Thanks guys but apparently I am not the only one that has had this issue.
In regard to your question, unless I am missing something out of the ordinary, an inquiry is where a potential guest is seeking information or confirming detail with the property whereas a request is someone wanting to actually book the property. Happy to be corrected.
That aside, I believe my settings require (allow) me to actually respond/confirm any inquiry or booking. I have always responded within the timeline so don't understand the 80% response rating.
I am very unhappy with the whole methodology at the moment and changes, not by me, to my bookings setup is less than satisfactory. That and the fact that I can't seem to just simply write a direct email but instead am guided through some poor 'auto' options is something that must work against this site!
Thanks for your feedback guys and if I've got anything wrong, happy to receive correct advice.
Steve