Using Bookerville with VRBO

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Using Bookerville with VRBO

Topic: Using Bookerville with VRBO

KathyandJim
Joined: May 25, 2014
Topics: 3 Replies: 14

Posted by KathyandJim on May 26, 2014 10:40 AM:

We are just in the process of getting things set up in our 30 trial of this software. How do most of you integrate this with VRBO? We currently do most of our business by personal check but we are also set up to receive credit card payments thru Reservation Manager. We process only one or two payments a year this way, so other merchant accounts don't make financial sense for us.

John Amato
Joined: Jan 30, 2009
Topics: 133 Replies: 831

Posted by John Amato on May 27, 2014 08:34 AM:

Hi Kathy: You can setup the Bookerville Auto-Responder to automatically create booking requests for you: Auto-Responder

Looks like you have already entered your Homeaway, VRBO, and FlipKey numbers. You now need to turn it on (drop-lists next to those numbers), and then choose a way to forward the inquiry emails you are getting from those listing sites to the Bookerville auto-responder email address: emailReader@bookerville.com

Let me know if you want to talk through any of this, Ok?

shizenlodge
Joined: Jul 9, 2014
Topics: 0 Replies: 1

Posted by shizenlodge on Jul 22, 2014 11:08 AM:

Hi John

I'm also on a 30-day trial, and really really hoping that Bookerville does everything it seems to do for our two properties.. so good so far! I am going to trial it now with Homeaway and Flipkey, but do you have Airbnb also currently in the works for inclusion in the Auto-Responder system? I am so hoping there must be a way for all enquiries and calendars to be reconciled from all portals!

Thanks very much
Sanna

John Amato
Joined: Jan 30, 2009
Topics: 133 Replies: 831

Posted by John Amato on Jul 23, 2014 08:21 AM:

Sanna - can you please forward to me an example email that comes from AirBnB?

Do you know if they are including the guest email address in those emails, or are they hiding it from you, forcing you to go to your AirBnB account to fetch it?

Thanks,

John

dhouin
Joined: Sep 2, 2014
Topics: 2 Replies: 13

Posted by dhouin on Oct 2, 2014 12:02 PM:

I tried to set up the auto responder through VRBO and I couldn't get it to work. I sent a test inquiry. I as the guest did not receive anything from Bookerville. Has VRBO caught on or did I do something wrong? I did have it turned on but have since turned it off. Does it still work?

John Amato
Joined: Jan 30, 2009
Topics: 133 Replies: 831

Posted by John Amato on Oct 5, 2014 08:54 AM:

Hi dhouin - yes it is still working. Let me ask some questions just to make sure everything is covered.

1) Are you sure the emails you are getting are coming from VRBO, and not Homeaway? Homeaway owns VRBO, and they have started to merge their systems together, many of our customers using VRBO are now getting inquiries from Homeaway. If that's the case, you will need to enter the same number in the "Homeaway Property Number" field in your Bookerville property setup page, and also choose Auto-respond Only To Me from the pick-list for it. Does that make sense? Let me know if I can help you with that, Ok?

2) Are you copying the Bookerville email address on the inquiries they are sending to you?

Let me know Ok? And we can walk through this together on a call if you like...

dhouin
Joined: Sep 2, 2014
Topics: 2 Replies: 13

Posted by dhouin on Oct 5, 2014 10:19 AM:

Humm, well I must have something else set wrong because I have my VRBO & HomeAway number in there. I was using it as the guest and went through the VRBO website not HomeAway. I did have it set up to Auto-respond to both me and the requester so I don't know if that is the problem or not. I will go play with it some more. I had also tried it through Gmail's auto responder and couldn't get that to work either so figured VRBO had figured a way to put a stop to the auto responder. I do have Bookerville's email address on my VRBO site as my 2nd email and I am getting emails from bookerville that I have an inquiry. Just so I am clear on how this works. The guest, when they inquire is suppose to get an email from Bookerville with my rates but it goes through VRBO/HA. Is this what is suppose to happen?
Thanks

John Amato
Joined: Jan 30, 2009
Topics: 133 Replies: 831

Posted by John Amato on Oct 7, 2014 10:18 AM:

Oh, not if they are hiding the guest email address in the inquiry emails they are sending to you. If you call VRBO and tell them you're using Bookerville's Auto-Responder, they will put the guest email addresses back in.

See our recent blog entry about this: Homeaway-VRBO-Auto-Responder