LETTING GITES SUCCESSFULLY

Dealing with clients and enquiries.

The most economic form of advertising is recommendation, or even better, those people who ask to return to your property the following year. There are two reasons that this will happen. The first is that your property provides the holidaymaker with everything they could wish for in a holiday home and the second is you, or whoever is responsible for caring for your
guests.

The psychological factor plays a more important role in providing people with the perfect holiday than most people realise. Your relationship with the tenant starts the moment you pick up the telephone to deal with their enquiry or respond by email. Even if you are already booked for the weeks that they are looking for, a friendly helpful manner may well result in a
booking for next year. We've had a lot of reports this year from people trying to find properties to rent of property owners laughing at them and saying they should have called in September. Even if you can't personally help with the enquiry, people remember who have been polite and if they have picked your property out of a brochure, they may choose to call you next
year and book your property.

If you are responding by email, make it chatty and friendly. Tell the enquirer a little about yourself and your family. How long you have lived in France or why you chose the region to buy your holiday home. Email enquiries need to be answered within hours because if you snooze you lose, as someone else will have obtained the booking ahead of you. Try and obtain their
telephone number and call the potential client. You stand far more chance of selling the booking by telephone and you also gain the opportunity to gauge whether this is the type of person you want staying in your property.

Keep a pen and paper by the telephone, it's amazing how many people don't. A simple calendar sheet kept handy, can provide you with information at a glance to see if the weeks in question are available is more professional than groping around or flicking through a diary. It will also avoid making mistakes or worse, making a double booking. You would be surprised how many
owners make this mistake.

You only get one chance to make a first impression. The person looking to book your property is dealing with someone they do not know on the end of the telephone and you are expecting them to part with a substantial amount of money for a property they have not seen. The trust factor is an extremely important part of this equation. Empathy, is so important when dealing with these situations. Owners who do really well out of letting, usually understand this better than people who fail to convert enquiries into a bookings. Put yourself in the shoes of the client. They may not say it, but they need assurance from you that the property actually exists and is exactly what you are describing. Be friendly, be enthusiastic about what you are offering and take the time to answer any questions they may have in a professional but informal and friendly manner. Above all let them know that you care about them and that their holiday is important to you. Proper bonding with your client from the beginning may well prevent problems later.

If it is a toss up between your property and someone else, it is the owner who the client feels they have the most in common with, that will win the day.

If you are not able to answer the telephone make sure that your answer phone is on and the message is friendly and bright. Don't - whatever you do - 0leave it on automatic fax as this causes so much frustration to people calling.

The ability to fax information through to people or direct them to your Internet address so they can print off the details of your property will not only speed the process up, but also give you the edge over other properties they may be considering.

When making a provisional booking, make sure that you explain to the client that they must return the booking form and non-returnable deposit within seven days and that this is explained clearly in your documentation. They must be made aware that after this time the property will be let to someone else. Send them a booking form and conditions and make sure that the booking form states that they have seen and understand the conditions under which
they are renting the property. The balance should be sent to you at least eight weeks before their arrival.

On arriving at the property, your guests are going to be tired, probably stressed, thirsty and hungry. A welcome pack of fresh bread, mineral water, orange juice, home made jam, toilet paper and soap etc., with some freshly picked wild flowers won't break the bank but will make the house more welcoming. Ask them if they would like you to show them around. Don't assume
that they will want you to, as some people will just want to get in and get settled. Tell them how or where they can contact you, should they need you. Give them 48 hours to unwind then contact them again to see if there is anything you can do to make their stay more enjoyable. Don't be intrusive, just let them know that they are important.

The majority of people who will stay in your property will be friendly and reasonable. In the event of problems like fridges or washing machines breaking down, make sure that you arrange for the problem to be fixed as soon as possible. Most people are reasonable about these sorts of things, but if you drag your feet over their complaint, the problem will become more
than a niggle and could turn into a full blown confrontation. A small minority of holidaymakers are what we call professional complainers or clients from hell. They will start to complain within twenty-four hours of their arrival. These people are the property owners' nightmare and there will be little you can do to appease them. Be patient and polite as they will be going within a week or two. Make sure you do everything within your power to be reasonable. These are the people who will normally demand some kind of compensation or refund either before leaving or on their return. This is why it is important to have proper booking conditions, as it protects you and the tenant. These people often make a habit of complaining and frightening owners into refunding money. So if you have a problem, it may be that they have tried this before. The other type of client from hell is the holidaymaker who leaves the house in a disgusting state, so make sure you have taken a decent damage deposit to cover the cost of the clean.

If people feel that they have had value for money and that you as the property owner have taken care and consideration over looking after them, they will return and tell their friends. If you do not have a regular flow of visitors returning, then you should look at what you are providing or how you deal with your clients.