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Hi @hypertokyo,
I suppose I could use a phone, but I’m not a fan of JPEGs and other image formats. And my photo goes everywhere, so it isn’t exactly secure. I prefer to use my photocopier for documents; and then file away the copies. And my scanner, if I need to scan photos for that Form C. And using a photocopier doesn’t take long. A scanner does take a little bit longer.
Download one of these scan to PDF apps for your phone. Snap the images. You have your information and they’re on their way.
It is a small island and there are only a few self-eplanatory things to point out in a few rooms. I also have it all written for them to read if they forget, which they got also before they even arrived. Note in my reviews how many guest mention that I thought of everything. I have or try, so that it is indeed a self-catering stay for them and low-maintenance drill for me.
The simpler things are the better. Example I had a big super-duper coffee maker that required a generator to run efficiently; gone is the machine and also the generator (now solar power), and the power-hungry coffee contraption replaced by a simple French Press.
Hi @felixcat,
Yes, CamScanner for example does that, I think. But I find the results poor. It seems to work for other people, though.
I am glad all worked out. You’d surprised how many people just don’t pay attention. I had a cable service yesterday and I liked how cable guy asked me about review and stressed the importance of it saying that he would really appreciate all 10s. I think I will start doing it because it works with me .
Hi @Mearns,
Solar power is good. What kind of solar setup do you have? Where do you position the panels? What kind of upfront investment are we are talking about? And what kind of wattage do you get? And what do you do about overcast periods? It sounds like you haven’t kept a backup generator.
I’d like to get solar power here, but it’s hard to get it to make financial sense. Also, I don’t really have a good place to put panels. And I’m not sure how solar panels cope with Indian monsoons.
The cable people asked you to do a review of their service? I don’t follow the last sentence. Start doing what?
@faheem The solar system has been a Godsend, my goodness, have they come a long way! They are so simple to setup. Here in Belize, the panels are best set pointing South and 13% incline, for optional efficiency. There are charts for every spot in the world on the Internet. Panels are Kyoceras 130TMs, and controller is Aims (from Germany). No more worries about power usage, watch movies, run blenders, run the lights (LED’s, insane low wattage consumption/ 1/10 as before). The kicker was adding a wind generator (Air Breeze) so now system is a ‘hybrid’, and batteries always stay 85%+ which is as should be (at least 50%) so they last forever. Darkness is 12 hours in Belize, so why small, super quite wind generator makes sense, produce power all night long too.
IF only I knew this long ago! I now help everyone locally setting up their system, and considering power in Belize (they buy it from Mexico) is 17cents us a KW (versus 4-5 cents as in the US?), everyone is an immediate candidate. The whole system cost me a mere $2,500 US + Wind Generator ($795).
Lastly, for those already connected to ‘city’ power, then the set-up can be ‘grid assist’, meaning only use public power when needed. If produce too much, in the US ~I am told~ the public company has to buy the excess.
We live during interesting times.
Hi @Mearns,
Wow, you really get great prices in the US, and the best of everything. I didn’t think of a wind generator, but that makes sense.As long as it isn’t noisy. Do you get consistent wind, then?
Oh, and do you have standalone panels, or do you mount them on a roof?
It generates at any wind speed past 6-7 miles an hour, I live by the coast so average wind is 8-9 miles per hour. They are whisper quiet, they also have automatic clutch to slow them down if wind is too strong. They are a ‘modern marvel’. Oh bought system in Belize, could only imagine in US.
Yes, there are reviews for everything here. Start telling people that 5* is important
We have our WiFi codes in our house manual. When we’re giving the house tour we tell the guests that the WiFi codes are in the house manual. This is to encourage them to read the house manual as they will have to open it.
Yes, I do too. They still manage to do it wrong.
Sorry if it is a daft question but where do you see the star rating given by the guest?
You don’t. You have to infer it. Le’s say you write down the ratings you already have. When a review is added, the total number of ratings changes, assuming that the poster assigned ratings as part of the review. (I don’t know if it is possible to give a review without ratings.) Anyway, subtract the difference, and you have the ratings corresponding to that review. This has already been covered here in a couple of places, but of course this forum isn’t exactly organized to optimise the finding of information.
Please ignore my question - Star ratings from guests are under ‘Stats’.
That is a really great answer thank you.
The Stats page amalgamates star ratings so the breakdown of individual ratings were a mystery to me.
I have had a similar case and I can tell you that today I regret I didn’t do it (the public review responding to this client’s review).
Don’t do a thing. Nothing. Just let it go, as they say. I know it’s very irksome and it’s obviously some quirk in this guest’s perception of what a “good check in” is supposed to be and there was some oddball thing that she didn’t like.
It’s funny that you’re talking about this subject because I had a guy check in yesterday. He kept texting me with revised check in times. I finally told him where the key would be and gave him very specific instructions about how to find my house. Hours later I decided to go to the market. It was 9pm or so. I ran into a pack (5 or 6 guys) standing in front on the sidewalk. My guest was among them and he was in a panic and a bit angry in his tone. “I’ve been looking for your place for 20 minutes!” I asked why he didn’t call me. He never answered.
I can’t wait to see what review he gives me for “arrival”. He obviously hadn’t read my simple instructions that are also on the check in instructions he received when he booked.
I can’t decide whether or not to mark him down. He smoked marijuana and cigs, albeit outside on the balcony. The good thing about him is that I’m not going to see me much at all during his 3 day stay. Two more days to go. Going to be interesting.
**Update…barely saw him, but he was a bit of a slob. Left a pair of grimy looking socks on the floor next to his bed as well as cracker crumbs and bits of tissue as well–he had a chronic smoker’s cough and runny nose. I just got a text saying thanks for everything and that I was a great host. Ha!
My first thought about check in process is that as Hosts we should keep in mind is that the guest is the paying the bills and every guest is going to be different. They are the ones that will be writing reviews of us that future guests use to decide to stay with us or not.
Some guest want little to no interaction or instructions from hosts so if yo treat every guest the same with “your process” then you are going to upset some guests.
I give a VERY short welcome speech if I am home when guest arrives; if THEY ask questions then I extend the chat to suit them.
It is also our responsibility as Hosts to help train guests in the rating system, and the need to read the house rules. I am sending a welcome message that includes a request to read te rules prior to arrive so they KNOW almost everything before they get here and that greatly lowers the time spent chatting.