Ways to confirm the information provided by enquirers

How to communicate with your potential renters - how to turn site visitors into enquiries, and enquiries into bookings.
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Alan Knighting
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Post by Alan Knighting »

Joanna,
…but with all due respect to you and Alan, both of you live on the premises…
Yes, it makes a difference in a lot of ways.

Fluffy
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

I've never had a problem with my smaller cottages sleeping 4 and 6 but I have with the farmhouse for 12 people or when I've rented out more than one cottage at the some time, so I always take a deposit for large groups.
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Fil
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Post by Fil »

Think some conclusions can be taken from the above:

- damage deposits are essential if you don't meet you guests personnaly. Some (including me) believe that this contact makes all the difference between a hotel type rental and a holiday home and people will most of the time behave accordingly. Charging a damage deposit can be seen as revealing suspition from our side and have a preverse efect on guests breaking the trust created by the personal meeting.
- also very convenient when you are renting to bigger groups
- the same if you are renting for long stays
- the same (maybe) if you are renting a beach or rural place as in these cases people will spend a lot of time inside
- not as important if you are renting a smaller place for small groups for shorter stays in the city and meet the people ( my case). I think that this might be because damage risk is smaller in these cases as people just use the permises less. They came to visit the city and eat out most of the times.
- in any case it is advisable to put the damage deposit on your rental conditions for those cases where you realize it is better to charge it. As someone said here, a guest who refuses from the start the possibiliy of paying it will probably not be a good guest.

Sugestion: Couldn't we sugest people who post new topics to try to make a resumé of arguments and ideas posted in the thread ? I believe it would be much useful.
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Alan Knighting
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Post by Alan Knighting »

Fil,
Sugestion: Couldn't we sugest people who post new topics to try to make a résumé of arguments and ideas posted in the thread ? I believe it would be much useful.
That’s possibly a good idea for threads which have a very specific subject but probably not viable due to the friendly atmosphere of the Forum.

Can you imagine applying that approach to topics in the Café? Ros would spend all her days producing résumés (only joking Ros).

Fluffy
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Mouse
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Post by Mouse »

Charging a damage deposit can be seen as revealing suspition from our side and have a preverse efect on guests breaking the trust created by the personal meeting.
Just my final comment (honest!)
I do disagree with this. I meet all my guests personally & as the damage deposit issue is upfront (on the web site) before the 'relaitionship' develops I don't see how it can be affected.

We all operate in different markets, some of us like to work with probables and some with possibles...it is our personal choice after all and at the end of the day (or renting period :D )our guests behaviour (IMO) does not reflect personally on the way any of us on this forum handle our rental business or attract clients.

One thing is for sure....from a business point of view asking for a damage deposit does not prevent you being fully booked Perhaps also 'not' asking for a damage deposit does not guarantee bookings enough to qualify as a USP

Mouse
x
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Alan Knighting
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Post by Alan Knighting »

Mouse,

I agree with you wholeheartedly.

I don’t think a damages deposit has anything to do with trust or relationships. I don’t think it introduces any element of distrust, from either side.

Some owners ask for a damages deposit and some owners don’t; it’s simply part of how they run their businesses and nothing more.

If “suspicion� has anything to do with it as an owner I would suspect the person who objected to the damages deposit.

Fluffy
A-two
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Post by A-two »

paolo wrote: Here I am! I once took a deposit for a family with three kids, and kept it because they put chocolate stains on the sofa. Also once for a small dog, who left no mark of his stay. I haven't had a problem so far, but my properties are small and not really for families, so there is less scope for disaster.
Thanks for putting it into perspective. We attract mainly families with small children. Parents with 4 boys under 5 years old last year left the house immaculate, so I am not trying paint families with small children as the problem. No adult sets out to deliberately damage your property, however, in my experience children may do so if not properly supervised, and we also had one of those last year as well.

If I had not had the deposit to pay for extra cleaning and replacement items that were broken, a rate rise would have to cover the cost, which I think is wrong. Why should people who are wonderful be penalized because of the few that trash the place? As a matter of principal I think the people who do the damage ought to pay for it and that's why I charge the damage deposit. I do not charge a deposit to repeat renters, only the people I don't know very well.

I have yet to get through a year without one claim, and I don't think my experience is all that unusual with seasoned owners. Have we somehow created an environment whereby we attract people who will disrespect it, whereas others have not? I don't think so, human nature being what it is, all businesses have a proportion of difficult customers, and this one is no different. So I'm sure it happens eventually to everybody, at least we hear the tales of woes on here often enough to believe it is so.

The important thing is to try not to be too upset when it happens, and having a few $ to make it right does make all the difference. At least then you're only carrying the emotional burden, not the financial burden as well.
Last edited by A-two on Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Rocket Rab
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Post by Rocket Rab »

Alan Knighting wrote: Some owners ask for a damages deposit and some owners don’t; it’s simply part of how they run their businesses and nothing more.
That's it in a nutshell, as Alan and Mousie have said. And as Joanna has said, those who trash must flash the cash; some of us simply differ in our cash collection methods :D
Guest3
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Post by Guest3 »

Joanna said
.....human nature being what it is, all businesses have a proportion of difficult customers, and this one is no different. So I'm sure it happens eventually to everybody, at least we hear the tales of woes on here often enough to believe it is so.
I couldn't agree more. 'To each his own' I suppose re. whether people take a damage deposit or not. However, our damage deposit also covers any extorionist mis-use of electricity!
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Can you imagine applying that approach to topics in the Café? producing résumés (only joking Ros).
Whatever do you mean Fluffy :shock: :lol:

Well folks to recap Alan aka Fluffy said...then Rocket Rabbit aka Jenny said then.......[surely all we need to do is look back at whats been said....I know I do..then forget and look back again :roll: ...
Ros would spend all her days
As if :o anybody would think Im addicted to the forum :shock: Im not by the way...just the people in it.....and i really really mean it .. :wink:

You all brighten up my day[and Im really going to miss PC :cry: ]

Im flitting off again soon but hope to keep in touch...
as long as Im not blackholed again and had my posts confiscated...scarey :o though how many seem to have accumulated again :oops:
[still think you could have had a whipround and paid the ransom though :( ]
firstgreen
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Post by firstgreen »

Who knows how your guests are going to behave and what state they will leave your home in when they are in holiday mode.

From just a few emails/phone conversations you can only form an opinion of someone. Chances are if you were to meet them face-to-face that opinion would change anyway.

Every time you let there is a risk that they could cause damage, upset the neighbours etc. but how are we to know beforehand?

For each booking request I get from the UK I Google their name, and check their address is where they say it is on Google maps http://maps.google.co.uk/ and always post the key collection details.

What more can we do? why worry....
Kersh
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Post by Kersh »

I'm in the minority and don't ask guests to pay a security deposit. Instead, we have an insurance policy that covers damage caused by our guests. Beleive it or not, it's actually cheaper than the standard insurance.

Kersh
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tree-peony
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Post by tree-peony »

That sounds like a good solution Kersh. Could you tell me who the insurance is with as I would like to check out prices :)
Kersh
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Post by Kersh »

tree-peony,

We have our insurance with Generali in Austria. Here's the link to their website.

http://www.generali.at

Cheers
Kersh
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tree-peony
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Post by tree-peony »

thanks!
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