How to get clients to confirm bookings

[LadyRavnos]

Hi,
A few of us have just started a new venture which is aimed at providing massage/pampering/beauty services for Hens Parties in Sydney (http://www.sydneyhensparty.com.au).

Now although we only started a month ago we have taken a reasonable number of bookings already. However, we have a consistent problem with our booking procedure.

An enquiry/tentitive booking will come in for which we will provide a quote and begin to organise the suitable therapists for the job. Our procedure is to aim take around a 25% deposit from the client within a few days of the initial enquiry to confirm the booking. However this does not work out in practice and we have to spend a lot of time chasing up the clients getting them to make a firm commitment. Invariably the clients change the numbers/time close to the day of the party.

Now I know this is a problematical market as the organiser of the party can be "piggy-in-the-middle" between us trying to get them to commit whilst dealing with potentially a large number of girls who themselves won't commit.

Has anyone had any experience of dealing with this type of problem or offer any ideas for us of how to deal with this issue.

 

[Owen]

About all you can do is write up your policies, make them very well known, and don't waver on them at all. Put in writing just how much of a deposit is required, their deadline for canceling, their deadline for any changes and their deadline for deposits and payments in full.

Most people will conform to hard and fast rules - and if they don't, stick to the consequences. When there are "suggestions" that don't hold firm, most of us will use whatever wiggle room we find. Rules don't generally offend - they clarify.

 

[pink smiling]

Put someone in charge

We take the CC from the hostess and send her a contract for a minimum number of services. We have a 7 day cancellation policy on the minimum. Other services can be added subject to availability

Anyone who does not provide a CC within 48 hours or any services below the minimum get charged to the hostess. She then has to collect from her friends.

 

[katejones007]

pretty much what R&R said... get them to at least commit to a minimum service time and more time subject to availability. I just find hen's parties almost always end up with people finding out they are pregnant the week before the party and so are in the first trimester when I won't go near them (not due to any danger, just sue happy society) or they say there is someone 8 months pregnant, not a problem, take all the cushions along and she backs out - the pregnant ones are always the challenge.....

Looking at your price structure I would imagine you are confusing them, making it way too complicated if the individuals are paying - how are they meant to split the fees when 3 of them get treatments in the first 2 hours and the last one is at the cheaper after 2hr rate? That would put a lot of organisers off, you provide the calculator, but what organiser knows what everyone wants at enquiry time? I just charge a flat rate and if we get enough hours the organiser or bride get free time as part of their treatment. If there is only 2hrs work for 3 therapists, no bonus, but if there is 4 hours work for 2 therapists, that's almost a $45 bonus (assuming paying for 7.5 of the 8 hours, bride/organiser gets a free half hour) I don't advertise any of that because hens parties can be pains to deal with, but if they aren't they get the bonus.

I think most hens party organisers are more comfortable with a package, like http://www.pamperedhens.com.au offers, everyone gets the same thing, but I offer the same system you are, everyone can pick what they want.


I'd say less than 20% of enquiries for parties actual follow through with a booking, they are shopping around when they make the first phone call.

 

[SleepyJ]

Thanks for the comments. It's funny, I saw the one on http://www.pamperedhens.com.au and thought that was confusing with too many packages. We preferred to keep it relatively simple.

We did intend going with a straight flat hourly rate but in other experiences have come up against people haggling for discounts for longer visits. So to avoid those situations, we incorporated the cheaper pricing for the longer times (& included the price calculator).

We have offered a similar offer of a free 30 minute treatment to the bride - interesting that you choose not to advertise it. We have thought about that when someone enquires to offer it at that time ie "confirm your booking within x days with a deposit and the bride will go free" (but not to include it on the website). Again it would only be when a minimum number of therapist hours are booked.

Thanks

 

[neutreno 3000]

I think the haggling usually happens when one person is paying for everyone, you've actually got more control over that situation so let them feel like they've won. If everyone is paying as an individual, the haggling doesn't come into it as much, but then you have more of a challenge timewise since everyone is paying for their own 30min/60min treatment, they want 30min/60min/whatever, the possible haggler can't give you exact times/numbers usually when negotiating price, so they can't haggle! The only way they know exact numbers is if they are booking at the last minute and then you know they're not going to have many optiones (if you can accomodate them) so they can't haggle then anyway.

If you are only dealing with one person paying for everything they think that if they book you for 2 hrs you can do 4 30min treatments, you can't because of change over time, but they're only paying for 2hrs, so everyone ends up with 25min and you're out of there faster than if you were doing 4 30min treatments charged individually, with individual health fund receipts needing to be written etc.

Spa parties need to be run like spas rather than extended out calls - they're not extended outcalls, they're usually smaller treatments with more product, more equipment, more linen, less space, more disorganised.

The bride is rarely paying for herself - most of the time everyone else is contributing for her treatment, so offering an unadvertised bonus to the organiser may be more attractive to the organiser than a bonus for the bride who isn't paying anyway.

 

[Sebastian M]

The business has been chugging along quite nicely. However as melb suggested the current pricing structure is too confusing for some people so will change to a call-out fee per therapist + flat rate
(http://www.sydneyhensparty.com.au/prices-new.php).


However, I'm not sure if "Call-Out" fee is the most suitable terminology. Someone else has suggested "Booking Fee".

Does anyone have any better ideas than "Call-Out" Fee

Thanks
Richard

 

[MZ. KRAZY]

Possibly "On Call" fee?

 

[Benny]

I'd just increase the hourly rate, no call out fee, splitting call out fees is complicated, eg 12 girls splitting a $20 fee - $1.67 each, people won't have the right money, they're want change, the organiser won't have mentioned the call out fee beforehand, they'll feel you're just adding stuff on.....
Cover the call out fee in the base rate for 2 hrs, and if they have longer than 2hr, it's a bonus, you can either give back to them as free sevice for the guest of honour or the organiser, or keep as bigger profit.

Parking fee they can understand, though $25 for parking in Sydney for over 2 hrs? depends on where you are. The Opera House is $26 for 3 hrs. Valet parking is more, and it's the only option in some places. I'd change it to parkign fee from $25.

 

[Nathaniel G]

The problem with a straight flat fee is that clients want to haggle for longer bookings. With the call-out fee, whatever it's called, then you take that option away from them. The therapists are being paid a constant hourly rate.

If we were to increase to say a flat rate of $90 then some clients would be arguing -
"hey shouldn't we get a discount for longer appt".

It happens all the time in my other businesses.

We have discussed about some offers for longer appts but for various reasons it gets messy. I understand the point about splitting up call-out fee between the girls but generally they have to do it anyway if they are paying for the bride (and/or parking).

Thanks for comments.
Richard