The problem
Small vineyards run tours and tastings on summer weekends, often booked by email and phone. Messages go back and forth about dates, group sizes and payment, and groups who haven't paid don't always turn up. A vineyard taking 50 bookings a month by email and phone at 8 minutes each spends 6.7 hours a month on it, and if 10 places a month at $40£30€36A$58C$56 are lost to no-shows and inquiries answered too late, that's $399£300€357A$576C$564 a month.
What the AI does
Bookwhen is an online booking system for classes, courses and events. Its pricing page lists payments and discounts from Lite, and a waiting list, reminder emails and vouchers on Standard. Set up each tour and tasting as an event with its capacity and price; visitors book and pay online, reminder emails go before the day, and a full tour can take a waiting list. Vouchers let you sell tours as gifts. Card payment fees are separate, through Bookwhen Payments, your own Stripe or PayPal. Online booking doesn't check age, so the over-18 rule for tastings is enforced at the cellar door.
A worked example
A 4-hectare vineyard in Sussex with a cellar door runs 12 tours with tastings a month from May to September, for up to 12 people at $40£30€36A$58C$56. Bookings come by email and phone, and about 10 places a month are lost to no-shows and slow replies.
Before
About 50 email and phone bookings a month at 8 minutes each (6.7 hours), and about 10 places lost ($399£300€357A$576C$564)
After
Visitors book and pay online, about 1 hour a month answering questions, and an assumed 7 of the 10 lost places filled
What it's worth
About $347£261€311A$501C$491 a month in the season, against about $21£16€19A$31C$30 for Bookwhen. That is $196£147€175A$282C$276 in profit from 7 more places a month at $40£30€36A$58C$56 ($279£210€250A$403C$395 at an assumed 70% margin after the wine poured), plus 5.7 hours of booking admin saved (6.7 down to 1) at an assumed $27£20€24A$38C$38 an hour, $152£114€136A$219C$214. Bookwhen Standard, with the waiting list and reminders, is €19 (about $21£16€19A$31C$30) a month plus VAT; card fees are separate.
How to set it up
- Sign up for Bookwhen Standard and set up each tour and tasting with its date, capacity and price.
- Connect Bookwhen Payments, Stripe or PayPal so visitors pay when they book.
- Turn on reminder emails and the waiting list, and write what to wear, parking and the over-18 rule for tastings on each event.
- Set up vouchers so tours can be sold as gifts.
- Link the booking page from your website, Google listing and social posts, and answer email inquiries with the link.
What goes wrong
- Online booking doesn't check age. Ask for ID at the cellar door before pouring for anyone who looks under 25.
- Bookwhen shows prices in local currency plus VAT; check the price in pounds before signing up.
- Rain cancels vineyard walks. Write your weather policy on the booking page so refunds and transfers are clear.
- Outside the season, consider the yearly price or a lower plan; the free plan only handles free events.