Enquiries that make you go ergh/sigh

How to communicate with your potential renters - how to turn site visitors into enquiries, and enquiries into bookings.
Sam V
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Enquiries that make you go ergh/sigh

Post by Sam V »

'What dates do you have available? Thanks #name'
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aasta
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Post by aasta »

We repond to such inquires with a "thank-you but we really need a more specific timeframe..."
aasta
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Casscat
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Post by Casscat »

I just reply with 'the calendar is fully up to date'.
Bunny
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Post by Bunny »

I've had telephone enquiries where they just say "I'm phoning about your holiday cottage; could you tell me a bit more about it?"

Where do you start? What they usually mean is "is it available on x date and how much?"

Or I get "can you tell me if your cottage is available?" I'm sure they think they don't need to give specific dates because it will be fully available anyway. They sound genuinely shocked when I then say their dates are already booked.
Marks
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Post by Marks »

For a 2 bedroom apartment that is fully booked:

Travel dates
Arrival 01 August 2015 - We are flexible on the arrival date
Departure 07 August 2015 - We are flexible on the departure date

People in party
Adults 10
Children 3
Infants 0
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
JanB
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Post by JanB »

My best ever was:

"Hi, can you please give me your best price? A discount of 30% would be good for us"

I replied with a very polite answer and a discount, but not 30%(they only wanted three nights) and never heard from them again - I wasn't surprised but would love to have known where they ended up staying....... somewhere less than lovely, I hope!
"It's a funny old world...." but full of the most amazing people. :-) Sense of humour essential!
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Nemo
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Post by Nemo »

Marks wrote:For a 2 bedroom apartment that is fully booked:
People in party
Adults 10
Children 3
Infants 0
Marks, I have had this a few times via PIMS. The box to enter the number of guests is prefilled with a 0. Sometimes the guests type in the number 1,2 or 3 and the 0 remains, making the guest number 10,20 or 30.

Therefore, if I have availability, I respond as if the number was 1,2 or 3 etc. As you don't have availability it doesn't matter anyway, but I suspect your enquirer might be a single parent with 3 kids. On the other hand, as it's you, it may well be 10 adults! :wink:
e-richard
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Post by e-richard »

JanB wrote:"Hi, can you please give me your best price? A discount of 30% would be good for us"
Reply:

My best price is [fill in the list price here]. A discount of 30% would be bad for us.
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
Marks
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Post by Marks »

Nemo wrote:
Marks wrote:For a 2 bedroom apartment that is fully booked:
People in party
Adults 10
Children 3
Infants 0
Marks, I have had this a few times via PIMS. The box to enter the number of guests is prefilled with a 0. Sometimes the guests type in the number 1,2 or 3 and the 0 remains, making the guest number 10,20 or 30.

Therefore, if I have availability, I respond as if the number was 1,2 or 3 etc. As you don't have availability it doesn't matter anyway, but I suspect your enquirer might be a single parent with 3 kids. On the other hand, as it's you, it may well be 10 adults! :wink:
This is from Spain Holiday where enquirers have to select the number of adults/children by clicking on the number that they want, they cannot overwrite the field.

The enquirer was Spanish, notorious over occupiers :wink:
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
Sam V
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Post by Sam V »

Here's my latest, copied exactly as it was sent to me today from my eBay listing for March:

we are looking after our granddaughter x 2 for a week from 2nd of April she loves swimming age 3 all of us are looking for a bit of sunshine looking at your listing with the heated pool i think this will fit our requirements can you help us with a transfer from the airport we will be flying from Newcastle have not looked at flight costs just yet as this is school holidays
TA lurkers walk among us; the LMH Walking Dead

dont mess in the affairs of cats for they are subtle and will p on your computer.

www.algarvevillatrinity.co.uk
www.facebook.com/villatrinity
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Marks
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Post by Marks »

Sam V wrote:.....we will be flying from Newcastle have not looked at flight costs just yet as this is school holidays
And when we do we will realise flights are too expensive so we won't bother or will ask you for a discount.... :wink:
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
Bunny
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Post by Bunny »

Marks wrote:
Sam V wrote:.....we will be flying from Newcastle have not looked at flight costs just yet as this is school holidays
And when we do we will realise flights are too expensive so we won't bother or will ask you for a discount.... :wink:
Definitely one for the time wasters pile I think, Sam. :roll:
kg1
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Post by kg1 »

Sam V wrote:Here's my latest, copied exactly as it was sent to me today from my eBay listing for March:

we are looking after our granddaughter x 2 for a week from 2nd of April she loves swimming age 3 all of us are looking for a bit of sunshine looking at your listing with the heated pool i think this will fit our requirements can you help us with a transfer from the airport we will be flying from Newcastle have not looked at flight costs just yet as this is school holidays
Why don't you nip over on the 'plane with them & carry their bags too?
Bunny
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Post by Bunny »

kyreniagirl wrote:
Sam V wrote:Here's my latest, copied exactly as it was sent to me today from my eBay listing for March:

we are looking after our granddaughter x 2 for a week from 2nd of April she loves swimming age 3 all of us are looking for a bit of sunshine looking at your listing with the heated pool i think this will fit our requirements can you help us with a transfer from the airport we will be flying from Newcastle have not looked at flight costs just yet as this is school holidays
Why don't you nip over on the 'plane with them & carry their bags too?
Oh yes, they'll need someone to carry the bags to the taxis waiting right outside the terminal building. Simples.
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GRL
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Post by GRL »

I'll add to the list the one I got from HL - simply "5 people and dates, requesting to book". No message at all. I wonder how many people she fired that off to because she hasn't booked with me!
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