Lay My Hat

On my website I call June "high season" (July/August - peak season) and state that bookings are weekly from Saturday to Saturday. Low season ends just before May 26th half-term week.

I've just received an enquiry for 21st to 26th June and don't know how to respond. It mangles two weeks if I accept the booking and is also only for 5 nights. I don't have as many bookings as I would wish but I think my property might be a last minute sort of place - first season so I am very green.

Help??

Hi, I'd sweat it out and wait but that's just me. You'll kick yourself more if you lose 2 weeks than if you lose the 5 days, does that make sense? Good luck!

Hi Lou,

I know it's tempting to take anything that comes in but I'd also hang in there. I don't understand why people don't look at availability charts and changeover days or maybe they're just hoping you won't notice! It is possible I suppose that they haven't even considered that it might upset other weeks, so I'd write back and say did they realise that changeover was Sat to Sat? See what they say. Also does it say somewhere that your minimum stay for June is 1 week?

Having said that, I had the same thing this year (my first full season too) but it was for July, even worse, my changeover is a Tuesday and they wanted Sunday. As I had nothing else in at the time I took it and as the rest of the year has filled up I've been left with 2 nights mid-July that are empty but I can live with that! It's the same situation for you, Thursday being just 2 days away from Saturday and it depends what you already have booked but you could work backwards from there doing Thurs - Thurs?

Sorry this has rambled on a bit - hope it makes sense Lou!

Kathy

I'd hang on too Lou. You would lose 2 weeks rental money. However, if the weeks don't go you may still be able to recoup any loss by offering a late availability discount nearer the time and still keep a Sat-Sat changeover.

We've still got the first 2 weeks of June free (2-16)...and I'm hanging on until I can offer a late availability.

I agree with everyone else too Lou - hang on. As Kathy says they may not have even thought about it - and when you write back and explain they may change days....

Mouse
x

Hi Louise,

Hope I'm not too late in replying.
Going to stand out here as I am a minority of one. If it was me on my first year renting I honestly would have taken it, with a charge of 1 weeks rate.

You can do a lot with one weeks rental, yes agree with all that have posted previously, more with two, however, as June is slow for a lot of rentals in France this year, you have at least that amount to be going on with; at this time of your apprenticeship, take the money and use it.

I did the first year and bought more plants, trees and a stone table with one weeks rental.

Helen

I'm with Helen on this one.

5 days rental for me would be charged at the weekly rate anyway. Yes, you are messing up the week of 16th-23nd June however you may find a renter who is looking for a long weekend or 4 day break, promote that on your website. Also whoever is interested in booking the week beginning 30th June may be interested in an extra day or two by checking in on Thursday the 28th or Friday 29th.

So many possibilities and not one I'd personally say no to.

Must admit, we would take it too... Our bookings are not usually for more than a week anyway (on average - 6 nights).

You always try to get future enquirers to amend their dates slightly to fit in with your availability - it often works...

I was in the similar position a couple of times in my first year of rental. At the end of the day it is a gamble, you just have to make your mind up to be happy with the outcome no matter what. One long weekend I let mucked up a couple of weeks bookings but at the end of the day it is swings and roundabouts. I think the confidence in your property/product grows with time and experience and that is why I'm saying (for me) that I'd hang out for the full weeks.

It is a nice positive attitude Helen, I've said the same re the last week I've just let - hooray, few of days holiday spending money.

Hi Lou

I'm late, but that's not unusual (Tom Jones song coming on) For what it's worth I'm in agreement with everyone, that is, if you are sure you'll get the bookings you want, then you turn it down, but that only comes with some experience from previous years. There have been many discussions on sat to sat changeovers but I think I would take the view that maybe a bird in the hand and all that and taking the booking would give you a great chance to see if other bookings come in for mid weekers following on and maybe that will help you have a better idea of what to do for next season.

Hi Lou,
I'm with Helen and Overboard - June can be difficult to fill and at least you would have one week definitely booked. My first year I did the same as Helen - took what I could for this sometimes awkward month.

Hi Lou ...

Good advice from All..[as always]

Have you tried getting back to them and saying are those dates set is there some flexibilty and nudge them one way or the other so theyre not mucking 2 weeks up...I would also probably charge them the full week..
Its surprising how many Ive had with dates and when ive emailed or phoned back theyve willingly moved tham a little..

But in the end its your decision of course..let us know the outcome

Hi All,

As I wanted to reply as soon as possible, this is what I wrote:

Thank you so much for your enquiry as to availability at La Charronniere in June. You have asked for 5 nights over a week-end. To be perfectly honest with you, this has put me in a quandary. June is designated high season on my website and in my advertisements and lettings are for a minimum of one week with changeover day being Saturday. Your dates would mean that two weeks would be involved where I might get full income. Although the dates are available at the moment, I am receiving enquiries all the time.

In June a week in one of Les Ecuries is charged at £300, and in La P'tite Boulangerie (newly renovated cottage available from end of May) the charge is £320.

I would love to welcome you to La Charronniere - are your dates set in stone or could you change to a full week Saturday to Saturday which would give you more time to enjoy the area?

Do let me know what you think. There has to be a solution!

I haven't heard back yet. Perhaps I should telephone? What do you think?

Thanks again for your invaluable advice.

LL

I would leave it a bit Lou see what transpires....

Hmmm....please don't take this the wrong way Lou, you're doing a brilliant job and there is nothing wrong with what you said. But if someone said to me, "To be perfectly honest with you, this has put me in a quandary", I would stop right there. Nobody wants to think their vacation plans are a problem, also, they like to think you can handle anything that is thrown at you, so it sends a very negative vibe to say you don't know what to do.

Email is great for handling straight forward inquiries, but when things get a little more complicated, it's best to get less remote. I would probably have sent an initial reply by email something like,"Yes, I have availability, although my changeover day is normally X, we can certainly discuss other possibilities. When would be a convenient time to call?". Then it's all positive response, and encourages them to take the next step. If you don't want to be flexible, then you can say something like, "unfortunately, my changeover day is X and I hope can be flexible or will visit us another time." If they really want the place, trust me, they will move their dates if at all possible. The point I'm making is that the decision about what you are offering has to come from you, not them.

I can talk....hey, I had an inquiry last night to which I replied we were booked already sorry. They replied again today asking if the availability calendar was up to date because the dates were showing as available. I then realized I had completely mixed up their dates with another inquiry and probably told the other lot we have availability when we don't... I'm very lucky not to have lost the booking and now they tell me it's their honeymoon and off season as well, so even better. I would have been really sick to have lost that booking except I would never have known what I had done if they hadn't persisted. Lucky for me they did. And yes, I'm picking up the phone tomorrow because the changeover day isn't perfect for me, so i want to find out how easy it would be for them to move a day or so, but I already know it's unlikely and have decided to accept it regardless.

Hope it works out and wish you lots of luck.