This statement applies to not only blacksmith’s but responding to inquiries about your vacation rentals. Of course there are many vacation rentals to choose from, however, in this business the early bird gets the worm….most often. I have learned the hard way that responding the following business day is not fast enough.
Given a few constants – similar availability, location, costs and amenities, the person who makes contact first can normally secure a reservation. Often I will talk to vacationers and travelers who are surprised that someone bothered to get back to them. Even if we are booked we make an effort to make contact and offer a referral to another vacation homeowner that may have availability. The key is making contact quickly.
Often travelers are sending out multiple inquiries and your prompt response can make the difference in securing more bookings. Of course it is impossible to sit in front of your computer night and day, OK, maybe not impossible as some of us actually do it, but it may be as simple as an auto responder from your email.
The only reason I am a fan of auto responders is because at the very least it is confirmation that the email actually made it to the right destination. You should be able to set up a simple auto response through your email service provider. You will normally find the option in the tools section or account settings. Auto response emails are a must if you are going to be on vacation or away for some time and email inquiries will still be coming into your inbox.
The most common response I receive from travelers is that we responded promptly or that we were the only owners to respond? I have to think that many owners who are already booked out and perhaps do not have updated availability calendars just delete inquiries that they do not want to bother responding to? I highly advise against the “no response” campaign. Even if it’s just a quick copy and paste email that says “Thank you for your inquiry, however, we are currently booked for your requested dates. We hope to hear from you in the future! Thanks!” you will have planted a seed for future reservations.
Competition for vacation rentals bookings is growing – get back to your inquiries as soon as possible.
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