Too many cancellations

I seem to be in a loop where potential Guests book one of our condos, then a day or two before the grace period ends, they cancel. It has happened 8 or 9 times now, and as a result I have no actual Booking.com bookings. I will say, that I have not had any issue with Booking.com's major competitor. My Condos posted there were about 80% occupancy rate (until COVID-19), with no cancellations. What am I doing wrong in Booking.com, or what is Booking.com not doing for me?

Sharonpowney

That must be really frustrating. I haven't had any more cancellations through booking.com than other platforms I am on. It is a really difficult time with lots of guests cancelling at these uncertain times. Is the cancellation policy any different on booking.com, they are being very flexible at the minute?

Colleen Accoun…

Hey there Paul Scanling,

My name is Colleen and I am an Account Advisor here at Booking.com. Thankyou for your post. I've spoken with many properties that are in the same boat trying to tackle cancellations.

There a number of factors that could contribute to higher cancellations. To help understand these and where you can improve, we have developed a few tools in the extranet.

Cancellation characteristics Report - This report can help you analyze your overall cancellation and no show rate, when your cancellations occur and how you compare with your competitors. You can use this data to take actions to improve your properties overall performance.

Once you have an understanding of your property’s cancellation patterns, you can take steps to prevent cancellations, reduce their impact, and secure revenue. Below are a few things to consider -

Manage your cancellation policies by specifying whether you are offering free cancellations and in what time-frame as well as what charges may apply.
Reduce cancellations, secure guaranteed payment and appeal to more guests by adding a non-refundable rate.
Offer trusted online payment options such as PayPal. Not only does this reduce cancellations but you will secure your revenue at the time of booking.
Offer compelling prices - Guests might cancel if they find a comparable room for a better price elsewhere, or the same room for a cheaper price listed on a different website. Check out your Price Quality Score to keep track of how your prices are displayed on other channels.

I hope this information has helped you. Please feel free to comment again if you have any more queries and I'll be happy to assist further. Alternatively, reach out to your local team via your Booking.com Extranet Inbox.

Warm regards,

Colleen G.

Account Advisor