What is Hospitality?

[john]

During the Christmas holiday, I organised a self-catering cottage on the North Coast of Northern Ireland for my parents and other family members. We were treated to four beautiful sunny days and enjoyed our visit to the Giants Causeway & indeed to other sites of interest in the area. The house was very well equipped five star accommodation in a good location (although the beds could do with being replaced :().

I would like to know you as tourism accommodation providers consider as a reasonable standard of service for welcoming guests to your premises? :confused:

When making the booking, the owner required that the full amount would be paid by sterling cheque immediately (as booking was five weeks from arrival date). I organised a sterling cheque and then she also mentioned that I would need to pay a £100 ‘good-housekeeping deposit’ in advance. I thought that this was a bit much to pay in advance and she agreed that I could pay it on arrival.

Within a couple days of the date of arrival at the house the owner informed me that she would be unable to meet me upon arrival, but the key would be provided by a neighbour called ‘John’. We were also to hand over the £100 good housekeeping to ‘John’ and that she would leave a note for us in the house. I asked if there was anything in particular that we needed to know about the house and she informed me that there were no bath towels, but one hand towel was available in each bathroom. This is the first time that I have gone to a self catering house and no towels were provided. Is this not a minimum to be expected, especially in a 5 star NITB house?

Upon arrival there was no sign of a neighbour and as I proceeded to walk around the house and reach for my mobile, a neighbour that was observing informed me that the key was under the mat and he thought that I knew that already. The £100 ‘good housekeeping’ was handed over and in the house I was surprised to find not a welcome note, but a very detailed ‘rules of the house’. We were a bit taking back about how detailed these rules were.

As we did not receive any welcome or met with the owner, this made the rules did seem more over the top. The following morning I decided to call the owner when we could not get the dishwasher to work. The owner was unable to provide us with instructions of how it worked and would call around in the afternoon when we were out (she left written instructions).

The neighbour appeared on the morning of our departure and after a 30 second inspection he handed our good housekeeping deposit back. We were anticipating our inspection before departure with trepidation and we concerned whether the house would be left in a manner to the liking of the owner! We were worried!:eek: I do ask myself why? We were the customers. right :confused:

Later that evening a voice message was left by the owner thanking us for looking after the house & hoped that we would be back soon.

I was wondering what self catering providers in Ireland consider as a good standard of hospitality / service? What do you think? Would you be happy with this?

Perhaps this person is in the business of renting houses rather than providing accommodation to tourists. Overall, the house was good, but I was dissappointed that there was absolutely no personal contact of any kind....

[Virginian]

I sympathize with you John, did you not think it strange that you were being asked to pay the full amount in Sterling prior to your arrival. Apart from the fact that Sterling has dropped through the floor during the past month making it even more painful to have paid in advance. I would have paid 50% with booking and the balance on arrival preferably by credit card. These people had your money and could do what they like it seems. I don't think that you would have paid for a second hand car without seeing it first.
Personally I would have put this post on the Trip Advisor (Ireland forum)website, because the posters there have lots of experience from advising overseas tourists and you would quickly get their response which can go to prepare people for what can happen, while going to highlight sharp practice.

We are not here to run down the industry, but it does no harm to press the point that it is the satisfied customer that is priority in a hospitality industry.

[TonyS]

Sounds like poor service for supposedly five star accommodation. Naturally John paid the deposit the way he did because (a) you definitely wouldn't expect this type of service given the rating, and (b) he didn't want to lose the cottage to someone else for that particular period. It's all well and good saying that he should have paid differently, but, without hindsight, he couldn't have possibly known there would be so many problems with the cottage.

The real test, however, is in seeing what various people in the industry think about the service, and how they'd react if faced with this type of service.

[Virginian]

Tony, I fully agree with you that hindsight is a wonderful thing and who is to know what the levels of service are like without checking it out beforehand.
Which is another good reason to take recommendations from other users, and that is precisely the roll of the Trip Advisor website. Whatever about the system of rating accommodation, if you find that people are unhappy with the level of service, then they are encouraged to warn others. That is what the Trip Advisor website does best and to help people. It certainly works I find, where I have put forward good reports from some of the places I have stayed both here and the UK over recent years.

As you say that it is important to see what various people in the industry think about this level of service, but it is in my opinion more important to see what the customer thinks because it is their satisfaction rating that really makes the difference as to the success of the industry.

[csmith]

John,
It looks like she has had a bad experience with guests in the past and everyone in the future will suffer or money is her God. She has a lot to learn and I am sure 2009 will change her opinion.
Catherine.

[Janet Bennett]

Grading for self catering relates ONLY to level of facilities, and provided the owner has a minimum level of procedure in place for key collection, payment and response to problems, regrettably she is not obliged to be hospitable!

She is perfectly entitled to ask for payment in sterling, and damage deposits are standard on arrival.

She IS required to provide bed linen and towels, though she is also entitled to charge extra for them, and must tell you if the cost does include a laundry charge.

If one of my guests felt that they had not received the service they expected I would want them to tell me, preferably as soon as possible.
I do think John should write to the lady to express his disappointment and invite her to comment, to give her the opportunity to consider how her services could be improved and to respond.

I'm possibly being over kind to her, but it would be unfair for this forum to criticise yet not give her the opportunity to try to put things right.

Its unsurprising why we are often confused and disappointed by levels of service or lack of it.
Hotels are graded both on physical facilities and levels of service, ie: 5 star would have 24hr room service. At Prospect Bay we have 4 star B&B grading from the AA which does include a higher level of service.

Therefore its reasonable for the public to assume 5 star s/c should also have increased levels of service, such as maximum call out response time.

At the moment FI is proposing compulsory licensing for B&B but voluntary grading. At the same time it has ceased grading one off s/c properties. Its no wonder consumers are confused and often disappointed, and owners worried or fearful of regulation.This industry has to get its approval and grading systems sorted out and made consistent. The current B&B proposals appear to be conflicting with the new s/c system.

Here is a suggestion for debate:
perhaps some training for basic hospitality, hygiene and safety should form part of the initial operators approval or licence to raise standards, renewed every three years? perhaps homes which currently have to display maximum prices should also display the requirements which gave them their grading as well - then John would have been able to find out immediately if they should or should not have been supplied with towels.

As for how to avoid a repeat of a similar disappointment, I think tourist boards should introduce awards for hospitality and ambience. We were fortunate in 2006 to be made county winners of the FI Irish Welcome Awards, and have found it gave prospective guests a great feeling of confidence to book to stay, plus it encourages us to keep it up, even when we dont feel very hospitable!

[AlicesLoft]

Hi John
It seems that your holiday property was in an area of high demand and they have very little work to do to attract customers.We at Alice's Loft & Cottages just require a 50% deposit and would always meet guests in case of questions about appliances or special requests.
With regards to the security deposit we have never asked for one and in the current climate wont be either,do any other providers ask for this deposit?

[Virginian]

I have come across holiday let properties in the West of Ireland where they take a charge on the electricity, coal and sticks to light the fire, some also charge for rubbish collection.

[Gra Curran]

From my experiences of staying in s/c houses both at home and abroad I have always and would expect to be met by someone. I understand there are exceptional circumstances that the person I have been dealing is unable to come out greet me on that particular day but I certainly would expect a visit at some stage. I think this is a fundamental service a consumer in this situation should expect. Like Declan says – if for no other reason but to ask particular questions on appliances, heating or just the local amenities that maybe available in the area.

Also as a consumer I always appreciate when s/c providers list extra services that are available (even at a cost) for example when a cleaning service can be arranged for an extra fee at the end of the holiday. This can take a lot of stress from parents with a number of children trying to get out early to catch a flight.

So if there are any facilities/services in the area that might benefit the consumer (even with a cost attached) let the consumer know – they’ll make the choice.

[Geraldine O'Reilly]

I do believe John was right to expect a better level of customer care. If this self catering had to work harder at attracting business they would probably be more focused on customer care and the importance of looking after guests using their facilities. I believe it is necessary to meet guests on arrival as different aspects of the accommodation is important to different people, i.e. family’s, fishermen, older people etc. It also gives, we the providers an insight into the guests using the self catering. I always check on day 2 of their stay to make sure all is well and I provide them with my mobile number in case of emergencies.
I agree with Grainne that extra services such as cleaning / housekeeping could be offered at an extra cost.
We most care for our customers if we want them to come back that is the bottom line as customers will only be fooled once.

[DaisyCottageDonegal]

During the Christmas holiday, I organised a self-catering cottage on the North Coast of Northern Ireland for my parents and other family members. We were treated to four beautiful sunny days and enjoyed our visit to the Giants Causeway & indeed to other sites of interest in the area. The house was very well equipped five star accommodation in a good location (although the beds could do with being replaced :().

RE: THE BEDS: from the NITB basic requirement for ONE star accommodation: "All mattresses must be sprung interior, foam or similar quality and in sound condition."

In my opionion, a house could never be 5 star with less than excellent beds & matresses.

I would like to know you as tourism accommodation providers consider as a reasonable standard of service for welcoming guests to your premises? :confused:

When making the booking, the owner required that the full amount would be paid by sterling cheque immediately (as booking was five weeks from arrival date). I organised a sterling cheque and then she also mentioned that I would need to pay a £100 ‘good-housekeeping deposit’ in advance. I thought that this was a bit much to pay in advance and she agreed that I could pay it on arrival.

I would imagine the norm. is payment in full six weeks prior to arrival so that is ok. And her charging in Sterling is okay too as that is local currency for her property. I let people decide when coming from another currency area which they would rather pay in and use xe.com to give them the conversion. As long as my fee is correct I think it only fair that the guest decides which works out cheaper for them to pay.

She should have mentioned the 'good-housekeeping dp' at the time you booked. (Is it not mentioned on her website perhaps?). People are of course entitled to ask for such a deposit, and when they do I think it is mostly paid in cash on arrival. However, I have a problem with it in that I think that when the guest is paying their rental and all other costs involved in a holiday, it is a bit much to ask them to cough up even more. We don't charge such a fee for firstly the reason I mentioned and also it causes stress to the guest for the whole duration of their stay worrying if they will get it back and constantly worrying about the state of the house and if they will live up to the expected standards to receive their deposit back.

So far we have been delighted with the way our guests have left our house, indeed some have even washed all floors, towels, etc. and left the place absolutely sparkling. And ALL have left the house clean and tidy. Trusting the guests is better as it creates a good feel to the holiday and they take great care of the house.

Within a couple days of the date of arrival at the house the owner informed me that she would be unable to meet me upon arrival, but the key would be provided by a neighbour called ‘John’. We were also to hand over the £100 good housekeeping to ‘John’ and that she would leave a note for us in the house. I asked if there was anything in particular that we needed to know about the house and she informed me that there were no bath towels, but one hand towel was available in each bathroom. This is the first time that I have gone to a self catering house and no towels were provided. Is this not a minimum to be expected, especially in a 5 star NITB house?

We leave 2 bath sheets, 2 hand towels, and 2 face/wash cloths per person. We also leave one beach towel per person together with 7 kitchen drying cloths and dish cloth. It's no big deal afterall to wash and dry towels for me whereas for the guest it could be a big deal, especially if flying to Ireland, and even for domestic guests, they don't want the car weighed down with towels for a week or a fortnight.

I think, though some do it, that it is a bit mean to expect people to lug a load of towels with them. And if I were booking a 5 star house, I would certainly expect all towels to be provided and included in the rental. However, if they are not then it should be stated clearly on their site or booking form.

Upon arrival there was no sign of a neighbour and as I proceeded to walk around the house and reach for my mobile, a neighbour that was observing informed me that the key was under the mat and he thought that I knew that already. The £100 ‘good housekeeping’ was handed over and in the house I was surprised to find not a welcome note, but a very detailed ‘rules of the house’. We were a bit taking back about how detailed these rules were.

Hmmm. Not a great welcome. Of course there may be times when an owner just cannot be there but in such an instance the keys should be easily picked up without a guest having to wander around wondering!

I have to drive an hours drive to be there, it is so worthwhile. You spend a little time with your guests, show them the house and everything they need to know. They chat, have a face to put on the house as it were, and it is all much more personal.

I love greeting our guests, and of course I WANT them to recommend our house to friends and family and come back themselves too if possible and I make every effort to make sure they're happy and feel welcome and that I appreciate their business. It is called the hospitality industry after all!

I always make ice cream or a cake or if I haven't had time, leave them flowers and or a bottle of wine plus a Welcome card I designed and had printed. I WANT to go the extra mile!

As we did not receive any welcome or met with the owner, this made the rules did seem more over the top. The following morning I decided to call the owner when we could not get the dishwasher to work. The owner was unable to provide us with instructions of how it worked and would call around in the afternoon when we were out (she left written instructions).

This should not happen. Either she should have been there to show you how things worked, had someone else do 'the tour' with you, or left a manual of how things work.

I always email or telephone our guests morning after their arrival to check they are ok.

The neighbour appeared on the morning of our departure and after a 30 second inspection he handed our good housekeeping deposit back. We were anticipating our inspection before departure with trepidation and we concerned whether the house would be left in a manner to the liking of the owner! We were worried!:eek: I do ask myself why? We were the customers. right :confused:

See my reply about these deposits above. Seems I'm right about the threat it holds over people.

Later that evening a voice message was left by the owner thanking us for looking after the house & hoped that we would be back soon.

Good luck with that lol

I was wondering what self catering providers in Ireland consider as a good standard of hospitality / service? What do you think? Would you be happy with this?

I sincerely hope that your experience was the exception rather than the rule. I would have been annoyed with this lack of service you received.

Perhaps this person is in the business of renting houses rather than providing accommodation to tourists. Overall, the house was good, but I was dissappointed that there was absolutely no personal contact of any kind....

You should write to the woman and clearly express your problems, although ideally that should have been done in the begining maybe. It might have activated her to come to you and introduce herself and maybe all would have been better? But you should definately fill her in on what you found lacking. See how she responds.

Finally, I fail to see how a house with bad beds and no bath towels supplied (whether included or as an extra) achieved a 5 star rating.

Btw, as it was Christmas, did the house have a Christmas tree or decorations?

[Tilly-Miss]

Seems sad that this sort of thing has crept in over recent years,nobody seems to remember the basic rules anymore,money seems to blight everything around us,shameful of the owner asking for the money,we will leave someone else to sort that,why is there no trust anymore,i can assure you i certainly wouldnt contemplate ever visiting a place like that again.
In my opinion that is not hospitality,i am afraid you get back what you put in,when the bookings are down be certain you have to look again at how you treated your guests.
I am sure lots of you present yourself in a good fashion and offer great facilities and hospitality,sadly for a few out there who still have to learn what your industry really means.