What are the biggest headaches you encounter with your online presence?

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If anyone is ever brave enough and it matters, have an innmate or two plan a fictional trip to your place and let them go through all the steps to reserve online. You can get some valuable feedback this way, and it won't cost you anything. Of course, sending the innmate a big cyber hug is free. :)
Perhaps your site is NOT user friendly, perhaps your online reservation system is overly complicated, perhaps there is no incentive to book online and put a credit card OUT THERE for a possible hack, perhaps...they just want to speak to someone, why? Maybe the website is too vague about who they will be staying with? Giving their money to?
I know many of you say they need to talk to a person, or you need to, but maybe there is so little if ANY information on your website about the innkeepers? There is one here who has a menu ABOUT US and has no smiling innkeepers, nothing personal there..
I think a lot of guests who decide to call instead of book online are simply tired. They have looked at 10 websites, can't remember what they saw and decide to call to see if someone can explain things to them.
There are quite a few times guests said, 'I thought you had this (or that, or did something we don't do),' because they had looked at so many places they forgot what they read.
The questions most guests ask are answered on our home page. They don't even need to search out the answers but they are tired of reading. (Top questions: can I walk to..., are the baths private..., are there any restaurants nearby?)
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Madeleine said:
I think a lot of guests who decide to call instead of book online are simply tired. They have looked at 10 websites, can't remember what they saw and decide to call to see if someone can explain things to them.
There are quite a few times guests said, 'I thought you had this (or that, or did something we don't do),' because they had looked at so many places they forgot what they read.
The questions most guests ask are answered on our home page. They don't even need to search out the answers but they are tired of reading. (Top questions: can I walk to..., are the baths private..., are there any restaurants nearby?)
I think you have a Q&A for commonly asked questions, if I remember correctly.
Question for you, in your town, are there many SHARED baths? Just wondering. Is it something they encounter "there" moreso than not, or just asking in general because every single B&B has a shared baths. Remember that gal here a month ago "You would be surprised" she told me. When I said there are not that many shared baths in U.S. B&B's these days...
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Joey Bloggs said:
Madeleine said:
I think a lot of guests who decide to call instead of book online are simply tired. They have looked at 10 websites, can't remember what they saw and decide to call to see if someone can explain things to them.
There are quite a few times guests said, 'I thought you had this (or that, or did something we don't do),' because they had looked at so many places they forgot what they read.
The questions most guests ask are answered on our home page. They don't even need to search out the answers but they are tired of reading. (Top questions: can I walk to..., are the baths private..., are there any restaurants nearby?)
I think you have a Q&A for commonly asked questions, if I remember correctly.
Question for you, in your town, are there many SHARED baths? Just wondering. Is it something they encounter "there" moreso than not, or just asking in general because every single B&B has a shared baths. Remember that gal here a month ago "You would be surprised" she told me. When I said there are not that many shared baths in U.S. B&B's these days...
ZERO shared baths in town here. But, like you encountered, someone who has found them somewhere and doesn't want that experience again.
Here's a share from this weekend...guests took room with bath across the hall. Not an issue for them at all. Guy told me he read everything on the website (and I probably could have given him a quiz!) and said he was very happy about the DETAIL on the site about where the bathroom was. They've been snookered before. They don't mind the bath across but they want to know in advance.
I think guests either have found shared baths they weren't expecting or they've been told to ask about things that really bother them.
Then again, I do have all those reviews that say the baths are shared so maybe they read those.
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Madeleine said:
Joey Bloggs said:
Madeleine said:
I think a lot of guests who decide to call instead of book online are simply tired. They have looked at 10 websites, can't remember what they saw and decide to call to see if someone can explain things to them.
There are quite a few times guests said, 'I thought you had this (or that, or did something we don't do),' because they had looked at so many places they forgot what they read.
The questions most guests ask are answered on our home page. They don't even need to search out the answers but they are tired of reading. (Top questions: can I walk to..., are the baths private..., are there any restaurants nearby?)
I think you have a Q&A for commonly asked questions, if I remember correctly.
Question for you, in your town, are there many SHARED baths? Just wondering. Is it something they encounter "there" moreso than not, or just asking in general because every single B&B has a shared baths. Remember that gal here a month ago "You would be surprised" she told me. When I said there are not that many shared baths in U.S. B&B's these days...
ZERO shared baths in town here. But, like you encountered, someone who has found them somewhere and doesn't want that experience again.
Here's a share from this weekend...guests took room with bath across the hall. Not an issue for them at all. Guy told me he read everything on the website (and I probably could have given him a quiz!) and said he was very happy about the DETAIL on the site about where the bathroom was. They've been snookered before. They don't mind the bath across but they want to know in advance.
I think guests either have found shared baths they weren't expecting or they've been told to ask about things that really bother them.
Then again, I do have all those reviews that say the baths are shared so maybe they read those.
The one complaint I have heard about the "Hallway Bath" is that it is on another level. There was an inn on this forum who had this situation. Maybe more than one. I think a couple of us have stayed at places as this, it did not say it was a different floor to reach the restroom. I call that "Camping"
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I still have one shared bath that cannot be changed. It is on same level though. EVERY bit of info I have web site, rack card, every listing states that Harris and Rosi share a bath. I DO however offer Rosi as a private bath rate and do not rent the Harris - then it is private, just down the hall.
Harris could be made into an ensuite but it is the smallest room. Rosi is at the front of the house and there is no way to get plumbing to it even if I made it too small for the full-size bed (I figured out how to put a queen in it now) I replaced. I considered making those 2 rooms a suite but the rate would be too high for me to get it rented. It is what it is.....
 
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