Welcome/Information Folder

[pambon]

My info book is similar to lorca's; although the town is internationally known I still get asked about excursions, places to eat, general sightseeing etc. It runs to 24 pages ( ) taking in household info, sightseeing etc with relevant photos, & emergency info.

This winter I'm probably going to add a page of my personal recommendations since this seems to be a recurrent query by guests which I feel I should perhaps address.

[joddle]

"complete" pack of some 70 pages is left in the villa and updated regularly.

Well I don't suppose everyone reads anything like the lot but I try and give information which people may like and be useful - and have had loads of compliments about the book - not one has ever said it is too big! (at least to me!!!!)

I keep the print larger than normal so pages are easy to read - keeping to one topic per page so people dont have to read loads to get what they want.

Loads of clear diagrams for intructions of all the villa's apparatus (Satellite, washing machine, wi-fi etc) as many people who come are not English and I cant replicate all that in loads of languages and there is nothing so frustrating to be guessing how things work

Train and bus timetables take up several pages as do lists of important telephone numbers and adresses for doctors, emergancy services and local contacts.

I think people just use the bits they need - so I try and provide everything I think which could be of use or be important. The book is in clear sections with an index so guests can find what they need easily.

[lorca]

Well I don't suppose everyone reads anything like the lot but I try and give information which people may like and be useful - and have had loads of compliments about the book - not one has ever said it is too big! (at least to me!!!!)

We get lots of compliments too - I think splitting it up into separate booklets helps - so folks can look at the bits they´re interested in.

[Marks]

I'm lucky if they read the first line let alone compliment me on my description of how to find the communal rubbish bins!

[French Cricket]

We have separate booklets too - feels less daunting.

There's a 'house' book - around 16 pages (including some pics to lighten it up). This covers all the basics like where to find things, how the house works, recycling, multimedia, breakfast/dinner arrangements, 'stuff' we have available for loan, departure, emergencies, etc etc. I send guests a pdf copy of this one with their pre-arrival email and directions, which is much appreciated and I think people enjoy reading it as a way of getting into their holiday.

Then at the house there's a book of instructions for appliances - some of which I've rewritten because they were such gobbledygook - plus another one which serves as a local guide. That's a work in progress, as is the restaurant guide. Then finally there's our own walking guide - lots of laminated pages with walk descriptions and copies of the IGN map (taken from Geoportail) that people can take out with them. That's also a work in progress - probably always will be.

It's a big job, because each book has an English copy and a French copy. I need to do much more work on the English local guide this winter as all the books, leaflets, walking guides etc produced about the area are in French and Spanish - no English copies.

[Giddy Goat]

This is an earlier thread on the subject: viewtopic.php?p=125019

The best guest manual ever must surely be Martha's. Hopefully she'll snowboard past soon and post the link. It's peppered imaginatively with photos to break up the text and encourage visitors to read on ... let's face it, reading about where to dump your rubbish is pretty boring!

[esentziak]

Loads of clear diagrams for intructions of all the villa's apparatus (Satellite, washing machine, wi-fi etc) as many people who come are not English and I cant replicate all that in loads of languages and there is nothing so frustrating to be guessing how things work

Hi Jodle

How do you do that (diagrams) ?

Dominique

[joddle]

Yes lots of diagrams for the instructions for TV, video, DVD, Satellite etc - they take ages to produce neatly but I use a DTP package and photo all the remotes and then use arrows for the basic instructions to point to the various buttons. It takes some time to get it looking simple and neat but well worth it – even my parents resorted to using the instructions from the manual when they stayed even though they have been loads of times before – its being familiar with things that makes it so easy and of course our guests are just plunged into the environment with no one to show them what to do so having something which shows you what to do is better for them – and the operating manuals for the kit are normally horrendous so best kept out of sight. I also use photos of some of the kit to show where it is and what it looks like when working correctly eg the wi fi set up.

I quite like one of the ideas above of using separate books - so may think of seperating mine at some point - more though on that required though!

[esentziak]

[quote="joddle"]Yes lots of diagrams for the instructions for TV, video, DVD, Satellite etc - they take ages to produce neatly but I use a DTP package and photo all the remotes and then use arrows for the basic instructions to point to the various buttons.

that's a really good idea ! any chance you could show us a sample ?

Dominique

[joddle]

Hmm - tried to post some pics but cant seem to do it!!!
[/img]

[esentziak]

OK thanks for trying

Dominique

[funkymonkey]

Thanks to everyone for their input and ideas, I certainly have enough information now to start me off.

The difficult bit to write I'm finding is the instructions on how to use the washing machine etc, it's so much easier to explain when you say it rather than writing instructions down

Thanks again.

K

[barbersdrove]

All I;ve done for the equipment is photocopy the appropriate pages from the instruction manual and left an 'equipment' folder separate to the welcome one.

[Mouse]

Given the fact that guests don't usually read the information unless they need something I decided to do it as an A-Z so that it's easy to look up Rubbish for example or Beaches.

I also leave every manual we have in a kitchen drawer, but given we're on site we're usually the first port of call anyway.

I agree with GG, Martha's is top notch and I wish I had the skills to do that...but I'm going to give it a go in the winter and also try and inject some humour in to it. Something to aspire to!

Mouse
x
p.s. on our kitchen makeover I installed blackboards...that's proved to be a lot of fun and guests have enjoyed leaving messages, drawings and tip! I've started to take photo's of them on departure day.

[Giddy Goat]

p.s. on our kitchen makeover I installed blackboards...that's proved to be a lot of fun and guests have enjoyed leaving messages, drawings and tip! I've started to take photo's of them on departure day.

Great idea Mousie!