Operational procedures and customer support

Several multilingual service teams take care of all customer inquiries and ensure a smooth handling of all bookings and related inquiries.

For best collaboration of Interhome customer care with partner's customer care, the most important operational procedures and guidelines are outlined on this page.

Property information and descriptions

Interhome descriptions generally consist of 2 text blocks that feature different information.

1. Interior / Apartment description

* furnishing
* equipment
* number of rooms/bed rooms etc
* types and sizes of beds
* facilities

1. Exterior / House description

* type of building
* garden (if any)
* pool
* exterior facilities (e.g. parking)
* distances to points of interest (e.g. shops, restaurants, beach/ski)
* "extra" stands for additional costs
* indication of private or shared facilities

Additional information may be available elsewhere:

• Place description

  • On the Interhome website an additional place description is shown which additional information about the area the property is located at (e.g. list of activities during summer/winter)

• Generic information

The Interhome standards contain information that apply to all properties. Those criteria are not explicitly mentioned in an individual property description.

• Last minute changes

In case of important last minute changes to the property description, customers and/or partners are automatically contacted.

Reservations

If a reservation cannot be done online (e.g. because the booking is too short notice or on request Interhome gladly accepts such booking inquiries by phone or email.

Standard arrival days and durations

For most accommodations the possible changeover days ((days where check-in and/or check-out is possible)) and durations depend on the destination and season. The standard rules are listed below:

Requests

Whenever additional questions pop up or a customer has special needs, we treat those as "customer requests".

Pet regulations

A property's description states if pets are allowed. Unless otherwise stated all pets are possible (dogs, cats etc) if they are really pets according to common sense (an alligator is not a pet).

Requests regarding the number of pets can be made following the guidelines:

Additional services

For certain destinations or properties, additional services are available and can be booked before check-in.

The following list of services can not be requested, which means: if the property description does not state that a parking spot, towels or wireless internet are available, Interhome cannot organize it

Pre-reservations

For properties that are pending contract renewal, pre-reservations are accepted by email/phone. Pre-reservations are not binding for either party. Upon contract renewal, clients will be contacted and asked to confirm their reservation.

Documents sent

After a booking is made, Interhome sends out various documents

1. Invoice (usually sent within 2 business days)

* Booking details (including full property description)
* Payment information
* Mandatory extra costs (e.g. local tax)
* Optional services
* Attachment: General conditions, insurance conditions

1. Pre-arrival email ((only for select destinations))
2. Voucher (sent after full payment received, earliest 4 weeks before check-in)

* Booking details (including full property description)
* Mandatory extra costs (e.g. local tax)
* Optional services
* Arrival/Check-in information:
  * Keyholder location and contact information
  * Postal address of property
  * Arrival and departure times

1. Payment confirmation

sent after each payment received (usually deposit/downpayment)

1. Cancellation invoice

if a booking was cancelled a new invoice/credit note will be issued listing the cancellation charges

Pre-Arrival check-in

Interhome offers an online pre-arrival check-in for properties managed by our local sales offices (LSOs). A so-called pre arrival email is sent out, asking to provide the following information:

• Exact number and composition of travellers
• Personal information of at least one of travellers (including personal ID number)
• credit card details for the deposit and local charges

Above all it is possible to book and pay for additional services in advance (e.g. cot or bed linen).

Arrival procedures / key handover

The details of the arrival procedure are explained on the voucher.

• Standard check-in times: 16:00 -19:00
• If the document states "arrival time on individual agreement" or "call key holder 2 days in advance to arrange exact arrival time", this is a must-do for the customer
• In case of late arrival:
  • if the property is administered by a local Interhome service office, the key will deposited in a safe box free of charge, however the office must be visited the next business day to settle all administrative matters
  • if the property is administered by a private key holder, late arrival is subject to individual agreement; extra fees may apply!

Emergency on spot

• In case of emergency, they key holder / local service office is the first contact person for the customer
• If the key holder cannot be reached or no solution can be found, the Interhome customer service should be called – the number is printed on the voucher

Transfers / overbookings

Cancellations by owners or overbookings may happen, but rarely occur. In that case Interhome will provide 2 options:

1. Alternative accommodation of equal or higher standard
2. Cancellation free of charge

If a transfer happens, the client will be contacted directly with alternatives provided (if alternatives are available).

Cancellations

Cancellations can be made through the Interhome partner portal, by web service, by GDS or by phone/eMail.

Cancellation fees may apply (see terms and conditions).

When a booking is cancelled a invoice/credit note will be issued listing the cancellation charges (if applicable) and confirming the cancellation.

Complaints

A negative feedback is not treated as a complaint. Complaints must be made in written form and will be handled by a dedicated team.

Since complaints often involve gathering feedback from different parties, decision about refunds can take up to several weeks.