how do I deal with double booking?

[e-richard]

Most people will fail to read it, uderstad it or believe it.

You're probably right Margaret, but then that could then be said for anything that you put in your email

[Giddy Goat]

(Sorry, key betwee b & m out of actio this morig!)

Love it - "just a girl who cain't say no' "

I really doubt that will help much. Most people will fail to read it, uderstad it or believe it.

I agree that they might not believe the claim about constant enquiries - unless the availability calendar is already looking very healthy, even for off-peak times.

[A-two]

Please do be aware that we are constantly getting enquiries for this accommodation, and a reservation cannot be guaranteed until deposit is received. If you need more time to think about it, please do email back and we'll try and work with you if possible.

It's not long winded at all, I quite like it, but I'm having a problem with the bolded bit. What's missing (for me) is your acknowledgment of receipt, which is what executes the agreement having received the money together with ( I assume) a signed T&C. That's a 3 step process, and the act of sending money without the other two steps doesn't mean you have accepted a booking does it? Otherwise, if two people send money at the same time, you're double booked aren't you?

We do things a bit different, and it's not automated (deliberately). You can't download our T&C online, sign and send in with payment, because we only want one contract out at a time for any particular dates. A reservation is not confirmed until payment AND signed contract are received AND the contract has been returned to them signed and dated by us. A contract that they have signed, and a payment they have made does not mean they have a booking, we are the ones who confirm that, not them, indicated by our signature, not theirs, and our date, not theirs. Once they have their fully executed agreement, it's legally binding and will hold up in court, as do we. If we weren't doing all that (here), then the whole thing would have only a little more legal bearing than a handshake.

There are various ways we can expedite the process electronically, so it can be turned around in a couple of hours if need be, but the basic 1,2,3 step never changes.

Sorry, this doesn't help your wording.

[Margaret]

We do !ot do sig!ed T&Cs. But most pay by credit card - so booki!g !ot accepted u!til we have processed the card. If they wa!t to pay by ba!k tra!sfer, the! it is a deadli!e agai!.

[Mouse]

I tend to work on the 'asking for bank details for the deposit' stage.
In other words unless someone asks for them I don't consider them interested and I ONLY ever send bank details out to one client per booking period - that way I can't double book
If in the meantime I get a serious enquiry then I explain to the enquirer that I'm awaiting a deposit for that period but will check its progress and advise; I then contact the original enquirer for confirmation they've sent the deposit - advising that if I don't hear back within 36hrs I will consider the period is back on the market.

If anyone asks me to hold a period, for whatever reason, I will for upto 3 days but I always say if I get an enquiry I will advise them and say 1st to confirm gets it but I'm giving them notice. I'm a bit naughty...as sometimes I say I've had an alternative enquiry just to chase them up

Mousie (who's a bit out of touch so not sure what the RR thread is apologies)
x

[Margaret]

We put our ba!k details o! our website so do have a risk there which we are aware of. But it does speed up the process with Germa! guest who mai!ly pay by ba!k tra!sfer.

[Mountain Goat]

Thread creep

Margaret, a workaround with your 'n' problem, if you use Windows, is to fire up Windows Character Map (in Accessories?) select/copy 'n' and then it's stored for pasting. Maybe useful for an important communication?

MG

[Musetta]

Margaret,
that does seem the right approach (despite the RR thread!)

but when the vague woman rang back the second time, I think that's the point where you could have told her that since you last spoke, you had accepted a booking from someone else subject to their getting flights. You would need to call them to find out if that was going ahead, then get back to her. Then call the first one immediately to make sure progress was being made on flights, and to let them know that you now have another offer and don't want to lose the booking if their plans have changed.

Nice to get so many many inquiries though for Easter, well done, I only had one and they didn't book!

yes...in retrospect, that would have been the much better solution for sure!

(and I also will hold for booking airfare with no problem when they ask - was a bit shy about saying "oh, BTW, I've had 4 other enquires come in for those dates, so get back asap...was afraid I'd sound overly pushy...but, guess I should have)

For some reason, there are just certain weeks that get a lot of enquiries...so, usually no everyone firms up plans at the same time - especially 6 months away (!) well....maybe they do...first year renting this location, and it is a different ball-game than Italy and I'm booking up faster wasn't prepared.

anyway...the second lady was wonderful about it - turns out she had not paid for the flights yet and told me she was disappointed but understands completely and I suggested a lovely holiday in Long Island

Thanks all for the terrific suggestions about how this could have been handled much better (and will be next time!)

[Giddy Goat]

Great outcome Musetta - I'm glad.

[A-two]

was a bit shy about saying "oh, BTW, I've had 4 other enquires come in for those dates, so get back asap...was afraid I'd sound overly pushy...

I think that's a genuine concern. I cringe when I hear myself say it, but usually try to give some indication of pressure on availability, letting them know if it's wide open, or if I think it's going to sell quickly because there has been a rush of inquiries and peak holiday weeks are in high demand etc. I know most people automatically assume we are making it up to get the booking, and ignore it. But at least then if they come back and it's gone, they can't say they weren't warned.

<thread creep>
Margaret, can't you password protect the page with bank details and block from search engines? This is probably not at all the way to do it, but e.g. if you created a separate php database for that page, and provide a link from main database saying "Payment Login", then send ID and password with every inquiry response, at least you are confining access to genuine inquirers, not giving out to the whole world. I did something similar for a local charity website which needed a private side for board members. It's created as a subdomain of the main website - ie. http:// private.domain name. com - in that case, there's no link from main website, so completely invisible to anyone who doesn't know it's there. Even if you did add link from main website, nobody could get past login screen to see any content. Just a suggestion. Actually, this sounds like something I might find useful for myself......
</thread creep>

Musetta, Glad it worked out, well done and thanks for referral! Haven't heard anything though.....

[Partridge]

was a bit shy about saying "oh, BTW, I've had 4 other enquires come in for those dates, so get back asap...was afraid I'd sound overly pushy...but, guess I should have)

Musetta, glad you had a good outcome. I also know what you mean, it has only happened to me once & I felt a complete fraud but I wasn't about to let a possible booking go by waiting for the first enquirer to make their minds up. I rang her, told her the situation & she booked straight away, can't see that there is any other way of handling it to be honest.

Nothing that Margaret said conflicts with the RR thread.

Agreed.

[tansy]

Just be professional... it's your business and treat it as a business... don't worry or hang yourselves up... just say do you or don't you want to book... don't even try holding or bending over or anything... only take the booking if they are seriously booking because believe you me if they mean business they will get to you... they don't go into a travel agents and fiddle about - they either book or they don't... ... perhaps they don't actually really understand the concept of self catering so you have to educate them... from reading a lot of the threads you are becoming in danger of acting like tour operators in your own way - picking them up etc.

Self catering... it means self catering...

Yes of course give advice how to get there etc. but it is a different type of holiday... it is self catering...

'they' I am saying guests

[Musetta]

tansy -
yes...is true I come here, of course, so that I can stand firm and not be too soft!

[tansy]

Musetta - exactly - my take on the whole concept of LMH is - we hear each other and we become better through understanding and by discussing these issues... I have to say by staying in 2 self catering properties this last 2 weeks I am very reassured to see the same make of bins, cuterly, same problems with cleaners etc... I am getting something ight if I am to compare mine with these!

Courage of your convictions I think is what we are all looking for!

[gabfest]

hello,
I always refer my surplus booking to other properties in Munster often owned by older people who do not have a website. They relay on tourist offices booking.
I have all their details with photos and prices.
I also refer clients to the tourist office hoping they will remember to refer clients to me next time!