done, on the change over all safety is checked in front of the customer and ie smoke alarms shown tobe working, pool alarm and a full talk ref french law as to the use of the security system and the first aid kit and fire extinguisher in the kitchen are located for use if needed.. they are also shown the telephone numbers for english speaking emergency services and then they sign to say they understand all thats been shown ref the above

 

Dear Pun

Sorry, but you must make your guests feel like "richt numpties"! A talking to from you, as above, will be just what your guests will appreciate, after a long tiring journey, to make them feel like they are about to have a relaxing holiday in France!

Nothing more to say on this subject really, I think this says it all !!!

 

[/quote]Until things go wrong and you then are pleased very pleased you new where to find the verious items or who to call .
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="ltf"]Pun,
please stop thinking that you are the only one who knows how to run a gite business successfully. There are lots of people who do this and have done so for a number of years (myself included), so please stop preaching to us what we already know and get back on topic. It is only your first season after all - 5 years down the line you may not feel so self-righteous.
[/quote]

I.T.F.

I am not trying to preach to anyone but if you look at the complaints that come on this thread from customers you'll be the first to understand that the gite owners have no  body or set  of    gite rules  to abide by, its not like the trades people here in france who have to operate by a siret number and comply with a set of rules, except for pool rules we the gite owners have a free hand and by the state of some of the gites ive seen and the danger from all sorts of things from wires hanging out of walls, chimney not cleaned and smoke coming into rooms, etc.

As i live here in france i know who and how to complain or report such danger, but the average holiday customer wouldnt know how to go about these problems,

If gite and b/b owners had to comply to a set state by law and had a way of showing they are legal (such as the siret system) I feel the cowboys who think they are providing a good service but are not, wouldnt be so quick in operating in such a way as they do. and the customers would know who is and who isnt legal, if only registered gite /b/b owners could advertise.then the customer wouldnt have to worry  as a set standard would apply throughout the gite/b/b system.

Im not trying to go off the subject as cleaning for each new customer would be or could be part of such a system, ie if the gite / b/b wasnt clean then the customer at least has a body to complain to and randam checks by who ever was such a body  and if the owner continued to supply such an unexcepted gite / b/b the means of identification (siret number or what ever system was used) could be removed making operating impossible.

I.T.F. Im not for one second trying to get at any owner who provides a good service, but if you are a good owner and only want to give the best then you would have no problems wanting to have a set  of rules both for saftey and a clean gite/b/b.

Its long overdue and a point that has to be said, we are not all singing from the same sheet are we?

regards Pun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Pun"][quote user="Anna"]

I never hear on this thread any mention of smoke alarm inspection, wells made secure etc, all this has been seen by us as an area that needed to be taken care off and has been done, on the change over all safety is checked in front of the customer and ie smoke alarms shown tobe working, pool alarm and a full talk ref french law as to the use of the security system and the first aid kit and fire extinguisher in the kitchen are located for use if needed.. they are also shown the telephone numbers for english speaking emergency services and then they sign to say they understand all thats been shown ref the above

 

Dear Pun

Sorry, but you must make your guests feel like "richt numpties"! A talking to from you, as above, will be just what your guests will appreciate, after a long tiring journey, to make them feel like they are about to have a relaxing holiday in France!

Nothing more to say on this subject really, I think this says it all !!!

 

[/quote]Until things go wrong and you then are pleased very pleased you new where to find the verious items or who to call .[/quote]

What on earth are you talking about? I don't understand what you mean! "Do you mean new or knew, verious or various.....still doesn't make sense. What items and who would you call in France, about what and would they be interested?? Really would newly arrived guests want  to hear "a full talk ref French law as to the use of the security system".....I don't think so! Also, are you qualified to give such a talk on French law?? Sorry, but don't think I've ever heard such a load of rubbish!

Any other more experienced gite owners out there got a comment?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pun's use of English has always been 'interesting' on this forum.

All I do when guests arrive is give welcome them and give them a quick tour outside to show the pool etc. then point them in the direction of the information folder, which (hopefully) contains everything they need to know about the gite and also the emergency numbers, doctors, dentists (although in practice they would come to me as I live on site to make an appointment or take them as they usually don't speak enough French). Oh, and point out there are cold beers in the fridge. Most of the guests have had at least a day of travelling and none of them want or would take in a lecture from me about French security law as soon as they arrive. They are on holiday!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pun

You may not be trying to preach to anyone, but you are making a jolly good job of it!  As Itf says, many of us have been running gites for a number of years and have learned from first hand experience. 

You remind me of my working life when every year a new university graduate would arrive and immediately tell us where we, who had been doing the job for years, were all going wrong.  After all, they had  a degree and had learned it all out of a book.   No doubt they had valuable contributions to make but to think they immediately knew everything and we were all numbskulls did not go down well. I am intrigued to know what your job was that makes you so qualified to lecture to us idiots?  Obviously something not requiring spelling and grammar.

Many of our guests (and us included) have stayed in places where there were rules and regulations and lectures and beauracracy, and guess what....they invariably hate it and never go back.  Ditto Itf again - when our guests arrive, they are shown the gite, (including the fridge with the wine and cold beer) shown the pool and told how the alarms work and shown the file that contains all the information they could need.  Then they are offered a cup of tea or a cold beer and made to feel welcome.  There are fire alarms in our gites, but I certainly don't feel the need to show them they work.  We have tested them and know they do.  The guests will correctly assume they do.  Perhaps we are lucky (or not) that we are on site.  The guests can and do come to us for all sorts of information and help, and we have done everything from booking restaurants, to accompanied visits to doctors and dentists to dealing with the sudden death of a guest. 

I am concerned from your posting that you think pool checking is a once a week thing?  I hope I am wrong.  A pool can turn extremely quickly, particularly in the thundery weather and if it happens on any day other than a Monday, to tie in with your regime, you could be in for a nasty shock.  You say you are sure that your guests don't want the owner to be there every day - I am sure they would prefer you to be there for pool cleaning and checking every day, than be swimming in a cloudy pool.  Mine is cleaned and checked at 7am every morning, at no inconvenience to the guests.

And guess what?  Guests don't always do what your rules/lectures have told them!!!  Wait until you are up to your arms in s**t trying to clear the fosse pipes because teenage girls ignore the notices not to put anything except what nature intended into the fosse.  Plastic cotton buds followed by an half a loo roll is not fosse friendly and has a nasty habit of blocking everything up.  Wait until you see the abuse your gite will get from people who are just thoughtless with other people's property.  I spent ages one winter sanding down and varnishing the kitchen worktop in a gite.  It looked beautiful.  We were then invited into the gite for a drink early in the season, and watched in horror as the guest cut up a lemon on my worktop, having ignored the chopping boards right next to him.  The customer may be king, but even kings can be a royal pain in the ****.

Every guest brings a new situation or problem that you learn from and sometimes you might want to scream with frustration.  It doesn't mean we don't enjoy what we do.  We have been running our gites for eight years, and consitently have a repeat/referral booking rate of more than 60%.  We must be doing something right, and if we are it is through talking and listening to our guests, talking to other gite owners and reading some of the excellent advice given on this forum.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion on this forum.  But please, don't try to teach granny to suck eggs when you have only just finished reading the book about where to find them!

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Judyc"]

You remind me of my working life when every year a new university graduate would arrive and immediately tell us where we, who had been doing the job for years, were all going wrong.  After all, they had  a degree and had learned it all out of a book.   No doubt they had valuable contributions to make but to think they immediately knew everything and we were all numbskulls did not go down well.  [/quote]

Great post, Judy.  I particularly liked the bit quoted above, having suffered from "graduate syndrome" during my career in Corporate La La Land.  Most of the patronising little ***** I dealt with couldn't spell or punctuate, either, which made it even more infuriating.  Being lectured via textspeak memo is not one of the most fun memories of my career.

V

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote user="Judyc"]

I am concerned from your posting that you think pool checking is a once a week thing?  I hope I am wrong.  A pool can turn extremely quickly, particularly in the thundery weather and if it happens on any day other than a Monday, to tie in with your regime, you could be in for a nasty shock. 

 [/quote]

Judy, what you need to do is what all canny gite owners should aim for and minimise pool usage to cut down on cleaning. For example, require each person wishing to use the pool to complete (on a daily basis) a disclaimer in quintriplicate, to be countersigned by all eight great grand parents (or, in the case of those, like me, from Norfolk, all three) and the relevant consuler authority.

Each application should be accompanied by photocopies (authenticated) of passports, birth certificates and gold, silver and broze swimming certificates. A medical certifacte from the Dermetology Department of the University of Alice Springs (issued on the proposed date of bathing) confirming cleanliness and a attestaion of Good Character signed by St Thomas Moore should also be required.

Once accepted, each guest in turn will be allowed a dip in the pool not exceeding 15 minutes. There will be no splashing.

Similarly, you can reduce fosse problems by encouraging guests to defecate off site. Providing a trowel with the moto "Put Your Goodness Back In To The Ground" and a map marking local beauty spots (alfresco pooping being more pleasent with a nice view) should make this fun for all the family.

Personally I find it more guest friendly to smile, clean the pool frequently and (when the inevitable happens) don rubber gloves, a clothes peg and sing "Abide with Me" under my breath.

Pun - your place sounds like a right barrel of laughs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share


×
×
  • Create New...