Flurry of enquiries

How to communicate with your potential renters - how to turn site visitors into enquiries, and enquiries into bookings.
Beachcondo
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Flurry of enquiries

Post by Beachcondo »

It normally pops in a couple per week, but yesterday I got 7!

Only one of those were for dates that are already marked as booked (it's been the opposite lately).

I managed to get hold of 2 of them via phone (by the time people are home from work in the US, I'm in bed here in Europe) and got the standard answer: "Which listing is yours? I've sent to several"
Well, that is normal and especially when you are competing with a condo on a small island that has rental units by the thousands.

But the women I talked to seemed uneasy about talking to me - and I don't think that I come across that bad on the phone!

Are you experiencing this too?
Do people prefer to be mailed to instead of talked to?
You would think that they would appreciate that someone is caring about their business, and taking the time to answer their questions.
Margaret
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Post by Margaret »

I used to phone people but not any more. I think you need to allow the potential guests to drive most of the communication. If they contact you by email, reply by email. I am on a very irritating Asian site which bombards me with emails telling me to phone everybody which I ignore.

I know that when I am looking for accommodation, the last I want is for owners to call me. It takes a lot of thought to work out which accommodation is right for us and I don't want to feel cornered into booking somewhere during a phone call. I don't think this has anything to do with being female.

The only time I phone is when people who have already booked are slow with the second payment!
Londoner
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Post by Londoner »

I take my lead from the potential guest. If they contact me by email I respond by email. If they call, like this morning at 7am! I will call them back initially to let them know if the dates are available etc, and would carry on the booking procedure by email.

Personally I would not mind, but I don't think people expect a phone call.
brenda
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Post by brenda »

I too think that contact by email means an email reply is expected not a phone call.

If someone wants to speak they will either ring or send an email asking you to contact them by phone.
Beachcondo
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Post by Beachcondo »

I hardly get any phonecalls. I have the telephonenumber to an American cell on the listing sites, but that doesn't work outside of the US, so I they just get an automated answer to look at the website.
I don't think an American would call abroad to the other number.

You are probably right about e-mail to e-mail, it is just that the Europeans generally seems glad that you answer back to them by telephone

:?:

And considering all the advise about calling people, I thought I was doing something to help my bookings....?
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kendalcottages
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Post by kendalcottages »

If I enquired somewhere by email, I wouldn't want a response by 'phone.

But then I can be a bit grumpy sometimes. ;)
Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd., Kendal, Cumbria - between the Lake District & the Yorkshire Dales.
stork
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Post by stork »

I have experienced people being a bit confused because they had send out a number of enquiries. I have rarely felt they disliked being phoned, but perhaps I am just insensitive :-)

I generally phone if I am out and cannot get to my computer for some hours, just to say "it is available, I will email details tonight", or sometimes when there are questions. I think that gains me more bookings than it looses.
Beachcondo
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Post by Beachcondo »

OK,
I'll stop feeling guilty about not using the phone.

Maybe it won't make a difference anyway.
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Maurmc
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Post by Maurmc »

I used to phone enquirers when we first started renting over a year ago. I don't any more. As an enquirer, I would prefer to get the info and digest it at leisure. As an owner, I can double check that everything is correct before pressing "send".
Most of the listings show my number. The vast majority of guests choose to email so I email in reply.
I haven't noticed any difference in conversion rate since I stopped phoning, despite what the listing sites suggest.
If you always do what you've always done then you'll always get what you've always got.

Apartment Mil Palmeras
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Blanche
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Post by Blanche »

We've actually taken the phone number off as many sites as possible as we find that people who ring want last minute bookings and are generally a problem in some way or another. I say to them if they want to make a booking they must email with all the information. If the line is bad or the accent is difficult to understand I like to have the names and addresses in writing, the number of people and the dates they want. I tend to panic on the phone as I am afraid of double booking.
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FelicityA
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Post by FelicityA »

Maurmc wrote:. As an owner, I can double check that everything is correct before pressing "send".
I absolutely agree with this. Like Blanche, I tend to panic on the phone when someone says how much is it for x,y,z dates and I think I lost a booking the other day because I got confused doing my sums 'on the hoof' and quoted way too much.

I only ring people back if they have specifically asked in a telephone answer message or in an email but then I know I am not a natural sales person and I would hate to feel I was pushing anybody into something. (Those telephone sales people for ads get a pretty short and concise response from me, asking them to email me the details). I like potential guests to decide in their own time (as long as they know they might miss out by being too long about it).
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