"would love to stay for 5 nights if possible"

[kendalcottages]

Can someone please tell me what the best practice is when it comes to handling emails such as this:

would love to stay for 5 nights if possible

It's for 'in season' when our policy is Friday-Friday (which I don't wish to change). She would like to do Friday-Wednesday.

My normal tact would be to say that 5 nights is not a problem, but we do weekly rentals only so they would be paying for the full week (and could therefore stay on longer if they wanted, etc.)

But I get the distinct impression that the immediate reaction to this (although I don't necessarily get first hand experience of it) is that they instantly think... "well... I'm not paying for 7 when I only want 5".

So... is there a better way to handle these kinds of emails? I want to put a positive spin on it rather than a negative one which I feel as if I'm doing. I've tried playing the "you'll be able to enjoy a late check-out" card, but that doesn't seem to wash with them!

Tips welcome as I feel as though we lose a few to this...

[Harborfields]

Don't quote the price as a weekly rate, just say "the price for your 5 night stay will be $XXX" (substituting your weekly rate in the appropriate currency, obviously).

FWIW, we determine our nightly rate as 1/5 of our weekly rate, so 5 nights is in fact the same as a week.

[Nemo]

I have had a couple of bookings where they asked for 5 or 6 nights. I have simply stated the charge without reiterating that it's for a week and told them they have a late checkout. However as I often have a dog charge, I absorb the charge as a mini discount, without saying so! If I then get an odd day, I offer that at a discount to the next booking in case they want to extend it.

The alternative, which I regularly offer at half terms, is to split a 10 day period into two, five day stays; Fri to Wed and Wed to Fri. I also create odd bookings sometimes after a bank holiday weekend which I offer as Fri to Tues. So the Tuesday is then offered as a 3 night midweek or 6 night booking. I think I nearly always manage to sell it. Obviously your cleaner has to be able to do the different changeover days, but both of the above have worked for me on several occasions.

[e-richard]

I was going to give the same answer as Harbourfields, except that I'd subtract £5.00 per day, so the number is a bit different from the published weekly rate, and that's probably the "saving" I'd make on electricity and water usage.

[Nuthatch]

I've had a couple of occasions like this and I've said that I'll be happy to do the short break at a reduced price (say 90% of the rate) with the agreement that if the remaining nights don't get booked then they'll pay for the full 7 nights (we take a damage deposit so this would cover the extra). On both occasions the guests agreed, then came back within a couple of days to say they wanted the full week after all.

[harcourtv57]

I suppose it depends how much you want/need the booking. If its high season when you normally get booked anyway, I would just quote the weekly rate, with as others have suggested, a small discount (we charge a 6 night rate for 5 nights and the weekly rate for 6 nights, with late checkouts offered).

I had an enquiry this morning from someone who wanted only one night - our minimum is three - saying he had tried lots of other owners who all had a minimum stay but he was hoping 'we could come to some sort of agreement'

[Nemo]

I had an enquiry this morning from someone who wanted only one night - our minimum is three - saying he had tried lots of other owners who all had a minimum stay but he was hoping 'we could come to some sort of agreement'

I always think minimum stay is a complete misnomer. We have a minimum rate, so you can stay just one night if you wish, but it will cost the equivalent of three!

[harcourtv57]

Absolutely right Nemo! I couldn't be bothered to explain to him about changeover costs being more than one nights rental would be etc etc . . . . . . . .

[Lindisfarne]

It's best to stick to your guns if potential guests try to push the rate down

The other day I got a message saying "I'll make you an offer"

My response was "Have a look at our website where you can book online..."

[Pmagowan]

I hope he didn't mean (Italian-American accent) 'I'll make you an offer you can't refuse'!!

P.S. I would like 10 nights for £20 please, bit skint at present!

[Lindisfarne]

I hope he didn't mean (Italian-American accent) 'I'll make you an offer you can't refuse'!!

P.S. I would like 10 nights for £20 please, bit skint at present!

Sounds like a scene from a Godfather movie !

[harcourtv57]

Enquiry last night for a 2 night weekend 'due to work commitments'. As its this weekend I offered a substantial discount on our weekend rate, plus late as you like checkout on the Sunday. Still waiting . . . .

[harcourtv57]

Another one for this weekend - this time they want only the one night - 4 adults and asking if the one night rate includes everything!! So have had to do the minimum rental spiel yet again!

[Nemo]

Have you got a standard template reply now.......?

[harcourtv57]

I do indeed!

After several years I still get excited when I get an enquiry - but here is a sample of the past 2 weeks enquiries:

Apartment sleeps four - min 3 nights:

1 night mid March
2 nights end of March - 5 adults and not available anyway!
2 nights in June
2 nights in September

Apartment sleeps four - min 1 week

5 nights in June
6 nights in May - didnt want to pay the weekly rate for 6 nights
3 nights in July



Thank goodness this morning a sensible one for a week in April . . . . .