Lay My Hat

Posted: **Thu May 10, 2007 8:19 pm**

Generally I've found that once I answer an enquiry, the booking follows within 24 hours (if there is one that is!). I'm always surprised if I get a booking several days after - most people want to book immediately. However this evening I got a booking for next year from some people who originally enquired last September - 8 months ago! Is this a record? How long does it generally take you to get the booking after responding to an enquiry?

Posted: **Thu May 10, 2007 8:45 pm**

Like you, usually within 24 hours.

After 3-4 days with no response, I send one brief follow-up email. That usually results in a "we changed our mind", "found another place" or a booking. (Sometimes the result is just silence, which is fine, too... I just like to ensure I'm not the one to drop the ball.)

I do remember once sending an initial response, followed by silence, and then MONTHS later getting a "hurrah we've made our airplane reservations and are ready to book" response. At which point, of course, the house had been rented to someone else...

8 months?

Congrats!

debk

Posted: **Thu May 10, 2007 9:23 pm**

Normally if we get an enquiry through our own website then I know they are serious bookers and the booking is usually confirmed within 2 days. If enquirers from other listing sites don't respond to my reply, I follow up on a 'courtesy reminder', if I don't get a reply then I take it they've found somewhere else....but 8 months down the line LV!!

That is a LMH record! Well done!

Posted: **Thu May 10, 2007 9:31 pm**

I have done this in the past , booked a property months after we enquired. We changed our minds about taking a summer holiday, and went on another ski trip at Easter instead. However, a small inheritance meant we could take our summer trip after all, and I had bookmarked the original property, which we booked. IT was a troglodyte house in the Loire, and proved to be an excellent choice to be staying in during the heatwave of 2003 (?), as the cave rooms were cool all the time, even at 30-odd degrees outside, the cave never got above 16.

. It's only downside was the local bar was closed, and it had no pool. We had a lot of late evening barbecues though, and cycled to the next village a lot.

Posted: **Fri May 11, 2007 8:09 am**

[quote="BagPuss"] If enquirers from other listing sites don't respond to my reply, I follow up on a 'courtesy reminder', if I don't get a reply then I take it they've found somewhere else.quote]

I've wondered about sending follow up emails but am wary about appearing to 'hassle' the enquirer or looking desperate!!

Would anyone mind sharing how they word their follow ups?

Posted: **Fri May 11, 2007 8:57 am**

I realise I'm not as experienced as you, since this is my first year, but I did do one follow-up with 'Is there anything else I can help you with?' I didn't get a reply, though.

Another time I tried to follow up but my e-mail bounced back. In this case I did try calling but his number didn't work either, so I assumed he was a time-waster. Eventually though he rang me to see why I hadn't replied, and that turned into a serious 2 week booking.

Another chap (slightly different situation I know) rang me almost every day for over a week before he finally booked. And these weren't short calls either, as he clearly also enjoyed chatting. He said he was terriffied of getting it wrong because the family would never forgive him if he took them somewhere they didn't like, and so he had to be sure he was getting it right, which I think we can all understand. (I've felt the same when I've made the decision for both of us, and although it wasn't my fault that Carcassonne was experiencing a freak cold spell in October, I was made to feel it was!)

So anyway, yes, I think there's no harm in a follow-up e-mail, which they can always ignore, but I would be reluctant to call in case I embarassed them.

Pauline

Posted: **Fri May 11, 2007 9:20 am**

Pauline,

I start with the assumption that most people make enquiries with more than one owner. I also start with the assumption that I only have one opportunity to make a first impression. With those assumptions in mind I respond to an enquiry as quickly as possible.

On the same basis, I respond to subsequent questions as quickly and as fully as possible. Right or wrong, I think this sends to the enquirer the clear message that he/she is dealing with an â€œOwner Who Caresâ€�. Iâ€™m not timid about giving immediate replies; Iâ€™m not backward in coming forward; I work with the thought that the enquirer is looking for a holiday property and as soon as he/she can get it sorted out the better.

Having dealt with that stage and not having received a booking I donâ€™t inundate the enquirer with reminders. Theyâ€™ve got all the information and theyâ€™re either thinking about it or theyâ€™ve gone elsewhere and havenâ€™t the common courtesy to tell me so. I might jolly them up by telling them that I have received another enquiry for the same weeks and they need to make a decision, but thatâ€™s about it. I think sending constant reminders would be a big turn off and I donâ€™t do it.

Now, where the hell are this yearâ€™s enquiries?

Fluffy

Posted: **Fri May 11, 2007 9:40 am**

Fluffy,
I agree about the constant reminders, and would never harass anyone, but I alwways worry that an e-mail may not have arrived. So I have done the follow up as I said with 'Is there anything else I can help you with?', which of course they can ignore.

Tc

Posted: **Fri May 11, 2007 9:43 am**

Alan Knighting wrote:I donâ€™t inundate the enquirer with reminders. Theyâ€™ve got all the information and theyâ€™re either thinking about it or theyâ€™ve gone elsewhere and havenâ€™t the common courtesy to tell me so. I might jolly them up by telling them that I have received another enquiry for the same weeks and they need to make a decision, but thatâ€™s about it. I think sending constant reminders would be a big turn off and I donâ€™t do it.

Fluffy

I couldn't agree more with Alan's post. If I were enquiring and got reminders or follow up emails from the owner it would put me off booking the place if I was still deciding where to go.

Posted: **Fri May 11, 2007 9:46 am**

BagPuss wrote: I follow up on a 'courtesy reminder'

I love that phrase BP, I'll borrow it, if I may

Posted: **Fri May 11, 2007 9:50 am**

La Vache wrote:I couldn't agree more with Alan's post. If I were enquiring and got reminders or follow up emails from the owner it would put me off booking the place if I was still deciding where to go.

Not even one teeny-weeny-weeny follow-up?!

Say you had enquired 48 hours ago, and I was thoughtful enough to let you know I had now received an enquiry for the exact same week...and the plug was about to be pulled on your holiday? Wouldn't you prefer to know?

Posted: **Fri May 11, 2007 10:02 am**

I only send one 'courtesy' reminder and that is only if I don't get any response at all to my reply. If they supply a phone number I telephone them just to make sure they received my reply as emails can go astray.

There have been a few occasions when I've rung to be told they didn't get my email...(for whatever reason..)...or it's because they need to get the group together to make their minds...but I have found that when I do ring, any queries about the villa, location etc etc. are discussed over the phone and in the last 4 years I've bagged many a bookings this way!

BagPuss wrote:
I follow up on a 'courtesy reminder'
I love that phrase BP, I'll borrow it, if I may

You're more than welcome RR!

Share and share alike!

Posted: **Fri May 11, 2007 10:19 am**

Say you had enquired 48 hours ago, and I was generous enough to let you know I had now received an enquiry for the exact same week...and the plug was about to be pulled on your holiday? Wouldn't you prefer to know? /quote]

I do that quite a bit RR but only with people who've given me 'buying' signals. If I don't hear back I do then follow through with a courtesy 'I've had another enquiry for your dates and just wanted to make sure you had decided not to book with us' email (after checking I've not done this previously with them in a past year )
I often get a thanks but no thanks and occasionally get a 'oh we were just making our minds up on...please can we go ahead'.

With the majority of enquirers I just leave them be.

I think the trickiest ones are when there is a key piece of information that will be the deciding factor on whether they book with you....I find those quite fun - trying to second guess and get the timing right on when to 'push a little' to get them to make a decision.
I just did that recently where I suggested a solution to an issue an enquirer had, but then told her I had just had another enquiry for their dates which I needed to reply to. I also wished them good luck in finding exactly what they wanted - she booked straight away (oh no we'll take it!)
However I still get frustrated when, after a long dialogue, they decide not to book for a reason I can't do anything about

But its never gone on for as long as 8mths LV!! (think you might have scooped the award on that one!) Oh - maybe theres hope I might get someone for my June week thats yet to sell!

Mousie (who neatly got us back on thread )
x

Posted: **Fri May 11, 2007 10:33 am**

Rocket Rab wrote:
La Vache wrote:I couldn't agree more with Alan's post. If I were enquiring and got reminders or follow up emails from the owner it would put me off booking the place if I was still deciding where to go.
Not even one teeny-weeny-weeny follow-up?!

Say you had enquired 48 hours ago, and I was generous enough to let you know I had now received an enquiry for the exact same week...and the plug was about to be pulled on your holiday? Wouldn't you prefer to know?

If I was really keen I would have booked more quickly than that RR!
I have done the very occasional follow up - for example if someone has enquired asking very specific questions and then wants to confirm with friends/family before booking, but that's about it!

Posted: **Fri May 11, 2007 2:16 pm**

We have all had emails 'go astray'; it happens. That is why I send one simple follow-up email approx 3 days later. No harrassing, I'm just making sure things didn't get lost in cyberspace.

I actually assume they won't book at that point and I close the inquiry in my files as soon as I send the reminder. (But I regularly pull them back out again when things re-start after reminder is received.)

We will all handle this differently but, for me, dropping correspondence on my side without trying to ensure it was properly received feels very wrong.

But if it feels awkward or pushy to someone else, they probably shouldn't do it?

Besides... I never thought of it before... but I suppose that if this type of follow-through makes someone inclined to book elsewhere, it's a good thing we got that problem out of the way before they arrived! (Though we'll miss you LV...

)
debk

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