Auto responders and inquries via listing sites

Do i understand correctly that auto responders work only when inquiry comes via inquiry widget? I notice that when I have received a "quotable" inquiry via a widget, it has been auto-repsoned to; however when I get an inquiry via email (such as from vacation Home rentals) I have to create quote myself and trigger quote email. Is my understanding correct or I have to change some setting somewhere? thanks

Hi!

Auto Responders work no matter where the inquiry originated - even if it's from an email from a listing site.

Is there something different about the inquiry you got from VHR that would make it so the Auto Responder wouldn't kick in?

Perhaps the inquiry had a comment on it and your Auto Responder settings don't kick in if there's a comment?

No. All the VHR emails I have had to date do not trigger auto-response. I suppose they have 'comments' in a sense that traveler writes something like "interested in staying with my two kids, wife and parents at your cabin". Is that a comment? I thought "comment" was a reply to a reply, i.e if the traveler responded to my quote email with a follow up question or comment. if this is what it is, then I do understand - I have to change auto-reponders to respond when there are even comments presen. Correct?

Yes, it's a bit confusing. We have that setting on there because if there is a comment on the inquiry at all (even a "are you available?") some users don't want the Auto Responder to kick in because they are worried that the person asked a question that won't be answered in the automatic response. So any inquiry with a comment (which is most of them) aren't auto responded to.

In your case, if you don't care about that, definitely check that option to respond even if comment is present.

Sorry again for the confusion. We are working on fleshing out the Auto Responder with more settings and clarity. It's being moved to global settings where you can pick multiple property/season criteria and also specify time of day (eg. don't auto respond during daytime hours but do auto respond in the evening).