Average number of emails before booking?

How to communicate with your potential renters - how to turn site visitors into enquiries, and enquiries into bookings.
SandyBeaches
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Average number of emails before booking?

Post by SandyBeaches »

Just wondering what everyone else's experiences are? Mostly I get 'is it available and how much' then they either book or don't. Occasionally I get a pleasurable 'please can we book'. My favourite sort of email as there's no pfaffing around and we can get down to business!

Currently labouring through correspondence with a potential guest who I don't think will book.

1st email: price for a week in June
2nd email: what weeks do you have in June
3rd email: do you do 4 night breaks
4th email: can you give me an example price for a 2 night stay in November or March.

Indecisive maybe? I'm not sure ....
Bunny
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Post by Bunny »

I do get this sort of thing sometimes. They certainly sound as if they are not committed yet but the booking may come off at some point. I had an enquiry that asked for our 'best price' which I totally ignored and just quoted the price. They kept coming back with different connotations. I think they were thinking that if they kept dangling the carrot I would finally do a deal. They gave up in the end and booked for the original enquiry dates at the original price.
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Cassis
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Post by Cassis »

I stop replying if they haven't booked after 3 emails with questions like that. Life's too short and I'm not that desperate.
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SandyBeaches
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Location: Norfolk Coast

Post by SandyBeaches »

I have to say it's trying my patience a bit. All the information is on the website if people just bother to look, but I do appreciate that some people need a bit of hand holding - especially if they're not that good on the world wide web.
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Nemo
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Post by Nemo »

Thankfully I don't have too many of those, because I don't think I'd be very patient. I frequently direct people back to the rates and availability on my website. My gut says they won't book, but I'd be delighted if you prove me wrong. :D
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Casscat
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Post by Casscat »

I can get involved in quite protracted correspondence sometimes. I don't mind really because sometimes they fall in love with the finca but are wholly unfamiliar with the area, but I have been known to advise of 'a new enquiry overlapping their dates' just to put a rocket under their decision-making sometimes! :lol:
SandyBeaches
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Location: Norfolk Coast

Post by SandyBeaches »

I agree with Nemo - I don't think they'll book. I think they've seen the cottage, love the look of it, haven't bothered to look at the rates, enquired for June and it's too expensive. Still want to stay there as they still like the look of it so perhaps it will be cheaper if we just do 4 nights. Can only do that out of peak season, so when's cheapest and when's the shortest amount of time we can stay.

I have a feeling it will still be too expensive. Waiting for the 'can you do a deal' email.
jenboyle1959
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Post by jenboyle1959 »

I find Facebook enquirers the worst for that "speculative" enquiry.. Have you got this date?(yes..)
That date?( uh huh...)
What about the smaller flat? ( You have too many people. Leave Granny at home/bump her off and we can maybe talk about it.. )
Or this is what I'd like to reply with anyway...:)
SandyBeaches
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Post by SandyBeaches »

jenboyle1959 wrote:I find Facebook enquirers the worst for that "speculative" enquiry.. Have you got this date?(yes..)
That date?( uh huh...)
What about the smaller flat? ( You have too many people. Leave Granny at home/bump her off and we can maybe talk about it.. )
Or this is what I'd like to reply with anyway...:)
So true! I'm finding facebook a good source of enquiries. But .... they all want a bargain. AND they all want hot tubs!
jenboyle1959
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Post by jenboyle1959 »

So true! I'm finding facebook a good source of enquiries. But .... they all want a bargain. AND they all want hot tubs![/quote]

Thankfully the hot tub craze appears to have passed Millport by, :D though maybe there's still time for someone to request one in a tenament flat :shock:
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anya752000
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Post by anya752000 »

SandyBeaches wrote:
jenboyle1959 wrote:I find Facebook enquirers the worst for that "speculative" enquiry.. Have you got this date?(yes..)
That date?( uh huh...)
What about the smaller flat? ( You have too many people. Leave Granny at home/bump her off and we can maybe talk about it.. )
Or this is what I'd like to reply with anyway...:)
So true! I'm finding facebook a good source of enquiries. But .... they all want a bargain. AND they all want hot tubs!
Hot Tubs :evil:
It seems like half the facebook posts are after a hot tub, I started to think I was alone in not having one until I looked at the responses and found that most people that reply don't have a hot tub either.

I don't think that people realise that hot tub and bargain are not normally found in the same sentence.
COYS
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Post by COYS »

I'd tend to believe that if they haven't committed to booking after the first 2 or 3 email exchanges, it's unlikely to come to much.
Once availability & cost are confirmed & further information is made available through website etc. they have everything they need to gauge suitability & I think by now they would decide that this is the one for them - or not
This time next year Rodney, we'll be millionaires.
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