Managing Your Rental Guests Here’s a note from my guest book following a rainy few days at Osprey Cottage. ‘We came here looking for a place to sleep and cook the occasional meal while we explored the area and did some hiking. Instead, because of the rain, we stayed indoors most of the time but when the sun came out, neither of us wanted to leave the cottage. You have so many books and games and DVDs we spend our time reading, playing and watching classic movies, as well as some blockbusters….I forgot how much I liked Titanic. Thank you so much for providing so much to do in rainy weather – it made our disappointment so much easier to bear. We did get to do some hiking and did some of the walks you recommended which we would not have found otherwise. We love this place and will be back’ When I’m in my rental manager mode and viewing cottages for prospective rental, one of the things I always check is whether there are sufficient rainy day resources provided. Are there plenty of paperback books in a range of genres – mysteries, romance, thrillers, children’s books etc? Are games and jigsaw puzzles intact and newer looking? How many movies are provided and is there a good selection? When an owner objected to my suggestion she give some thought to indoor entertainment, because of the additional cost, my answer was that there may be more cost in not considering guest overall satisfaction. An unhappy rental guest will often find something to complain about when the weather doesn’t play fair, and the property is a more likely target than the weather man. So if you have gone the extra mile to offer alternatives to the outdoor experience, you will be more likely to get positive feedback, than if you don’t.
