I wish they would tell me but it is probably my own fault

[barbersdrove]

I took a booking for a week commencing yesterday back in early May. the guest paid £130 deposit to secure the dates and i sent out my usual letter and receipt stating the date the balance was due. I also took a booking from another guest with a very similar sounding surname around the same time and they also paid a deposit.

A while ago I realised the second one had not sent the balance and have been in communication with her chasing it. it has now been paid but I forgot to chase the other.

It was only yesterday, on their due date that I realised they had not paid it. I checked, double checked and triple checked and no it had not been paid.

I had the place all ready for them to arrive and early in the morning sent an e-mail and a telephone message to say that on checking I had realised the balance had not been paid and that would have to be paid prior to occupation. Needless to say they did not turn up. I have had no cancellation from them or any other communication.

So, this morning I have taken the booking off my online booking diary and put a special offer on both the website and facebook for this week.

I'm cross at myself for not realising it had not been paid but i'm also cross at them for not communicating with me. What systems do you have in place for making sure you log when payments are due. I have an excel sheet which I put notes on but think I need to sort out a more foolproof system.

[Montana]

Sorry to hear of your hassle
A very simple idea, but in the absence of a 'proper' automated booking system, can you put an alert or diary entry in your phone? Most of us have our mobile or smart phones with us, most of the time, so perhaps that would help?

[Wendy@NorthIdaho]

I use a wall calendar specifically for the cottage. I write who comes in when, when payments are due, how much and who... I have the different things highlighted. It looks fairly empty compared to our family calendar but it's easy as at a glance I can see what is going on that day and upcoming weeks. It hangs down and can show 3 months at a time. Very low tech but works for me so far... will see how it works when I have 2 to manage. I got another calendar just like it to do the same but have not actually begun renting the second one out yet so not sure how confusing having 2 going will be...

I also have my contracts with all dates on it along with a reservation book with the same, so actually have everything written down in 3 places, but the calendar on the wall is easy for me to check without having to pull something off the shelf. But they are all to back each other up in case I forget to write something down in one place hopefully it will be in the other. Not sure if all that makes sense or not!

Wendy

[Marks]

Outlook calendar.

[greenbarn]

For once I'm going to be the first to suggest PIMS
I switched to using it earlier this year; it was a fair bit of effort to set up, as it's highly customisable and I had to transfer all our existing bookings, but it was well worth it. I get daily alerts telling me what's due today and tomorrow, and an essential To Do List to check that I've done them all.

It's not perfect, and nothing ever will be, but support is excellent. And if it means not losing a booking, it's paid for itself......

[barbersdrove]

I've just had a look at PIMS. I didn't know about it and thought it looked like the business. I am attracted to that BUT, In Feb I had a suspected heart attack. It wasn't, they couldn't find any reason but it did make me think. My husband does not use the computer and if anything did happen to me he would be stuffed! he can surf the web (just about) and e-mail (just about) but everytime he goes onto the computer all I hear is 'OOh Err' now what's happening'!!!!! then I have to go and sort it out.

I've since started a paper file into which I put all the details re confirmed bookings so at least he could contact people in an emergency. I'm going to refine this further as there is such a lot held on the computer that he would need to know and have easy access to. The night it happened we were expecting guests to arrive and it brought home just how prepared he would need to be.

I'm rather liking the phone alarm idea. Simple and i always have my mobile on. I already have a huge wall chart and a wipe board but with a large family it gets overcrowded. I've had to colour code the properties and bookings so i can see at a glance when people ring.

[wallypott]

PIMS also has a really simple summary sheet that you can email or print out. I have never had a cleaner with a computer. You can also export data to excel to do what you will with. Plus it gets better and better.

[la vache!]

Believe it or not, as someone who has always gone for a spreadsheet and gmail combination, I've now signed up for PIMS too. Its great and at last I will have some statistics on my bookings.
The support, it goes without saying, is excellent.

[falbayview]

libre office spreadsheet and google calendar for me, get text alerts from google when balance is due... working so far but does rely on me putting the garbage in right in the first place

[Hells Bells]

I'm now using PIMS as well. There wasn't really anything wrong with the previous booking system I used, but they failed me when my property was accidentally deleted during a browser crash.

[Hells Bells]

I've just had a look at PIMS. I didn't know about it and thought it looked like the business. I am attracted to that BUT, In Feb I had a suspected heart attack. It wasn't, they couldn't find any reason but it did make me think. My husband does not use the computer and if anything did happen to me he would be stuffed! he can surf the web (just about) and e-mail (just about) but everytime he goes onto the computer all I hear is 'OOh Err' now what's happening'!!!!! then I have to go and sort it out

If he can email and surf, he can use PIMs. Your suspected heart attack is precisely why he does need it. It will tell him exactly what he needs to do.

[aasta]

We have an agenda and a wall calender....but this PIMS sounds doable...where do I find it??? Just googled and other stuff came up (I´m rather computer illiterate)

[Nightowl]

PIMS for me too.

Was showing it to my husband this very week because he now needs to get involved in our biz. (but he WAS an IT bod so he should be able to understand it)

But it's excellent. Reminded me of so many things I've forgotten. Worth its weight.

[Nemo]

www.holidayrentalmanagement.com

+1 for PIMS.

Sorry to hear you were taken ill barbersdrove, but a reminder to me that I too need to show hubby what to do in the event of something happening to me.

[barbersdrove]

In my previous incarnation as a university lecturer we had to put a plan in place 'in case we were knocked over by the milk float on the way in and didn't have time to explain to anyone etc. it was called 'the milk float folder'.

Being taken ill so suddenly like that with 4 first responders, 1 paramedic and then an ambulance crew and rushed into A & E it brought it home very sharply that in this incarnation I didn't have a milk float folder.

We arrange so many things in this job i.e. contracts with online booking systems, contracts with website providers, contracts with websites such as TA and HL etc, etc, let alone arrangements for laundry, cleaning etc. for those of us who don't use and agency.