In the last 4 weeks I have changed the percentage of my promo's every 3 days and turned my Genius dynamic discount for level 2 and 3 on and off. Unfortunately there has been no change in my performance score. It has been stuck at 60% all the way.
I have again been in contact with my account manager and his district manager. I've pointed out that there are 'preferred partners' within my market that are not meeting the requirements for quite a while. There is at least one property where the average review score is below 7 and the last review dates from April this year.
I asked what the procedure and time limit is for preferred partners that are not meeting the requirements anymore. From what I understand there is no automatic de-preferring procedure or a time limit for preferred partners that aren't meeting the requirements anymore. The district manager told me she is going to discus a cleaning procedure for the preferred partner program in my market with her superior and will let me know about this in the beginning of October.
This action supports my suspicion that the procedure for the first properties that got into the preferred partner program might have been pretty straightforward, but that there is no procedure for properties that aren't meeting the requirements anymore or a procedure for properties that should be eligible to join but can't because the local market already has 30% preferred partners in it.
Just changed my promo's back to to it's original status it was 72 hours ago. Also re-activated the dynamic discount on Genius level 2 and 3 again. Will keep changing the promo's and dynamic discount on Genius like this every 72 hours for the next coming 4 weeks.
Go to your Booking.com Extranet. Under 'Inbox the tab 'Inbox' you can select 'Booking.com messages'. After you opened this page the name of your account manager and his/her phone number should be listed in a column on the right side.
As far as I know I have never been invited to join the Preferred Partner Program. End of 2021 I wanted to improve my ranking on Booking.com and wanted to opt in the Preferred Partner Program cause this give you a much better ranking. At that time I was not eligible and so I contacted my account manager at BdC to help me get in the Preferred Partner Program. Following her advice I've started putting in more discounts, promotions, downgrading my cancelation policies etc. all to get a better performance score.
I've stopped all sales on other OTA's and even my own website to have all reservations come through BdC and get a better performance score and have my prices competitive. Since that time I am actually waiting for the lights to turn green to join the program. As there was no movement in my performance score over time I frequently consulted my account manager but I was only getting two answers:
1. Your performance is still not good enough and need to put in more discounts, promotions etc.
2. The program might be full and you need to wait till other properties fall out of the program and will be de-preferred so you can join.
I have some inside information about properties in my neighborhood that are in the Preferred Partner Program but their previous sales over the last year and reservations for the coming year are way behind on mine. With this inside information it all doesn't add up why I am not eligible for the Preferred Partner Program so far.
It gives me the feeling the performance score is not displayed correctly as it has been stuck at 60% ever since I started looking at this. And when your account manager at BdC only keeps advising to put in more and more discounts and promotions without any results other than a lower profit it gets me quite frustrated and feels like unfair competition.
Thanks Ailyn for getting back to me! I appreciate your determination very much!
This is what I've just done:
1. Mobile rate up from 10% to 11%;
2. All country rates up with 1% (Domestic, European area, Switserland, UK);
3. Switched off dynamic discount on Genius Level 2 and 3 as I was already on dynamic discounts;
I will leave it like this for 72 hours and then change it back to it's original status.
Here are the answers to your promotions, discounts programs I am participating in at the moment:
Genius 1 (10% off): Yes
Mobile Rates: Yes.
Country Rates (if available in your country): Yes, Domestic, European Economic Area, Switserland and UK.
Genius 2 and 3: Yes
Getaway 2022 Campaign: Yes
Protected Rates: No
Genius Added Values (Upgrade and/or Breakfast: No
Genius Dynamic: Yes
Participated in minimum 3 limited time deal promotions in the last 6 months: No, 2 in last 6 months
You have non-refundable policies AND flexible (less than 7 days prior to arrival) Cancellation policies: Yes
Weekly Rates (min 7 night stay rates): Yes
Besides above promotions there is also an early booker deal active at the moment. My average reviews are 9,7 and also give me an advantage in bookings to properties in my area.
Can you confirm the statement from my account manager that the performance score only shows rounded percentages per 10% up?
Yesterday I had another telephone meeting with my account manager about me not being eligible for the Preferred Partner Program. Although sales over the last month have been outstanding and way above market average there is still no change in my performance score. Still stuck on 60%.
My account managers response to this was:
- My performance score will only jump from 60% straight to 70% if it was good enough Performance scores will only show rounded percentages, never a percentage between 60% and 70%. Can somebody verify this statement? Thanks!
I asked him the results of the ticket he issued at the pricing team to verify the information about the performance score, as suggested earlier. His reply was that they can only check if my prices are competitive, and that they are competitive at the moment. Performance score calculation can't be checked by anyone.
The advice from my account manager was the same recipe as the last 8 months: Put in more promotions and discounts and let's see next month if the performance score went up to 70%.
I am seriously considering moving my online sales somewhere else and say farewell to Booking.com. This is so disappointing and demotivating for all the hard work I put in there. It feels far from any form of partnership.
Hi Ailyn,
In the last 4 weeks I have changed the percentage of my promo's every 3 days and turned my Genius dynamic discount for level 2 and 3 on and off. Unfortunately there has been no change in my performance score. It has been stuck at 60% all the way.
I have again been in contact with my account manager and his district manager. I've pointed out that there are 'preferred partners' within my market that are not meeting the requirements for quite a while. There is at least one property where the average review score is below 7 and the last review dates from April this year.
I asked what the procedure and time limit is for preferred partners that are not meeting the requirements anymore. From what I understand there is no automatic de-preferring procedure or a time limit for preferred partners that aren't meeting the requirements anymore. The district manager told me she is going to discus a cleaning procedure for the preferred partner program in my market with her superior and will let me know about this in the beginning of October.
This action supports my suspicion that the procedure for the first properties that got into the preferred partner program might have been pretty straightforward, but that there is no procedure for properties that aren't meeting the requirements anymore or a procedure for properties that should be eligible to join but can't because the local market already has 30% preferred partners in it.
I hope I am wrong though.
Just changed my promo's back to to it's original status it was 72 hours ago. Also re-activated the dynamic discount on Genius level 2 and 3 again. Will keep changing the promo's and dynamic discount on Genius like this every 72 hours for the next coming 4 weeks.
Hi,
Go to your Booking.com Extranet. Under 'Inbox the tab 'Inbox' you can select 'Booking.com messages'. After you opened this page the name of your account manager and his/her phone number should be listed in a column on the right side.
Hi Ian,
As far as I know I have never been invited to join the Preferred Partner Program. End of 2021 I wanted to improve my ranking on Booking.com and wanted to opt in the Preferred Partner Program cause this give you a much better ranking. At that time I was not eligible and so I contacted my account manager at BdC to help me get in the Preferred Partner Program. Following her advice I've started putting in more discounts, promotions, downgrading my cancelation policies etc. all to get a better performance score.
I've stopped all sales on other OTA's and even my own website to have all reservations come through BdC and get a better performance score and have my prices competitive. Since that time I am actually waiting for the lights to turn green to join the program. As there was no movement in my performance score over time I frequently consulted my account manager but I was only getting two answers:
1. Your performance is still not good enough and need to put in more discounts, promotions etc.
2. The program might be full and you need to wait till other properties fall out of the program and will be de-preferred so you can join.
I have some inside information about properties in my neighborhood that are in the Preferred Partner Program but their previous sales over the last year and reservations for the coming year are way behind on mine. With this inside information it all doesn't add up why I am not eligible for the Preferred Partner Program so far.
It gives me the feeling the performance score is not displayed correctly as it has been stuck at 60% ever since I started looking at this. And when your account manager at BdC only keeps advising to put in more and more discounts and promotions without any results other than a lower profit it gets me quite frustrated and feels like unfair competition.
Thanks Ailyn for getting back to me! I appreciate your determination very much!
This is what I've just done:
1. Mobile rate up from 10% to 11%;
2. All country rates up with 1% (Domestic, European area, Switserland, UK);
3. Switched off dynamic discount on Genius Level 2 and 3 as I was already on dynamic discounts;
I will leave it like this for 72 hours and then change it back to it's original status.
Will keep you updated!
Hi Ailyn,
Would love to see I am wrong in my theory!
Here are the answers to your promotions, discounts programs I am participating in at the moment:
Genius 1 (10% off): Yes
Mobile Rates: Yes.
Country Rates (if available in your country): Yes, Domestic, European Economic Area, Switserland and UK.
Genius 2 and 3: Yes
Getaway 2022 Campaign: Yes
Protected Rates: No
Genius Added Values (Upgrade and/or Breakfast: No
Genius Dynamic: Yes
Participated in minimum 3 limited time deal promotions in the last 6 months: No, 2 in last 6 months
You have non-refundable policies AND flexible (less than 7 days prior to arrival) Cancellation policies: Yes
Weekly Rates (min 7 night stay rates): Yes
Besides above promotions there is also an early booker deal active at the moment. My average reviews are 9,7 and also give me an advantage in bookings to properties in my area.
Can you confirm the statement from my account manager that the performance score only shows rounded percentages per 10% up?
Thanks!
Yesterday I had another telephone meeting with my account manager about me not being eligible for the Preferred Partner Program. Although sales over the last month have been outstanding and way above market average there is still no change in my performance score. Still stuck on 60%.
My account managers response to this was:
- My performance score will only jump from 60% straight to 70% if it was good enough Performance scores will only show rounded percentages, never a percentage between 60% and 70%. Can somebody verify this statement? Thanks!
I asked him the results of the ticket he issued at the pricing team to verify the information about the performance score, as suggested earlier. His reply was that they can only check if my prices are competitive, and that they are competitive at the moment. Performance score calculation can't be checked by anyone.
The advice from my account manager was the same recipe as the last 8 months: Put in more promotions and discounts and let's see next month if the performance score went up to 70%.
I am seriously considering moving my online sales somewhere else and say farewell to Booking.com. This is so disappointing and demotivating for all the hard work I put in there. It feels far from any form of partnership.
I agree. Lost count on how many times I got answered 'that's just the way the system works'. Imagine us saying the same thing to our guests...