GDF

[Ian Hoare<br>All the best<br>Ian<br>La Souvigne Corrèze<br>http:www.souvigne.com]

Hi,

Quillan says

it's about bums on beds and which organisation gives the greatest cover for your money. What I was interested in was the fact that several countries use information from GDF in popular publications used by that countrie inhabitants to find B&B's etc in France (the AA book is one example).

Absolutely agree about the purpose of membership of any organisation or advertising in any guide. That said, you get more people coming if you ARE classified that if you're not, no matter what guide you're in. (Sawday, for example doesn't classify, which is why GdF accepts their members being in the Sawday guide - same goes for Guide Routard). For ME, and I make no claim that this would be valid anywhere else, or for anyone else, I get less from GdF than from any other source. Nevertheless, it pays for itself in purely financial terms, easily, and also opens the door to other guides and reassures potential clients.

However, I must point out a tiny error. AA has signed an agreement with GdF, whereby their french guide _consists_ of GdF 3 épi establishments. I accept that you might find my comment hairs splitting, sorry if so.

I'll try to find time to respond to your comprehensive clévacances post a little later, I've got to help Jacquie clear up after dinner!

[Ian Hoare<br>All the best<br>Ian<br>La Souvigne Corrèze<br>http:www.souvigne.com]

Hi,

Trying to do my best to talk about the differences between what CV and GdF expect, and a little bit of what I am gleaning here and there.

So I'll start with the latter. I don't know who or what are behind CV, but as Quillan said, they are signing agreements with departmental tourist committees, country wide wide. Whether that means that there's been some kind of falling out at high level between GdF and the Ministry I don't know, but I have some suspicions. If CV are prepared to publish nationwide criteria and apply them nationwide, I would be the first to applaud. As those of you who have read my discussions with Miki, and our comments over what is happening elsewhere, one of the GREAT problems with GdF is that they have so much autonomy in different departments, that they might almost be different organisations. And in the long term that's bad business. 

So although CV _at the moment_ are playing catch up, I think they will be more successful than GdF in the long term, unless GdF really buck their ideas up. I hope they do, by the way as I've been with them quite a while, and would hate to see a good thing go pear shaped, because of some bad apples in Tarn & Garonne (to name but one).

Now for the differences. I should add that I can't lay my hands on the GdF document, so I'm more or less working from memory. By the way, I agree 100% with Miki about kitchens, if GdF is demanding guests have access, they're WAY out of line.  

There's a significant difference between GdF and CV over breakfasts. GdF insist that breakfast is an important moment of contact between host and guest, and expect one or both of the hosts to be present during the (non) meal, which is not served in bedrooms, nor would they countenance it being prepared by clients. As for what is served, again they're pretty close, although I don't think GdF specify increasing minimum standards with higher épi levels. The "rules" about sanitation, surface area and so on are pretty similar.

There's nothing that says that one is for towns and the other for the country, but given that GdF ONLY accepts people in places of less than 1500 inhabitants, it's not unreasonably to expect CV to pick up more people in towns.

Basically GdF is a lot vaguer in what they require, "good decoration", "comfortable beds" and so on. This isn't a bad thing, in my opinion, as it allows for more individual variation, and variety - in B&Bs as elsewhere - is the spice of life.

There is a difference between them over maintenance. GdF say that they expect rooms to be serviced daily, but they don't expect sheets to be changed every two days in higher star ratings.

GdF only insist on TV for 4 épi, not 3. (And TV in a guests' living room will make you liable to pay the SACEM a licence for public broadcasting - as they are currently seeking to apply the rules).

But generally they're pretty similar, with CV specifying a lot more detail. In general the way GdF works is that they have an internal system of marking (when I was checked, it was out of 126), point by point, so much for a microwave, so much for books being available, so much for garden furniture available for clients and so on. Then after adding up the points, they decide if you get enough to warrant the number of épis your basic amenities merit. You needed 91 or more (out of 126) to warrant 3 épis.

[winterbunny]

It is dependant on area/department for sure, but there are general guidelines and the pack can be downloaded from the GdF web site, you don't have to wait for them to bring it to you.  If you want a 3 epis rating follow the guidelines and also think about what you want when you go CdH.  Our experience:

Fitted the rooms out to a good standard with quality furniture, bedding, shower rooms and equipment, made sure they were larger than some we have seen as for 3 epis you need rooms over a certain size. 

First contact was made and they were here within a fortnight, had a coffee, measured up, checked quality of bedding etc given contract and rating there and then.

Contacted them for our signs, they brought them within a week.

They didn't even suggest a coin cuisine and it certainly didn't figure in the pack, but they suggested TdH would be an advantage.  We do have table and chairs and plenty of sockets so people can work or review paperwork in peace in their rooms, but also a salon so they can sit comfortably, a small library of books and magazines coffee machine, and fridge, but none of these contributed to the epis rating.

Yes, the meeting was conducted in French, I saw no reason to expect it would be in English.  Gdf target French as well as foreign visitors and it seems natural to expect that a resident in France running a business will speak at least some French.  I don't think you can compromise, our Chambre de Commerce even offers a series of cut price French lessons.

Any time I've rung or emailed I've had a response within the week.

So don't be put off, just because one employee is a miserable g**, doesn't mean you shouldn't perservere, it's unlikely to be personal, just their way.

Buns