It`s scarey!!

[Ronni<H3 align=left><IMG style="WIDTH: 29px; HEIGHT: 2px" height=15 src="http:forums.livingfrance.comimagesline.gif" width=301><BR><EM>Ronni<BR><EM><A class=authorlink href="http:" target=_blank><A><BR><H3>]

I now know how all you first time renters outers feel! My brother and sister in law are staying in our house, first night to night and we have`nt heard from them so they must have found it and must be fast asleep at the moment! It`s not finished enough to rent it out as such but we are letting family stay there if they can put up with the unfinished bits! but it`s so scarey.. what if they hate it?? what if the they have probelms?? and they`re not even paying guests so not sure what it will be like when we get around to renting it out??! I`ve tried to make it homely with little touches that I`ve learned from you lot!
Just thought I`d share my anxiety! thats driven me to two large plymouth gins!!
Here`s to being a gite owner! Cheers...

Ronni

[passiflora]

Hi

Yes it is/was scarey. My very first guests turned out to be the househunters from hell. Sat in shorts and teeshirts in the rain complaining they were cold, didn't like the french countryside, didn't like the village setting, didn't like the finish of our property etc etc etc.

It was when although they had been driving for 24 hours but still blamed the arthritis in the knees on me that I knew I could never please - I would have put that down to being cramped in the car but no!!

So I did what a good friend suggested and just offered them their money back there and then - it was a bank holiday so they decided they would make the best of it afterall and I didn't hear another peep out of them.

They even left me a nice note at the end of the week saying how much they had enjoyed it!!

The people on holiday have been oh so so different. They love it the kids can't wait to dive in the pool and smiles break out on all faces. You will never please all of folks all of the time.

But the first lot were enough to make me drink a WHOLE BOTTLE OF GIN not just a couple of glasses

Bon courage

CaroleS (16)

[CatherineS]

As Carole says below, you can't please all of the people all of the time - but the fact that you care enough to worry shows that you will please most of the people most of the time!

I think that the best way to deal with this is to think about all the things you as a holidaymaker would expect, and to make sure that the gite lives up to your expectations. Imagine that you are a holidaymaker who has never been to your gite - what would your first impressions be on arrival? What information would you need to be able to enjoy your stay?
Then, make sure you have written a comprehensive "handbook" for the guests so that they know how everything works and where everything is. It's a good idea to spend a night in each room as well, so that you can check that everything is comfortable.
Make sure that you are utterly honest about all the facilities in your advertising - if people's expectations are too high then it is more difficult to ensure that your gite lives up to those expectations.

And if all else fails, and if someone is still unhappy, you could always offer them a refund - but I would only do this if there was a genuine reason for their disappointment.

Good Luck!