All holiday home owners aim to make a profit. There are some extremely simple steps to take to raise your holiday letting above the competition.
First, remember that humans are creatures of habit. We find a holiday locale that suits us and we keep going back because we know we will be pleased with the results. The same is so true for holiday accommodation. How can you make your home away from home your guest’s home away from home? One way is to provide an unforgettable welcome pack.
Basic dos and don’ts… and standing out
The welcome pack is an easy way to make your home, their home. Here are some things to keep in mind when planning your welcome pack:
Providing nothing will leave an impression, and it’s not the one you are looking for. You may think you are saving money, but all you have really saved is a changeover service!
Set out the bare minimum, at least. Tea, coffee, biscuits or similar. Remember when providing tea and coffee to include milk and sugar and provide enough for all the guests or your gesture might seem empty.
Leaving leftovers from a previous rental is a no no; even if it is half a jar of coffee or six tea bags in the Tetley’s bag. Again, this might look like an empty gesture. The rule here is to set out everything fresh. This means laying it in plain view, just for these specific guests, no one else.
Aside from the basics, which items you give in your welcome pack is usually a reflection of goods common to all nationalities, goods you favour personally and goods typical to your holiday home’s region. Some owners will offer guests levels of welcome packs at different prices. The basic pack is typically free and the price of each additional level goes up in proportion to what is added.
However, why not stand out and simply don’t charge at all? Have you considered making your welcome pack directly proportionate to the money you are earning from the rental? For example if you are clearing €150 it might not make sense to spend €60 on the welcome pack, but rather €30 is more appropriate or even €15.
A few little extras you might consider including could be a nice bottle of wine especially if you know it is someone’s birthday or anniversary. Personal sized toiletries are always appreciated. Fresh flowers are a lovely touch and are inexpensive. Bottled water is high on guests list and a six pack of large bottles is cheap.
Why not leave something extra special for return guests as a thank you? First impressions are crucial, it cannot be said enough. Make sure your guests remember you when they are booking their holiday next year.
I’ve never supplied a Welcome Pack and haven’t had a complaint or a problem with repeat buisness to date. Are they really that important? Surely the renter is happy enough to be on hols in a lovely villa? I supply directions to the local shops and restaurants and that seems enough to keep my customers sweet. To be honest with you…I think Welcome Packs are an overrated waste of time and money!
Bookings haven’t been great this summer so for the first time ever I’ve stopped providing a welcome pack, except to the odd repeat guest. Right now it’s £20 from my bottom line and am really feeling the pinch. I’m offering it as an optional service that is paid for.
I wouldnt call them “overrated” – you can make them work your favour. We always supply 6 bottles of still water – the rest we plan with our guests before they arrive…if they want a pizza in the freezer and some cold beers in the fridge we will get these in but always make it clear that they will be paying cost for the items (we dont charge for our time) – this way we arent out of pocket but our guests feel welcome and relaxed when they arrive, knowing exactly what will be in the kitchen when they get there. I really like the idea of doing something special for returning guests, will have to give that some thought…
We found that some guests never appreciated it. They were so ungrateful. It was a nightmare trying to please everyone. So I tried giving a complementary bath set, similar to what you get in hotels, then we had the same thing again complaints about didn’t like the smell or were allergic to the bath jells etc.
These are some of the responses we had.
1. Would only have a certain make of tea or coffee.
2. Would only have certain types of milk don’t like cows milk.
3. Would only have certain breads, some brown some white, and then there were the ones who celiac and needed a special type.
As we don’t live in Spain we found it impossible for our caretakers to spend hours searching for clients requests.
My advice – think twice before doing it.
I have always left a Welcome Pack including a bottle of local wine, water, biscuits tea and coffee, milk and sugar, bread and butter and our tenants appreciate it. I also leave loo rolls, washing up liquid, washing powder etc. Invariably, I find that we get left wine, beer and other goodies as a sign on their appreciation.
http://www.villahirondelles-pontroyal-provence.com
Hi everybody. Wow Pam- I really feel for you! Sounds like you have been really unlucky! In two years of renters, touch wood, no moaners! We include tea, herbal tea, regular and decaf coffee, fresh milk, sugar, honey, nice sliced bread, butter, mini jams, water, beer and wine. I have my first return renters coming along in August and will do something extra special for them! Suggestions???
We always do a welcome pack, no charge – enough to keeop people going for a weekend and more. People are very pleasantly surprised to arrive to a bulging fridge and we get lots of repeat bookings where others are struggling. This year is our best year ever on only one advert (online at that) and we are now turning people away. I certainly believe offering an inclusive package: linens, towels, cleaning equipment, toiletries (soap, shampoo, shower gell etc), and a welcome pack goes down far beter than expecting people to pay extra.
Nice point Nicola – you should post your thoughts on another story on this blog called ‘Are you all inclusive’
http://independentownersblog.wordpress.com/2008/06/26/are-you-an-all-inclusive/
I agree with Nicola,
Although many of us have suffered this year with the fall in the value of Sterling against the euro, when we considered dropping our welcome pack, we decided that a welcome pack could just be the thing that impresses guests enough to make them want to return, thus paying for itself, many times over.
‘Vive la Welcome Pack’
there is NOTHING more annoying as a guest to arrive tired and stressed from travelling to find you cant even make a cup of tea and have to go out to the shops in an unfamiliar area to buy groceries.
the basics are so appreciated, tea coffee milk and maybe some biscuits as well as soap and towels so you can at least have a shower.
if i was to arrive to find nothing it would give me the impression the owners were stingy – i would expect to have a welcome pack and would equally expect it to be built into the cost of the accomodation.
We have been renting for 15 years. We make no extra charges on top of the rental. We put a bottle of wine in the ‘fridge and there is always soap, towels, loo paper and fresh flowers. We always ask guests if they would like any extras at cost. As we live next door we invite them round to make sure they are happy and to tell them about our locality. I can’t remember any complaints, and we get a lot of repeat business, for which we give a small discount.