Friday, November 9, 2007

What Customers Are Saying About Bed & Breakfast Locations

What Customers Are Saying About Bed & Breakfast Locations

It is a good idea as an owner of any type of business to know what your customer base is looking for. Bed & Breakfast locations are popular in many areas but so many of them fail because they don't know how to meet the needs of their customers. From the moment they contact you to get information or to make a reservation you have to give them what they want. The only way that they will come back again or recommend your business to anyone else is if they had a very wonderful experience.

Make sure everyone of your guests feels welcome from the second they talk to you. Many people call a bed & breakfast to make a reservation instead of doing it online so that they can talk to a real person. If they don't feel like they are important during that phone conversation then they are likely not going to proceed with booking it. They want their experience at a bed & breakfast to be personal and enjoyable. They aren't goi! ng to spend their money in it if they don't think they are going to get it.


It is a good idea to stay at various bed & breakfast locations yourself. Pay attention to what it working well for you and what is missing. This will teach you areas that you need to focus on for your own bed & breakfast business. Interact with other guests and find out what they like or don't like about their experience there as well.

Get first hand experience on your own about bed & breakfast hospitality. Choose a handful of them in various areas and spend a night or two. You will quickly learn what it is like to be the customer instead of the owner of a bed & breakfast. This will give you a first hand experience to observe what works well and what is just not in place like it should be. Talking to other guests at the bed & breakfast locations you visit will give you even further insight into the issue. Of course you don't want to tell the owner's of the bed & breakfasts or the g! uests why you are really there.

One common complaint th! at you w ill find with the blogs and forums from customers is that they feel the human element is missing from many bed & breakfast establishments. The place may be well decorated and in a great location but it is run like a business. They want something very personal and that is why they didn't stay in a hotel. Make sure you warmly greet every customer that comes to your bed & breakfast. Your sincerity is very important and they will feel comfortable staying with you. They want to feel like guests in your home, not just customers that have come to spend the night.

Customers want to be able to get all of their needs met when they go to a bed and breakfast. Make sure you offer them all the possible amenities you can. For example they may need access to a computer but they didn't travel with a laptop. You can make one available for guests to us. Going the extra mile to provide them with a ride somewhere or with ironing their clothing perhaps can really mean a lot to your guests.!

You definitely want to invest in finding out the experience that each customer had while staying at your bed & breakfast. About a week after they have left send them a thank you note expressing your joy at hosting them. Ask them to provide you some feedback about their experience too. Most customers will be delighted that you asked and take the time to offer it. Be prepared for some criticisms though and work hard to make the necessary changes so that it will be better for the next customer.

If you find that a particular customer had a terrible experience at your bed & breakfast, don't ignore it. Take the time to contact them and express your sincere disappointment in the situation. Ask them what could have been done to make the situation better and then listen to what they have to say. You may want to offer them a free stay at the bed & breakfast so you can make it up to them or even refund their money. Customer service is a very important part of ensuring y! our bed & breakfast will be successful. Pay attention to what ! customer s are saying as they will offer you very valuable information.

By: Patti Rob

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

About the Author: Patti Rob - entrepreneur, author, and Bed and Breakfast industry enthusiast. Visit the website to discover why most new B&B enthusiasts fail to reach their business dreams.

By: Patti Rob

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

About t! he Author: Patti Rob - entrepreneur, author, and Bed and Breakfast industry enthusiast. Visit the website to discover why most new B&B enthusiasts fail to reach their business dreams.


Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/What-Customers-Are-Saying-About-Bed---Breakfast-Locations/347714
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