usvi-on-line
Villas & the Economy + Friendly Advice for Villa Co's
The problem with 5% or even a 10% fee is that even on a pretty big stock up that's not a lot of money.
Even a relatively large stock up say $300 or so would garner a fee of $15-$30. Not really worth the trouble involved imho. Maybe it is ...
Personally, I would probably pay in the neighborhood of $50 for the service. Perhaps a sliding fee scale depending on location of the rental house or even the amount of the total food bill.
Maybe 10% service fee and a sliding delivery fee. Cruz Bay - $20, Maria Bluff/Chocolate Hole - $25, Reef/Fish Bay $30, Coral Bay - $30, Far out eastend - $40.
Then for a $300 purchase you'd be looking at $30 fee + 30 for delivery. $60. That might be worth it on both sides.
With email the costs associated are mostly the provisioners time and gas money. I guess it just depends on how much time you'd have to commit to the email back and forth and the actual grocery store shopping and dropoff. Interesting concept though.
Even a relatively large stock up say $300 or so would garner a fee of $15-$30. Not really worth the trouble involved imho. Maybe it is ...
Personally, I would probably pay in the neighborhood of $50 for the service. Perhaps a sliding fee scale depending on location of the rental house or even the amount of the total food bill.
Maybe 10% service fee and a sliding delivery fee. Cruz Bay - $20, Maria Bluff/Chocolate Hole - $25, Reef/Fish Bay $30, Coral Bay - $30, Far out eastend - $40.
Then for a $300 purchase you'd be looking at $30 fee + 30 for delivery. $60. That might be worth it on both sides.
With email the costs associated are mostly the provisioners time and gas money. I guess it just depends on how much time you'd have to commit to the email back and forth and the actual grocery store shopping and dropoff. Interesting concept though.
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cypressgirl
- Posts: 2178
- Joined: Tue Dec 26, 2006 2:42 pm
- Location: houston
Totally agree, Jayseadee. I was amazed at the discounts that are offered now on most villas. We saved about 15% off our villa for SOTB III by simply asking. A fellow forumite told me that she's rented her high season villa for the low season rate. Now were talking $$$. I'll buy my own groceries for that kind of deal.jayseadee wrote:Services are great, but I'm hoping to negotiate a change to the bottomline.
In deciding on a villa for off-season, I've only seen 1 that was solidly booked.
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California Girl
I think one thing to be considered in basic provisioning is what's already at the villa? Our villa in Coral Bay had plenty of stuff like ketchup, mayo, olive oil, sweet n' low, sugar, salt & pepper, etc. left from previous renters. If you weren't aware of the "basics" already in a villa, those things could start to pile up exponentially and you'd be renting a villa with 14 bottles of ketchup! Just a thought.
P.S. It's still an excellent idea, though! Go for it Pia!
P.S. It's still an excellent idea, though! Go for it Pia!
OK, maybe I'm in business - Pia's Provisioning it is, along with Pia's Package Pick Up (or Pia's Holding Service but that sounds a wee bit raunchy 
)
Just need to figure out how to collect payment for groceries and get the pricing together etc. It is a difficult process to price out. If it were to be 10% to 20% of the cost of groceries, is not really worth while
If it is the basic service for first night/morning provisioning (see list) the cost might be $100 +/- therefore $10 to $20 "profit" - factor in driving to grocery store, shopping, gas (to do that) meeting/waiting time at the ferry etc that's really not enough to cover time etc, so maybe a $50 fee but that sounds too much...........help
For package holding $10 per box regardless of size and up to 2 weeks of hold time without an additional charge. The only problem I see with that is if I have to drive from Coral Bay to the ferry dock to deliver 1 box again for $10 (factor in it costs $5.00 in gas to do that r/t so for $5.00 I am meeting a ferry whenever it arrives) might not be worth while
I can see why it is not a booming business here -
What are your thoughts on that please.
Oh, stress, stress
Pia
Pia
)Just need to figure out how to collect payment for groceries and get the pricing together etc. It is a difficult process to price out. If it were to be 10% to 20% of the cost of groceries, is not really worth while
If it is the basic service for first night/morning provisioning (see list) the cost might be $100 +/- therefore $10 to $20 "profit" - factor in driving to grocery store, shopping, gas (to do that) meeting/waiting time at the ferry etc that's really not enough to cover time etc, so maybe a $50 fee but that sounds too much...........helpFor package holding $10 per box regardless of size and up to 2 weeks of hold time without an additional charge. The only problem I see with that is if I have to drive from Coral Bay to the ferry dock to deliver 1 box again for $10 (factor in it costs $5.00 in gas to do that r/t so for $5.00 I am meeting a ferry whenever it arrives) might not be worth while
I can see why it is not a booming business here -
What are your thoughts on that please.
Oh, stress, stress
Pia
Pia
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California Girl
How would it be if you had everyone ship their packages to the Coral Bay Connections, then you wouldn't necessarily have to drive to Cruz Bay just to pick up a package. If you needed to do grocery shopping, then you'd have to go to Cruz Bay anyway. I don't think I'd offer delivery to the ferry... it's just so crowded when the ferry comes in, and there would be a parking issue as well. If it were me, I'd deliver packages and food to the villa at about the same time the renter is expected to show up or shortly before ... hoping the cleaning crew was done by then. Or have the renters phone you when they're in the villa and you could run the stuff over to them at that time.
You're right Pia, it's a logistical puzzle!
You're right Pia, it's a logistical puzzle!
Pia, I would think about an alternate meeting place other than the ferry dock. Think about it--the people you would be provisioning will be dragging all their luggage off the boat, and they won't have their rental car yet to store their stuff and your groceries/boxes. Plus, it's always a madhouse at the ferry dock! I have to be honest and say I would not use a service like this if it could only be a meetup at the ferry dock. Maybe the marketplace parking lot would be a better choice?
Good luck!
Good luck!
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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Marcia (Mrs. Pete)
- Posts: 1576
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:40 pm
- Location: Madison Area, Wisconsin
I can see now why the other provisioning operations charge so much...it's a PITA.
What would make the most sense is if you (Pia) worked with specific rental agencies. You would know (as Californiagirl pointed out) that there are already two bottles of fresh ketchup in the 'fridge, etc because you would have access...AND, you would know when the guests were expected to arrive and you would know when the cleaning crew was going to be out of the villa on turn-over day. Certainly, you would work directly with the renters but, you would be in very close contact with the rental agencies as well.
I think that Flipflop's ideas all work in this business plan, too.
But truly, to make it work and be worth your while, you probably need to be tied to the villa agencies. Otherwise, you are running around like crazy with very little information.
Hey, if you get this puppy up and running by our Spring trip, that would be great.
What would make the most sense is if you (Pia) worked with specific rental agencies. You would know (as Californiagirl pointed out) that there are already two bottles of fresh ketchup in the 'fridge, etc because you would have access...AND, you would know when the guests were expected to arrive and you would know when the cleaning crew was going to be out of the villa on turn-over day. Certainly, you would work directly with the renters but, you would be in very close contact with the rental agencies as well.
I think that Flipflop's ideas all work in this business plan, too.
But truly, to make it work and be worth your while, you probably need to be tied to the villa agencies. Otherwise, you are running around like crazy with very little information.
Hey, if you get this puppy up and running by our Spring trip, that would be great.
Marcia (Mrs. Pete)
Missing St. John. As always.
Missing St. John. As always.