Inflexibility costs bookings

[charles cawley]

We are still coming across owners who are surprised and concerned that bookings are not as easy to come by as they used to be. In certain established areas, some owners appear in denial that times have changed. They expect bookings and rates to remain as they always have been.

The Saturday to Saturday booking arrangement dates back to the 1980s. It all but eliminates the high rate weekend and mid-week breaks and radically restricts the market.

When I try to explain, I often find owners get quite angry as they shoot the messenger. It can be immensley frustrating when it is clear that some do not want to know or listen. It is as if they want the market to obey their requirements. ('The customer can flex to suit us'... amazingly, that approach is not uncommon).

Others do not want their lives to be altered by new arrangements and are happy to pay the price for this priority. Self-catering is often not so bottom line focussed as B&B operations. In these cases, if they are aware of the trade-off, then there is no problem and no disappointment if income falls. Others, however, seem to hope that they can be inflexible and income and bookings will hold up.

Times are going to get far tougher than they are now. There is no alternative to flexibility and awareness of what the market wants. Of course, this necessity brings more inconvenience and, sometimes, higher costs.

But it seems many cottage owners have yet to get the message. If you do not give the market what it wants, it will not give you the income you hope for.

[CSE]

Booking a small vacation in the UK, The Netherlands then France and back to Spain, I too was disappointed at the inflexibility of some owners. However others were very accommodating in our (customers) requests.
On the other hand maybe it is too disorganizing for (for example) cleaning teams to change their routine?

Charles I know your market is rentals and this post is about rentals, but in order to be fair to all business owners can I take the opportunity to say:

It is not only rental owners; some B&B owners can also be “challenged” by a simple request that upsets their daily routine.

Sorry I hope that does not highjack the thread

[charles cawley]

Not at all.

I was letting off a bit of steam. When you do your best to explain things and find that you are saying things that people do not want to hear, it can be quite difficult to know what is the best thing to do.

The customer is always supposed to be right and to be in the position of thinking this might not be the case is confusing and paradoxical, especially if you have just lectured owners on doing what the booking market wants. Our most important customers are homeowners, so it is a bit odd bossing them around, when, in the next breath you suggest that they are not listening to the booking market. I am only too aware of this awkward situation.

Rental agents are not well known for flexibility, themselves, so adding icing to the cake of the paradox of the whole situation. I thank you for not shooting me down in flames in that respect.

I wholly agree with the organisational problems and costs of greater flexibility. We had just that problem with our old web site and it was a major consideration when we invested in the one we have now; so we can take automated bookings from and to any days in the week with a full pricing system using a special tool to make this possible. A little over a third of our members have adopted this system where only two prompted us to develop it.

Yes, everyone can be inflexible. In fairness to B&B folk, their job is usually full-on where many self-catering operations, especially the more inflexible ones, are very much part-time. Where some are highly efficient operations others are lifestyle and, often, optional businesses for a little extra money on the side.

The market is definitely getting tougher and there is no shadow of a doubt that lost income will rise substantially as the cost of inflexibility.

[Nemo]

The customer is always supposed to be right and to be in the position of thinking this might not be the case is confusing and paradoxical, especially if you have just lectured owners on doing what the booking market wants. Our most important customers are homeowners, so it is a bit odd bossing them around, when, in the next breath you suggest that they are not listening to the booking market. I am only too aware of this awkward situation.

This business still involves teamwork though, even if ultimately the buck stops with the owner. This team may be owner and agent, or owner and cleaner for example. If owners aren't prepared to listen, then of course they will suffer the consequences if the bookings drop. A lot of owners probably haven't yet caught on to the way the market is changing so rapidly. This year has certainly been different for me compared to the previous two.

Like many, we offer Mon/Fri changeovers so that my cleaner knows when she is likely to be needed. Within that, I do try and offer some flexibility, for example late checkouts if they cannot stay the full time for example.

[CSE]

Charles this is a place where you can let steam off.
Clients can be frustrating; maybe in the end they will hold you responsible for their failure. But reading over the years your postings you come across as a mindful and professional person who want to do good for his clients.

Going back to (in) flexibility. Just after I had written the last posting we had a call. For 4 persons/4nights, with dinners. A good booking. However they wanted to bring their dog, we do not allow any pets in the house. So we lost out, due to our inflexibility? It could be if you took the enquirer’s side.

Yep the market is getting tougher.

[B&B netherlands]

i once lost a very promising booking for 10 nights because i said 'no' to her request to allow her husband 'and our very sweet and quiet danish dog' to come to keep her company 'over the weekend'.

booking something in the netherlands...? i DO sometimes offer the service to my guests to phone a B&B for their next day(s) in the town or village they want to go to. i did explain to american guests once, that it is really useless to mail dutch B&B-owners and expect to get a response - within minutes!

phoning around for them (their destination was leiden) i found out that nobody even answered the telephone... so i tried a few others in the hague: 'can you call us back later...?' (no, i couldn't. my guests were going to leave at 11 am, i phoned around 9.30 am... their cell phone was useless here...)

finally gave them a printed sheet with several addresses and waved them goodbye: 'try your luck, i'm really sorry about this.'

for spanish guests, i tried to arrange a 2 night weekend stay in a B&B in giethoorn or vicinity, after that they would return to my place again. phoned EIGHT B&B's. four never took up the phone, three had an answering machine on, the last one... a rather poor looking place - rattan furniture from the 50's - yes!!! my guests were quite happy to stay there, though the farmer's wife was difficult to communicate with (no english, certainly no spanish) but said to 'be very pleased to be back home'. my home, that is...

for belgian guests... i think i made my point?

[Martha]

Sounds like you've had a frustrating day, Charles, my sympathy!

B&B netherlands, I am sure your guests appreciate it. It reminds me of staying in B&Bs in Japan (minshuku) where the owners would often do the same and it was such a big help.

Later we found out that it's very much preferred as introductions are so important there - the first owner (by calling them up for you) is recommending you as a guest to the second - so the second owner knows that you understand the etiquette of staying in a japanese home. The kindness of the people we met was one of the things I remember very happily - I'm sure your guests have happy memories of your kindness too!

[B&B netherlands]

they do, they do! though being introduced into japanese minshuku is much more important than 'just' trying to find a B&B in the netherlands that picks up the phone

one of my most recent professional guests needing a bed for the night as he had an early meeting in the next village from here, wanted breakfast before 7 am so i baked him a fresh bread and filled up the minibar with everything needed for brekkie & a lunch package (dutchies eat bread for lunch) left the printed internet-page where he found me, 'thanks for staying here and a good breakfast, hope to come again in future'.

upon arrival, he told me he and his wife also run a B&B...

[Beachcondo]

This is quite interesting because I am experiencing the opposite, Charles.
I started being rigid this year and only accepting Saturday-Saturday bookings (until 2 months prior to arrival). I have never had a better booking calendar.

Before I would have odd nights open and people that wanted Sat-Sat bookings couldn't book. Then the bargain hunters would come in closer to arrival date and I would end up with slumping away the "non standard" weeks.

I might have to change in the future, but right now it feels like I did the right decision.

[CSE]

Florida seems like a different world. Glad that the changes works for you.

[Nemo]

Yes, this is in the UK section, so Charles is talking about the specifics of self catering in this neck of the woods. Once you add in flight timing etc then you can argue a completely different case, even if the end result may be the same.

[Beachcondo]

You are absolutely right Nemo,
I can tell that the Floridians often want shorter weekend breaks.
Kind of the same scenario as your local UK market, I guess.

When I started out I was told that this fiercely competitive market I'm in (11 mile long, narrow island with thousands of rentals) demanded flexibility, and I'm quite astounded that it has worked out so well to do it opposite.

[kendalcottages]

Actually, I was going to argue to the contrary also, and then thought better of it. But, dare I say it, flexibility can also cost you bookings too, and it doesn't necessarily follow that more flexibility means more income.

[charles cawley]

This is very interesting.

Perhaps, where the US goes, the UK might follow.

Things can change very quickly. The fashion for en suits in self catering is taking a strong hold where, a few years ago, in our neck of the woods, it was neither here nor there.

I was caught out by advising that they were not so critical the moment the fashion and market demand was changing. We will have to keep a careful eye on how things develop.

[CSE]

Charles; Moving with the times---- next thing you know everyone will want Avocado bath suites and carpets on the bathroom floor!