What does your reservation confirmation email subject line say?

[Alibi Ike]

I need help on what to put as the subject line on confirmations. Just had an email from a guest due to arrive tomorrow who said she JUST opened her confirmation and realized it was for the wrong date. As she put it, 'It SAID 'confirmation' I assumed it was correct!' (Online booking, totally her mistake, but now it's the day before she not arriving and the dates she THOUGHT she booked we're full.)
So, for those of us who think guests don't read the confirmations we send, there's one reason why they don't read them. It's 'confirming' what they think they already know.
I need some new verbiage.

 

[Innkeep]

You might try "RE: Your reservation". Might inspire some curiosity.

 

[sandynn]

I put Your visit to the Ivy House in the subject line.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Mine says "XYZ Inn Reservation Confirmation"
I think this is just another instance where it's maybe 1 in 2000 and why change your procedure for someone who just doesn't read.

 

[happyjacks]

"Reservation Details - Please Reply"
If you say "confirmation" they will take it to mean you are confirming their booking, not that they are are supposed to confirm it.

 

[Joey Camb]

We use Your Booking information from the Camberley. cos we put on a town map showing where we are and a how to get round the back into the car park map so I want them to read it!

 

[Penelope]

I have heard that if you put "confirmation" or "reservation" in the subject line it will sometimes head into the person's spam folder.
I like HappyJacks line.

 

[Alibi Ike]

"Reservation Details - Please Reply"
If you say "confirmation" they will take it to mean you are confirming their booking, not that they are are supposed to confirm it..

I ask them to reply in the first line once they open the email, but this is better.

 

[Paradise]

You might try "RE: Your reservation". Might inspire some curiosity..

JOHN SMITH 23-26 June Property Name reservation confirmation
However, I like how someone above said they said, Reservation-please reply...
I put the name first in caps & cc myself on every correspondence. With the name first, I can find them a bit easier when I need to.

 

[Alibi Ike]

You might try "RE: Your reservation". Might inspire some curiosity..

JOHN SMITH 23-26 June Property Name reservation confirmation
However, I like how someone above said they said, Reservation-please reply...
I put the name first in caps & cc myself on every correspondence. With the name first, I can find them a bit easier when I need to.
.

I just had one so I tried it out...
Guest last name- UPDATE- Reservation Details- Please Reply
It didn't all fit so the 'please reply' is lopped off on the end when it is in the inbox. This is what shows in my inbox:
Guest last name- UPDATE- Reservation Details- Pl...
Without the 'update' and with a short last name this might work.

 

[sgruning]

If they book on-line through my booking engine, the automated response that I approve to send out states they will receive another email with detailed info.
If on the phone, I tell them to expect the email and if they do not see it, check their spam folder. If they still do not see it, to call me.
Then I confirm the reservation, I use the folio # as their confirmation #, provide some basics about check in and I also check to have both "read and receipt" from Outlook, and ask them to confirm. If they don't, I forward it to them in 24 hours asking if they received the info.
But I do have those who still ignore, do not read the info, and call asking questions because they did not read it. I guess just part of doing business.......
In the subject line: Confirmation Chantilly Lace Inn

 

[gillumhouse]

I use Details XX House MM/DD-DD/2011 as the subject line

 

[JBloggs]

I use Details XX House MM/DD-DD/2011 as the subject line.

I use Details XX House MM/DD-DD/2011 as the subject line

Why do you have XX when your user name and link show your inn? haha

 

[Samster]

I think the word "confirmation" is the kicker. No need to read, I'm confirmed for what I booked.
Let us know if the new wording works out better!

 

[Joey Camb]

change it to "Did you book this?"

 

[gillumhouse]

I use Details XX House MM/DD-DD/2011 as the subject line.

I use Details XX House MM/DD-DD/2011 as the subject line

Why do you have XX when your user name and link show your inn? haha
.

Because I am braindead from all the travel!

 

[happyjacks]

Speaking of verbiage that will get the message through to guests...
In my confirmation, regarding check in time, I used to say "If you're in the area early, please don't come straight to the inn as there may be no one here or available to greet you."
Too many people figure they don't need a greeting and will just, I don't know, lounge around in the lobby until their room is ready.
I get fewer early arrivals since changing the wording to "If you're in the area early, don't come straight to the inn as there may be no one here or available to let you in."
Small change, but a big difference.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

Mine says "XYZ Inn Reservation Confirmation"
I think this is just another instance where it's maybe 1 in 2000 and why change your procedure for someone who just doesn't read..

Yup. I look back at changes we've made to our online messges, our cancellation policy, our policies in general - and they reflect the one daft person who can't or won't read. But at least the policies are there, written - on the website - and one can refer to them in times of need. Today, for instance. A guest was perplexed as to why she had incurred an extra charge for a third person in the room. Her confirmation letter made it clear there would be an extra charge, but the webervations total calculation on her confirmation letter was based on double occupancy. woops. Back to the drawing board. We printed out our policies page from our website and gave this to her.
Basil Fawly

 

[JBloggs]

Speaking of verbiage that will get the message through to guests...
In my confirmation, regarding check in time, I used to say "If you're in the area early, please don't come straight to the inn as there may be no one here or available to greet you."
Too many people figure they don't need a greeting and will just, I don't know, lounge around in the lobby until their room is ready.
I get fewer early arrivals since changing the wording to "If you're in the area early, don't come straight to the inn as there may be no one here or available to let you in."
Small change, but a big difference. .

Speaking of verbiage that will get the message through to guests...
In my confirmation, regarding check in time, I used to say "If you're in the area early, please don't come straight to the inn as there may be no one here or available to greet you."
Too many people figure they don't need a greeting and will just, I don't know, lounge around in the lobby until their room is ready.
I get fewer early arrivals since changing the wording to "If you're in the area early, don't come straight to the inn as there may be no one here or available to let you in."
Small change, but a big difference.

or OTHER guests will let them in! (as happened yesterday). They were roaming around the place. PLEasE RING BELL is on the door for a reason people!

 

[InnBloom]

Speaking of verbiage that will get the message through to guests...
In my confirmation, regarding check in time, I used to say "If you're in the area early, please don't come straight to the inn as there may be no one here or available to greet you."
Too many people figure they don't need a greeting and will just, I don't know, lounge around in the lobby until their room is ready.
I get fewer early arrivals since changing the wording to "If you're in the area early, don't come straight to the inn as there may be no one here or available to let you in."
Small change, but a big difference. .

Speaking of verbiage that will get the message through to guests...
In my confirmation, regarding check in time, I used to say "If you're in the area early, please don't come straight to the inn as there may be no one here or available to greet you."
Too many people figure they don't need a greeting and will just, I don't know, lounge around in the lobby until their room is ready.
I get fewer early arrivals since changing the wording to "If you're in the area early, don't come straight to the inn as there may be no one here or available to let you in."
Small change, but a big difference.

or OTHER guests will let them in! (as happened yesterday). They were roaming around the place. PLEasE RING BELL is on the door for a reason people!
.

Great line about early check-ins. I may steal that....thanks, Happyjacks.
Just a quick hijack regarding guests letting people in. At around 8pm Friday....I called to see when the father/son were going to arrive (our check-in ends at 8, but I had known they'd be a bit late), and the wife/mom answered the phone and said they were taking a nap and hadn't left yet. Mind you, they were a 3 hour drive away.
So I explained where I would leave the key and a detailed note about how to find everything. She was taking notes and I thought she had it all right.
At 1 am they showed up at the WRONG DOOR looking for where I had left the key. They rang the doorbell (which I can't hear, thankfully) and some other guests who were up late went to the door. The beautiful part is, the newcomers explained through the door that they couldn't find the key and asked to be let in, and the guests said no way---instead, they suggested that they try looking at the other door and then told them how to get in touch with us if they couldn't find it. Now that's good customer service from my guests. So many others would have just let them in and that wouldn't have helped anything.