Reply speed & Blackberry remote email

[altyfc]

I cannot overestimate the importance of checking email regularly.

In this day and age, people expect replies instantly, however right or wrong that may be.

I am sure some of our clients lose a lot of business just because they are not totally sold by the internet, and don't feel the inclination to check more than every couple of days.

If you have your own site, you MUST - at the very least - check mail daily. It's essential to create that good, first impression.

To put this in perspective... my parents used to have a complex of self-catering properties of which I was a partner. The business has been sold now, but I would just like to relate this tale: one evening I was working on my laptop and email came in from Germany asking about availability for two weeks hence. It was well after midnight. I replied, literally within about 2 minutes, with a full answer to the various questions this individual had (of which there were a few). He was so impressed with the speed and fullness of the reply that he booked immediately, not waiting for replies from others he had emailed. Well... two weeks later... he came to stay. At this point, the business was just going on the market. And this very person was very nearly the person that ended up buying the business!! It just goes to show that you can never be too sure about the importance of any one enquiry!

Aaron

[Sue Dyer]

I agree - speed is of the essence!! I have a constantly on broadband connection and my email beeps at me when I receive a message. I check in a couple of times at my day job too and reply asap.

I took my laptop to the States earlier this year (great holiday in Nashville/Memphis/Clarksdale ) Most of the hotels offered free highspeed connection - I plugged in and was connected all day for free and able to keep my eye on any potential bookings. I picked up 3 bookings during that period that I may have missed if I'd relied on finding an internet cafe.

I've always steered clear of doing a standard "template" reply even though it is tempting at times. As the mood takes me I do a chatty, friendly email picking up a common interest if possible. I'm a pretty impatient person and I'd wander off somewhere else if I didn't receive a reply within a day.

[paolo]

I'll add my voice to that - speed of reply is paramount. You will be one of several candidates, and even if there are better candidates in the list, you can close the sale, or at least make the best impression, just by replying first.

I do use a template reply, but I tailor it according to the enquiry. For instance, if they ask about the temperature at that time of year I answer in a way that puts them there. For example: "The temperature will be around xxx. It's a beautiful time of year, you can have breakfast and lunch outside, and even dinner some of the time."
or:
"The temperature will be around xxx. It's the beginning of autumn, the vineyards are just turning to gold, and the hill-top villages are yours to explore in peace."

In all my communication with potential guests I try to place them in my house/location. Once they have started to picture themselves there, it is much harder for them to say no. I don't have stats on this, but not many enquiries slip away.

[Christine Kenyon]

I can only agree with the above comments. Not only do I check emails regularly, but if I have a "live" enquiry which came in at 7.00 pm (for argument's sake) I make sure that I check emails at that time as it possibly indicates when the potential customer is using his/her computer and reading or sending emails.

As well as holiday cottages we have a tourism related business in the Lakes, which means we can only get away in January. January 2004 we took approximately 20 bookings over our two week holiday period. As a result we can now only get away in January ... to somewhere that has good internet access.

My only question about speedy replies is that if you are first to reply to an email but the enquirer doesn't pick it up straight away, you can actually be last on the list of new emails which comes up on their screen (or at least that's what happens on my computer!) and most folks will read from the top down!

Cheers

Christine

[paolo]

Christine,

you can actually be last on the list of new emails which comes up on their screen (or at least that's what happens on my computer!) and most folks will read from the top down!

That's good thinking, but...

I've been looking at the statistics for my property's website. There are an average of 16 visitors a day during the week, and 8 at the weekend. The busiest day is Monday.

This suggests that most people are planning their holidays at work. (I can't get accurate breakdowns of time of day because I get visitors from all time zones).

At work, people are more likely to get their emails instantly, because they tend to be always online and have an alert when an email arrives.

So I wouldn't worry about not being at the top of the inbox. Also, not all inboxes work that way, mine is the other way round.

[Linda Freese]

I list my properties on www.holiday-rentals.com and they have a service whereby as soon as you receive an enquiry they send you a text to advise you! This is great as it means that you don't have to check your email every hour and you can respond immediately (if you are near a computer of course!)

[DivineMrsM]

I also have broadband. My computer is in the kitchen (the heart of the home!), so it doesn't take me away from family life. I can and do check emails throughout the day. Prospective guests do indeed appreciate a fast response.

Again, as a potential guest myself I prefer to be able to get on and make my booking as quickly as possible.

[Alison]

I read with great interest the thread on reply speed. In this day and age, those tech companies are always coming out with the lastest and greatest. I have DSL and get my e-mail instantly, but I find that I miss out when I'm away from the computer (like at the park with my toddler). Now that Blackberry is much more affordable, I'm considering buying it or a similar product.

Granted, I am American, so there may be some logistical challenges to compare. However, I am mostly interested to see if there are vacation rental by owners out there who invest in this type of technology and what they like and don't like.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

[paolo]

What I like about taking my toddler to the park is being separated from all technology! Although I do get anxious when I am there about being out in the real world for too long.

I've heard of Blackberry - email on the move - but I don't know if it exists in Europe. I am sure that soon enough all decent listing sites will have SMS alerts when they send you a rental enquiry.

[alexia s.]

Paolo, I don't know what you mean by "exists in Europe". Our (North American) clients used Blackberry last year in our remote (-ish) property in Provence.

[sleekitbeastie]

I feel as though I am missing something here. Do other owners’ guests make booking decisions in seconds? Mine don’t seem to. I certainly believe that a fast response is a good idea – but I mean same-day not same-minute. Wireless e-mail (e.g. Blackberry) would certainly enable rapid response to enquiries but at a high cost. Many corporations confuse connectivity with communication and think that instant contact is the same as responsiveness. A PC in the kitchen sounds exactly right. A leisured and measured response over a cup of coffee or glass of wine is likely to be more customer friendly than a rapid reaction from the supermarket check-out queue. I’m converting my pig-sty into a potting shed cum greenhouse – perhaps I’ll extend the network to cover it.

[paolo]

Alexia,

I don't know what I mean either! I have heard of Blackberry from two or three American friends, but never over here. I've just looked it up on the UK Amazon site and it looks very intriguing. There is one for £145. It automatically picks up your email and has a little keyboard and screen, but it is just palm-sized - perhaps this will become an essential piece of kit for us rental owners?

[Linda Freese]

Quite a few of my friends are "Blackberry" users but their bills are paid for by their companies. I believe it is quite expensive (not the mobile itself but the charges) but great if you´re on the move all the time and someone else is paying the bill!

[alexia s.]

Paolo,
Because you mention a price, see Saturday's FT, which has a small review of the Vodaphone blackberry - £82.50. See www.vodaphone.co.uk

[Alison]

Great forum discussion on wireless e-mail.

I feel as though I am missing something here. Do other owners’ guests make booking decisions in seconds? Mine don’t seem to. I certainly believe that a fast response is a good idea – but I mean same-day not same-minute. Wireless e-mail (e.g. Blackberry) would certainly enable rapid response to enquiries but at a high cost. Many corporations confuse connectivity with communication and think that instant contact is the same as responsiveness.

The reason I have been exploring this option is that I am often away from my home computer. I think the term "stay-at-home-Mom" is incorrect. If anything, I am out running to/from schools, parks, play dates, and the usual daily errands. I find myself clicking on the keyboard late at night and responding to inquiries 10-12 hours after receiving them. Response speed does seem to be an important factor in getting bookings. We've tossed the idea of getting a laptop, but that seemed too bulky versus the Blackberry option.

Cost is certainly an issue. The unit available here in the US is $149 USD then the montly phone service starts at $40/mo and then you have to add on the e-mail services which can start at $70/mo for unlimited e-mails. This is not an insignificant amount. However, if I think about it, one daily rental of my condo will cover the monthly service fee. Not a bad trade-off.

Access isn't usually a problem since they work off of the cell-phone network. If you can use your cellphone, you can usually use your Blackberry.

Thanks again for the discussion. If anyone has a wireless e-mail I'd love to know what you think about it.

Alison