Making things clearer.

[Morticia]

For those of you who rarely get phone or email inquiries, what do you think is the one reason that your guests book online and don't ask questions like this:
I looked at your website, loved the XYZ room. Is it open next week on this date?'
None of these inquiries ever ask if there is a discount, they want to know if the room is open. I don't think I can put any more links to the calendar on my website in any more places than they already are. This question comes up on the phone as well. 'I am looking at your calendar and want this room, is it open?' When I say it is, they book. They don't ask for a deal.
Where I am going to start is to put in bold on the calendar page itself, 'THIS CALENDAR IS UP TO DATE. EVEN IF IT IS 2 IN THE MORNING!' Ok, I probably won't use all caps.
Are others getting calls about whether or not the calendar is up to date? If the room is open on X date?

 

[user 26]

i don't know how it's done and i'll have to find you some examples, but i have seen small availability calendars (about 2x2) on the home page of a b&b website on the mid right so no scrolling to see it ... might help?

 

[Copperhead]

It may be just the difference in all the sites... Maybe it would be easier if all booking sites looked the same to the guest. - Not that this would ever happen.
Had a guest call me the other day as they thought they had placed a reservation but were wondering if it had processed. Ug, they had just clicked the submit. And, no I was not right by my PC to check.
She said she was planning an extensive trip and with all the different types of reservation pages and how they work she had been following up to make sure they processed... It was so funny because she was dialing us as she submitted the reservation.

 

[Joey Camb]

I think part of the trouble is that people just don't have a clue (long and short) they just find it easier to talk to a person. We get it sometimes when we are full and have closed everything out. People ring to ask if you have extra rooms you just don't advertise (cos we all do that) or one lady rang just in case we had a late cancellation we hadn't put back on yet (which was fair enough) but worked out for her as my neighbour had just told me they had just had a cancellation so they got in with her. Partly I think people have no attention span. If I don't confirm within the same morning I sometimes have people ringing me I havn't got my confirmation yet! (we'll Im busy you arn't comming till october!)

 

[Penelope]

Yeah, I just looked at your site, Mort...can't make it ANY more clear than what you have. I think you are just dealing with your summertime crazies/me,me,me-ers.

 

[Highlands John]

I think part of the trouble is that people just don't have a clue (long and short) they just find it easier to talk to a person. We get it sometimes when we are full and have closed everything out. People ring to ask if you have extra rooms you just don't advertise (cos we all do that) or one lady rang just in case we had a late cancellation we hadn't put back on yet (which was fair enough) but worked out for her as my neighbour had just told me they had just had a cancellation so they got in with her. Partly I think people have no attention span. If I don't confirm within the same morning I sometimes have people ringing me I havn't got my confirmation yet! (we'll Im busy you arn't comming till october!).

I think part of the trouble is that people just don't have a clue (long and short) they just find it easier to talk to a person. We get it sometimes when we are full and have closed everything out. People ring to ask if you have extra rooms you just don't advertise (cos we all do that) or one lady rang just in case we had a late cancellation we hadn't put back on yet (which was fair enough) but worked out for her as my neighbour had just told me they had just had a cancellation so they got in with her. Partly I think people have no attention span. If I don't confirm within the same morning I sometimes have people ringing me I havn't got my confirmation yet! (we'll Im busy you arn't comming till october!)

Yes, we get all of these too. The "I see your rooms are all full, do you have another double" is the one that mystifies me the most, also "I see you are fully booked on xth August, but I thought I'd ring just in case".
I don't think it's an issue with people not being able to find the availability page, the availability page for the current month is always the 3rd busiest page on our web site after the home page and the page that details the rooms, just many don't seem to trust what they see.

 

[Morticia]

I did add the line about the calendar being up to date. The very next thing that will happen is 2 guests try to book the same room at the same time and they both call me to tell me the calendar is NOT up to date!

 

[Don Draper]

Can you make another large button like your "MAKE A RESERVATION" button but have this one say "CHECK AVAILABILITY"? If you look at our site we have these two side by side, they both link to the same calendar but sometimes people get put off by "make a reservation", they think it's final if they do that.
I think your calendar is very clear, the text that you have beneath it about it being up to date and what is available, make that bigger and bold to stand out more.

 

[wendydk]

I have a page on my site titled "Availability Calendar". The only thing on that page is a webervations availability calendar graphic. I like this especially during our busier months, as people tend to help me fill in the gaps when they can see the whole month at a glance. I get very very few phone calls...when the phone rings here, it's either my mom or a salesperson....mostly my mom.

 

[egoodell]

For those of you who rarely get phone or email inquiries, what do you think is the one reason that your guests book online and don't ask questions like this:
I looked at your website, loved the XYZ room. Is it open next week on this date?'
None of these inquiries ever ask if there is a discount, they want to know if the room is open. I don't think I can put any more links to the calendar on my website in any more places than they already are. This question comes up on the phone as well. 'I am looking at your calendar and want this room, is it open?' When I say it is, they book. They don't ask for a deal.
Where I am going to start is to put in bold on the calendar page itself, 'THIS CALENDAR IS UP TO DATE. EVEN IF IT IS 2 IN THE MORNING!' Ok, I probably won't use all caps.
Are others getting calls about whether or not the calendar is up to date? If the room is open on X date?

We do get calls, but more often emails asking about availability which is even more annoying. Look at the website!!!!
RIki

 

[Proud Texan]

I think people are just too damn lazy to take the time to look at the calendar. We have our phone number posted on every page of our website. It's just easier for them to call and ask.
I'd remove my phone number, but that would be like cutting off my nose to spite my face.

 

[Samster]

There may be some confusion now since your availability calendar doesn't look seamless from the website (different photos at the top since you've re-done the website). There's no incentive to book online other than for those of us that prefer it. You may never get rid of your phone calls if it's what folks do to book in your area.

 

[Morticia]

There may be some confusion now since your availability calendar doesn't look seamless from the website (different photos at the top since you've re-done the website). There's no incentive to book online other than for those of us that prefer it. You may never get rid of your phone calls if it's what folks do to book in your area. .

The number of calls has not changed at all since the new slide show went up. Pretty much the same questions. I keep forgetting to ask why they didn't book it themselves when the only question they ask is, 'Is the room open?'
I'll see if the questions change now that the calendar page states it is up to date.

 

[wendydk]

For those of you who rarely get phone or email inquiries, what do you think is the one reason that your guests book online and don't ask questions like this:
I looked at your website, loved the XYZ room. Is it open next week on this date?'
None of these inquiries ever ask if there is a discount, they want to know if the room is open. I don't think I can put any more links to the calendar on my website in any more places than they already are. This question comes up on the phone as well. 'I am looking at your calendar and want this room, is it open?' When I say it is, they book. They don't ask for a deal.
Where I am going to start is to put in bold on the calendar page itself, 'THIS CALENDAR IS UP TO DATE. EVEN IF IT IS 2 IN THE MORNING!' Ok, I probably won't use all caps.
Are others getting calls about whether or not the calendar is up to date? If the room is open on X date?

We do get calls, but more often emails asking about availability which is even more annoying. Look at the website!!!!
RIki.

We do get calls, but more often emails asking about availability which is even more annoying. Look at the website!!!!

Riki...seems like a lot of clicking to find your availability calendar (and I was purposely looking for it)...and since your webervations link opens in the same browser window, if I close it after viewing your calendar, your website is gone too. As a guest, I might give up at that point (or not remember the name of what I was just looking at) and start my keyword or directory search over again.

 

[egoodell]

For those of you who rarely get phone or email inquiries, what do you think is the one reason that your guests book online and don't ask questions like this:
I looked at your website, loved the XYZ room. Is it open next week on this date?'
None of these inquiries ever ask if there is a discount, they want to know if the room is open. I don't think I can put any more links to the calendar on my website in any more places than they already are. This question comes up on the phone as well. 'I am looking at your calendar and want this room, is it open?' When I say it is, they book. They don't ask for a deal.
Where I am going to start is to put in bold on the calendar page itself, 'THIS CALENDAR IS UP TO DATE. EVEN IF IT IS 2 IN THE MORNING!' Ok, I probably won't use all caps.
Are others getting calls about whether or not the calendar is up to date? If the room is open on X date?

We do get calls, but more often emails asking about availability which is even more annoying. Look at the website!!!!
RIki.

We do get calls, but more often emails asking about availability which is even more annoying. Look at the website!!!!

Riki...seems like a lot of clicking to find your availability calendar (and I was purposely looking for it)...and since your webervations link opens in the same browser window, if I close it after viewing your calendar, your website is gone too. As a guest, I might give up at that point (or not remember the name of what I was just looking at) and start my keyword or directory search over again.
.

I know but we are so slammed I don't have time to sit down and work on the website. Thanks for checking!
RIki