Enquiries conversion rate - one week in

[la vache!]

I think it's unreasonable to demand any response from the customer if they decide not to book.

I don't agree with this.

I do! If I go shopping for a new widget, I'll go into several shops and look at their range of widgets, I may ask lots of shop assistants about the widget. But I'm not going to go back into the shops where I didn't buy the widget and explain I've bought one elsewhere. And on the internet, with e-commerce, you can be even more anonymous.
I'm very surprised when I get some kind of 'sorry I've booked elsewhere' - I certainly don't expect it.

[vrooje]

a couple of lines of email is just so easy.

Very, very true, by itself.

However, when it was time to do this, I had already spent hours and hours going through each property description, ranking the properties, making my decision about where I wanted to go and then presenting the whole thing to the other people who were going with me, discussing it with them, and then making all the arrangements with the "winning" owner. It's short now to type it all out, but it took a pretty large fraction of an entire day and a bit of the next. (That's as it should be; I'd never recommend that anyone make a decision about a holiday rental without careful consideration.) Then I sat down to the computer after the booking was secure and was faced with the prospect of sending around 20 regret letters. Just a couple of lines each.

I still did it, because I don't want to be seen as discourteous, but it wasn't quite easy. I always appreciated it when I got regret letters from inquirers, but now I am even more impressed -- and I don't think badly of those who don't send them.

[Giddy Goat]

Mmmm, I think I agree with Jimbo; private rentals are a different scenario from shops; more often than not, you're dealing with the owner when you make a booking enquiry and the kinds of questions asked sometimes take a bit of researching - and (in my case) time in typing a response!

I had an enquiry from a woman in the States who wanted to rent for a month next May and find someone to give her kids some immersion style French tuition. I didn't exactly have that kind of information at my fingertips and replied in an enthusiastic way to the initial email, explaining that I would get back to her, which I did in a matter of a couple of days as it took time to be thorough.

Zilch. After a while I wondered if my replies perhaps hadn't reached her (she had a weird address) so I actually called, which is something I don't normally do in that situation. Left a voicemail message.

Zilch.

I just hope she had meant to thank me but didn't get around to it!

When I receive booking enquiries for weeks already spoken for, I reply. I often get people writing back to thank me for this - clearly it's not common practice in that situation either. However I only have one property to market and very little hands on involvement - that does make a difference!

[Londoner]

Brooke, I am interested in the fact that you said you like long responses. I send long detailed responses but have though about changing. Most of the enquiries are from non english speakers and I was wondering if long responses put them off.

To date I have received several "thanks but no thanks responses" but I don't expect them and I don't contact people if I don't hear from them.

[kendalcottages]

I think it's unreasonable to demand any response from the customer if they decide not to book.

I don't agree with this.

I do!

So do I!

I certainly think it's unreasonable to demand, at least. That implies a strong "tell me or else..." kind of attitude.

I think even just asking for a response if they decide not to book is pushing it a little. If people don't want to go ahead and book, the reasons behind that are their business, surely.

[Giddy Goat]

I certainly think it's unreasonable to demand, at least. That implies a strong "tell me or else..." kind of attitude.

I think even just asking for a response if they decide not to book is pushing it a little. If people don't want to go ahead and book, the reasons behind that are their business, surely.

Agree with both these statements. In an ideal world it would be nice to be able to "expect" a response however, but in the real world, it's a rare bonus when it happens!

[pambon]

It IS discourteous Jimbo, but almost no-one does it.

[la vache!]

I still don't get why it is 'discourteous'. Someone has quite possibly enquired about 10 rental homes from a listing site, so why should they write to 9 of them and inform the owner they aren't going to book? I wouldn't.
It is annoying when you go to the time and trouble to answer specific questions in detail and then you don't hear anything back, that could be considered discourteous.
But then I look at it with the view that I wouldn't want people as rude as that staying here anyway.

[vrooje]

Londoner, the most useful responses to me were those that started with a personal message that addressed my questions, which showed me that the owner had actually read my inquiry. Some of those were fairly long and personalized, and I liked that.

Then, most of the longer responses went into detail on their booking procedures, as well as their apartments, the basics of things to do in the area, including links to Google Maps, etc. One of them started with an acknowledgment that it was pre-written information in the form of "here's some information I have put together that I send to people who are looking to stay in the area." That was absolutely fine with me.

I should say that most of these apartments didn't have their own websites, which is why all the information was in an e-mail. I did get one response that was a bulleted list of links to the owner's website, which had all the information from the other e-mails and more. I found that helpful, too, and like the longer replies it showed me that the owner had at some point taken the time to put together a lot of information in order to be helpful.

If most of your inquiries are from non-English speakers, I would think that long paragraphs might not help as much. Perhaps the list of links back to your website would give all the information without being overwhelming upon first read?

Then again, Gmail now has an auto-translate lab for messages, so if a non-English speaker is inquiring from a Gmail address, I'd say just use simple sentences and let the software do its best.

[Jimbo]

Thomas Fuller said:

All doors open to courtesy.

In a world groaning under the weight of its ever-increasing population, courtesy and mutual respect are essential if life isn’t to become intolerable. I’ve worked in remote regions where acts of courtesy, generosity and kindness to strangers, from people who have almost nothing but who share it anyway, are truly humbling. To dash off a 20-second email to thank somebody who has put themselves out for you is as nothing in comparison.

I’ve been in business for many years. Mutual courtesy, trust and respect have always been the bedrock of my enterprises. But these values are now outdated, it seems, for some on here.

Jim

[la vache!]

I’ve been in business for many years. Mutual courtesy, trust and respect have always been the bedrock of my enterprises. But these values are now outdated, it seems, for some on here.

Jim

With my English teacher head on, there is a difference between having 'clients' as you do in your photography world, and 'customers' which I have as gite owner. A client is someone you create a bespoke product for, a customer is someone who buys a product that you offer, you can't tailor make it for every individual and there are many different products on offer for a customer to choose from.
If I had clients and had gone some way to specifiying and maybe even creating some of the product, I'd expect the courtsey of a thanks but no thanks. But I can't change what I offer to my customers, there are numerous other rental homes in Brittany available and therefore I don't expect any feedback if someone decides not to book with me.

[pambon]

I'm with you all the way, Jim.

[vrooje]

But these values are now outdated, it seems, for some on here.

Ouch!

Jimbo, I think we may be in more agreement than disagreement. I try hard to show courtesy myself, and I appreciate it when others do. But, since my recent experience searching for a last-minute holiday rental, I now have a greater empathy for those inquirers who never respond after the initial inquiry. I also think there's no point in getting irritated with people for it; I'd be the one causing my own suffering if I did.

Sorry, Londoner, I know this is getting a bit off topic.

[Jimbo]

Ouch!

LV and Brooke, I wasn’t being offensive or trying to suggest that I have higher standards. Merely that values in business like courtesy, honesty and respect do – I believe - bring tangible reward and make the working environment more pleasant.

However, a salutary lesson for me from last week. A client sent an urgent and abrupt message requesting high-res picture files for the same day (we have a 3-day turnaround). It caused disruption at our end but I managed to find, convert and load the pictures onto our server later in the day. Not a word of thanks or acknowledgement from the client. However, yesterday morning, a purchase order requesting immediate invoicing dropped into our letterbox. So – thanks or payment – it’s not (even for me!) too difficult a choice!

Apologies, Londoner, from me too.

Jim

[greenbarn]

I find it so surprising when I do get a "thanks but we've booked elsewhere" response that I thought I'd actually post what I got this morning:

Guest:

Thank you for getting back to me... we opted for a cottage mid dales in the end.

Will keep your details for next time if that's o.k..

Me:

Many thanks for letting us know, it's always nice to hear back. Enjoy your holiday, and do keep us in mind for another time.

Guest:

Yes will do... yours was the best cottage in our assessment and was very tempted but would have added a few too many miles for our itinerary.
Will indeed keep your details for the next time.

So - useful feedback as well as simply nice to have an unexpected response!
The response to the initial enquiry did require a bit of thinking time due to an unusual request, but I was still anticipating either a booking or silence.