The problem
Cattery pens are booked months ahead for August and Christmas, mostly by phone, and a family who cancels a week before leaves a pen another family wanted. If a 10-pen cattery takes 40 phone bookings a month at 10 minutes each and has 2 late cancellations a week in 8 peak weeks, each a 10-night stay at $21£16€19A$31C$30 a night, that's 6.7 hours a month on the phone and $426£320€381A$614C$602 lost each peak week.
What the AI does
KennelBooker's cattery page says cats get their own pens, prices and vaccination rules, with family pens for 2 or 3 cats from the same home. Owners see live pen availability and can pay a deposit, a part payment or the full stay when they book, processed by Stripe. Christmas and summer rates are set once and applied to every booking in those dates, online and at the desk, and cancellation charges can be set to apply automatically. Booking acknowledgements, confirmations, receipts and reminders go out by email in your words.
A worked example
A 10-pen cattery near Lincoln takes about 40 bookings a month by phone, with no deposit. In about 8 peak weeks a year, 2 stays a week are canceled within 7 days of arrival.
Before
40 phone bookings at 10 minutes (6.7 hours a month), and 2 late cancellations x 10 nights x $21£16€19A$31C$30 = $426£320€381A$614C$602 lost each peak week
After
Most bookings made online with a 30% deposit, about 3 minutes each to check (2 hours a month); late cancellations forfeit $128£96€114A$184C$180 a peak week
What it's worth
About $178£134€159A$257C$252 a month: $85£64€76A$123C$120 of kept deposits averaged over the year (30% of $426£320€381A$614C$602 a peak week x 8 weeks = $1,021£768€914A$1,475C$1,444 divided by 12), counted in full because a kept deposit carries almost no cost, plus 4.7 hours of phone booking time (400 minus 120 minutes) at an assumed $20£15€18A$29C$28 an hour, $93£70€83A$134C$132. The Dachshund plan for up to 10 pens is $58.51£43.99€52.35A$84.46C$82.70 a month excluding VAT, about $70£53€63A$102C$100 with VAT.
How to set it up
- Start the 14-day trial and set up your pens, including family pens with a capacity of 2 or 3 cats.
- Set nightly cat rates and your Christmas and summer peak rates with their dates.
- Write your deposit and cancellation terms, set the matching deposit and charges, and show the terms on the booking page.
- Connect Stripe so the deposit is taken when the owner books online.
- Put the booking link on your website and Facebook page, and ask phone callers to book online so the deposit applies.
What goes wrong
- Cancellation charges must be clear and fair before the owner pays; owners canceling because a cat is ill may expect some flexibility.
- Only cats from the same household may share a pen under the licensing rules, so family pens take one household's cats.
- Stripe's card fees come off every deposit.
- Dachshund covers up to 10 pens; a larger cattery needs Beagle at $70.48£52.99€63.06A$101.74C$99.62 a month excluding VAT.