Well that's a relief that as soon as you engage with the enquirer the clock stops. I respond with an hour so that should be ok.
Mousie
x
Re the stopping clock issue ...
Currently the only thing that stops the clock is pressing accept. Just responding by message does not stop the clock so if that part changes it will be good. We have had a lot of instant bookings this year but as we like to have details before we accept I always reply asking for them to complete our online booking form before I press the button.The clock keeps ticking! I was corresponding with one guest and the clock actually ran out while I was waiting for the guest details so the booking was cancelled. Luckily she rebooked it again but it went as a blot on out record lol . As I understand it in future if this happens we will be put in the sin bin for time out. Our listing ended 30th June so don't want to renew but we have an outstanding balance due now and they don't want to pay direct so may reluctantly have to or cancel the booking...big sighs....
Most of my enquirers enter in to dialogue (they are mainly all families and multi generational bookings).
Is there anything that the enquirer can do to 'extend' the time?
When you press accept - what happens. Is is an automatic booking or does the guest have to do something i.e . Is there another step?
Marks....so far through another 'big boy' that I rarely get enquiries from as their commission takes them way over what people seem to want to pay (unless it's a last minute) 2 enquirers have found me direct. I'm not saying they won't penalise owners (and thats a chance any owner not playing by the rules takes) but their robots can't always pick up certain expressions or words.
Mouse wrote:
Marks....so far through another 'big boy' that I rarely get enquiries from as their commission takes them way over what people seem to want to pay (unless it's a last minute) 2 enquirers have found me direct. I'm not saying they won't penalise owners (and thats a chance any owner not playing by the rules takes) but their robots can't always pick up certain expressions or words.
Mouse
x
So is there anything to stop us mentioning some other "big boy" in our messages?
I can see why they need the "service charge" where people are on a commission basis, but they are getting a subscription from me, and the service charge does seem higher than it needs to be. It doesn't even include any credit card charge, as they get that from us too.
I have had some contact me via SH having found me on HL, that's just people doing their research.
Mentioning HA in a message via the HL platform and vice versa will get picked up. These companies have invested millions of $$ in these systems and will be wise to any trick you try to pull.
I was successfully circumventing HL for a short while but got caught out and kicked into the sin bin for a few days, I'm back on now. What was my undoing was getting an enquiry, directing them off to find me on SH, taking their booking and then blocking out the dates on HL. I was told that they have software that was able to spot dates on calendars being blocked out within a set period of an enquiry for those dates being sent. They then analyise the conversation thread to see if your have tried to circumvent the system.
You have been warned.
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
Marks wrote:I have had some contact me via SH having found me on HL, that's just people doing their research.
Mentioning HA in a message via the HL platform and vice versa will get picked up. These companies have invested millions of $$ in these systems and will be wise to any trick you try to pull.
I was successfully circumventing HL for a short while but got caught out and kicked into the sin bin for a few days, I'm back on now. What was my undoing was getting an enquiry, directing them off to find me on SH, taking their booking and then blocking out the dates on HL. I was told that they have software that was able to spot dates on calendars being blocked out within a set period of an enquiry for those dates being sent. They then analyise the conversation thread to see if your have tried to circumvent the system.
You have been warned.
Looks like we are stuck then, for the time being. For those of you that have your own web site does it bring you the bookings you need.
We have toyed with the idea of our own web site for some time, but need convincing the effort is worth it. Likewise Facebook (which my husband won't even look at).
I think Facebook is a better idea than paying HL, but you do have to keep working at it. Why is your husband so against? Many of us are using it successfully through some FB groups and our own pages.
Hells Bells wrote:I think Facebook is a better idea than paying HL, but you do have to keep working at it. Why is your husband so against? Many of us are using it successfully through some FB groups and our own pages.
He hasn't seen any of that, he just sees the amount of time people spend (waste in his words) on it.
But you personally don't even have to 'waste' time on it. You can schedule posts on business pages so they are published automatically when you decide. Once or twice a week sharing and posting on other groups may be enough. Like it or not, we have to adapt and change.
Hells Bells wrote:But you personally don't even have to 'waste' time on it. You can schedule posts on business pages so they are published automatically when you decide. Once or twice a week sharing and posting on other groups may be enough. Like it or not, we have to adapt and change.
I do agree with you. Would you be prepared to direct me to your business page to have a look?
Well that's a relief that as soon as you engage with the enquirer the clock stops. I respond with an hour so that should be ok.
Mousie
x
Re the stopping clock issue ...
Currently the only thing that stops the clock is pressing accept. Just responding by message does not stop the clock so if that part changes it will be good. We have had a lot of instant bookings this year but as we like to have details before we accept I always reply asking for them to complete our online booking form before I press the button.The clock keeps ticking! I was corresponding with one guest and the clock actually ran out while I was waiting for the guest details so the booking was cancelled. Luckily she rebooked it again but it went as a blot on out record lol . As I understand it in future if this happens we will be put in the sin bin for time out. Our listing ended 30th June so don't want to renew but we have an outstanding balance due now and they don't want to pay direct so may reluctantly have to or cancel the booking...big sighs....
Well didn't know that, I stand corrected. Never had that situation luckily. I guess you could accept the quote and cancel later if the booking wasn't right but that's not a great option either. what a silly system!
Looks like we are stuck then, for the time being. For those of you that have your own web site does it bring you the bookings you need.
OG - I set up my own website with PMP a few years ago.First I gave my place an easily remembered name. The villa is actually called Can Alegre but I decided to call it Number 21 Ibiza. I've liberally scattered across my OD/HA advert the fact that I have the site and the name of our villa.
Last year I had very few enquiries via OD but a lot more via our website. I had only 2 bookings via OD but many through the website. Our website isn't high on SEO for Ibiza so I can only assume that people are finding it via OD/HA and enquiring direct.
So....in my opinion it has helped enormously, and hopefully will continue to help others find me direct when the shutters come down at OD and I'm forced in OB.
I'd give it a go.
Another thing I do, being onsite, is give out our business card to the guests who've booked via OD and suggest they come direct in future....I then tell them about the commission they will avoid.
Hells Bells wrote:But you personally don't even have to 'waste' time on it. You can schedule posts on business pages so they are published automatically when you decide. Once or twice a week sharing and posting on other groups may be enough. Like it or not, we have to adapt and change.
I do agree with you. Would you be prepared to direct me to your business page to have a look?
Hells Bells wrote:But you personally don't even have to 'waste' time on it. You can schedule posts on business pages so they are published automatically when you decide. Once or twice a week sharing and posting on other groups may be enough. Like it or not, we have to adapt and change.
I do agree with you. Would you be prepared to direct me to your business page to have a look?
Thank you for that. It will at least help me to get an idea of what to do. Our son is here from Sunday, and he is great at this kind of thing too, so I will enlist his help.
