OH *insert multiple swear words of choice here* - nightmare!

From the moment they step through the door your bookings become guests, and their experiences determine whether they ever come back.
AndrewH
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Post by AndrewH »

jlaceysmith wrote:Amongst my OD guests this summer, I've had two already who gave absolutely no feedback to my e-mails, welcome letters etc. They both booked through Homeaway (because my OD advert now appears there), happily paid up through their website and I received the confirmation that they'd paid. I didn't hear anything else from them until they day they arrived. I don't like the system at all, but I had an e-mail from OD that they'd paid and that's that. If they don't want to talk to me before they arrive, I hate it, but that's life.

I guess that all I'm saying is that some guests booking on the new OD/Homeaway/Expedia platform don't need the hand-holding, owner direct experience which most of us yearn for, and that we should expect less direct contact.
Strange, but I have had exactly the same experience with the two most recent set of guests through OD. It's a bit unnerving, because I am not used that. The first set have just left; they were very decent folk, but I suppose a bit shy. The second set have yet to arrive, but I didn't even get a one line 'thank you' email when I sent them our "road directions" attachment.

It has been a totally different story with the two nice booking we have had for next year through our own site. I have never met them, but that hasn't stopped their chatty emails. I think I prefer it that way.
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Nemo
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Post by Nemo »

jlaceysmith wrote: Maybe I've got it the wrong way round, but I still read it that the first guests who booked got bumped, and the second guests got the holiday, mostly because the first guests were uncommunicative (and you didn't read the OD e-mail) and the second bookers had lots of contact with you. That would not sit rightly with me.
Sam V wrote:The second Booker booked through Clickstay/Rental Systems. I've had to do a lot of handholding and reassuring with her through the process and Ive also sent her the arrival pack and key. The first bookers I've had no info or correspondence from them whatsoever until today.
In my opinion, Sam had no choice but to continue with guest set no 2, regardless of the natural order of the bookings. Once the key and arrival pack had been sent, she was way beyond the point of no return. How would you propose an owner in a different country could bar entry and retrieve a key a week before the planned holiday of these guests?
jlaceysmith
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Post by jlaceysmith »

You're right of course, Nemo - I didn't read the key word: key. I really did read it that (non) communication was a main factor in who got the booking, not that the booking with the second guests had gone so far done the road. Sorry.

But it still might be useful for others to know that there appears to be a new breed of totally non-communicating guest - it seems that I'm not alone, as AndrewH says. I was concerned right up until they arrived, not least that they hadn't received any of my welcome bumph, directions etc.
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pepsipuss
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Post by pepsipuss »

Only just caught this thread and just wanted to say I read it with a dry mouth till I got to the dénoument! So very happy with the outcome for you Sam, five stars and a big drink!

jlaceysmith wrote:But it still might be useful for others to know that there appears to be a new breed of totally non-communicating guest - it seems that I'm not alone, as AndrewH says. I was concerned right up until they arrived, not least that they hadn't received any of my welcome bumph, directions etc.
I think things are going to go much more in this direction with HA et al taking the direct contact out of the equation. The OTAs will be more and more regarded as a booking service for a hotel rather than a facilitator for contact with the owner. Depersonalisation is probably the inevitable result and both parties will be poorer for it, not just in their wallets.

As an aside Sam, have you considered Rentalia? They just do Spain, Portugal and Italy and they do bring in enquiries from all over Europe. Cheap too, and you can try just for 4 months to start with.
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Post by Sam V »

Thanks Pepsi, I'll have a look at rentalia and add it to my list of sites I need to list with.

Btw, Mr AP did also mention how impersonal the booking process via OD was!

On anther little update, I contacted OD via messenger on FB at 07:39 on Thursday, they asked for my property id, etc at 15.48 then nothing until today, Monday, at 14.18 asking for traveller names etc. I've responded that I had sorted it all out last Friday, but thanked them for their prompt response! Lucky it was nothing too disastrous then!
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