Do you answer two-word enquiries?

[Mountain Goat]

We had an 'enquiry' recently:

July / August

Would you bother to reply?

MG

[Windy]

Maybe reply something along the lines of "The cruellest months"

If they come back and say "No that's April" I'd give them a second chance

[LaLuz]

I would send a polite reply because no matter how rude/offhand an enquiry might seem, I'd never be that way back!

[vrooje]

People who aren't totally e-mail/web-savvy go on vacations too.

[Margaret]

Unpromising looking enquiries can be fruitful. We had this enquiry on 28th December from a listings site, so it is slightly more than 2 words, but equally uninspiring I would say, especially as the enquirier appears to be interested in the whole of Europe:

NO LOCATION SPECIFIED
Enquiry From: xxxxxxx
Email: xxxxxx @ yahoo.co.uk
Postal Address: (not entered)
Telephone No: (not entered)

Intended Travel Date: 20/12/08
Location I am interested in: DON\'T MIND
No. of Guests: 18
Min. Bedrooms:

Preferences:
Self Catering

Message to Owner:
Please could you recommend some where in the price region of £2000 - £2500.

Yesterday, after a long, long period of negotiation (about which I might write separately), this became:
- a booking for 2 apartments, 1 week each, for next Christmas, plus 2 people accommodated at a neighbour's houses, for 12 people
- a booking for 5 nights skiing at the end of this March for 4 people

Total value Euros 2,415.

And I nearly didn't answer it all because of the "Location I am interested in: DON\'T MIND" bit!

[la vache!]

I had an enquiry the other day which was to several other gite owners in Brittany as well as myself. It was for August and my places are full anyway, but I didn't bother to reply because I didn't like being on a mailing list.

[Margaret]

The local booking system here allows people to send off bulk enquiries, which is fair enough, but I don't usually take them very seriously if they have sent an enquiry to 10 or more owners.

[Giddy Goat]

I had an enquiry the other day which was to several other gite owners in Brittany as well as myself.

I have never seen this kind of information displayed! Very curious! An accident on their part perhaps? But displayed or not, I do reply to apparently dead-end enquiries, in the full knowledge that we're just one of a batch they've emailed enquiries to, on the 'you never know' principle that they may remember you for a future visit. I make sure our website is included under my sig each time of course as that helps.

Margaret, if your bookers were seeking something special for eighteen guests, I'm not exactly surprised they weren't too fussed about location! They probably did have some parameters, but wanted to see what came back, and if I were planning a group holiday on this scale, I think I might do the same in fact - I'd love the fun of discovering the possibilities!! Well done, I expect you're every bit as pleased as they are!

[Margaret]

I agree that it makes sense to them but it is also true that this kind of enquiry can look too vague to a lot of people and not really worth following up - this is our only booking from that particular site in 6 months since we listed there.

[paolo]

I recently answered a no-word enquiry. They didn't book.

[Mouse]

Me too (and no booking)

I always reply, even if I'm booked up. I ask them to remember us for next time they visit this beautiful island and are looking to hire a villa.
Occasionally I pass them onto someone else.

Mouse
x

[cottageguru]

My first reaction to these is annoyance and there's always a temptation to ignore, but I generally send a very brief, but polite response. I have several responses set up as signatures, so it is quite quick to just click on Reply and then the appropriate signature response. If I get them reading one of my blogs or taking another look at the web site, it's worthwhile.

[LaVilleauTady]

Would you bother to reply?

MG, yes I would.

I had an email enquiry this morning requesting two weeks at the end of August. One of the weeks they wanted was already booked, as per my availability calandar, but the other week was free.

My gut reaction was 'why don't the silly bu**ers read the calandar', but I managed to muster a polite and thoughtful response. This was promptly followed up by them responding saying they had wanted two weeks, but would have the one week I have left.

I suppose I could have just as easily not bothered replying, as I thought there was little point.

The other thing I always have at the back of my mind is that they may be next year's bookers.

[A-two]

Yes, I reply to all inquiries except spams, and like Paolo, some don't have any comment, but if this came in on a day when I had 6 inquiries, it would get answered last and maybe not till the next day even depending on my workload.

The inquiries I dislike are the ones that say, "Where is it exactly?" - nothing else, just that. I had two of those this weekend and I just know that they, or a friend in the area, is close enough to do "a Sunday drive by" to check it out. Of course I tell them vaguely, but not exactly, so I rarely hear back from them, except occasionally by phone, which is worse. Then then want a reason for a day out with the kids at the beach, so might as well have us running around for them showing them nice houses for the summer that they are never going to rent.

MG, if this is the worst of the time wasters you ever get, be very thankful.

[Margaret]

We get a lot of 'where is it exactly' enquiries which are quite genuine. Especially Americans planning complax tours of Europe. Not helped by VRBO, I think it is, who will only classify our location by city and we are forced to choose Munich, 2 hours away.