How do you manage those who go silent?
How do you manage those who go silent?
I had an enthusiastic enquirer 4 days ago asking if they could come mid week to mid week and I assumed when I responded that they could I would get a booking by return. Instead, I've heard nothing and now have an online booking for part of the same period from someone via Homeaway.
I've emailed the Homeaway bookers that I am waiting to hear from someone else and am giving the first enquirer 24 hours to respond.
I have emailed the silent one they have 24 hours to confirm whether they want to book or not and if I've heard nothing I will take the Homeaway booking.
How would you have managed this? Would you have taken the Homeaway booking straightaway, assuming if someone hasn't come back after 4 days then they are not interested? Or would you give the first enquirer a chance to say they do/don't want to take it?
I've emailed the Homeaway bookers that I am waiting to hear from someone else and am giving the first enquirer 24 hours to respond.
I have emailed the silent one they have 24 hours to confirm whether they want to book or not and if I've heard nothing I will take the Homeaway booking.
How would you have managed this? Would you have taken the Homeaway booking straightaway, assuming if someone hasn't come back after 4 days then they are not interested? Or would you give the first enquirer a chance to say they do/don't want to take it?
- PW in Polemi
- Posts: 1781
- Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:23 am
- Location: A village in Paphos, Cyprus
I would have thought that 4 days is plenty of time to finalise bookings, generally. However, things happen and maybe your original enquirer got too busy with whatever cropped up.
Alternatively, he may be one of those types that enjoy the anticipation of a holiday without actually completing the booking.
Whatever, you have been very fair to him, giving him due warning of your other enquiry. You might want to set yourself some guidelines for future use, eg every booking enquiry response states that no booking is guaranteed until receipt of booking deposit, and when you send out the payment details, specify how much time is allowed for payment to be made before the booking is considered null and void.
Alternatively, he may be one of those types that enjoy the anticipation of a holiday without actually completing the booking.
Whatever, you have been very fair to him, giving him due warning of your other enquiry. You might want to set yourself some guidelines for future use, eg every booking enquiry response states that no booking is guaranteed until receipt of booking deposit, and when you send out the payment details, specify how much time is allowed for payment to be made before the booking is considered null and void.
Dogs have masters. Cats have slaves!
First come first served. If I get an enquiry for similar dates to an enquiry already received I don't contact the first enquirer to say I have had another enquiry and give them a deadline to reply by which time I might have lost the second enquiry. Life is too short and money in the bank is what counts.
Edited due to rubbish spelling
Edited due to rubbish spelling
Some guests just need a sympathetic pat. On the head. With a hammer.
Agree with Marks...unless the second enquiry came very shortly after the first (2 days at the most), I would not bother getting back to the first.
Even if the second enquiry did come shortly after the first, I would only give the first until the end of the day to respond. They should be able to check email and respond by then. I have been left hanging too many times to tolerate any longer.
I also think it is a good idea to have a line in your response to enquiries to emphasise that bookings are not guaranteed until the booking form and deposit payment are sent.
If the first haven't responded after 4 days I would assume they are not interested and just accept the second booking.
Even if the second enquiry did come shortly after the first, I would only give the first until the end of the day to respond. They should be able to check email and respond by then. I have been left hanging too many times to tolerate any longer.
I also think it is a good idea to have a line in your response to enquiries to emphasise that bookings are not guaranteed until the booking form and deposit payment are sent.
If the first haven't responded after 4 days I would assume they are not interested and just accept the second booking.
Of course they don't realise it. They are not in the rental business like what we are, so why should they ?SPJ wrote:I think people don't realise that this is our busiest time of the year for peak season bookings and a prompt confirmation of a booking is really important.
The onus is on us to guide them. And so in my FIRST reply to any enquiry and at all times of the year, we always add a para like this:
Please do be aware that we are constantly getting enquiries for this accommodation, and a reservation cannot be guaranteed until deposit is received. If you need more time to think about it, please do email back and we'll try and work with you if possible.
There's no threat, no pressure, but it leaves me free to accept any other enquiries without reference back to them.
** Richard
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
PIMS: Holiday Rental Management system
They say we learn from our mistakes. That makes me a genius !
Your say "of course they don't realise it" Richard, but in fact anyone with kids in school DOES realise it - that's why peak season bookings come in so early these days - gone are the days when parents took kids out of school in order to go on holiday!
Fair point Sandra, but not many gites around me specifically say that they can be flexible with starting dates - hence the reason he still wanted to book. I agree with you if the email just says "Hi we love your gite, can we book for X-X" then almost certainly they've contacted 10 others.
Thanks for the paragraph Richard - good thought. I'll do it for 2020. I've got all the bookings I want for 2019.
Fair point Sandra, but not many gites around me specifically say that they can be flexible with starting dates - hence the reason he still wanted to book. I agree with you if the email just says "Hi we love your gite, can we book for X-X" then almost certainly they've contacted 10 others.
Thanks for the paragraph Richard - good thought. I'll do it for 2020. I've got all the bookings I want for 2019.
- PW in Polemi
- Posts: 1781
- Joined: Sun Oct 21, 2012 5:23 am
- Location: A village in Paphos, Cyprus