Open Air Business August/September 2017

GLAMPSITES
Problem Handling
Kate Morel guides us through the tricky area of pre-empting
and handling complaints and problem guests
SUN-FLARED PHOTO’S of kids holding fluffy
chickens, friends laughing around a twilight
campfire, a cosy couple chinking glasses on
a sunset porch. Ahhhh – glamping, dreamy
isn’t it?
These idyllic photographs portray the
perfect country break because we are selling
(and hopefully delivering) ‘the dream’.
However, if you’re considering running your
own glamping business but haven’t any
experience in self-catering holiday rental,
you might be unaware of the less dreamy
issues that go on behind the scenes. So, this
month Tally has asked me to write about
some of the situations we might encounter
(and offer a few tips), although as any
holiday accommodation provider will tell
you, there are many, many more.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE
Most bookings go without a hitch; the guests
are lovely, they leave the place as they
found it, and everyone is happy. However,
sometimes, just sometimes, this isn’t the
case. I recall a hotel manager once joking
that ‘it would be a great business if it wasn’t
for the customers’, and indeed, some of
them aren’t the respectful, reasonable
people we’d hope for, but then, neither are
some accommodation providers.
It’s quite an eye opener
working in hospitality because
you see a side to humanity
that can be quite baffling. When
some people leave home for a
break they behave in ways they
wouldn’t usually dream of, or leave
their common sense behind, and
glamping provides a dazzling array
of opportunities for this to become
apparent. But, it’s all part of running
such a business, and it will save us
much exasperation if we accept that
it comes with the territory. A practical
mindset, discernment and good
interpersonal skills will certainly help
when dealing with them.
MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
Sometimes a disgruntled customer
isn’t being unreasonable, they simply
feel that the accommodation doesn’t
live up to the promises or meet their
expectations. It’s obviously important
to present our offer in a positive but realistic
manner and ensure we can deliver what our
marketing is promising. I could be wrong,
but I think this is becoming more difficult
as glamping increases in popularity. It’s fast
becoming a mainstream holiday option with
hyped-up press reviews and articles that can
unreasonably raise the public’s expectations.
Given that it is, in essence, a holiday in a field
and that varying standards apply, there are
bound to be repercussions.
Some of the issues that we will face
can’t be avoided, no matter how much we
manage expectations, communicate, make
allowances or install precautions. All we can
do, is our best to minimise the opportunity
GETTY IMAGES
for them to occur, as well as fulfil our legal
obligations.
DAMAGE LIMITATIONS
Sometimes, we could make things easier on
ourselves. One thing we can do to minimise
some issues is to ensure our T&Cs are clear
and help guests understand what isn’t
acceptable on-site, and how to operate
facilities. T&Cs must be displayed on the
website, and points pertinent to on site
matters and safety could be reiterated as
‘house rules’ in the booking confirmation
letter and within the guest information folder
in the accommodation. That might seem
a bit over the top, but the more times it is
presented, the more chance it has of being
read.
Where facilities require special operation
such as a hot tub, show guests how they
work and leave written instructions for when
you are not around.
Modern life is busy and guests might be so
snowed under that they don’t always read
the things they should. Depending on the
site in question, T&Cs/house rules need to be
concise, clear and can include some of the
following points:
› Man’s best friend: Muddy
paw prints on white bedding,
poop littering the site or fleas in
your rugs and furnishings – there’s
nothing glamorous about those.
Some glamping sites won’t accept
dogs at all because of this, or due to
the level of accommodation or the
proximity of stock. However, if the
accommodation does accept pets,
insist that dog parasite treatments
are up to date before the start of the
holiday, and that owners must clear up.
Clearly state what is/isn’t acceptable and
outline ‘excess cleaning fees’ as
below.
› Excess cleaning:
Occasionally you might
find the accommodation
in a terrible state.
Maybe there’s mud
or post-party debris
everywhere, the hot
tubs lined with ›