Don't get me wrong i nearly like HL. There biggest problem is price. But today on opening the snail mail, i found bumph from them saying just what it says in there e-mail shots and on there web site. Come on HL save money and cut out this waste and past the savings on the us. You won't need to offer vouchers for this and that, cut your prices to all. IT WORKS!!!
rant over.
Holiday Letting (again)
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nichthewood
- Posts: 173
- Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 8:09 pm
- Location: Vicq-sur Gartempe, La Vienne
- Contact:
I second that 
If you always do what you've always done then you'll always get what you've always got.
Apartment Mil Palmeras
Apartment Mil Palmeras
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kendalcottages
- Posts: 2474
- Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:08 am
- Location: Kendal, between the Lake District and the Dales
- Contact:
I agree (I think) having got the same correspondence and binned it. However, not all are as "internet happy" as us. For a start we're all happy and accustomed to using a forum where many wouldn't be.
I would imagine from HL's point of view that that mailing could get them more members (and thus more revenue which - in theory but not likely in practice - could have potential to bring prices down), as there will be plenty of people out there that just pass a card on to their neighbour/friend/etc.
At the moment, it's very 'touch and go' as to whether we'll be renewing HL. I'm hoping we might get a little bit more publicity for our entry from winning their 'hall of fame' for 2011, but we shall have to see. It hasn't brought an additional enquiry yet, even though the page already has over 1,4000 Facebook likes.
I would imagine from HL's point of view that that mailing could get them more members (and thus more revenue which - in theory but not likely in practice - could have potential to bring prices down), as there will be plenty of people out there that just pass a card on to their neighbour/friend/etc.
At the moment, it's very 'touch and go' as to whether we'll be renewing HL. I'm hoping we might get a little bit more publicity for our entry from winning their 'hall of fame' for 2011, but we shall have to see. It hasn't brought an additional enquiry yet, even though the page already has over 1,4000 Facebook likes.
Kendal Holiday Cottages Ltd., Kendal, Cumbria - between the Lake District & the Yorkshire Dales.
Maybe before HL spend too much time trying to get new members they should spend a little more trying to keep those they already have!
We were unsure whether or not to renew when our ad expired in March (we've been with them almost since day 1) and, I admit, didn't act immediately. A few days later we discovered we'd been removed from the site without any notification or contact at all. While I can see their point (they are a business and our payment was overdue) I don't think this is good service to customers who've been loyal for a number of years. We e-mailed them (very politely!) to offer some feedback and received nothing by way of a response. Clearly not interested!
We were unsure whether or not to renew when our ad expired in March (we've been with them almost since day 1) and, I admit, didn't act immediately. A few days later we discovered we'd been removed from the site without any notification or contact at all. While I can see their point (they are a business and our payment was overdue) I don't think this is good service to customers who've been loyal for a number of years. We e-mailed them (very politely!) to offer some feedback and received nothing by way of a response. Clearly not interested!
Hi, I'm quite new to laymyhat and only started renting out my cottage in North Norfolk as a holiday home last July. Regret signing up with Hoseasons (not good with computers, I never dreamed I would be competent enough to take bookings myself) but signed up with HL last Nov.
Only 6 peak bookings thru Ho, but 16 with HL since Feb. Peeved that Ho can take 22% off each of my owner bookings until contract expires next May, especially as I am doing most of the work.
I have logged your comments about HL - who would you recommend to replace them? I am particularly interested in generating winter bookings.
Only 6 peak bookings thru Ho, but 16 with HL since Feb. Peeved that Ho can take 22% off each of my owner bookings until contract expires next May, especially as I am doing most of the work.
I have logged your comments about HL - who would you recommend to replace them? I am particularly interested in generating winter bookings.
And now HL have introduced reviews on Trip Advisor for everyone.
I had studiously avoided 'upgrading' to Premium Member because I did not want to appear there and be in the whole review thing but they have expanded so now if you are not in 'the system' you will inevitably fall to the bottom of the pile.
No choice really. Now realising that if I can't beat 'em, I have to join them and if I am the one without reviews on the site, then people will probably think there is something wrong.
I have reluctantly asked some guests who stayed over the past year if they wouldn't mind writing a review for me, but I hate having to do this. All credit to the lovely guests though - 50% have come back to me in the first 24 hours after sending the request saying they would be delighted to and 3 had already written and submitted. Now it is going to look like I went out into the highways and byways to bribe people to do this because they will probably all submit in the same week for stays up to 11 months ago!
I have always received impeccable customer service from HL so I don't understand why others are so unlucky. Only yesterday I spoke to a charming girl about this review thing and as I ranted about this (and about them growing far too big) she listened quietly and 'understood' and said it was all important for feedback for the business to listen to the owners.
Oh, Kendal - I completely forgot to say, well done on winning their award!
I had studiously avoided 'upgrading' to Premium Member because I did not want to appear there and be in the whole review thing but they have expanded so now if you are not in 'the system' you will inevitably fall to the bottom of the pile.
No choice really. Now realising that if I can't beat 'em, I have to join them and if I am the one without reviews on the site, then people will probably think there is something wrong.
I have reluctantly asked some guests who stayed over the past year if they wouldn't mind writing a review for me, but I hate having to do this. All credit to the lovely guests though - 50% have come back to me in the first 24 hours after sending the request saying they would be delighted to and 3 had already written and submitted. Now it is going to look like I went out into the highways and byways to bribe people to do this because they will probably all submit in the same week for stays up to 11 months ago!
I have always received impeccable customer service from HL so I don't understand why others are so unlucky. Only yesterday I spoke to a charming girl about this review thing and as I ranted about this (and about them growing far too big) she listened quietly and 'understood' and said it was all important for feedback for the business to listen to the owners.
Oh, Kendal - I completely forgot to say, well done on winning their award!
Thanks for reminding me, I'll have to do the same. It was inevitable, but my heart sank when I received the email. I really can't be bothered getting reviews for every site I advertise on. I use TA on my own website and to get people to post reviews at all is difficult enough, let alone of x number of sites.FelicityA wrote: I have reluctantly asked some guests who stayed over the past year if they wouldn't mind writing a review for me, but I hate having to do this.
The whole trip advisor thing is one of my gripes - I made my feelings about it very clear before I renewed and told them I didn't want my properties to have anything to do with TA. At no point, while persuading me to renew was I informed that TA would be creeping on to HL - this was just 4 weeks ago. I also complained about being accused of stealing photos for my ads from another website - just because I had resized them from the original for ease of storage/upload - after I've been an advertiser for about 6 years!
I emailed the person I had discussed it all with as soon as I received their email Monday morning, but he didn't have the decency to reply personally, after assuring me he would look after my account in future, make sure there were no more customer service cock-ups blah, blah, blah. I've had an email and a conversation with someone else, but obviously the views of their advertisers are totally unimportant once they've got your money.
They won't be getting any more of mine
I emailed the person I had discussed it all with as soon as I received their email Monday morning, but he didn't have the decency to reply personally, after assuring me he would look after my account in future, make sure there were no more customer service cock-ups blah, blah, blah. I've had an email and a conversation with someone else, but obviously the views of their advertisers are totally unimportant once they've got your money.
They won't be getting any more of mine
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Hells Bells
- Posts: 13173
- Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2005 8:42 am
- Location: French Alps
- Contact:
Hmm, I'm not currently not listed on HL, as I let my ad expire. However, my apartment manager has asked to take over my ad, and use it as part of her agency listing,as she has two properties on there already. She will deal with enquiries, and take an extra commision , putting the booking through on my calendar with a discount code which will deduct her management fee, and the commission for the booking. The management fees for my own bookings will be invoiced separately.
As I am currently on a Flipkey trial, it will look like we are in competition advertising the same property. I'm not sure how this is going to work. I've got 4 reviews already.
As I am currently on a Flipkey trial, it will look like we are in competition advertising the same property. I'm not sure how this is going to work. I've got 4 reviews already.
I don't badger guests - I only ever ask those who I've chatted to about it when they are here and they say they'd be delighted to do a review. Even those who say they will often don't bother, and I never ask twice. TA is a pain if you aren't used to doing reviews as you have to register and some people don't want to do that. I think people who often stay in hotels are used to doing reviews, but people who go to a holiday rental once a year can't be bothered.kteee wrote:PS - I'm not going to badger my clients to place reviews, if they do that's great but I won't be asking them - when I said this on the phone today it was implied that I therefore thought I had reason to be scared of negative reviews!!
I hate to ask Europeans for feedback!!! Just me, I know they are not used to the g..d d... d c... p we Americans have inadvertently become used to over the years.
I fear: feedback is here to stay! I hate it!
I love my country, but hate some of their influences on the rest of the world! Not a good thing that Homeaway could gobble up every major country's site in Europe.... so feedback is in!
Now Tripadvisor is trying to compete with Homeaway, and Tripadvisor is ALL about feedback!
I hate it, hate it, hate it!
But, that is where we are!
I hate to bother my guests!!!! How crazy is that?!
If they wrote in my welcome book and were happy, shouldn't they and I be done after that?????!!!
Maybe some brilliant mind at Google will think of a way to allow snapshots of welcome books to serve as feedback... it just may happen, and I sure hope for it!!!
[Until it happens, we all, inclusive of our guests, are caught in the schemes of Homeaway and Tripadvisor, and I am not happy at all!]
I will not support them either, no money from me, so far I am on free trial from both, and have collected feedback from past guests... just not having felt comfortable about having felt the need to ask them to begin with!!!!!!!!!!!
I fear: feedback is here to stay! I hate it!
I love my country, but hate some of their influences on the rest of the world! Not a good thing that Homeaway could gobble up every major country's site in Europe.... so feedback is in!
Now Tripadvisor is trying to compete with Homeaway, and Tripadvisor is ALL about feedback!
I hate it, hate it, hate it!
But, that is where we are!
I hate to bother my guests!!!! How crazy is that?!
If they wrote in my welcome book and were happy, shouldn't they and I be done after that?????!!!
Maybe some brilliant mind at Google will think of a way to allow snapshots of welcome books to serve as feedback... it just may happen, and I sure hope for it!!!
[Until it happens, we all, inclusive of our guests, are caught in the schemes of Homeaway and Tripadvisor, and I am not happy at all!]
I will not support them either, no money from me, so far I am on free trial from both, and have collected feedback from past guests... just not having felt comfortable about having felt the need to ask them to begin with!!!!!!!!!!!