Double Booking

Is there a way that system tells you that the dates are not available due to XXX booking it? Or awaiting payment?

I just Created a booking for Memorial Day. A few minutes later, an inquiry came in for the same time frame. I don't see where it says that it is not available.

Claudia

Yes, the system makes sure that bookings cannot be double-entered. This is a core tenet of the system. No two bookings can cover the same dates.

If you have open quotes for a set of dates and a booking is created for the same dates (either the exact same date range or several of the same days), the other quotes instantly change status to "Preempted". If the guest opens the payment form for a "Preempted" quote, they see this message:

https://app.ownerrez.com/forms/quotes/67fe14fc904a4086bd435c68e8e89915

When inquiries come in for dates that are already taken, the overview screen of the inquiry will show that it's not available. You'll see - right in the middle of the page - a calendar strip showing what they dates they requested and that it's partially taken. The text right above that says "Not Available". And if you click over to the Answer page, you'll notice that it pre-fills a message to the guest saying that.

-Michelle

Can you hold off on stating PREEMPTED, until the payment and rental agreement is signed? Sometimes, people change their minds and they don't tell you, until you don't receive something and then they eventually tell you.

Can you have it go into a PENDING state? I still send out quotes, even after booked, until I receive payment and the rental agreement.

Claudia

The system cannot allow quotes to be open for dates that are already booked because you would risk getting double booked.

Consider the following scenario...

Person A accepts the quote and wants to pay by check. Their booking is pending while you're waiting on their payment to arrive.

Person B asks about the same dates so you create a quote and send it to them. They accept the quote. Now you have two bookings for the same dates.

You would either have to cancel one of their bookings and send their check back, or try to place them in a different property. Either way, it would be annoying to the guest and create confusion in your records.

The vast majority (over 95%) of the bookings that come through our system are paid for by credit cards up front. So there are very few times when someone has booked but hasn't paid yet. Most of the time, their booking is entered simultaneously when they submit their credit card payment.

-Michelle

This could be a problem....

If a booking is canceled, for lack of payment or any other reason, any quote for the same dates automatically re-opens and becomes available.

So if someone books, causing other quotes for the same date range to go into "preempted" status, and the first person cancels, those other quotes will return to "open" status.

-Michelle

Since I created the booking, then it caused it to do that. If I created a QUOTE and then he said he wanted to book, then really, it is not booked until they click on book and move through the process, at that time. Thus, it would not show as booked until THEY book it and move through the process.

The only time it would be an issue is if they indicate that they will pay via check.

Claudia

Exactly. You can have as many open quotes as you want for the same dates. When the guest clicks through the acceptance/payment form and finalizes it, THEN it becomes a booking.

Remember, quotes and bookings are not the same thing. Quotes LEAD to bookings.

-Michelle