Two enquiries for the same dates - help!

How to communicate with your potential renters - how to turn site visitors into enquiries, and enquiries into bookings.
alifrank1
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Post by alifrank1 »

Mouse wrote:thanks for the comments....I'd never actually thought about sending it before they transfer the deposit - but I can see that allowing them to read the T&C's (although it's standard stuff) is probably the best way. :oops: As then if they're unhappy with any they can query them before paying :oops:

See - 3yrs in and still finding stuff to re-think and learn about! :D

Thanks!
Mousie
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I only started renting formally at the beginning of this year mousie, but found this site invaluable for the information I needed to set myself up properly.

There are so many kind people on this site (you know who you are :lol: ) who have helped me along the way, especially as I have had to do all this on my own, and without them I wouldn't be as organised as I am :oops:

This is still a great site and we can all learn from each other :)
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Mouse
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Post by Mouse »

This is still a great site and we can all learn from each other
hear hear Alifrank!

and the best thing is....we don't mind repeating yourselves either for the new starters in the rental market :D

So no-one has to be shy about asking advice (which is how it should be :D )

Mousie (who proves you can't know it all! :lol: )
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Bohinj Badger
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Post by Bohinj Badger »

Like you this is my first year and am finding my way. I have experienced a similar situation four times now. The first two times it happened I was a bit wet between the ears but have had to become a lot less naïve.

Earlier in the season when this happened, I emailed the first enquirers to ask them whether they definitely wanted to book. They replied along the lines ‘yes absolutely, we’ll send the cheque tomorrow morning.’ I felt happy with this response and then declined the later enquirers. How very wrong I was! In both instances, I waited for the cheque for three days and it did not arrive. I chased up and in both cases then got similar replies saying ‘we have had difficulty getting the group together/some of the group have pulled out and we will therefore now not be coming…’ I have yet to fill one of those weeks….. I was quite staggered at how inconsiderate people can be.

Now I only regard a booking only once I have a deposit in the account. The latter two occasions I decided to let both parties know that there was additional interest and the first back with a deposit secures the chalet. Wow that did work wonders! I would also recommend offering alternate dates to the party that does not secure, as in one case they took me up on the alternative and I was able to fill two weeks instead of losing their business.

You are not alone
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Fraise
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Post by Fraise »

[quote="Gascony Goat"]the website address for more info, and ask them to reserve by means of the printable booking form we have there. I strongly recommend having one, as it substantially reduces the time lapse between the enquiry and the booking.

Like many of you, we also have an (emailable) enquiry form (mostly to cater for those who might have found the site on Google and not through one of the listing sites we're on, and who haven't therefore seen our availability.) And welcome enquiries by phone.

quote]


Hi, welcome Kate ! :lol: Yep, I too don't consider the house booked till I have the cheque. Like many others I have a printable booking form and I hardly ever now send out a booking form, everyone prints it off and sends it to me with the cheque. I have hardly any questions either,like others I have found out that usually the ones with tons of questions don't book but oddly I don't seem to get those any more. The vast majority just e-mail ( occasionally ring) to see if the weeks are available, I reply, then they print off the form and send it filled in with the deposit. I then send out a numbered invoice, which acts as their receipt. After the final cheque has arrived I send out a receipt ( numbered again) plus meet and greet info etc.
After the holiday I send out a cheque for the security deposit refund plus little letter. Phew, that's about it, I think ! Probably I've forgotten something vital ! :lol:
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roxytoo
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Post by roxytoo »

If someone says they want to book I send them a contract with all terms and conditions and how to pay the booking fee etc and also with the balance remaining by a certain date etc. They then send this back with the deposit cheque. I also now put a clause at the bottom of the email saying I am only holding it for 4 working days. It works a treat! I still market the property as normal and if someone enquires within that time I say we are free. The ratio of enquiries to bookings where we are is so poor that I never get excited now on just an enquiry!

Have to say that the last two weeks though have been absolutely manic with enquiries flooding in (excuse the pun!) and people desperate to get out of the rain!
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Hi Kate A Very Warm Welcome to the Forum Its lovely to see new posters its what keeps this Forum fresh.. :wink:
all great advice as always from the others.. :wink:
Mousie & Ali Frank said...
Quote:
This is still a great site and we can all learn from each other


hear hear Alifrank!

and the best thing is....we don't mind repeating yourselves either for the new starters in the rental market

So no-one has to be shy about asking advice (which is how it should be )
Great comments as well Good for you both

Yep ask away cos like Mousie Im still learning stuff I didnt know I didnt know :roll: So were all learning together :wink:
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mon269
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Post by mon269 »

Roxy, that’s exactly what I do too. However, a couple of weeks ago, after sending the contract out, they called me very surprised that I wanted the final balance before their arrival. They are used to paying the balance upon arrival. They said: “what if one of us falls sick and we can’t make it?� I said: “That’s exactly why I need to have the balance well in advance�. They argued that nobody pays for anything before having the goods, it would be crazy they said. I asked them if they ever paid for their flight tickets at the check in desk and that kind of calmed them down.

I was on the phone with them for well over 30 minutes (and we were in Italy, so the phone call cost a small fortune) and very tempted to say: “it’s not my fault that you did not read the terms and conditions on our web site before you booked�. :evil: But you can’t do this, you have to be diplomatic.
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Hi Mon :) ..

I have a bad feeling about this M :roll: do you think you might have trouble getting the balance when that time comes[even though they sign a contract]..Is this a long time away..... :roll:
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mon269
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Post by mon269 »

Hi BS, money is in the bank. :wink:

I am normally very understanding and we have given in sometimes but as we have more and more experience I realise that sometimes is better to loose a booking that getting into a sticky situation.

There is another story with this group. They booked for 4 guests and called again a few days later saying that a family, friends of theirs would like to come along too. They would total 8 when the house max capacity is 6. They were willing to pay extra for this. As they would have been 4 adults and 4 children we thought we could accommodate them and we would charge the second family about 60% of a week’s rent (and we are on the low end of the market, mind). We were trying to be nice and helpful but they found this price unacceptable because it was too close to full price so in their eyes they would be paying almost double :shock: . I then realised that they wanted me to compromise on everything whilst they had the holiday of their lives on the cheap. I had to put my foot down and tell them that was all I could do. I was happy to hear that the second family finally decided not to go.

I’ve talked to them again recently and they seem happy.

Oh! Almost forgot, the booking is for the 3rd week of August, probably the most expensive week of the year and they did not want to spend 280 Euros (185 GBP) for 1 week for the whole family. :shock:
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Thats Good then Mon :) ..

You do get these dontya :roll:
I was happy to hear that the second family finally decided not to go.
My cynical heads on again remind me are you out there..you dont think they might try and sneak em in....{im sorry but I do have these thoughts :wink: }
Your rates are reasonable especially for August.. :wink: Theyre the ones who will miss out though..

How has your booking season been good I hope i know you were a bit worried at the beginning :)
Last edited by Big Sis.. on Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Mouse
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Post by Mouse »

I have to agree Mon...with some people it is better to stand firm as the more they are given the more they want.

I had a similar experience in our first year. Someone booked for 2 wks and then 8 wks before they were due out they asked if we could accommodate an extra person (which took us 1 over our 8 limit). We managed to get a fold-up bed from somewhere and I didn't charge.
They re-visited the following year. And again, a couple of months before they were due...the numbers had suddenly gone up to 11. I was asked to say it was OK as the 3 over our limit were all children....they didn't even offer to pay extra! :shock: Again this would have been for a couple of weeks. I took advice from here - as I wanted to say no. And did so.
They then came back and said...please - we'll pay you! (now it got mentioned).
I still said no.
When they turned up there were 9 of them. As you allowed 9 last year we thought it would be ok they said :shock:
They didn't offer to pay.

So sometimes being 'accommodating' means you can get taken advantage of...sadly :roll:

Mouse
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mon269
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Post by mon269 »

There is little I can do to prevent the second family to appear. I do have this thought on the back of my mind too. However, that is always a risk, not only with this group. I would find out if they do arrive as we talk to the caretaker regularly and she lives locally. What to do if they do is a different story and a difficult one to resolve. :roll:

Booking wise, well, not bad considering how it started but quite bad considering how it could have been. This group I am talking about is a booking from an agency. Only 6 nights rather than 7 and we have to pay commission :cry: . Better than nothing I thought, so take it. The deposit was paid the next day. Two days later I got a phone call from a lady that found us through someone in the village interested in booking the whole August. She did not ask for any discounts and was happy with the price, she is a nice lady too. I even went the extra mile, found alternative accommodation for her on that final week we did not have available, negotiated for them to offer the same rate as us and offered to do all the paperwork for both houses. After a number of conversations and since we did not have availability for the whole month she booked another house in the same village. She told me the other house is nowhere near as nice as ours (her words not mine :wink: ) and that they don’t offer the same professional service (again, her words :lol: ).

Mouse, what I am learning is that I need to make a clear distinction in my head between what is negotiable and what is not. But this is not always easy when you really want that booking.
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Big Sis..
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Post by Big Sis.. »

Mouse, what I am learning is that I need to make a clear distinction in my head between what is negotiable and what is not. But this is not always easy when you really want that booking.
Aint that the truth :!: ..tell you what Mons I reckon youre pretty much clued up on all this :wink: ..especially as youve not been doing it long..and as it seems you will go the extra mile That will stand you in good stead Im sure.... :wink:
Good Luck and Well Done :!: :D
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mon269
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Post by mon269 »

Thanks BS, encouraging words. It was 1 year 5 days ago. A pretty steep learning curve this is, but thanks to all LMHers the journey is a pleasant one.
Fraise
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Post by Fraise »

It sure is a steep learning curve- one we are always on too ! I think we all end up toughening up a bit along the way . We want our guests to have a lovely time, we want them to recommend us to their friends but ultimately we won't be taken for a ride . :roll:
I think we end up deciding what's right for us- which is why some of the debates can get a bit heated cos what's right for one sure isn't for another ! We sort of end up making our own guidelines that work for us and I think the only rule really is that we should all stick to our own guidlines, whatever they may be and however we formulated them ! It's sort of sagacity through experience, either our own or others ! Happy rentals :lol: :lol:
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