We look forward to your visit!

Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

JBloggs

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 7, 2008
Messages
17,744
Reaction score
9
I opened my gmail account to find "We look forward to your visit!" and:
We look forward to welcoming you to our oceanfront resort on (date removed) . The "red carpet" is out and our friendly staff is eager to make your visit a relaxing, memorable experience. Thank you for choosing (place removed) as your vacation destination.
To assure that your arrival goes smoothly, please take a moment and review our check-in and check-out policies below. Call us if you have questions.
I think this is really great, it was not bothersome at all, just a reminder. Then in the middle of the email were some coupons with links/photos of recommended restaurants.
Then the bottom had these very small policies:
Check-in time 3:00pm / Check-out time 11:00am
Vehicle tag number and a valid credit card required at check-in.
Guests ages 21 and younger are not permitted unless accompanied by an adult.
[FONT= 'Times New Roman']
[/FONT]
Now I am sure they have these all set up for auto-send. I think it is a great reminder of for example, your check in times, since the rez may have been made 6 months ago. I didn't find it intrusive at all due to the title and way it started off.
 
The beginning of the week I send an email like that to our tour guests and our B&B guests. The tour guests I remind them of the pickup time and list the pickup location to be sure all is correct and give them our cell phone number in case they need to contact us the morning of.
The B&B people I send directions and tell them we're all ready and looking forward to hosting them.
Most of them email me back and say they are looking forward to their trip.
I do it because I'm paranoid I may have something wrong in my notes.
Works well for us.
Riki
 
We do. A few weeks before their arrival, one gets sent out to remind them of a) their reservation, b) dinner options (small town- not much to choose from), and c) add-ons that we offer.
I think the most important part of it is just like you said: red carpet, we can't wait to see you, blah, blah, blah.
 
Do any of you do this or have you considered it?.
Yes i used to do something similar to that...though not 'roll out the red carpet" but it sounds nice :) I think it is a good idea especially when a reservation is made far in advance. Helpful for all.
 
Question b)
Since this was a generic email to the guest, if you do this, are you worried they will print this one vs the confirmation?
This one did not have directions and confirmation # on it which I am glad about, or it would be something ELSE to print.
I don't want to RESEND the confirmation really, which is why I really liked this Special RED CARPET etc comments vs just a confirmation.
Just wondering the best way to word it without resending the whole confirmation again. Do you resend your policies as well? Or leave that to confirmation?
It is one more step to do this and I am weighing whether or not it is worth the time and effort. I do feel it is a nice touch!
 
When we do it, it is done as an official concierge email. It reiterates the check-in/check-out policy and cancellation policy (just in case they didn't READ it before), it lets them know about any add-ons we offer, quick links of things to do in the area from our website, and a link to the driving directions from our website (again, just in case they didn't read it before or have misplaced their original confirmation). In my mind, it really isn't any "new" information, just reworded and rearranged.
Oh, and I think we put a link to the local weather site so they can check it out themselves.
 
Oh yeah and at the bottom is a link to their blog....forgot to add, as I just saw it.
 
Question b)
Since this was a generic email to the guest, if you do this, are you worried they will print this one vs the confirmation?
This one did not have directions and confirmation # on it which I am glad about, or it would be something ELSE to print.
I don't want to RESEND the confirmation really, which is why I really liked this Special RED CARPET etc comments vs just a confirmation.
Just wondering the best way to word it without resending the whole confirmation again. Do you resend your policies as well? Or leave that to confirmation?
It is one more step to do this and I am weighing whether or not it is worth the time and effort. I do feel it is a nice touch!.
Joey Bloggs said:
Question b)
Since this was a generic email to the guest, if you do this, are you worried they will print this one vs the confirmation?
This one did not have directions and confirmation # on it which I am glad about, or it would be something ELSE to print.
I don't want to RESEND the confirmation really, which is why I really liked this Special RED CARPET etc comments vs just a confirmation.
Just wondering the best way to word it without resending the whole confirmation again. Do you resend your policies as well? Or leave that to confirmation?
It is one more step to do this and I am weighing whether or not it is worth the time and effort. I do feel it is a nice touch!
Mine is not generic - I do it personalized but then again I only have two rooms. I only send the directions and offer restaurant info. I don't bother with the policies because if they don't read them the first time by now it's too late anyway and I figure they won't read it again.
RIki
 
Okay I tossed something together.
I have basic welcome we look forward to serving you here ...blah blah and have a small image at the top of the B&B from the road - a link to the blog to find things to see and do during their visit, and our check in times and where to park (to call if they are arriving AFTER check in time). Contact info and our names and slogan.
I put a link to our directions and referred to their orig confirmation with a link to the full policies.
I won't put restaurant info on this, it would become a book trying to express what is closed on which day, I have that info here in their room.
I won't customize this for each guest, just slap all the email addresses on a bcc for the week and send them out each Sunday night for that week. Which could be useless if they are on the road already, but it can't be perfect for every situation.
I have it formatted nicely with some special lines and colors. Oh and I added the romantic add ons to this as well, should they be interested.
Thanks for the input y'all!
 
Okay I tossed something together.
I have basic welcome we look forward to serving you here ...blah blah and have a small image at the top of the B&B from the road - a link to the blog to find things to see and do during their visit, and our check in times and where to park (to call if they are arriving AFTER check in time). Contact info and our names and slogan.
I put a link to our directions and referred to their orig confirmation with a link to the full policies.
I won't put restaurant info on this, it would become a book trying to express what is closed on which day, I have that info here in their room.
I won't customize this for each guest, just slap all the email addresses on a bcc for the week and send them out each Sunday night for that week. Which could be useless if they are on the road already, but it can't be perfect for every situation.
I have it formatted nicely with some special lines and colors. Oh and I added the romantic add ons to this as well, should they be interested.
Thanks for the input y'all!.
Sounds good but labor-intensive for me. I will go and change my confirmation email, tho. Thanks for posting this.
 
Okay I tossed something together.
I have basic welcome we look forward to serving you here ...blah blah and have a small image at the top of the B&B from the road - a link to the blog to find things to see and do during their visit, and our check in times and where to park (to call if they are arriving AFTER check in time). Contact info and our names and slogan.
I put a link to our directions and referred to their orig confirmation with a link to the full policies.
I won't put restaurant info on this, it would become a book trying to express what is closed on which day, I have that info here in their room.
I won't customize this for each guest, just slap all the email addresses on a bcc for the week and send them out each Sunday night for that week. Which could be useless if they are on the road already, but it can't be perfect for every situation.
I have it formatted nicely with some special lines and colors. Oh and I added the romantic add ons to this as well, should they be interested.
Thanks for the input y'all!.
Sounds good but labor-intensive for me. I will go and change my confirmation email, tho. Thanks for posting this.
.
I will email it to you so you can see it. I think it is a nice touch, and another reminder about checkin times - right now it is not a big deal but when busy it frustrates the heck out of me, so this s/b good. and maybe I can sell more add on packages this way, instead of being in their face on the rez, I like this.
 
Okay I tossed something together.
I have basic welcome we look forward to serving you here ...blah blah and have a small image at the top of the B&B from the road - a link to the blog to find things to see and do during their visit, and our check in times and where to park (to call if they are arriving AFTER check in time). Contact info and our names and slogan.
I put a link to our directions and referred to their orig confirmation with a link to the full policies.
I won't put restaurant info on this, it would become a book trying to express what is closed on which day, I have that info here in their room.
I won't customize this for each guest, just slap all the email addresses on a bcc for the week and send them out each Sunday night for that week. Which could be useless if they are on the road already, but it can't be perfect for every situation.
I have it formatted nicely with some special lines and colors. Oh and I added the romantic add ons to this as well, should they be interested.
Thanks for the input y'all!.
Sounds like a good way to go. Hope it works for you. IT is a nice touch.
 
Okay I tossed something together.
I have basic welcome we look forward to serving you here ...blah blah and have a small image at the top of the B&B from the road - a link to the blog to find things to see and do during their visit, and our check in times and where to park (to call if they are arriving AFTER check in time). Contact info and our names and slogan.
I put a link to our directions and referred to their orig confirmation with a link to the full policies.
I won't put restaurant info on this, it would become a book trying to express what is closed on which day, I have that info here in their room.
I won't customize this for each guest, just slap all the email addresses on a bcc for the week and send them out each Sunday night for that week. Which could be useless if they are on the road already, but it can't be perfect for every situation.
I have it formatted nicely with some special lines and colors. Oh and I added the romantic add ons to this as well, should they be interested.
Thanks for the input y'all!.
Sounds good but labor-intensive for me. I will go and change my confirmation email, tho. Thanks for posting this.
.
I will email it to you so you can see it. I think it is a nice touch, and another reminder about checkin times - right now it is not a big deal but when busy it frustrates the heck out of me, so this s/b good. and maybe I can sell more add on packages this way, instead of being in their face on the rez, I like this.
.
I was just going to say, email me a copy so I can take a peek:)
 
could i see a copy via email, too?
i am thinking about those few (many?) who book by phone and don't want to give an email address. would you send a printed out similar welcome by snail mail? or if the email is bounced, would you call or would you send a snail mail or let it go?
 
could i see a copy via email, too?
i am thinking about those few (many?) who book by phone and don't want to give an email address. would you send a printed out similar welcome by snail mail? or if the email is bounced, would you call or would you send a snail mail or let it go?.
I don't have your email addie saved, shoot me off an email and I will reply to it with the letter. :)
 
could i see a copy via email, too?
i am thinking about those few (many?) who book by phone and don't want to give an email address. would you send a printed out similar welcome by snail mail? or if the email is bounced, would you call or would you send a snail mail or let it go?.
If I have guests who won't give emails, and there are at least 2/month, I print out the usual confirmation and send that via snail mail. A bounced email and I usually wait for them to contact me.
I think for a follow up email like this, if the rez was really far into the future and I had no email, I would send this out via snail mail.
 
Would you please e-mail it me also. This really sounds wonderful..
sandynn said:
Would you please e-mail it me also. This really sounds wonderful.
Sure. :)
I feel bad as it isn't anything fancy. I used to have a fancier confirmation but it got caught up in spam filters too often.
 
Back
Top