Letting Gites Successfully

Know your client's needs

You are well into your season and now is a good time to do a little market research with the guests staying in your property to find out what improvements you could make ready for next year. If you have an accredited property, this would be done automatically and people giving feed back to a third party are normally more open about their feelings. An accredited property will always let better than a property that people have to book on spec. To see an example of an accreditation system which works particularly well, click here.

If people are generally happy with the accommodation most will be loath to point out little faults. Confronting a client with the question; " is everything to your satisfaction?" will normally draw a positive response leaving you pleased that your guests are happy but possibly none the wiser. However, if you follow this up by saying " I would appreciate any advice you could give me on how I might make improvements." You may get a clearer picture of your client's opinion of the property. Sometimes it is the little things that matter and make the difference between a happy client and someone who is enchanted by what you are providing. It is, of course, the latter that will return the following year.

Why do people come to France? It isn't just your property that makes someone's perfect holiday, as there are a number of factors that affect the overall affair. The weather you can't control but you can have a say in everything else that makes up someone's holiday. It boils down to three contributing factors. Understanding your guests individual needs, how well you know your area, and how much effort you are prepared to put in to make the clients holiday the best they have ever had. If you achieve this aim you will build a loyal clientele that will return again and again.

How much do you know about your client before they arrive on your doorstep? What do they do for a living? Any market research company will tell you that a person's background will effect their perception of what a holiday should be. Your typical A1professional or B2 business person will be looking for something different to for example a B2 middle-management or BC skilled worker. It makes sense to ask your guest when they are making a booking, what they would like to do whilst they are staying at your property. Some will just want to relax by the pool but what if the weather is bad? Do they plan on eating out? If so, do you know any good restaurants? Have you eaten at them before and do you know the patron? An idea is to visit some local restaurants and explain who you are and that you want to be able to recommend their establishment. Make it clear, that if you call them to make a booking for a guest that you would appreciate their assistance by making your clients especially welcome on arrival to make them feel just that bit special. You will be surprised at how much more they will enjoy their meal if they feel that they have been singled out because you took the trouble to make the reservation on their behalf. A little psychology in the right place at the right time goes a long way to making the holiday of a lifetime. You can do the same with wine producing chateaux and farmers producing foie-gras and pineau etc. This personal service, tailor making to some degree a guests holiday will set you apart from other property owners providing nothing more than accommodation.

If your guest wants to visit some tourist attractions, let them know what places of interest are in your area. Take the trouble to find out when they are open, obtain directions and ask if they have any quieter days when it might not be so crowded. Although you will only have to do this research once, your clients will appreciate the effort you have seemingly put in on their behalf. You can collect tourist information from your local tourist office and keep it in a ring binder for your guests. Better still is to send them information about tourist attractions in your area, once they have confirmed their booking.

Your visitors may want something a little more sportif out of their holiday. Do you know where your nearest golf course is and how much they charge for green fees? Again ask if there are any quieter periods. Go and visit them and ask to be shown around so even if you are not a golfer you can speak with a little authority about their facilities. This should also apply to equestrian centres, the best lake and river fishing and where to obtain a permit and any other enterprises that depend on the tourist trade for their income. Don't be shy about approaching these establishments as they are in business and will welcome anyone offering to put business their way.

Antique and brocante shops are always places of interest that tourists love to explore as are any artists or artisans and your clients will be the richer for a little research done by you on their behalf. Obviously some people prefer to be left to their own devices but make sure you know your region so that who ever stays in your property will find you a source of information should they require your advice. To compete in an ever increasingly competitive market you need to be offering more than just accommodation. The world is getting smaller and destinations, once thought to be far flung can now be reached in a few short hours. People coming to France also want and expect more for their money, and if they can get it elsewhere that's where they will go. If you know what's going on in your region when someone is visiting your property you will not look foolish should they seek your advice. It will take little effort on your part to put together an itinerary of interesting places and things to do but it is well worthwhile. If you take the trouble to find out what your guests want out of their holiday you will go a long way to helping them have a carefree vacation. Their hobbies will encompass an enormous array of interests. These can range from music to history and from gardening to culture. Do you know what festivals and concerts are taking place? Do you know the museums and historical places of interest in your area? Are there any gardens open to the public within driving distance?

The more you are able to tell your guests about what is going on and when, the more likely they are to enjoy their holiday and maybe want to return outside of high season if there is something of interest to them they just couldn't fit into their itinerary. Marketing is about making people aware and creating desire not just placing an advertisement somewhere and hoping for the best. Nor does it end there. People should go home already planning for their return. They should be able to still taste their first bottle of Margaux or foies gras long after their tans have faded. They should not have to dig out their snap shots to be able to visualise their first sighting of the Tarn gorge or the lavender fields of Provence. The smells and sights, the sounds of accordion music being played whilst enjoying an aperitif; the fact that their hosts ensured they had the perfect vacation are the most powerful reasons we can give people to return to France.

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