Seattle Hard Freeze - Lodging Newsletter February 13th, 2014

By William May
Published: 02/13/14 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

After a hard freeze in Seattle, today is balmy and (winter) warm. Here is the latest news and updates.

This week we are adding two more regular features to the newsletter:

(1) A member profile

(2) A pop quiz at the end. Please RSVP with your answers.

(3) Reminders from prior newsletters.

And have you sent me your comments, questions & suggestions?

Sincerely,

William May
Vortex Organization
Voice: 866-925-5188 x902

========================

PERIODIC UPDATES FOR 02/10/14

NEWSLETTERS: Are you reading the online newsletters? Click here to catch up.

http://vortexmethod.com/newsletters/index.html

GUEST BOOKS: There is to be a Guest Book in every unit in which guests can leave comments. Those are to be photocopied every month at a minimum, and faxed or mailed to the office. Today I was adding those comments into guest reviews for one unit in particular. They had dozens of really nice comments and these are a big help for guests who may want to rent that unit. Your homes fall below if you fail to send us the guest books.

WELCOME BOOKS: We are creating a new "Welcome Book" format customized to each location, that will include unit information, local events and merchants. We'll send you proofs soon.

EYES PEELED: It is important to know everything going on in your market - who manages which properties, are they doing a good job, what events are taking place. This is a competitive business, so please remember to call or email me with the latest info from your town. Sometimes that will help us help you more.

MEMBER PROFILE: This week we salute Deresa Norman, who oversees all the housekeeper and many maintenance issue in Leavenworth Washington. Luckily we bumped into Deresa when we opened in that market close to 10 years ago. We have learned so much about housekeeping and its no wonder that we just never get complaints about the great housekeeping she and her crew complete. In fact, their work is so good that Deresa has helped train others in our group who rave about her techniques and quality.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

TEST QUESTIONS:

(1) What is the only item that can be left in a refrigerator when a guest checks into a rental?

(2) Which of our businesses creates the photos, slide shows and videos for all our properties? What is it's name?

(3) Even when an owner cleans after their own use, what is the type of clean that must always be done immediately thereafter?

Grading - you don't have to get all the answers, but you lose brownie points if you don't respond.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

And here are some reminders:

VORTEX COLLEGE: Dates have been picked for this year's Vortex Continuing Education. We really need each manager to come to the February meeting. Big things are happening. Managers needs to attend at least every other meeting to retain their certification. Hey, this really is worth the time and attention. Click here to see dates and RSVP for February today pretty please:

Vortex Classes

WAVRMA: Meeting Dates for the Washington State Association meetings have also been set. So click here to attend. These are only twice a year for now, and on the day before Vortex College meetings - so you can hit both in one trip, two days. Click here to see those dates:

WAVRMA Meetings

Please RSVP your attendance today.

Read more

Author: William May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0349 – 02/13/14

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Like Happy Lemmings to the Seahawk

By William May
Published: 02/06/14 Topics: Seattle, Sports Comments: 0

As I drove my wife and son to downtown Seattle from our home just 20 blocks to the East, the traffic, usually light, was oppressive. On every side street thousands of people were streaming down the hill like lemmings to the sea. Sidewalks were so full, entire families walked down the middle of the auto jammed streets.

On the gigantic ferries that bring vehicles into Seattle, many walk-on passengers arrived before dawn to get a seat among the other thousands sailing, but many had to wait up to three crossings just to get a standing room only ticket. They worried they would be too late.

From North and South, state patrol troopers said automobile traffic on the 8 lane Interstate freeways were in grid lock for ten miles on each side of the city. Drives and passengers stood outside their cars unable to continue to what was then the center of the universe

As my car inched across an overpass, a roar erupted from the thousands of nearby people as they screamed, shook their fists, and waved flags at several buses that were then inching along the freeway below they headed for Seattle. Emergency lights were blinking on the buses, while they were accompanied by a police escort. Every pedestrian stopped to stare and scream. Cars stopped, occupants jumped out to join in the screaming, leaving their cars running with doors wide open.

The city seems to have succeeded from the United States, all visible American flags were gone and replaced with odd new flags. All in green and blue sporting a giant number 12 emblazoned on them.

The day before the Seattle School Superintendent had announced that no student absences would be tolerated today but quickly changed his mind after getting thousands of angry messages - including a tweet from the Mayor.

Later it was reported that 25% of the students in the region called in sick with a mysterious form of hysteria . As did workers from major corporations, big companies and small. In all, over 750,000 people converged on a short street in the middle of a town bathed in cold temperatures but brilliantly blue skies.

Getting anywhere near the city center was impossible, so I dropped by family off close to downtown and headed back up the hill to my office. It was eerie. I felt like the only car driving East away from town. Stopping at a large coffee shop I was delighted to find the place empty, no line.

The barista asked if I was a football fan. "No," I said, "Is that what's going on?"

"Are you kidding me?" he asked with disbelief. All that hub bub out there are the fans happily going to attend a parade that will feature their Seahawks football team. A group made up of long suffering veterans, players selected low in the draft when other teams felt them unworthy, and numerous draft choices that were ridiculed by pundits.

It seemed that the Seahawks last Sunday had just won the biggest sporting event in the United States - the Super Bowl. Hopes were high all year, but the Seahawks dominated games and unexpectedly overpowered a team who promised to dispatch Seattle with ease. Nothing motivates like disrespect, and Seattle dispatched the Denver Bronco team 43 to 8, coming close to shutting out a team favored to trounce them.

Their coach took an unusual approach by preparing a team who never allowed themselves to say that winning the top title was their goal. They decided it far simpler and far more direct to purely set a record of One win and no loss in every game. Each game would take care of the next.

In the title game, they made it just another game and one in which they were completely prepared to simply go One win and no loss.

In fact, the annual celebration that in other sports would be called a world championship, is only a Super Bowl for American football because it has been unique to North America.

In recent years teams have traveled to England for games and plans are afield to let other destinations experience what America has known for so long - American football exhibits much of what is great about America.

Thus being that working together works best. That persevering is always worth the pain. That no one should ever let anyone else define them, or limit them, or disrespect them. Every child who watched today's parade in person or saw it on the televisions that were on in every home and every business, learned something important.

It was voiced by the team leader quarterback, in the words of his recently deceased father. When this player was told he was too small, too slow and didn't fit in anywhere, he remembered the words of his father who said, "Why not you Russell? Why not?"

Sports are an opportunity for every citizen in the region to smile, remember and share. It makes people lively while appreciating others. Lastly, it makes people happy and what could be better than that?

Read more

Author: William May
Blog #: 0345 – 02/06/14

Vortex College - Lodging Newsletter February 3rd, 2014

By William May
Published: 02/03/14 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

Another month has already passed, in yet another year. So what a good time to get in gear, pump it up!

Are you getting these newsletters? Please let me know by responding to this email.

You could also send me a few ideas for what you want included in the next few weeks. Or feel free to comment pro or con.

Sincerely,

William May Vortex Organization Voice: 866-925-5188 x902

========================

PERIODIC UPDATES FOR 02/03/14

NEWSLETTERS: Are you reading the online newsletters? Click here to catch up.

Vortex Newsletters

VORTEX COLLEGE: Dates have been picked for this year's Vortex Continuing Education. We really need each manager to come to the February meeting. Big things are happening. Then Managers needs to attend at least every other meeting to retain their certification. Hey, this really is worth the time and attention. Click here to see dates and RSVP for February today pretty please:

Vortex College Dates (click here)

WAVRMA: Meeting Dates for the Washington State Association meetings have also been set. So click here to attend. These are only twice a year for now, and on the day before Vortex College meetings - so you can hit both in one trip, two days. Click here to see those dates:

WAVRMA Event Dates (Click here)

FOOD & CONDIMENTS: For Health Department reasons, food and condiments can not be left in refrigerators. Owners should be discouraged from leaving food in cupboards. Instead, anything they want to stock should go in their lock off. If owners insist on leaving food it should be in their lock off. If they insist on putting it on shelves, they must leave plenty of room for guest food and presume their personal food may disappear without compensation.

And if they insist on leaving condiments or food in the refrigerator, guest will complain loudly about lack of hygiene. The only thing that goes in refrigerators is a box of baking soda. So - if you have owners not adhering to these ideas, please talk to them immediately. If they continue, then you must remove anything you find in the refrigerator.

BACKUP PERSON: For some destinations, this time of year is a great time to go on vacation. However, managers must have a reliable and knowledgeable backup person available 24/7. AND they must introduce that person to the office staff by providing name, phone, email, address etc.

A good idea is to have that person call the office. Omitting this could cause everyone to lose thousands of dollars and, worse, to disappoint guests or owners in some way. If you haven't setup your backup person with the office - please do so now. Today.

DEEP CLEAN FLYER: Keeping houses up to hospitality clean is an absolute requirement in lodging. Owners seldom have an idea of the immense work this requires. So attached here is a new flyer "How Clean is Clean Enough." Please memorize it. You can download copies on the website.

Clean Enough Flyer (Click, requires login)

FLUID WIDTH: Salman, our ace website programmer, has been working double duty to make some pretty big changes to our websites. With the invention of wider computer screens, it was necessary to re-write all of our website pages and code into what we are lovingly calling "Jumbo" code."

It has taken literally hundreds of hours, and will require hundreds more to convert all the websites. But doing so will allow us to create wide websites (16 to 9 ratio) that still look correct on conventional monitors (2 to 3 ratio). You won't see much difference at first, but as Joe and Fahim work at increasing image sizes, the improved design capability will be beautiful. Take a look at this sample:

www.Goldener.com is our current width.

www.GoldenerResorts.com is our new width.

MOBILE WEBSITE: The new technology also has allowed Salman to begin creating mobile website functionality. Due to the smaller screens the sites are much different but soon will have all the same functionality. Including that managers and housekeepers will be able to see calendars on their phones and even mark cleans done, or submit work orders. This is going to be great. Look at this www.GoldenerResorts.comon your mobile phone.

Or you can go to GoldenerResorts.com then look for the "Go to Mobile website" on the bottom of the regular website.

Read more

Author: William May – Manager, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0347 – 02/03/14

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

How to Hire & Retain Happy Housekeepers (10 rules)

By Wm. May
Published: 01/28/14 Topics: Lodging Management, Vacation Rental Association, Vacation Rentals, WAVRMA Comments: 0

Servers at restaurants, both fancy and plain, demand tips. The valet who parks your car puts his hand out. Even your neighborhood Starbucks barista wants money for making up your fancy café mocha, skinny, double cup, with foam.

In Lodging many guests simply do not know they need to tip those hard working housekeepers who slip in and out of their rooms while they sit comfortably in the dining room, paying too much for dinner, and giving the smiling cheerful waiter a big tip for being so attentive.

Recent anecdotal responses indicate that tipping in Vacation Rentals occurs less often in hotels. That is a disrespectful situation that must change.

Industry research consistently points to lack of cleanliness as the most common complaint of travelers. Everyone wants a good clean place to stay. But some guests are even reluctant to stay in a vacation rental for fear it is not sparkling clean.

It is time to prove them wrong.

Heavy Work

Those who clean bathrooms, scrub kitchens and scour barbecues deserve the highest respect not the lowest. It is hard work and under appreciated.

By comparison, being a corporate executive is a piece of cake. Those big wigs must even "Carve out" time everyday to go to the gym for the workout they do not get at work.

Housekeepers don't need a trip to the gym. They get down on hands and knees scrubbing floors, they climb ladders to clean or change light bulbs and they tote tons of trash out of homes.

Rent By Owners

Vacation rental rent-by-owners complain they can not find housekeepers, or good ones, can't keep them, or lose them often with little notice. That is because amateur owners base their hiring and retention methods on personal observations instead of empirical knowledge.

There are secrets to finding and keeping most any kind of employee, but they are especially clear and unavoidable for housekeepers and other workers who do societies dirty work.

Rental Managers:

Some vacation rental managers make the same complaints, but often they are new to the industry or have an over-blown sense of their own importance, while avoiding the hard work of personally cleaning homes.

Walking a mile in a housekeepers shoes is the only way to understand how difficult and deadline driven the work can be, and why those housekeeper shoes are often worn and tattered.

Luckily, most vacation rental managers eventually discover the secrets to finding and keeping the kind of loyal, industrious and committed workers who are willing to clean toilets and do other unglamorous work.

10 Iron Clad Rules

To find and keep top-quality people, who serve your guests well and do so with a smile on their faces it is necessary to follow some iron-clad rules.

PAY - Stop scrimping and pay people well. Pay them based on the hours cleans take and not on your budget, which is often far too little, and seldom accounts for differences in how guests leave a home.

SCHEDULING - Arrange cleaning dates as far in advance as possible. Provide online tools so workers can see where they are to be and when. Adjust schedules to accommodate second jobs, day-care, etc.

FULL TIME - Don't hire more people than you need. There will be employees who prefer part-time work but most want to get a full week's pay or close to it.

WEEKLY PAY - Pay your staff weekly, do it direct-deposit and never miss a payroll deadline, even by a few minutes. Everyone needs to get paid. They have bills to pay.

TIPS - Put out cute and subtle time envelopes, signed by the cleaner that just so happen to mention tipping. Guest actually like to reward those who serve them. Unlike restaurants, lodging guests need a reminder. This can increase pay 24 to 30% making housekeepers beam.

STANDARDS - Write clear concise cleaning "Hospitality" standards. Do not demand "Hospital" standards because they are not necessary or economically feasible. If you don't know the difference, someone else in your organization needs to be the inspector.

TRAINING - Require even experienced housekeepers to work along side current staff to learn the ropes of each home. Use checklists. Train, re-train and train again. Inspect work. Provide pleasant feedback.

HONESTY - Only hold housekeepers to a standard you could attain. To prove it - clean multiple houses in one day, and invite the housekeepers to inspect your work. Then do it for a week.

BE KIND - Cleaning small simple hotel rooms is far easier than scrubbing large personal homes that can have owner possessions, far more furniture and utensils and even peculiar outfitting.

RESPECT - Every housekeeper must be treated with the utmost respect. Never raise your voice. Never complain, Never insinuate.

This is the most often violated rule, but the most important one. Never fall victim to your feeling of superiority.

BONUS TIP - Believe every word housekeepers tell you. If a home needs deep cleaning - believe them, If a house needs extra cleaning after an owner says they cleaned it - believe them. If the vacuum cleaner needs to be replaced - believe them

Anything less disrespects the challenging labor to they do for you so reliably.

The Result

Not all new hires will be good housekeepers. Not all will achieve hospitality standards. Not all will remain employees for years to come. But converting your thinking to these iron clad rules will insure you achieve the following:

• High Quality Hospitality Cleaning.
• Happy guests and property owners.
• Respect from wonderful housekeepers
• Personal satisfaction in knowing you treated people well.

Read more

Author: Wm. May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0338 – 01/28/14

Seattle Seahwaks Berzerk - Lodging Newsletter January 27th, 2014

By William May
Published: 01/27/14 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

Even if you are not a fan, I must tell you that Seattle has gone berserk with the Seahawks being in the Superbowl next weekend. The International Boat Show has cancelled a day early, figuring no one would want to be at the boat show that Sunday. A film festival postponed movies. And church services are starting early so parishioners can get home early, albeit for a game that doesn't start until 3:30PM.

But like good troopers, our reservation office will be open as usual. But we won't mind if staff members keep the TV on.

Hey, I need new ideas for this newsletter. I am asking everyone of you to email or call me with one or more questions, ideas or revelations. I am awarding a free car to the first person who respond.

Sincerely,

William May

Vortex Organization

Voice: 866-925-5188 x902

==============================

PERIODIC UPDATES FOR 01/27/14

YELP COME UPANCE: There is a growing backlash against the hundreds of complaint websites that have been created. Yep, for example, gains search engine visibility with each negative ad. And then they strong arm merchants into buying. Check out the article here.

BOARD OF ADVISORS: Did you know we have a board of Advisors who meet to help direct our efforts? They are completely independent and don't hesitate to question, criticize and sometimes compliment. Please read about there.

VOICEMAIL DIRECT: Sometimes I really need to leave people Voicemails but I really don't want to call them late at night. And you might want to call me when its late. No problem. Instead of calling someone's phone extension (such as mine which is 902), you can just add a "1" to that number and the call goes directly to voicemail. For me its 9021. Give it a try.

REMOTE DESKTOP: For over a decade we have been using a program called "Remote Desktop" which allows office staff to logon to our servers to do work. Outside offices, such as Crystal Chalets, can also logon just as if they were in the office. Many of us use it from home and it is really a wonderful tool.

TEAM VIEWER: In recent years we have also been using a fee program called www.LogMeIn.com, setup on everyone's PC, which allows our System Administrator to logon to those computers to fix and update them when necessary. Unfortunately LMI has now decided to charge high fees so our new SysAdmin - Ryan Coley - will be setting up all PC's to use a new software called TeamViewer.com .

Think of Ryan as your personal SysAdmin. Although he works for us part-time, he will be happy to help with your personal computer so everything works well. All of this helps us all communicate and work better together.

Read more

Author: William May – Manager, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0337 – 01/27/14

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Double Duty - Lodging Newsletter January 20th, 2014

By William May
Published: 01/22/14 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

And this week another holiday. Seems like we just got over Christmas/New Years, eh?

Call in your ideas to me today.

Sincerely,

William May

Vortex Organization

Voice: 866-925-5188 x902

==============================

PERIODIC UPDATES FOR 01/20/14

SYSTEM ADMIN: We are happy to report that Ryan Coley has joined us as our System Administrator. He has great experience and lots of energy. His job is to keep all computer servers up and running. That includes websites, email and file servers. Plus he'll tune up work stations, printers and take care of backups and trouble shooting. Give him a call if you need help.

NEWSLETTER: Have you read the newsletter about my surprising trip to the Dollar Store? Click here (You gotta logon):

Bill's Excellent Dollar Store Trip

DOUBLE DUTY: Matt Hart has joined us to help with both accounting and marketing. He is busily revising property owner prospect lists and we will start mailing this week. Managers should expect to get phones calls.

EMMALEE: For weekend support, Emmalee David has joined us and you may already have noticed her

fabulously friend voice and infectious laugh. She is already doing a great job.

VAROOM: Today marks the start of some new marketing for the Varoom program. Please take a look at www.Varoom.biz and the attached sales materials. (These can be downloaded if you logon) A few more pieces to go.

REFUND POLICIES: Do you know when bookings are cancelable? Or when refunds are warranted? That is a trick question. Although we have standard policies, which are very similar to other lodging managers - at each complex, we educate property owners about dealing with consumers and even ask their preferences about policies and refunds.

Don't we all wish there was never an issue, but pretending that any company can satisfy all guests would be foolish. Instead, we just work overtime to keep folks happy. And decided about make-goods, refunds or other arrangements when necessary.

WHO KNEW: If you query Google with the right key words, you can see how guests are teaching each other how to rip off lodging providers. Some guest complaints are legitimate, but be on guard for guys like these.

A kid so proud to steal from a hotel
More Odd Behavior

Read more

Author: William May – Manager, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0335 – 01/22/14

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Slow Snow Fall Back - Lodging Newsletter January 6th, 2014

By William May
Published: 01/06/14 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

We are off and running for the new year.

A tip of the hat to everyone who worked so hard over the Holidays. The good news - its over. The bad news - now we need more properties to manage. Especially during the slow season.

Call in your ideas to me today.

Sincerely,

William May

Vortex Organization

Voice: 866-925-5188 x902

==============================

PERIODIC UPDATES FOR 01/06/14

SLOW SNOW: Every year skiers wait breathlessly for the snow to fly so they can hustle to the mountain for fun. This year, the snow is later than usual but there is still plenty of time for the white stuff to make it a great year. Cross your tips.

OWNER APPROVALS: To keep properties in great condition, undertaking maintenance and buying replacements is sometimes necessary. Most management contracts specify owners are to be contacted to approve any expense over $500. However, it is best to inform owners early, or before expenditure for anything over $100. If an owner objects, make them aware that keeping everything running well, is simply necessary. Failure to do so will result in guest chargebacks or credits greater than the cost of repairs.

URGENT MATTERS: On the other hand, management contracts also allow managers to spend more than $500 if repairs are urgent or owners are not reachable. But in any case, for any expense over $100 please contact the office first to make sure the owner has funds on account.

FALL BACK: Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detector batteries are to be replaced in Spring and Autumn, when you change your clocks to "Spring Forward and Fall Behind." Owners often forget to do the batteries which can later be annoying to guests when the low-battery alarm goes off in the middle of the night. If you fear any batteries were not replaced this fall, its time to do it now.

MEET THE NEIGHBORS: When attending to properties, if you see neighbors be sure to say hello, introduce yourself and gave them your card. Ask them to call us if they see anything a miss, or anything they don't like. Being proactive is better than having neighbors unhappy.

EYES ON IT: Knowing each market is important, so please keep me posted on "goings on." If you see properties for sale, or competitors making gains or having problems, just let me know.

GUEST COMMENTS: Everyone in the lodging industry sometimes scratch their heads about guest comments. One hotel created a calendar based on odd comments. Its funny, click below.

http://skift.com/2014/01/02/bizarre-comments-from-hotel-guests-inspired-the-standards-2014-calendar/#1

Read more

Author: William May – Manager, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0332 – 01/06/14

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Vacation Rental Security - Lodging Newsletter December 16th, 2013

By William May
Published: 12/18/13 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

Are you in the Holiday Spirit? Please read, study and memorize this email as there will be a pop quiz on Monday.

 

Hey, you haven't sent me any ideas for future topics. Can you do it now?

Sincerely,

William May

Vortex Organization

Voice: 866-925-5188 x902

 

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PERIODIC UPDATES FOR 12/16/13

 

OWNER FAQs: An important update has been made to the flyer "Frequently Asked Questions FAQs" for Owners. Please download and print out copies. Delete all prior copies.

 

- Logging to your website

- Select "Documents" from the menu

- Search by "All" documents and Keyword of "FAQ"

 

SECURITY: Keep in mind that most vacation rental homes (including those that do not rent) are empty many nights per year, so planning security is important for owners and managers. There are many things that can be done to improve security.

 

KEYSAFE CODES - These must be changed periodically and certainly after any guest who departs late or appears to have been a problem of any kind.

 

ELECTRONIC LOCKS - We are evaluating several types of electronic locks so we can recommend the best option. This will allow us to provide a custom code for every guest, keep a log of who came and went and - best yet - prohibit unauthorized early checkins or late checkouts.

 

LIGHTS AND TIMERS - Putting several lamps on a timer is a great way to make a house lived in.

 

DEADBOLTS - All homes should have Deadbolts on all exterior first floor doors, which make it just a bit more difficult for a burglar to break in.

 

DOUBLE SIDED LOCKS - Deadbots can be arranged that use a Key on both sides of the Deadbolt. This is a great idea for primary homes where the owner can leave the interior key in the lock on most occasions, but remove it when away for extended periods. This makes it more difficult for a burglary to dash out the door with loot.

 

WEBCAMS - Some owners have installed Web Cams which are now very inexpensive and do not require a computer, although you must have an internet connection. By law, cameras are only allowed to look away from the building to display outdoor areas. Interior cameras or those that might look in windows are prohibited. The cameras should always be password protected and its coordinates should be given to the central office. We can now make these easily viewable by logging into the unit, complex or destination website.

 

DRIVE BY - It is impractical to check on every house in person every day. However, when you are near to any home, even if it is not scheduled for cleaning, always take a few minutes to drive by the house to insure it is not occupied. In fact, if the houses is rented, its great personal attention to stop, introduce yourself and ask if you can be of any service.

 

CHECK INS - We ask all guests to check-in and check-out by phone (In person if there is a desk) and those are recorded in the computer system. Many guests fail to notify us and, given time, we hope to telephone guests the day after departure if we have not heard from them.

 

CONCLUSION: Recent studies concluded that 80% of perpetrators are intoxicated or high when they commit a burglary. And more than 80% of the time the crook did not "case" the home ahead of time. They usually enter through a back door and depart by the front door. Once they reach the street police have no "Probable Cause" to stop or question them. For vacant vacation homes, unfortunately, that means the odds increase of having a burglary. Encourage owners to take these security steps which will decrease the risk of burglary.

 

KNOWING WHOM: When anyone calls you (guest, owner or vendor), it is important to make sure you know who you are talking to. If you don't recognize the name, ask "May I ask a few questions just to protect your privacy? Then ask several questions to identify the person. The best questions are:

 

- Address, city, state & Zip

- Booking ID if they know it.

 

CAREFUL WITH NAMES: Currently we keep Guest and Owner name and contact information in two places - Goldmine and Samantha - which can lead to problems. Please follow these rules when speaking with people or updating records.

 

- Always ask "May I confirm I have your correct address?"

- Then repeat what you have and ask if it is correct?

- Do the same for address, phone numbers and email address

- If people tell you the name of their spouse or children, enter those too.

- Enter changes to Goldmine AND to Sam.

- If not at a computer, call in changes to the office.

 

Failure to keep records straight means messages go awry which risks problems and wastes time.

Read more

Author: William May – Manager, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0331 – 12/18/13

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Manafest Photos - Lodging Newsletter December 9th, 2013

By William May
Published: 12/09/13 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

Here is your periodic update for data, information, tips and techniques. Please keep a copy of these updates and send me your ideas for future updates.

Sincerely,

William May

PERIODIC UPDATES FOR 12/09/13

CHILLY CHILLY: Its that time of year for cold days and colder nights. Regardless of the time of year, a manager or housekeeper is to visit every home on the day of, or the day before, guest arrivals to complete a "Check Up." Often that just means walking through to make sure everything is correct. If it has been long between guests, it may be necessary to upgrade the trip to a "Freshen" by dusting and straightening up the house. Always the house heat should be turned on to take off the chill. (AC temp turned down in summer) And the porch light must be left on. Please do not skip Checkups because guests will call and scream at staff members making it very uncomfortable. If you don't have give us a call - maybe its time to hire someone to do it.

TECH NEWS: Just in case you notice this, here is technical news you might need. In certain websites, Universal Content (Such as news, newsletters, FAQ's) can be joined to one or more domains and displayed on the matching website. In some cases the domains/websites are not real but used as a way for data to appear on sub-pages within a different website. These Domains are called Placeholders. For example, on Vrai.org the Leaders.asp page determines its content from Users joined to VRAmembers. To distinguish between regular domains and placeholder domains we are now using domain extension of " . Place" instead of the regular extension such as .com. For example VRAmembers.place, could display News only visible to Association members. If you see such a domain, remember it is NOT a actual live website and can not be viewed in a browser.

MANIFEST PHOTOS: It happens frequently that an owner, guest or staff member needs to discuss a small detail of a home with the Reservations Crew. Most questions are easy to answer, but sometimes we wish we had X-Ray vision and could inspect the home from many miles away (Kind of like Superman.) All we want to know is what the thermostat looks like, or which way the door know turns. Crazy really, but we need to know some of these things. Rather than trying to write a boring list of very properties eccentricities - there is a better way. When homes are photographed for advertising we will now start doing "Manifest" photos of every nook and cranny in the place. Then we'll be able to see those photos if they are ever need them.

From now on, we'll be doing Manifest photos on all new properties, and getting them on existing properties when in the area. Here is a list of the kind of things we need to be able to "see" if the need arises.

- The inside of the refrigerator and freezer

- Inside of cabinets, with doors open. Kitchen, bathroom, store rooms.

- Inside of garage and any outside storage closets or buildings.

- Inside of fireplaces and wood stoves.

- Underside of sinks to display pipes.

- Backside of toilets, showers

- Lighting fixtures up close. (labeled by room)

- Furnaces & Air Conditioning units.

- Thermostats & Controls

- Stereos, TV's, DVD's & Cable/satellite controls close up.

- Underside of decks and patios.

- Roofs as best can be seen or photographed.

- Behind TV's, couches, etc.

- Both sides of Doors. Locks (Close ups)

- All furniture, front and back.

- Mattresses without coverings.

- All areas of the yard & Driveway.

- The view from the property out in all directions

- Photos of neighbor buildings from the property.

- Roads as they approach the property.

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Author: William May – Manager, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0327 – 12/09/13

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Sad Story for Non Renting Vacation Home Owner

By William May
Published: 12/06/13 Topics: Comments: 0

Have you ever gotten a message like this? It came from a caretaker in a home owner association. This owner took his vacation home out of rental several years ago.

Unfortunately he's making less money and lost his friendly attentive vacation rental manager who used to check on the home and drive by it frequently - even when there were not guests.

"Just received call from your neighbor of lot ### he had seasonal renters show up today and discovered someone had came in made them selves at home, didn't vandalize or anything just stayed then stripped the beds put the dirty laundry sheets towels in the laundry room. He was there just before thanksgiving so he is thinking it happened then and so I thought I would ask around if you saw people or recognized anyone? They gained access from hide a key which is now gone" - Home Owner Association Caretaker

Will the home owner wake up and smell the security? Well that just depends on logic.

He already made the mistake of taking a seasonal renter and is subject to landlord tenant laws that give renters great privileges including the inability of the owner to inspect his home and control the tenant's behavior.

The owner is making less money than if he had stayed with nightly rentals. Seasonal tenants use the home non-stop, can invite any guests they choose and always cause more wear and tear.

Collecting for damages is much more difficult. If the tenant's actions are bad or they fail to pay, it can take months to evict them.

Short term rentals - especially in recreational areas - are better in every way. More money, less wear and a friendly manager in the area.

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Author: William May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0325 – 12/06/13

HelpBook.me - Lodging Newsletter December 2nd, 2013

By William May
Published: 12/02/13 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

I was going to say Happy Thanksgiving but, whoops, I'm a week late. Here is your periodic update for data, information, tips and techniques. Please keep a copy of these updates and send me your ideas for future updates.

Sincerely,

William May

PERIODIC UPDATES FOR 11/25/13

HELPBOOK.ME - The Versatility of our lodging software continues to be of good help. All the condos at Crystal Chalets are very similar, but the goals of the owners differ. In addition, the property sits on forest service land that requires a certain number of condos be available for rent to the public at all times. That means some condo owners can not use their places any time they like. The process of managing units had been very complicated. With HelpBook.me we've been able to simplify it by giving all owners a Tape type Calendar in their private Dashboard. In this way they can find other owners to exchange nights with. Plus we are also posting a number of FAQ's that answer questions that are very specific to Crystal Chalets.

SECRET PROJECTS - When the government has secret projects they are often called "Skunk Works" for God knows what reason. We won't call ours that, but we have a number of complexes that we are working with while they are under development. We'll let you know when they become public, but cross your fingers for us all.

HOURLY BILLING - For work that is to be invoiced to properties on an hourly basis great care must be taken to document the work. Owners want and deserve to know what was done and precisely when. Recently a manager sent in some billing that said things like "Bob - 10:00 AM through 8:00pm, 10 hours." Owners may find this unbelievable because every worker needs to take breaks and probably a lunch break. Personal time must be subtracted from hours on site.

INVOICE DETAIL - In addition to accurate hours, the payment request must include details of the work such as: 1.5 hours to fix the kitchen sink, .9 hours to mow the lawn. Some owners never ask, but others do and we need to create good documents to avoid questions and possible owner dissatisfaction.

OVERTIME - In some destinations, it is the very busy season. We certainly want employees to have a good income but managers must be careful to avoid overtime payroll. As you probably know, employees must be paid 150% of their regular hourly rate for any work over 40 hours in a week. Property Management is fun, but not necessarily a high profit industry. So paying 50% extra for payroll can cause the manager to lose money. Now is the time to make sure you have sufficient workers to avoid overtime.

KEYSAFES - For fifteen years, we have been using a standard Keysafe (lockbox) to allow guests easy access to homes. We give them the code, they open the box to get the key. Now we have found an improved box and want to request that it be used for all future new properties or when a keysafe needs to be replaced. They are nicer in appearance, bigger inside (More keys), have a protective cover and the faceplate is on a hinge so it can't be dropped or lost. You can take a look by copying this URL into your website Browser:

CODE CHANGES: For convenience it is almost impossible to change keysafe codes after every guests - and then properly inform the next guests of the revised code. So codes are only changed every now and then. That should be done at least every 90 days and more often after guests who are, in any way difficult. Sometimes codes should be changed more often but great care must be taken to change, record and notify guests of revised codes.

And the only BEST way to do that is - while you are standing at the keysafe changing it, telephone the office and give them the code immediately. Don't decide the code in advance, and don't call the office later. Do it immediately so the office can coordinate guests without fail.

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Author: William May – Manager, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0323 – 12/02/13

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Northwest Skier Magazine - Lodging Newsletter November 1st, 2013

By William May
Published: 11/01/13 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

A heads up - We are working to finish up NorthwestSkiers.com.

Long ago the predecessor of our PlumbobPublishing.com business, bought the print Northwest Skier Magazine. Now we're making it an Online Only magazine. It will be news and information for Skiers and Snowboarders and a great promotional tool for our rentals in snow areas.

I have taken the liberty of including staff names there, and those of you in Mountain Communities are listed as Correspondents. What does this mean?

Well - - keep your eyes open for ski news and, if you know someone interested, we are looking for volunteer writers, photographers and video makers. And the website just might give you a chance to meet prospective property owners.

Please visit the and taNorthwestSkiers.com websitetake a look. If you were not included and want to me, just let me know.

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Author: William May – Manager, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0316 – 11/01/13

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Deep Clean Season - Lodging Newsletter October 21st, 2013

By William May
Published: 10/21/13 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Newsletter Comments: 0

 

There are many details to this industry, so I am going to keep a list and email out "Periodic Updates" data, information, tips and techniques when we think of them. A list of the current ideas is below. We can call these "Best Practices" as we work to build the most professional comprehensive lodging management services.

Can you help me with future updates by sending me your thoughts for inclusions in the next Update Emails?

Please print out and keep a copy of these updates for future reference.

May I ask you email back on this to let me know you received this email?

Sincerely,

William May

========================

Insider Updates 10/21/13

UNIT NOTICES: Having notices in units which are accurate and up-to-date is critical to making guests happy and making sure they behave. Weeks ago Joe sent out a form on which you were asked to write down the Notices you have in each house, and return it to him. If you have not completed this task it makes everyone's job more difficult.

NEW NOTICES: Once received Joe is going to revise the notices to include the name and logo of each local manager. That will be more personal and they'll be prettier too.

So - Please complete your list and return it to Joe no later than October 31st.

DASHBOARDS: In case you haven't heard, your property owners can now sign on to see their account on your individual websites such as LeavenworthGetaways.com,BeachyDay.com etc. Previously they had to logon to Sunspots.info and they can still go to. Plus they can logon to Istay.net to do the same thing.

Owners are required to use their Logon and Password to look up calendars, statements, FAQ's and we will be adding more features. The good news is that you can also logon to your own local website however the information you can view is more complete than what owners are given.

One day we will be posting alerts and other important data just for managers.

DEEP CLEAN SEASON: October and April are Deep-Cleaning seasons. Now is the time to call owners and ask if they plan to do their Deep-Cleans, or would like to have you do it for them. They may want to know the cost, so have that figured out for each home. Once they approve be sure to send them a confirming email for the record. Of course, include the billings on your weekly request so we have a record that the Deep-Clean is done.

PROPERTY SURVEY: During the Deep-Clean the property survey sheet should be filled out to include any and all repairs, upgrades or improvements that each house should have. Prioritize each item from 1 to 3 with one being essential, and 3 being not very important. Include a cost for you to do the suggested work and mail these off to the owners. Of course they can choose to do the work themselves, so give them a week or two to respond. If they ask you to do work, get a signature on the survey and get started.

New Properties

- Lu Ann Kolten enrolled totally Wired Condo at Westport by the Sea Resort. TotallyWiredCondo.com

- Jean enrolled Blue Haven Valley near Leavenworth.BluValleyHaven.com

- Jan Covey enrolled Lazy Elk Lodge at Mt. Rainier, Near Crystal Mountain Resort. LazyElkLodge.com

- Lac Le Jeune Wilderness Resort near Kamloops British Columbia. LacLeJeuneWildernessResort.com

Vortex Operations

• AnchorInns.com
• GoldenerResorts.com
• Istay.net
• PlumbobPublishing.com
• Signatours.com
• SunspotResorts.com
• Varoom.biz
• VortexManagers.com

Member Destinations

• 101Escapes.com
• AllAroundSeattle.com
• BeachyDay.com
• BytheseaBythesea.com
• ChelanSunspots.com
• CrystalCabins.com
• GigHarborGetaways.com
• HoodCanalHideaways.com
• KauaiSunspots.com
• LakeCushmanSunspots.com
• LeavenworthGetaways.com
• MyHouseminders.com
• RoslynHideaways.com
• Sandpointers.com

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Author: William May – Manager, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0314 – 10/21/13

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Government Officials Driving Tourism Economy Away

By Ron Lee
Published: 06/01/12 Topics: Government Comments: 0

Businesses, Chambers and tourism groups in every destination throughout the United States are spending money to grow their tourism segment of their economies.

That is a wise move.

Tourism is a clean, responsible industry that brings in visitors anxious to shop, attend events, tour attractions, rent lodging, and pay the taxes that go with them.

Manufacturing, distribution and other market segments sometimes seem more attractive to civic leaders, but those businesses are hard to attract, require years of courting and subject towns to intense review and - for many - rejection. Plus, big industries can leave town far quicker than they arrive, dumping lots of people out of work. Like it or not, Vacation Rentals are here to stay.

All destinations will have some luck and attract some visitors with good advertising, promotions, public relations and business participation.

Trouble is, however, many will fall short of their potential. Sometimes what the area offers just doesn't compare well with other desirable destinations. But another big mistake is when local government officials fail to offer what consumers want. Today, that one big thing is tourists who ask for, and even demand, access to good, clean, upscale vacation rental homes.

For at least a decade, the vacation rental industry has been exploding. Even during the recession the number of visitors who demand to stay in a house or condo instead of a hotel room has continued to climb.

So it is surprising to find small communities, who beg for tourists, then kill the industry by disallowing vacation rentals, making it ridiculously expensive to get permitted, or making them impossibly difficult to get approved.

They implement overzealous regulations and requirements that they would never impose on long-term rentals or full-time residents. What is good for the goose is good for the gander - as the old saying goes. So, if leaders believe that vacation homes must have new standards for health and safety, then why do they not require them for everyone? Failure to do so is just old fashioned hypocrisy.

 

On a recent trip to a beautiful Washington State Destination, a review of city and county rental regulations revealed a lack of insight by elected officials.

A clerk at the county office said, "We don't have any rentals in many areas of the county and it's surprising because some of the areas are so beautiful." she then paused and added, "Or maybe that's because vacation rentals aren't allowed there." Duh.

 

The geography of the area is gorgeous. The land is pristine and beautiful, with cute villages, attractive shops and periodic festivals and events. Agriculture is big business with products esteemed worldwide.

There are a number of conventional well-kept motels and cottages. But there are also properties that have seen better days and detract from the scenery. Many appear abandoned. They are not shabby chic, they are just plain shabby.

New home developments have been stymied by the economy, although some recent additions bode well for demand. Peeking out among nicely kept homes, are houses and cottages that have seen better days. Many of those, as well as some of the nicer second homes, sit empty year round, even during the busy summer season.

The reason?

City and county officials have made short-term vacation type rentals illegal, or permits difficult to get. The up to $750 annual special use permit is one of the highest known in the country and requires begging neighbors for permission, and having the kind of inspections that would cause long-term rental home owners to go ballistic. With the inspections and other nonsense they require, costs can exceed many thousands of dollars.

And for what reason?

Like most areas, the reasons cited are that vacation rental homes "could" get used as party houses. Or that "Tourists drive cars through the neighborhoods and sometimes the trash isn't taken out to the street on time." complained one person at a county "scoping session."

No one wants trouble in their neighborhoods, but these possible issues never materialize. Some neighbors even say they "do not want people in the area that I don't know personally." Supposedly, "It destroys the character of the neighborhood", whatever that means.

There is no right in the Constitution that you must know and like your neighbors. But it is a foundation of American liberty that owners have a bundle or rights related to their real estate, including the right to right them out. So much for freedom.

In jurisdictions where rental permission is more easily obtained, but just as rigorously policed, and where owners must engage a competent local manager or management firm, problems do not happen.

The County even caved into neighbors in one desirable neighborhood who don't want "to have different neighbors each week," as the County clerk explained. Fear of problems is valid, but refusing entry to visitors feels a lot like simple xenophobia, the "fear of others."

A local real estate leader, who wished to remain anonymous, said, "You know the reasons for the lack of vacation rentals is regulations, don't you? Most people just won't spend the money to see if their neighbors will allow them to rent." How come the expensive applications fees are non-refundable, if the permit is denied? Looks like just another shake-down by officials.

Communities who enacted vacation rental prohibitions years ago, are seeing the light and revising laws to allow vacation rentals in all residential areas with proper permitting; and the requirement that properties be occupied within reasonable rules.

Doing otherwise scares away visitors. Consumers have decided they want to stay in vacation rentals and no amount of meddling in the free market by officials will dissuade them. Take away vacation rentals and they are sending visitors elsewhere, while local shops, restaurants and attractions lose out. It is not just home owners who lose.

The cities and counties where vacation rentals are allowed gain fee income; shops, events and attractions do more business; additional jobs are created; and tourism taxes flow.

Let's hope that officials in counties and communities, all over the country, wake up and stop killing the tourism business they so desperately need - by giving consumers what they want - many more vacation rentals.

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Author: Ron Lee – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0212 – 06/01/12

Sponsor: VRAI – As a fast growing industry we need your help and support. Join today to learn, share and promote your properties. – VRIA.org