By The Beach

Dear Samantha, Thank you for your review and saying the house was perfect for you and that you would like to return. When you do you will find it received its annual "spruce up and redecorate " happened the week after your visit, a week in February is the only chance we have, as we are booked all year. The hairdryer was in a spare bedroom drawer and the cooking foil was at the back of the tall pantry, we have now put it in a more prominent drawer. Look forward to seeing you again soon. Mark

Upon reading your review I attended the property which was occupied by the people that arrived the same day you left and took photographs of the items you falsely claimed were not there . I provided Sykes with on 4th October a comprehensive response, including copies of correspondence and details from an independent inspection report regarding your lies regarding rodents. Sykes were unable to print the photo's or documents provided as evidence because of the amount of detail provided to refute your claim. The following is an abridged sample of the content without the the main evidence, which Sykes hold. We take our customer comfort and satisfaction very seriously, so it is not only disappointing to see you write in this way, but also to read the inaccuracies in what you have said. I prepared a list of information which was sent to you after booking and I rang you before your arrival, on both occasions requesting that if there were anything was not satisfactory or there was anything you couldn't find or required to ring my personal phone number or email immediately and it would be attended to. If we do not hear anything from our guests we understand that there are no issues and you are happy. I make every effort to communicate with my guests, in particular to talk to them without unduly disturbing their stay. You were staying for 2 weeks in one of the very few places that allowed you to bring 3 dogs. The advert wording and photos show very clearly that it is a much loved and casual dog and child friendly family home, "By the Beach it is rather quirky relaxed, popular and has good reviews. Communication is a "two way street" but you did not respond to my numerous documented communications, when I called to the house before your departure time you had already left, my records I have produced to Sykes show the following .You were sent the information sheet asking you to make contact if there were any issues . I rang you on 15th , you didn't pick up or respond to the answer phone message I left which included the same support message . Not having heard anything I rang again after your first week on 22nd, again you didn't answer so I left the same support message checking everything was fine. . Again I had no response and concerned as to why you were ignoring me I sent a text at 14.51 on 22nd half way through your stay "Hi Barbara, left u a message, hope every thing is OK ?Mark . Again I received no response but on 25th received a text to say you had seen rats. I rang you back but again you didn't answer so I left a message expressing surprise and concern and saying that somebody would be around the same day asking you to ring me . . Again I received no reply so sent another text the same day . The man called the same day, initiated safe baiting points and reported that rats are on the move in the country everywhere at this time of year, as their field food sources of grain had been used up or ploughed in. He reported that they had entered under a side gate attracted by the dog food bowls you had left in the garden and the recycling next to the gate that you had not taken out for the collection half way through your stay. I sent you the following email including another copy of the information sent out to guests which explains that like the rest of the country we are subject to the recycling rules placed on us, so with a fortnightly collection on alternate weeks a guest will either find empty bags or those where few days collection had started. So as you found the bags were started and had not requested an additional cleaning visit half way during your 2 week stay you should have put the bags out after your first week, as you would have seen all your neighbours do. I fully appreciate that this may have slipped by you and I attended the property and removed the recycling you had missed for you, as I told you I would. However having fully explained your error and corrected it for you, I find it extraordinary that you should later complain about a problem you had caused, and also made a false claim that the recycling had not been collected for months. I saw that the cleaners had put it out on the correct day for the 11th September collection, you arrived 16th and missed the 25th collection. It was easy to get rid of the rats. Copy Email sent 27/09/2023 13:19 Hi Barbara, thanks for your help with informing me of the rats you have seen come in, as I said, it's the time of year they come in off the fields in the country, when the left over grain has been eaten up or ploughed in. I'm glad I was able to get Richard in the same day to deal with them and that this has not ruined your enjoyment of your stay. Richard noticed that they have come in under the back gate and the recycling bag with the tins and plastic by the gate was full, so they probably smelt things like dog food tins or food trays even if well washed out. Like most of the country we are victims of our councils recycling policy, which prevents us putting these things in the weekly collection and only allow a 2 weekly collection of them. In this instance the recycling pick up was in the middle of your stay so should have gone out last weekend but may not have ? It's something I will have to remember and ring a reminder to people staying more than a week when the cleaners do not call for a Saturday changeover. I'm coming down from Somerset on Friday to say Hello, check the baiting point, and will remove the recycling as it seems last weekends was missed by you. Everyone visiting receives the following message, which clearly explains the need for you to put out the recycling in a 2 week stay. REFUSE Our cleaners will put out the black bag rubbish before your Saturday arrival for a weekly Monday roadside lunchtime black bag collection for general waste and food, this has to be in the bins because of Seagulls. Recycling is fortnightly, usually before the black bags on a Monday so with a Saturday arrival you will likely see the recycling collection process has already started, please add yours to that for the appropriate Monday. If you are staying for more than a week and you know the collection is during your stay or see the neighbours have their bags out, please put yours out by the roadside. The details are on the bags and in the house file, as plastic shares a bag with metal both will need to be crushed up to fit in, or it can be sorted into a carrier bag. Please could you help us by bringing in the bins and bags on a Monday, they live under the area by the side gate. Many thanks. Regarding the other claims you have made - I'm sorry you didn't report any of this, as your comfort and enjoyment are of paramount importance and I have a strong support network. I also need to know if anything is missing, not right, or you have broken any thing, in time to deal with it for the benefit of the people coming in after you. You didn't do that . If there is a loose piece of formica on a kitchen unit I can't see it, it's important I know at the time, not later. Our cleaners were in before you arrived and endeavour to do a good job, they bleach the recently fitted toilets as part of that, and I note that when you used the bleach we left as part of the dozens of things we provide, you say it looked no different. You claim you didn't have enough serving bowls, yet when I attended and looked in the cupboard they were there. The new guest's that were in the house before your false review was printed witnessed this, the photos are provided to sykes. The house is equipped for having up to 8 guests and there were only 2 of you.The house has dozens of kitchen utensils, the cheese grater was found. The house is exactly as the pictures in the listing which you booked, you have wrongly claimed it is different, but I note you have not said how, reported it to me or Sykes during your 2 week stay, or claimed that it had any impact on your https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/dR_bC4LLVUJB0X7hORu9U?domain=stay.it is not true that "there is an almighty hole in the decking outside the front door" The facts are that well away from the door is an area of the garden which is neither part of the access to the house or a walkway that guests need to go into for any reason. It is a shrub area with some boarding where pot plants can sit. On the afternoon of your arrival the cleaners reported that someone had for some reason gone into that area, stepped on the boarding and broken a single board leaving a 200mm (8 inch) deep gap to the ground. They quite rightly covered this area and put up a screen to prevent your dogs access while I arranged a permanent solution. You have not said how you could have been inconveniences by that, neither can I see how you could have been. By not responding to my calls and messages you didn't give me a chance to explain this perfectly reasonable solution to something that had been broken but not reported by the previous guest. The "artificial" lawn is shown in the advert photos, it's not known as a "fake" which is a spiteful word which I imagine you have deliberately used to try and devalue what it is. It was surveyed when I bought the property and judged to be correctly laid and well drained, which has proved to be the case in more than 3 years problem free use. It was seen by the Sykes rep and has been enjoyed by hundreds of guests without any criticism apart from yours. When subjected to the regular heavy rain you had during your stay it is a better alternative to grass and enabled me to pick up the dogs mess the cleaners and I found you had not bothered to pick up on the morning of your departure. "Overhanging bushes catching on dogs leads" The extensive grape vine along the path was trimmed a couple of weeks before your visit and four weeks later on your departure day was found to have have a gloriously heavy crop of red grapes, left for your enjoyment and that of the guests to follow you. When walking a dog on a lead they often head to foliage and I have never heard of a dog walker allowing a dog to go over to that and then complaining about that happening ! The hob is a very good make and working perfectly I'm sorry it's not to your liking and I'm at a loss as to how a settee with a moisture resistant cover in a dry house could have had a dirty damp spot on it, perhaps one of your 3 dogs sat on it when wet after you let them go in the grape vine? Once again I'm sorry you chose to not report things or reply to my repeated attempts to make sure you were enjoying your 2 week stay as I assure you that was my intention.

Dear Rosina , thank you for your review and you are correct that I take my my customer support very seriously so I have updated the house in the way you suggested by providing a parasol which you felt you needed for the May sunshine in our sun trap of a garden. We have also very recently completed a round of routine maintenance that was largely dependent on dry weather, so the place has been spruced up as suggested. Many thanks for taking the time to write a review. We do our best to act upon suggestions and feedback from guests.

Dear Kevin, Thank you for your review and I'm glad you had a nice time and that you felt everything you wanted was there. With regards to the decor, when reading the property details and looking at the photos it can be seen that By The Beach is a rather "quirky" holiday home with it's surf board, areas of wooden boarding and bright seaside colours as well as "all the mod cons" as far as easily operated appliances go. We have just completed a round of maintenance and decorating (just after your stay). Much of this was outdoors and required dry weather. By the Beach is a relaxed, dog friendly, family home which guests love and we have lots of returning guests who love the location, as you did. Thanks for your feedback, it is helpful, we always do what we can to resolve any issues that guests raise with us at the time of their stay.

Dear James, thank you for your time on the phone today and offering the view that you were perhaps a little harsh with your review and you wish you had added some of the many good things about the property. I have explained that new mattresses were tried and selected for comfort for this and some other of my properties only a year ago, and that of the many guests the group has had, this is the first time a guest has said that the mattress was too soft for their particular back condition. We pride ourselves on our customer care and support, and ask guests to contact us if anything is not up to our expectations, so it is a shame you did not use the contact details provided to to enable us to help. By the Beach is very popular, but we did find a spare day to get in, just after your visit, to deal with the small maintenance items you spotted, which I'm glad did not impact on your holiday. Kind regards, Mark

Dear Mr Staker I'm so pleased you loved your stay "By The Beach" and would like to return. We set the bed with single duvets because unusually we offer the guests the flexibility of having 2 bedrooms as Twins or Doubles. We find most guests like having their own Duvets, especially those with partners who pinch them during the night ! ! ! Alternatively there are spare doubles on the top shelf of the Dressing Room should anyone prefer that. Megs and I look forward to seeing you again. Mark

Dear Julie, thank you for your good review, I'm pleased you had a very enjoyable stay. Christmas decorations was something that had not come to mind, in this our first year of letting, but could easily be added should you return next year. If you had asked we could have discussed options like us adding them, us getting them for you to put up, if you would have enjoyed that or you bringing yours from home. Mark .

Many thanks for your brilliant review and I look forward to welcoming you again to the beach in Cornwall again in the future. Mark

Dear Sasha, Thank you for bringing it to my attention that I had not provided instructions for the machine, and I'm sorry you had difficulty in understanding the controls which understandably you were not familiar with. It is a shame you did not advise me of that when I rang after you arrived to check you were OK, or contact me at the time you were having your difficulty as I would have been pleased to help by either coming around or looking up and sending details from the internet. I'm glad you were able to overcome this difficulty and otherwise had a pleasant stay.

Dear Susan, I spoke to your husband on the phone, who was kind enough to check that it was OK to apply some force to the bathroom door which had inexplicably stuck towards the end of your stay. I remained on the phone while he did that, heard the door open and understood that this left the door functioning properly, so arranged for a man to adjust it at changeover so as not to disturb you. This was done and it has remained problem free. Your husband mentioned the BBQ and I offered to bring around a replacement, but he told me that there was no need, as you were not planning to use it for the remainder of your stay. Perhaps you were not a party to that conversation? I had previously used the BBQ and left it working with a part cylinder of gas, but the man who called the following day while you were out found that someone had damaged a rubber seal by cross threading it when changing to the provided spare cylinder . I immediately bought new seals, leaving the spares in the cabinet. I am sorry this inconvenienced, but you glad you enjoyed being by the beach in Seaton, Cornwall and would like to return.