Handle a cancellation

In your holiday home business in Sicily, it might happen sometimes, to be forced to deal with a cancellation a customer has made. It is therefore recommended to incorporate a booking cancellation policy in the contract, clear and transparent for that margin of possibility that cancellations may arise.

In addition, when highlighting such policy in the contract, the customer will immediately have clear the cancellation procedure and what it involves in terms of reimbursement. This will avoid possible disputes between the two parties. 

The following advices will help you to better manage a cancellation request: 

1. Include a clear and transparent cancellation policy in the booking contract.
2. In case a customer needed to cancel the reservation, consider the possibility to offer him/her an alternative, to the extent of what this is possible, for instance: by moving the time lapse reservation, to the extent that this does not affect your reservation calendar negatively. You can also ponder the possibility of confirming the same time lapse for the following year.
3. Remind the customer to check the cancellation policy posted on the travel insurance contract which should be signed before departing. This kind of policies often cover obstructions due to force majeure and sickness.
4. Suggest the customer the likelihood to transfer the booking, confirmed by him, to a relative or a friend.
5. To cope with the vacuum period due to a cancellation, check previous requests you might have received for the same period which you didn’t give availability for. The customer may not have confirmed another holiday home in Sicily yet.
6. Offer a discount by including a “last minute” special price within in the rate chart.
7. Be prepared for the possibility of having to communicate as transparent and detailed as you can be, the amounts the customer has already paid and the one he still has to pay due to his/her cancellation.

Here is a sample chart of cancellation rates to be included in your booking contract so as to communicate the reimbursement rates according to the time elapsed between the cancellation request and the customer timetabled time of arrival to your holiday villa.