We have had a couple of guests who wanted weeks for which we had already reserved pending deposits. When I emailed to confirm that the deposits had been received they both said they were interested in 2011 and would book earlier next time.
I was thinking about offering a 'Provisional Reservation' where they could let us know they would like to reserve now but not pay a deposit until either:
1. November 2010 when we would contact them to see if they wanted to confirm the reservation by paying a deposit or
2. someone else contacted us for those weeks and were prepared to pay a deposit in which case we would contact the 'provisional' guests to see if they wanted to confirm by paying their deposit.
Can any of you see a problem with this that I haven't thought about. Do you think it is a good idea or an awful one!!
We offer the same here. Always have done. If the tax year runs from say, Jan to Jan, we take bookings provisionally in the year before and take the deposits from January to secure the accommodation. It's worked for us for 5 years, no problems.
I was considering this too, with a small deposit. Stu, if you're taking the booking that early, do you generally hold the price, or decide next year's price?
It depends. If it's a returning guest, then I hold the price for them. I haven't put up our prices here in 3 years anyway so it's never been a problem. This year though, I told folks that there would be an increase, and to a man they've all confirmed their bookings.
This is our third year of renting and we put up our prices this year having not done so for year 2. I was thinking of offering these early bookings (if we get them) this years prices. I'm not sure we will increase prices next year anyway but it might act as an incentive.
a) Take the full booking deposit now
b) Fix the price at this year's level
and also
c) Take a more relaxed view about refunding the deposit if cancellation is received by (say) Jan 1st.
It ends up very similar to the suggestions above, but I think that the act of paying a deposit makes the guest think harder, and with today's abysmal interest rates, I doubt there is much issue about sitting on their money for so long.
Stu wrote:It's better for us if deposits and final balances are in the same tax year. That's why we do it that way. It's worked well for the past five years.
Why Stu? It balances out for me, the advance deposits and the balance payments. I take deposits at the time of booking because it makes the customer feel more secure as well as me! I don't usually take them at all for repeat customers.
Stu wrote:It's better for us if deposits and final balances are in the same tax year. That's why we do it that way. It's worked well for the past five years.
Why Stu? It balances out for me, the advance deposits and the balance payments. I take deposits at the time of booking because it makes the customer feel more secure as well as me! I don't usually take them at all for repeat customers.
What we were advised by our accountant Susan. It works well for us, the deposits arriving in January/Febrary when we most need them. Like I said, it works well for us, and we haven't had any complaints either. People also like the idea that their holiday dates are held until January with nothing to pay. It eases their minds that they don't have a great big bill to pay just before Christmas. It sounds daft to say, but we've also had one or two comments about it 'feeling like spring when we get the e-mail asking for deposits!'
We are in the process of making enquiries to book somewhere in 2011. I do object to being 'pencilled in' and then being notified a few weeks later that they cannot hold the dates any longer because someone else is "interested." To my mind, it's only a booking when a deposit has been paid, and as LV says it would make me feel more secure knowing nothing can change. The word "provisional" sounds a bit wooly.
J&J wrote:We are in the process of making enquiries to book somewhere in 2011. I do object to being 'pencilled in' and then being notified a few weeks later that they cannot hold the dates any longer because someone else is "interested." To my mind, it's only a booking when a deposit has been paid, and as LV says it would make me feel more secure knowing nothing can change. The word "provisional" sounds a bit wooly.
In that case, all you have to do is pay up isn't it?
There's nothing at all 'wooly' about a provisional booking if the owner's above board, and the client accepts the T&C's, surely? As I said, our returning guests know what to expect, they know that their booking is safe until such time that we ask them for their deposits. Even new clients appreciate not having to stump up right before Christmas, and they're happy to pay up in January. It works for us.
I see what you mean, but what's to stop someone making a "provisional" reservation at two or three different places while they make up their minds?
I would far rather be asked for a nominal amount, say £75, (to be deducted from my deposit later), as this shows a commitment on both sides. The words "provisional" and "pencil in" just don't fill me with confidence, but that's language issue, nothing to do with an owner's integrity.
I've taken one for next summer but just asked for half the normal deposit with the rest to be paid in Nov. They've paid €500 which hopefully is enough to make them feel twice about canceling.
