Hi everyone - I'm very excited as we have just had our first enquiry which looks to be our first booking. I know this may seem obvious - but when do you mark a booking as booked on your availability calanders - some have options for provisionally booked etc but most are 'Unavailable' 'unknown' + booked. Do people usually wait until the deposit is in - or mark it booked straight away.
Love some advice!
Julesx
When do you mark a booking as booked?
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julesb
- Posts: 191
- Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2005 2:50 pm
- Location: Teillet between Rodez + Albi France
- Contact:
When do you mark a booking as booked?
I came to France to stop the panic, now I still panic but at a much slower pace.
Congratulations on the first booking Jules - its that time of year and I'm sure you will get loads more enquires from now on! Don't mark it booked until you receive the deposit - and try and set a time limit e.g. 7 working days for it to arrive so you are not hanging on and potentially losing other bookings.
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cromercrabholiday
- Posts: 797
- Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 10:24 am
- Location: North Norfolk
- Contact:
Totally agree, not booked until deposit received. We give people ten days to allow for us posting them a booking form and them returning it with cheque.
Jane follows up with e-mail/ phone before giving up on them - sometimes she has been known to invent another enquiry to hasten the deposit cheque!
John
Jane follows up with e-mail/ phone before giving up on them - sometimes she has been known to invent another enquiry to hasten the deposit cheque!
John
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julesb
- Posts: 191
- Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2005 2:50 pm
- Location: Teillet between Rodez + Albi France
- Contact:
Thanks
That was my inclination - but also it looks good to have something booked in there too. Must say it has cheered up my new Years celebrations. Thanks for all the 'work' advice Susan too - I'm going to re-think things in the New Year when the girls go back to school.
Thought I'd be the only 'sad' person on line tonight! Actually I've always hated the anti-climax of New Year - I'm more of a Christmas person.
Cheers - Julesx
That was my inclination - but also it looks good to have something booked in there too. Must say it has cheered up my new Years celebrations. Thanks for all the 'work' advice Susan too - I'm going to re-think things in the New Year when the girls go back to school.
Thought I'd be the only 'sad' person on line tonight! Actually I've always hated the anti-climax of New Year - I'm more of a Christmas person.
Cheers - Julesx
I came to France to stop the panic, now I still panic but at a much slower pace.
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7 driver
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2005 10:42 am
- Location: Haut Var, Provence, South of France
- Contact:
Yes I agree, only booked when you have the deposit. Also be careful about accepting cheques, there are a lot of fradulent ones out there. They look real enough and are normally bankers cheques so you assume they are safe. They normally clear initially and then bounce around 15 days later, which your bank will kindly charge you for.
I have a lovely cheque in my files for Euro 10,000 made out on a AIB bank cheque. It was so tempting to present it to see what would happen!. My bank assured me the only thing that would happen was I would receive a charge from them for £100!
I will only accept cheques from people that are known to me - previous guests. Otherwise its Paypal.
Good Luck
Cathy Holmes
Var Vacances Ltd
I have a lovely cheque in my files for Euro 10,000 made out on a AIB bank cheque. It was so tempting to present it to see what would happen!. My bank assured me the only thing that would happen was I would receive a charge from them for £100!
I will only accept cheques from people that are known to me - previous guests. Otherwise its Paypal.
Good Luck
Cathy Holmes
Var Vacances Ltd
julesb,
I take a different approach. I mark it as booked after I confirm with the guest on the phone. I tell them I will mark it as booked immediately and then allow a reasonable time for the deposit cheque to arrive.
This is different to other ideas here but I do it for the following reasons:
1. I believe when I travel and agree to a booking with a hotel that they should reserve the place at that time and not potentially have it given away. I believe that this give renters confidence in the internet and self-catering process. Let me say up front that I dont expect that others on this forum are giving away the dates in the interim even if they aren't marking them as booked.
2. I believe by doing this that it builds commitment on the part of the guest when they know that we are also commited to the point of taking it off the market.
3. The risk is low if things fall through (which using this process they never have) - I lose a few weeks advertising.
4. I also believe that it gives other guest who may be wanting those dates, firstly a jolt to get moving as things are booking out, and secondly, a courtesy to them so they are looking at dates that are available and not wasting their time.
We are really trying to operate in the most professional and service orientated manner we can. We try to show our guests and have them feel that they are the most important thing to us and we believe this is one more way to show our commitemnt to them and how serious we are about the guest comes first. If we get caught out on a few issues with our approach then so be it - its the price of providing five star service.
I take a different approach. I mark it as booked after I confirm with the guest on the phone. I tell them I will mark it as booked immediately and then allow a reasonable time for the deposit cheque to arrive.
This is different to other ideas here but I do it for the following reasons:
1. I believe when I travel and agree to a booking with a hotel that they should reserve the place at that time and not potentially have it given away. I believe that this give renters confidence in the internet and self-catering process. Let me say up front that I dont expect that others on this forum are giving away the dates in the interim even if they aren't marking them as booked.
2. I believe by doing this that it builds commitment on the part of the guest when they know that we are also commited to the point of taking it off the market.
3. The risk is low if things fall through (which using this process they never have) - I lose a few weeks advertising.
4. I also believe that it gives other guest who may be wanting those dates, firstly a jolt to get moving as things are booking out, and secondly, a courtesy to them so they are looking at dates that are available and not wasting their time.
We are really trying to operate in the most professional and service orientated manner we can. We try to show our guests and have them feel that they are the most important thing to us and we believe this is one more way to show our commitemnt to them and how serious we are about the guest comes first. If we get caught out on a few issues with our approach then so be it - its the price of providing five star service.
No,people do not generally ask for a week that is provisionally booked.If someone asks for a week that I'd provisionally booked because they haven't access to the calendar for whatever reason then I tell them "no,but",so I guess it provides a sort of waiting list but I have to say that I have only had this happen once.In practical terms then= not much use I suppose 