Today’s vacation rental industry demands prompt replies to vacationer inquiries. In our recent Vacationer Survey, the number one criticism vacationers voiced is that homeowners either do not respond at all or do so too late. Many of you are doing an excellent job of responding, but unfortunately, some are not. To compete successfully in the industry, we must improve the responsiveness of some of our homeowners. Thus, we have implemented a few changes to our Vacationer Inquiry System.
Rest assured, you still have immediate access to the name and email address of the inquiring vacationer, but the initial inquiry email you get from us will look a little different.
What changes did you make to the process?
The inquiry email you receive from vacationers is now being sent from an email address unique to each inquiry. Inquiries used to come from inquiry@WeNeedaVacation.com. They now come from the @message.weneedavacation.com domain.
You can also now see your full email correspondence with a vacationer on your Email Inquiry History page. Homeowners have often requested the ability to maintain a complete correspondence thread with vacationers.
Are you filtering out the vacationer’s contact information?
Certainly not. You are still in control of communications with your guests. We will not filter out any contact information or require that responses be sent through our platform. All the information provided to us by vacationers is still passed along to you in its entirety.
Why did you make the change to the inquiry process?
Vacationers want and expect immediate responses to their inquiries. They’re busy and want to make a decision quickly. We receive numerous complaints from vacationers indicating they are not hearing back from owners promptly or at all. Delays in response cause vacationers to lose trust in your listings and our website.
Other vacation rental sites have tracked responsiveness for years. Some booking sites even withdraw a request to book if there is no response from a homeowner within 24 hours. Although we’re opposed to a “Book it now” process, we understand vacationers' desire to expedite the inquiry and booking process.
The sooner you respond to an inquiry, the better your chance of securing the booking. The new system also allows homeowners to track all their inquiries and responses more efficiently.
What is the difference between Response Time and Response Rate?
Response Time is the time it takes you to respond to the initial inquiry, categorized as "Within 24 hours," "Within 2 days," or "More than 2 days."
Response Rate is the percentage of inquiries you respond to. The goal is to achieve a 100% response rate. Every inquiry should receive a response, even if your home is booked or the inquiry is inappropriate.
How do I now reply to a vacationer’s inquiry?
- Reply directly to the email by hitting “Reply.” Your response will go through our system and be captured in your Email Inquiry History.
- Use the “Reply to Vacationer” link in the email to access the Inquiry Response form.
- If you receive text alerts, use the link in the text message to reply via the Inquiry Response Form.
In all cases, your replies will be captured on the Email Inquiry History page linked from the Guest Tracker section of your Homeowner Center.
What happens if I email or call the vacationer privately?
You can reply privately, but if you don’t respond through one of the above methods, the system won’t track your response. We suggest sending a quick email reply, e.g., “Thanks for your inquiry. I'll call you shortly.”
What does the number next to the Email Inquiry History link mean?
It indicates the number of inquiries you haven’t responded to (or haven’t confirmed as responded to).
How can I avoid having my inquiries go to Spam/Junk?
To prevent emails from being marked as spam, add @message.weneedavacation.com to your safe sender list.