New bookings

Up, down, could be better? How to get more bookings is our number one obsession. Talk shop here.
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Alan Knighting
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Post by Alan Knighting »

Maria,

Apart from being enthusiastically helpful at the time of enquiry I can’t think of anything one can do.

People can, and do, enquire of a number of alternatives and then choose one. It’s a sad fact of modern life that some of them don’t have the courtesy to come back and say “thank you but no thank you� – it never even occurs to them.

I don’t know whether it is a buyer’s market or a seller’s market but I’m as tough as they are – I work on a first come first served basis. When asked, I’ll say “Yes I have pencilled you in but if someone else books in the meantime you’ve lost it�.

Fluffy
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

“Yes I have pencilled you in but if someone else books in the meantime you’ve lost it�.
:wink: :lol:

I will have to remember that Alan[it that why pencils have rubbers on the end?]

Youre absolutely right!.

When I first started I was over helpful, of course I will save it while you check holiday dates,..check with your partner...
Check kids exam dates...Wait for the budget airlines to release their flts....Twiddle you thumbs.

Now I dont, if another enquiry comes along I say to them the dates are free but I have already had an enquiry for them.
This normally Spurs the 2nd enquirer on....
A Bookings not a booking until the chqs paid..
Ive even had the chqs been sent must be lost in the post or Im sending it payday...
Then theyve changed there mind and you could have lost the chance of a booking. :evil:

I think it might be more difficult in France though, did someone say that the post can take quite a while to get there.
So if someone supposed to have sent the deposit youd have to wait a while??
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debk
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Post by debk »

I don't tend to follow up on enquiries
I didn't either until someone followed-up on me! My response really had gone astray, permanently lost in cyberspace. Fortunately, they cared enough to inquire again, I re-forwarded my initial response and we sorted things out for a happy booking. Whew.

Given that experience, along with my own issues of overflowing inboxes, email quirks and cyberburps, I don't feel like I've responded fully without the final re-send.

Plus I hate to think of potential guests out there scratching their heads, chatting on their forums about why VisitingPortugal haven't the courtesy to at least thank them for the inquiry. :lol:
debk
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Rocket Rab
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Post by Rocket Rab »

Deb, all excellent arguments and good reasons to overcome any 'follow-up reticence'. I shall be putting your template to good use :D
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

debk,

Your right I had a Lady who enquired about a certain date last year and I didnt get a reply,[apparently her computer was having a wobble]...
she contacted me later to ask again and in the mean time the dates she originally wanted had gone,but luckily she accepted the next dates that were available.

We often see posts on here about Forum users thinking they havent received all the enquiries they might have because of computer niggles. So its just as likely to be happening to ones we are sending out...
I think debs template strikes just the right note...without being pushy..Thanks again debx
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Alan Knighting
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Post by Alan Knighting »

Various comments.
I will have to remember that Alan[it that why pencils have rubbers on the end?]
Sure, but you girls know what “rubbers� really are don’t you?
I think it might be more difficult in France though, did someone say that the post can take quite a while to get there.
So if someone supposed to have sent the deposit youd have to wait a while??
No, it isn’t. The post takes two days – just like anywhere else.
why VisitingPortugal haven't the courtesy to at least thank them for the inquiry
No way. They get a lot more than thanks.

Fluffy (on this subject perhaps a little short of being fluffy)
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

Alan Knighting wrote: No, it isn’t. The post takes two days – just like anywhere else.
It does, but only if it is sent via Airmail from the UK! You'd be suprised at the number of people who just stick the envelope in the postbox, then wonder what has happened to it. It takes at least 2 weeks to arrive if it isn't sent airmail. I remind people to do this now when they book with me.
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Hi All
It does, but only if it is sent via Airmail from the UK! You'd be suprised at the number of people who just stick the envelope in the postbox, then wonder what has happened to it.
Thanks Susan ,I knew Id read it from someone in France.... :wink:

Alans doing well as it takes more than 2 days to receive something posted in the UK to the Uk Nowadays...
since theyve done away with the 2nd lunchtime post everything usually arrives at lunchtime but they call it the morning delivery :shock:
Except on Saturdays when postmen can go home after theyre deliveries when it usually arrives about 8 am :? :shock:

Tell me about it Ive just sent Keys and Info to Southern Ireland a week ago and they havent had them yet.... :?
:?
Sure, but you girls know what “rubbers� really are don’t you?
Quote

Yes theyre erasers arent they Alan: :shock:
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Alan Knighting
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Post by Alan Knighting »

Susan,
It does, but only if it is sent via Airmail from the UK! You'd be suprised at the number of people who just stick the envelope in the postbox, then wonder what has happened to it. It takes at least 2 weeks to arrive if it isn't sent airmail.
I ordered some books on-line from Amazon on Monday this week, they arrived on Wednesday this week but they were dispatched parcel post from Antwerp.

On Wednesday this week I posted three letters to addresses in France and they arrived at their destinations yesterday. If I had paid one extra centime each they would have arrived on Thursday.

Yesterday I received a letter from my Pension Company in the UK dated 26th October, yes this year.

It looks as though you are right - to an extent. It would seem it all depends on where the post is coming from.

And I thought it was me who was living in “the middle of nowhere�.

Fluffy
Nightowl
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Post by Nightowl »

[quote="debk]
I didn't either until someone followed-up on me! My response really had gone astray, permanently lost in cyberspace.
debk[/quote]

I think some of the mail gets filtered by junk filter. We had a german couple book our house, paid the deposit and then paid the balance before I even reminded them it was due. I sent off all the maps, directions and a few general welcome notes of things to do, places to go, etc as usual, and thanked them for sending the balance early etc. No response.

3 weeks before holiday I sent an email saying, just wanted to check you got the directions OK. No response.

10 days before holiday I dug out another email address I had for them (I had one for husband and wife) and sent another note saying, is all OK, just a bit worried I haven't heard from you.

Got a note back saying, no we didn't get any of them (aside from the last one), but eventually found them in our junk mail folder. No idea why their system filed them there - there were no 'odd' headings etc.

Unfortunately I now have a problem with the same couple because I need to return their deposit and they haven't given me their full bank details - I have now emailed all their email addresses several times and no response. They were on holiday in mid October and I like to return deposits within a week or so of their departure. No doubt they will eventually remember that I owe them 100 euro and email me about it, but it's not as if I haven't tried, it seems they are just not getting my emails. I would ring but their english is not too hot and nor is my german - I think we both have used translation programmes when communicating with eachother so far.. Iam not sure if I have an address for them so I guess I am going to have to try and dig that out from the depths of my 'filing' system..

So we can't just assume that our emails are received, cos they sometimes are not..

Sorry, did the quote thing wrong, have tried to edit it but it still hasn't come out right....
Nightowl
Forever going one step forwards and two
backwards......
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debk
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Post by debk »

Hi, Knightowl -

I've occasionally had these kinds of email contact problems with guests. Can be both frustrating and worrying.

Have you tried sending an email from another address or two, in the hopes it won't go to their junkbox?

That has worked for me a couple of times in the past and I keep an extra yahoo and hotmail account for just these situations. Worth a try perhaps?

Viel Glueck! (courtesy of babelfish)
debk
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Hi All, :D
I know Im not very up on things tech wise... :?

But isnt there a way that you can set your emails up so people can click a box to say theyve received them....I know Ive received them this way...[maybe someone can tell me how?]

Could that help in establishing that theyve got there????
CostaBlanca
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Post by CostaBlanca »

Alan Knighting wrote:Maria,

Apart from being enthusiastically helpful at the time of enquiry I can’t think of anything one can do.
Fluffy
Alan,
What does "enthusiastically helpful" mean? I usually send an overhead photo of the property, map and some local information that is not on the website, answer queries, confirm prices, etc.
I find that some of my enquiries send a 1 liner just to confirm price and availability without any greeting, signature, etc. It is not so easy to be enthusiastic.

Maria
CostaBlanca
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Post by CostaBlanca »

Ros wrote:But isnt there a way that you can set your emails up so people can click a box to say theyve received them.... ????
Ros,
I know that in OE (outlook Express) you can "request read receipt". Before the receiver can read your email, they are asked if they want to send a receipt "yes" or "no" but I assume many people just click "no" because I rarely get a reply. But if they are reading their emails on webmail or on different mail programmes, I don´t know how the OE receipt request is dealt with.
Maria
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Thanks for that Maria, :D

Another Forum users just let me know how to do it ...I might try it.....
Do any other Forum users use it and do people usually respond????
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