If you haven’t had a conversation with the guest yet and they request to book, how do you go about handling it? Do you follow up via messaging with a list of questions before accepting or vice versa?
I message and request a phone call, scout, etc. I’ve never accepted – nor would I ever accept – a request to book without contact & conversation.
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For me it depends on the type of booking. If it is well stated in the inquiry that they are doing, let’s say, portrait photos or acting headshots, then yes I don’t mind accepting the booking yet still sending a message inquiring what kind of equipment they are looking for or some sort of feedback towards helping their shoot. For events it can be easy like a baby shower at noon where I would still inquire as to how many guests and is a DJ going to be on site. The difficult ones are when they say it is for birthday photos when you aren’t sure if it’s just for photos or if they are planning on having a party WITH photos. These instances require more communication and I would not book immediately without first having a discussion.
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I don’t necessarily have to speak with them, but I do want to have some kind of back and forth, so that we both have a clear idea so that we’re both sure that our mutual needs are met.
We do not get many requests without site visits. I think some renters are not familiar with the platform and feel this might be their only chance at confirming your space.
In the rare case that someone books without messaging or visiting, (like others noted) I contact them prior to booking to understand their needs. Really, it’s important that our space offers what the renter needs. Usually the open communication results in me confirming the booking or I have requested renters to cancel their initial request and place another that more accurately reflects their needs.
These precautionary steps give our space a better opportunity at 5 star ratings.
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I do not. On the rare occasion a guests books blindly, it raises a red flag. At the very least, once I receive the booking request, I ask if the potential guest has read the entire booking. This usually will start a conversation. Most folks do not visit the space before booking but a chat is important to manage expectations.
Thanks for your replies! As some of you may know, the Peerspace team is working on an Instant Booking feature that would allow guests to automatically confirm a booking if a host has opted in to that feature. We think it will work best for hosts that have made booking their space very turn-key (for example, their calendar is always current, they check in with all guests prior to booking, and supervise their space during bookings).
For those of you who mentioned they wouldn’t accept a request prior to speaking with the guest, what would you need to see from Peerspace or the guest to make you interested in activating this feature?
I would consider accepting this type of booking if the guests confirm they’ve read they entire listing and agree to its terms. Also, I’ve declined bookings after communicating with a guest and realizing they wouldn’t be a good fit for one reason or another (ie, they intend to book at one time and show up at another, they want to use an area of the space for an unintended use, under 21 and want to have a leg party, etc.). I would love a way to filter instant bookings for instances like these.
I don’t. I always ask what type of shoot they’ll be using my house for, and how many people will be coming. I additionally ask questions like: what rooms will they be using, and if they’ll be moving furniture.
Because the majority of our bookings are for offsite events, if they book without inquiring I immediately follow up to make sure of their needs and that the space will work for them. I have provided a great deal of information about the space so those who book have a pretty good sense of what is offered I have zoomed with potential guests so they can see the space real time.
Juli
Normally, I request a scout, which is a great opportunity to vet out a prospective guest and gather additional info about the shoot’s size and scope.
I always offer a walk-thru to the potential clients. Some take it, some do not. I am always surprised at the number of people willing to book just off the pictures, but we usually let them do it if they answer enough other questions to give us a good feeling about their event. Each case is different and it also depends how much of your property they want to use (space and time.)
I will say this happens pretty rarely. A lot of people ask me at least a few questions before they commit to booking. I typically offer to let them come see the place in person too and let them know if I sense that my space may not fulfill all their needs.
If it’s just a request for a two hour meeting in the middle of a Tuesday, I don’t need any more info to confirm.
Hi Matthew,
I think a few settings would need to be in place to make the instant booking feature ideal for hosts. This includes:
- Making sure guests cannot book under the location’s minimum hour requirement or outside of their normal hours of operation.
- Not allowing guests to book projects that would exceed the location’s maximum capacity.
- Allow for cancellation of the booking (at least within 48 hours of the booking being made) without any penalty to the hosts’ account and Power Host rating/calculation. This would alleviate having to take on bookings that a host wouldn’t normally accept (for example, music videos, loud parties, etc).
- Not allowing instant booking less than 48 hours before the requested date.
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We don’t always speak, but I always inspect and feel as though I have gotten to know the client before accepting. We had one nightmare situation when a small meeting was actually a disguised underage drinking party (it’s a good story… a fight, arrests, etc.). I am now rather obsessive about knowing who enters the space.
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Most people leave some kind of explanation, and it’s always helpful so I can say “enjoy the birthday” or “enjoy the shower” instead of just “enjoy the event!” It’s nice to add that personal flair.
But I have booked blindly before (in good faith) and nothing serious has ever happened… yet.
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Yes! This is the way business moves sometimes. If i’m available and read the description of the project (hours, # of guests etc) i’ll immediately confirm the booking (UNLESS it’s a very small job, 1-2 hours, then i may hold off a bit in case a larger job comes through)
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If the guest is pretty clear about what they want to do (and I believe the event is a good match) I have, once or twice, accepted a booking before we’ve actually emailed back and forth (at the very least). And I encourage local-based folks to come see the space before they book; if it’s not, in fact, what they expect, I’d rather learn that early on.
I also tend to think that people with whom I have a back-and-forth tend to be more communicative about their needs, which serves us both in the final analysis.
I often accept bookings automatically if the request totally matches my space
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Typically, to save time, and assuming they’ve read through my parameters, I jump right to the scout scheduling. Also, I double check their inquiry to make sure they are within my guidelines. If not, and there’s room to negotiate, I’ll offer them a custom rate in order to get a verbal commitment before they check out my space.
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