Cotswold Manor House
Built in the early 1800s for Robert Jenkinson, one of Britain’s longest serving prime ministers, Cotswold Manor House in Gloucestershire, England is a historic six-bedroom property that sleeps more than 20 guests.
Looking to blend centuries-old charm with present-day amenities, entrepreneurial friends Luca Crivelli, Carl Busby and Neo Pavlou bought the Manor in mid-2019 and converted it into a modern retreat — and quickly discovered the complexity of managing bookings for such large groups.
Prospective customers — often brides-to-be and their closest friends — would complete contact forms on the Manor’s website and receive replies via email. Noticing that delayed responses could jeopardize potential bookings, the owners added their WhatsApp Business number to their website to make it easy for customers to get in touch and receive a speedy response.
“WhatsApp gives us an edge on our competitors,” says Carl, explaining that 90 percent of website visits now result in a WhatsApp message. “Inevitably, they’ll [customers] contact several properties but we can provide all the info they need and the booking can be done before our competitors get back to them.”
Receiving up to 20 new inquiries each week, Luca says the app’s quick replies feature has reduced booking confirmation times because it “saves writing the same thing or copy-and-pasting… you can create lots of shortcuts.” And the catalog feature “gets us the sales,” he adds, because it takes guests on a photographic tour of the sumptuous property and garden.
“WhatsApp provides a more personal touch"
Alice Jones spent a long weekend at the Manor celebrating the imminent marriage of her best friend. As maid of honor, she organized the entire stay for a group of 17 friends, liaising with Luca through the Manor’s WhatsApp Business account.
“I use WhatsApp a lot anyway,” says Alice. “When we were there, we didn’t have any phone signal but had wifi, so I WhatsApped Luca when anything came up and he got back to me straight away. It worked really well.”
The Manor was closed for several months during the COVID-19 pandemic so the trio relied on the WhatsApp Business app to be responsive and supportive of their customers at a fraught time. They used the app to help refund or reschedule around 20 bookings.
“WhatsApp provides a more personal touch; [customers] feel more relaxed. Whereas if you’re emailing a company, it feels like there’s barriers there – you might just get an automated response and it’s like you’re talking to a machine,” explains Luca.
Luca, Carl, and Neo have adapted as much as possible during the pandemic and are now back to coordinating magical getaways for visitors who are eager to celebrate good times again.
