That 'this'll do attitude.

So sorry that I am not keeping up with the blog as often as
I would like, but this week has been spent with me trying to
get my head around the Google maps on my website.

Click here and see the map for yourself. http://www.dartmooraccommodation.co.uk/information/map.html

Getting all those pins in place is no easy matter. There are far more self catering
locations to be added and already I need to add The Three Crowns at Chagford and
The Ring O' Bells in North Bovey, new additions to our listing. Good.
One thing I must show you is the photos that I took at Parford Well last week.

This is one of the best B&B's on Dartmoor and Tim really knows how to make visitors feel welcome.

I'm planning to take hundreds of shots at our accommodation providers this year and add them to some sort of gallery so that potential guests can have a really good snoop inside places to help make up their minds on where to stay.
There is one thing that can't be shown in photos though and that is the attitude of the landlord or landlady. For me owners fall quite distinctly into 2 categories. Those who know how to care and others who just don't 'get it'.
Years ago in the 70's my Mum and Dad used to have a touring caravan, if ever Mum bought something new for our house, a colander, a set of mugs, new breadknife etc. the old one got carried out to the caravan no matter how useless or tatty it was. Mum's attitude was 'it'll do for the caravan.' Maybe that was a throwback from early days of their marriage when we had to go camping in a tent, or stay with relatives or not afford to go on holiday at all. Don't get me wrong, they were deliriously happy times and the stuff that you take camping on an economy holiday can of course be tatty ... then no tears if it gets damaged, because of the make do resourceful style of the holiday. You know, not enough clean bowls mean that you eat your cereals out of a mug, and that makes it even more fun, especially for kids; but Dad and I resented this pile of clutter that seemed to accumulate in the van. And Mum's 'it'll do' attitude really got under Dad's and my skin.

Sad to say this attitude prevails with some of the accommodation providers I come across.
I have actually hear one or two trot out the phrase "It'll do for the visitors" or "It'll do for the guests" and a big red flag waves in front of my face. Strangely the last time I heard it was from one of our holiday cottage ladies. We were talking about providing games and toys for children, and she told me that she had made up a box of toys that she would otherwise have put out for the bin, and as I was thinking to myself - I can't ever remember throwing toys away, they would be better off going to a charity shop, or in our case stowed away in the garage for use as props on Carnival floats, or throwers for the dog ....whatever ..... then she coolly added "and anyway, it's only for the guests, it won't matter"

It's very much an us and them situation that prevails with these kind of people.

Only last year someone was telling me about the equipment that she was putting into her newly converted cottage. "I bought a whole new set of crockery and glasses for us, and the old ones I put into the let" Fancy telling me that ! Me who was there to view it on behalf of my customers - as it were..... Amazing.
Rob and I 'did' Bed and Breakfast for most of the years from 1981 to the last entry in my visitor's book on 10th of August in 2008 and in all that time, if we bought anything new; bedlinen, crockery, towels, the guests took priority and we had second choice. I never thought of it any other way. My guests came first most of the time. Kids come home from school. "Is there anyone in Mum?" , "Yes only play in the orchard, not on the front lawn". The best looking portions of pudding, the full gravy boat, the biggest slice of cake, all went to the guests.

These visitors paid our wages and we went out of our way to make sure that they had the best holiday possible. We once had a really moany Italian couple who when asked if they had slept well, mentioned that they were not used to any light in their bedroom at home as they had shutters at the windows. As soon as they went out for their day, Rob set to and made 2 light wooden frames exactly the right size as their bedroom windows, covered each one in thick black plastic from heavyduty bin liners and later on in the evening as the guests were at dinner, he fixed them into place in their bedroom. Apparently they told all their friends about it for years....

No amount of ticked boxes on a hotel inspector's clipboard can quantify this welcome friend approach that accommodation providers SHOULD ALL HAVE. If you are reading this and you don't much like strangers and you are thinking about running a hotel or B&B then do yourself a favour, cos chum .... guests put money into our pockets and a committed welcoming is one of the top priorities in this trade.
Tim at Parford (pics) has a naturally welcoming manner with guests. I have know him for over 12 years now, and he has been on my website since the off. His house is utterly charming with classy fixtures and fittings. He's not the type to hide his nicer pieces away from the guests. Oh no. I recommend him without hesitation and we hear back from his happy guests all the time.

If only I could say the same for all B&B providers around the country......

Did I tell you about when we booked into a hotel in Tenby ?..... and the nylon sheets ?

No ! Stop me. It's time I went to prepare lunch, and it's supposed to be my day off... Fat chance.

Til the next rant...

Jill