In this week’s Inside Scoop we chat to Caroline MacIntyre from Fountain Court, who tells us that social media has positively affected their business and reveals that the Fountain Court ladies are a big fan of SilverDoor’s Fern Varadi.
How has the social media revolution affected Fountain Court?
I’m a bit old school, but the two other people in my team are hugely involved in Twitter and Facebook and I do a lot on LinkedIn. I’ve found that we’ve received a lot of business through LinkedIn and we’re regularly updating our Twitter account; it’s definitely positively affected us. We actually received a three month booking through Twitter the other day, which shows how important and effective social media can be.
What do you think sets Fountain Court apart from other providers?
I would say our service. There are so many competitors out there for us now, which means service is so important. We have a great rapport with our guests - if you go on TripAdvisor you’ll see the write-ups we’ve received. We know a lot of our guests on a personal level. We know about them, about their families and we take an interest in what they do, which ultimately results in repeat business.
What does SilverDoor do for your business?
We have a really good relationship with SilverDoor; as soon as I met Alice we clicked. I know the type of clients you have and they are really good for our business. We always make sure that SilverDoor are a priority for us and everyone at Fountain Court knows that. We actually keep back an allocation of apartments for you guys so that when you come to me with long stays I always have the availability for you. The volume of bookings you produce for us is really good and I know that all of your Sales Team check Fountain Court if they have an enquiry for Edinburgh which is great. We speak to SilverDoor at least five times a day - it’s a great relationship.
And now for the juicy part... Who is your favourite member of the SilverDoor team?
Fern. We just love her, all the girls in the office do. She phoned us personally to tell us that she passed her driving test and we were all so pleased for her! She’s so conscientious about her job as well and she’s always pushing her hardest to get what the client wants. When she started she was always asking what we think and what the best property is and we would guide her, but now she’s picking it all up herself, she’s so good at taking everything on board. If Fern ever rings us and says she’s in trouble with a budget I’ll always say yes, have what you want! She’s so polite and very positive; she can basically have whatever she wants from us!
And now for the quick fire round…
Facebook or Twitter: Facebook
Tea or coffee: Tea
iPhone or Blackberry: iPhone
White wine or red wine: White wine
Bridget Jones or Love Actually: Bridget Jones
Look out for next week’s Inside Scoop with Nicki Thomson and Maria Seymour from ESA, who tell us about their plans for expansion in the near future and how they benefit from the FAM trips they hold for SilverDoor.
