Serial enquirer!
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harcourtv57
- Posts: 1433
- Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:14 pm
- Location: Southsea, UK, Porto Cristo Mallorca
- Contact:
Serial enquirer!
Had an enquiry a few weeks ago, responded, but no reply. Then had another enquiry from same person for a different property and different week. So I provided full info and also mentionied that they had also enquired about our other property and that I hope they had received my other e-mail. No resonse. Then a further enquiry, for a seperate set of dates - responded again They came back this time but querying the cost as 'it doesn't say that on the listing'. Actually it does of course. So just to be sure that I hadn't made a mistake in my e-mail to them, I did a search on sent mails - to find 6 other enquiries from this person, dating from February last year to date!! It doesn't look like a scam but they have never made a booking - perhaps they just get a kick out of sending off enquiries??!
Aaah, shame. They probably also have a Facebook page with zero friends. Lonely ?
** 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 !
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harcourtv57
- Posts: 1433
- Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:14 pm
- Location: Southsea, UK, Porto Cristo Mallorca
- Contact:
Or get a kick out of the planning / dreaming part of the holiday thing but don't have the money or inclination to turn it into reality?
When going through very stressful work stuff about 10 years ago, my 3am bedside reading was the brochures for a large selection of holiday cottages, gites, villas... I never got to the enquiring stage but I knew every page of those brochures.
When going through very stressful work stuff about 10 years ago, my 3am bedside reading was the brochures for a large selection of holiday cottages, gites, villas... I never got to the enquiring stage but I knew every page of those brochures.
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vpassistant
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Fri May 22, 2009 8:59 am
- Location: Big Pine Key
- Contact:
I used to get those too and it was quite annoying seeing the same person emailing over and over, but I did two things: I set up my email client to block duplicate emails and additionally, I set my initial response to any inquiry to be semi-automated. What I mean by that is this:
For those that ask about dates that are booked, the email client automatically sends out one of 20 different emails stating that we are booked. It picks at random.
For those requests of available days, I have to read the questions to know if I can generate an automatic response or a hand written. No matter what, though, the point of any of my emails are to go to our official site. Controlling where the emails are coming from (from the site) helps to also automatically send out the original response to repeat emailers.
I don't know, hope this helped (maybe, maybe not). I am kind of new to this myself, so I like to help as much as I've been helped.
www.floridatreehouse.com
For those that ask about dates that are booked, the email client automatically sends out one of 20 different emails stating that we are booked. It picks at random.
For those requests of available days, I have to read the questions to know if I can generate an automatic response or a hand written. No matter what, though, the point of any of my emails are to go to our official site. Controlling where the emails are coming from (from the site) helps to also automatically send out the original response to repeat emailers.
I don't know, hope this helped (maybe, maybe not). I am kind of new to this myself, so I like to help as much as I've been helped.
www.floridatreehouse.com
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vpassistant
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Fri May 22, 2009 8:59 am
- Location: Big Pine Key
- Contact:
To Olive...
I won't explain too many of the details, but it's a (proven) tactic of mine that does a few things including:
1) Keeps you out of people's spam box based on data from different ISP's (yeah, that would take some explaining)
2) Helps to shuffle any included commission based ads.
3) In some cases, it just helps to ensure the right ad is targeted to the right person based on their (the sender's) I.P. address.
Um I know that may not make a lot of sense, but I could explain it to you in private if you want to know. I'm sure no one here wants to see that long response lol.
I won't explain too many of the details, but it's a (proven) tactic of mine that does a few things including:
1) Keeps you out of people's spam box based on data from different ISP's (yeah, that would take some explaining)
2) Helps to shuffle any included commission based ads.
3) In some cases, it just helps to ensure the right ad is targeted to the right person based on their (the sender's) I.P. address.
Um I know that may not make a lot of sense, but I could explain it to you in private if you want to know. I'm sure no one here wants to see that long response lol.
Hi VP,
Welcome to the forum. Actually, I think there would be a lot of people here who are fairly proficient technically and would want to hear your explanation in more detail. Please do post it.
Also, not relevant to this thread, but I'm having trouble with your website. It froze and crashed the first PC I tried and the second PC loaded the home page, but is still having problems with accessing any meaningful content. There's a completely blank screen for the video, it doesn't play anything at all, and I can't see any links to the basic details for the accommodation. It's probably just me, but I thought I'd mention in case you want to submit your site for review in that section of this forum.
Welcome to the forum. Actually, I think there would be a lot of people here who are fairly proficient technically and would want to hear your explanation in more detail. Please do post it.
Also, not relevant to this thread, but I'm having trouble with your website. It froze and crashed the first PC I tried and the second PC loaded the home page, but is still having problems with accessing any meaningful content. There's a completely blank screen for the video, it doesn't play anything at all, and I can't see any links to the basic details for the accommodation. It's probably just me, but I thought I'd mention in case you want to submit your site for review in that section of this forum.
Last edited by A-two on Sun May 24, 2009 1:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
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vpassistant
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Fri May 22, 2009 8:59 am
- Location: Big Pine Key
- Contact:
Thanks and I will find a place to post my entire response and information from this post.A-two wrote:Actually, I would like to hear the long explanation personally. Please post it.
Also, not relevant to this thread vp, but I'm having trouble with your website. It froze and crashed the first PC I tried and the second PC, which loaded the home page better - seems to have a completely blank screen for the video and doesn't actually show any links to details of the accommodation at all. May I suggest you submit your site for review in that section of this forum?
As for the site, that wasn't supposed to be launched until December 2009, but demand caused me to push it up (lol to January 13th 2009, just 3 days after starting it). I know it has problems with only a few select operating systems or browsers (not sure what the issue is yet), but I'll work on it when I can. Today I'm uploading a better codec for the video (the link on the top right doesn't currently work, but it will by tonight). Working on some things as we speak!
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Mountain Goat
- Posts: 6070
- Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:31 pm
- Location: Leysin, Alpes Vaudoises, Switzerland
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Vp, welcome to the Forum.
I have to admit I was a bit confused with your website, which had to be worth visiting to pick up some of your tips. I can see your property has 3 beds and 2 baths and a hot tub, but I can't find links to anything else. Is it an apartment? Condo? Villa? Any pics? Just curious and look forward to hearing more of your professional knowledge.
MG
I have to admit I was a bit confused with your website, which had to be worth visiting to pick up some of your tips. I can see your property has 3 beds and 2 baths and a hot tub, but I can't find links to anything else. Is it an apartment? Condo? Villa? Any pics? Just curious and look forward to hearing more of your professional knowledge.
MG
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vpassistant
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Fri May 22, 2009 8:59 am
- Location: Big Pine Key
- Contact:
You won't find any direct links from here to my personal sites, just a link to this particular site which I use on forums like this one. Because I am still also a vacation rental manager, I feel like advertising this in any way from this site would be much like spam since this is a site and forum for property owners.Mountain Goat wrote:Vp, welcome to the Forum.
I have to admit I was a bit confused with your website, which had to be worth visiting to pick up some of your tips. I can see your property has 3 beds and 2 baths and a hot tub, but I can't find links to anything else. Is it an apartment? Condo? Villa? Any pics? Just curious and look forward to hearing more of your professional knowledge.
MG
On the other hand, I have a lot of information to share, but I don't have a ton of time to be on here. Emails and instant messages (live chat) for reservations take up most of my time online, so please understand that I will answer anything I can on here as soon as I can.
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Mountain Goat
- Posts: 6070
- Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:31 pm
- Location: Leysin, Alpes Vaudoises, Switzerland
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OK, sure, I understand, and it's none of my business anyway, but I don't think anyone would consider it spam.
I am curious, though, about live chat. I can see it would take up a lot (all?) of anyone's time. Surely if you answer all the questions with a comprehensive and detailed website, then you don't have to spend all your time on live chat? There are north of 2,000 members on LMH, and I don't recall anyone using live chat. If it works for you, great, but you could be running something else.
I have to mow the grass this afternoon, but stuck on live chat that would be a bit ambitious. Then cook dinner, and then watch Desperate Housewives - how do live chatters manage their life? (or Tweeters, come to that).
MG
I am curious, though, about live chat. I can see it would take up a lot (all?) of anyone's time. Surely if you answer all the questions with a comprehensive and detailed website, then you don't have to spend all your time on live chat? There are north of 2,000 members on LMH, and I don't recall anyone using live chat. If it works for you, great, but you could be running something else.
I have to mow the grass this afternoon, but stuck on live chat that would be a bit ambitious. Then cook dinner, and then watch Desperate Housewives - how do live chatters manage their life? (or Tweeters, come to that).
MG
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vpassistant
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Fri May 22, 2009 8:59 am
- Location: Big Pine Key
- Contact:
It's quite easy to use live chat when you understand what live chat really is.
The idea that it takes up a lot of time (which you've said over and over) couldn't be further from the truth. I will state this one more time:
Live chat is only available on your sites when you want it to be. You can literally turn it off with the click of a button and guests are directed to (in my case) the email pages on the site.
You may have a lot to do as well, but I have things I do all day too including managing about 12 properties (adding another in the next few hours), answering 200+ emails per day, there are always lease agreements to send out for new reservations, recording payments, updating the calendars on the websites and ads, I exercise almost everyday, I have a few favorite shows to watch, have to cook and clean as I babysit (for free by the way) for a neighbor that works 10 hours a day, find time to play tennis, time to write stuff on LMH, fly to and from different states on my "slow" days to tend to issues for property owners, and more...
...all while keeping up with the live chat. What you're not getting is that the tools I use (including live chat) are designed to reduce the time I spend "working" while making the websites do the work for me. That is actually what I built my management company on. Because live chat is only available when I want it to be, I only get instant messages when I want to. Do you get that?
I'll leave it on while I'm watching television and I will hear the message notification. I will answer the guests simple question and be done with it. The chats are designed for simple subjects and simple questions.
If anyone is leaving detailed information through chat, then you may as well just use emails.
Chat and live messages are for those 100+ emails I get per day that are simply asking if late check out is available on a certain day, or how deep the water is at the end of the dock, how close the nearest airport is, etc. When I put a chat feature on a site, the chat box is a small box that can only fit so much text. Additionally, there is a message around that chat box stating something like "Have a quick question? Get a quick response!" Right next to the chat boxes (most of them) are links to FAQ's and the email page on the site.
Again, I don't know why you get the idea that the live chat takes up a lot of time. Not only does it save time, but it helps guests to remember your website because your site will stand out to guests. Why? The reason is simple:
The idea that it takes up a lot of time (which you've said over and over) couldn't be further from the truth. I will state this one more time:
Live chat is only available on your sites when you want it to be. You can literally turn it off with the click of a button and guests are directed to (in my case) the email pages on the site.
You may have a lot to do as well, but I have things I do all day too including managing about 12 properties (adding another in the next few hours), answering 200+ emails per day, there are always lease agreements to send out for new reservations, recording payments, updating the calendars on the websites and ads, I exercise almost everyday, I have a few favorite shows to watch, have to cook and clean as I babysit (for free by the way) for a neighbor that works 10 hours a day, find time to play tennis, time to write stuff on LMH, fly to and from different states on my "slow" days to tend to issues for property owners, and more...
...all while keeping up with the live chat. What you're not getting is that the tools I use (including live chat) are designed to reduce the time I spend "working" while making the websites do the work for me. That is actually what I built my management company on. Because live chat is only available when I want it to be, I only get instant messages when I want to. Do you get that?
I'll leave it on while I'm watching television and I will hear the message notification. I will answer the guests simple question and be done with it. The chats are designed for simple subjects and simple questions.
If anyone is leaving detailed information through chat, then you may as well just use emails.
Chat and live messages are for those 100+ emails I get per day that are simply asking if late check out is available on a certain day, or how deep the water is at the end of the dock, how close the nearest airport is, etc. When I put a chat feature on a site, the chat box is a small box that can only fit so much text. Additionally, there is a message around that chat box stating something like "Have a quick question? Get a quick response!" Right next to the chat boxes (most of them) are links to FAQ's and the email page on the site.
Again, I don't know why you get the idea that the live chat takes up a lot of time. Not only does it save time, but it helps guests to remember your website because your site will stand out to guests. Why? The reason is simple:
I have posted the full response to the issue about autoresponders. The title is "Answer to: Why alternate messages with autoresponders?" under the "Managing Your Property" section.Mountain Goat wrote: There are north of 2,000 members on LMH, and I don't recall anyone using live chat.
MG
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Paul Carmel
- Posts: 3836
- Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 12:25 pm
- Location: Palma Mallorca & Greece
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