We are often asked 'Why should I have an availability calendar?' or 'Should I take bookings online?' a common reason we receive from owners as to why they don't is because they want to speak directly with the guest however, what they don't realise is the barrier this creates.
Displaying availability
We see no reason why you shouldn't display your holiday properties availability on your site. It gives the guest a clear understanding of when they can book their stay and likewise if the dates they would like aren't available it means they can figure out alternative dates without having to call or email. Another bonus of having an availability calendar is to show guests the popularity of your property. If you are fully booked for the summer, displaying that will encourage people to book sooner rather than later to avoid missing out on a potential stay. It might require a small amount of your time to keep calendars up to date, especially if you take bookings from external sources but it will be worthwhile in the long term making it easier for guests to book their stay.
Make it easy for the guest
The last thing you want to do is make it difficult for a guest to book a stay. If they decide to look at holiday destinations at midnight or early hours of the morning they will be unable to get in contact with you to see if their chosen dates are available. An availability calendar helps your holiday property business to be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Put yourself in the guests shoes and think how much easier it is when the information you are looking for is right in front of you. In addition to displaying your availability to the guest, why not take it that one step further and give them the ability to book their stay online.
You might like the personal touch of talking to your guests directly before they book a stay. You can still pick up the phone and have a conversation once they have booked their stay and that way they are not waiting for you to get back to them before they can book their holiday.
SCRUMPY availability calendar
We try to make it as easy as possible for our property owners to keep their calendars up to date and to block out dates when their property is unavailable. For more information on how the SCRUMPY availability calendar works take a look at our help article: https://help.scrumpy.co.uk/article/26-managing-pricing-with-seasons
If you would like more information and want to discuss this futher then plaese do not hesitate to get in touch, we are more than happy to help!