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How clean?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Hells Bells, same here
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
When I had a place in Spain, clients had the option of paying a few euros for a 'welcome pack' with the basics in. It worked well.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Lets be honest here
..
Brits do not clean up!!
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
We leave all sorts of stuff behind, both summer and winter, no idea what happens to it. By and large when we arrive there is often not much of any use though, where does it all go?

I will say that we rented a condo in Canada at Christmas and the owners left 6 bottles of Okanagan wine including a bottle of fizz (that got popped at new year) and a 1.4 kg tin of Costco Belgian chocolate biscuits, which I brought home and am still enjoying now, but only just Very Happy
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Our last apartment in Les Carroz was lovely and well stocked. Lots of basics in the cupboard like olive oil, herbs, seasoning, t-bags etc. and all the essentials to keep it clean including dishwasher tablets, washing up liquid, bin bags, recycling bags, toilet gel, air fresheners.

It was like home from home, she even left bubble bath!

We left all the food we had that was cupboard proof for the next guests - so they arrived to cereal, british t-bags, hot chocolate, beer and cola and a couple of sauces in jars.

The owner came to greet us (at 11.30pm!) and show us round, and her and her husband turned up to clean when we left so I reckon its the "personal touch" that makes a difference.

I think you have to think that your guests are on holiday - just because they are self-catering doesn't mean they don't want a break from mundane shopping. Its one thing to go to the supermarket and choose a nice cheese, or wine or some French delicacy and another to have to spend your time in the household aisles.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
flangesax wrote:
Without trying to sound like a complete back bottom, " the client/customer are always right IMO" is an angle I'm always up for debating!
We get poor reviews on booking.com because people can't drive and then manage to clip their car on a mahoosive snow bank or a stationary wall etc... etc...

I would say that dusty blinds, corners of cupboards are something that is normally dealt with on a deeper clean rather than a change-over. I tend to get these things done as soon as I notice them (although I'm sure prevention is better than cure), mainly because there is so much to do in such a small space of time.

But... dirty floors, kitchen surfaces, bathrooms, sheets, crumby sofa (just going to check mine wink )are all things that should be on the change-over list!


As far as cleanliness I think by and large you have to do whatever it takes to make the client happy but getting poor reviews based on someone’s complete inability to take responsibility for there own lack of common sense/timekeeping/driving ability or whatever, I agree it’s can be extremely frustrating.

As an online retailer myself we live in a world where sometimes customer are just downright unreasonable in the expectations and you are held to ransom by the inevitable threat they are going to leave you a negative feedback review.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I can't believe how many of the apartments in France don't provide linen. This year we are going to what looks like quite a luxurious apartment but we have to take our own sheets and towels - that is going to be a challenge as we have only booked one big bag between us as we didn't realise.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Quote:


I can't believe how many of the apartments in France don't provide linen. This year we are going to what looks like quite a luxurious apartment but we have to take our own sheets and towels - that is going to be a challenge as we have only booked one big bag between us as we didn't realise.


Wear them as toga's.

Problem solved.
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@skimummk,
Quote:

I can't believe how many of the apartments in France don't provide linen.

We've always found that if linen wasn't provided the agencies handling the lettings offered a linen hire service. Sometimes it's hidden away in the small print others we've either been emailed offering linen hire a couple of weeks before or on arrival. As we drive we normally take our own anyway. It may be worth an email to your provider. If they don't offer the service then there maybe hire services in the village.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
It's always possible there's been a simple mix-up between, say, a personal use week and a subsequent agency week rental. This happened with our apt recently, with friends departing and an agency client arriving. The agency thought we were leaving the place fully-cleaned - it was an email translation misunderstanding. When we stayed back in Dec we told them we'd clean fully. I think they read this as being the case for every 'personal' reservation in future.

So while I'd say that the OP's expectations are reasonable, it's worth appreciating that mix-ups do occur and it's worth complaining straight away, when something can be done. In their case, the agency may have been entirely happy to have sent the cleaners in while they were out skiing.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@skimummk, it is normal for France. And as above, either they’ll rent themselves or someone local will. Often the launderette.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
If I book an apartment with a dishwasher I try to remember to pack some tablets for it as they are rarely provided. That said, twice in the last year, I've found DW tabs in the welcome pack provided by the agency, despite there being no dishwasher.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
philwig wrote:
As a reader, if the negative reviews are less than about 5% of the total and if the ones I look at
are clearly angry then I reckon the business is great.


I do this too, it’s amazing what some people will complain about. On the other hand some people put up with an awful lot, like the 9/10 review on Booking which listed against negatives: “not a huge thing but blood on the duvet cover" Shocked
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
I've talked to our own agents and resident owners about change-over day, and why more don't provide a welcome pack (say including some UHT milk, tea, coffee and even perhaps a pizza in the 'fridge).

The answer was that they prefer to focus on the key things about change-over. Firstly, the (often complex) logistics of getting the cleaning team around all the properties in time. Second, dealing with the various problems that come up, which include people arriving unexpectedly early; people being delayed so they don't turn up 'till after midnight; hunting down someone who is parked in the reserved space and getting them to move; and - apparently more common than you'd think - someone in a group going down with a bug and being just too ill to move (so can they stay on a couple more days 'till they've improved?); genuine mix-ups about owners using the place; clients simply not ready to leave by the 10am deadline; lights/appliances deciding that Sat is the day when they break down; arguing about damage (we had someone effectively write-off a £200 coffee-table with a candle burn and steadfastly argue it wasn't anything major) ... etc.

If I was a resident or local owner, I'd probably do a Welcome Pack to include the items I listed. But If I was an agency, I can see why they have other priorities. And it's better not to offer it at all than offer it and then disappoint someone. One owner said that given how some people complain (not putting the OP into this category), whatever you did leave, someone would be eventually complain it wasn't what they wanted e.g. you're more likely to get a bad review from someone who didn't like UHT skimmed milk than if you didn't provide any milk at all.

They also said they've had complaints in the past about stuff people have left that's stale, or past it's sell-by date. So the cleaners leave stuff that will last through the season (like salt, pepper, sugar, coffee, tea and spices), but clear out anything that has a shorter sell by date. It might seem perverse, but they felt that in the end, it caused the minimum of issues.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Billy Bob wrote:
.......Was in Switzerland...............


Are nixmap's volunteers having too good a time ? wink wink
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