Lay My Hat

Can we book for June 2017? Well they are returners from OZ so I've said I will pencil in the dates they want and remove from the online booking service. I can't see an issue with that so far in advance. Some people are very well organised.

Well done, Barbersdrove. We've yet to officially get a booking for next year - but we have just pencilled in 4 weeks in July to be confirmed end this year/early next year to a returnee.

this is for 4 weeks too so hopefully theywill follow through.

That will be a really nice one to get under your belt

Guests this week (who have already booked for next year) have told me they want the same two weeks EVERY year and can I give them first refusal!

Am sure they might change their minds.

Butter them up, SandyBeaches, give them a little extra to what you offer normally, plus a special offer - not necessarily a discount but delayed payment or this year's prices for next year. Returnees (providing you WANT them back, of course!) are good news. They know what to expect, and so do you. We've got a couple who are coming back this year for their 3rd time, same 2 weeks. Hopefully, they'll book for next year before they've left this year.

We had February guests who said the same thing for our peak ski week, which is UK half-term. Four years down the line after booking for 4th time, they cancelled due to redundancy after I had turned down many other booking requests. I did return their deposit once I had secured another booking, but it did take a while. They've never been back.

I have 14 weeks booked for 2017, people plan ahead for Orlando as it's such a big holiday for most families

Sandra

2017 bookings are very impressive!
I have 3 for 2016 ..... (5 & a half weeks)

Just taken my first 2017 booking, 2 weeks repeat guests! 2016 looking good too, August almost full, mostly repeats.

The general pattern, in our area, is that 2016 bookings are well up for advance bookings compared to this time last year or to any year in the last five.

No 2017 bookings yet.

yes 2016 is ahead but 2 of those bookings are from Germany where Sykes has launched their website. luckily I speak German but I guess most guests speak a good level of english. Interesting that Sykes have moved into Germany. A friend who works foe Dr Martins shoe care says this is a target market for retailers-much more so than France for example

barbersdrove wrote:Can we book for June 2017? Well they are returners from OZ so I've said I will pencil in the dates they want and remove from the online booking service. I can't see an issue with that so far in advance. Some people are very well organised.

Just picked up on this thread. Great for you, barbersdrove! I'm Australian and it isn't unusual for Aussies to book way in advance. Because it's such a long way from Oz to Europe, trips are usually planned and booked well ahead and mostly people stay away for 4-6 weeks, or longer, to make that long (and expensive ) flight worthwhile.