Every accomplished rental property manager knows that the key to business success is delivering consistently positive guest experiences, but what does that mean exactly? What qualifies as a superior guest experience today?
At BookingTeam.com, we work with property managers and owners to simplify every aspect of rental management, from marketing your listings to scheduling maintenance. Our platform offloads a lot of routine work so that you can improve and focus on the core of your business--the guest experience. To create consistently superior experiences, remember these tips.
1. Know your guests.
What type of guests book your properties? Is it primarily families, young people, or groups? Why do they stay with you? Is it the location, amenities, environment, online recommendations or a mixture of all those factors?
To provide excellent service in any business, it is critical to know who your customers are and what they value. With the right technology, you can learn more about your guests and cater better to their specific needs and preferences.
2. Make every stay feel personal.
You might be surprised by the impact simply using a person’s first name has on their impression of you. Customize confirmation emails so that they are personalized with the guest’s name. When they check-in, welcome them by their name and use it when you see them during their stay.
Make it a point to become familiar with what your guests like and dislike. Repeat guests often come back because they’ve already developed a relationship with you and you know their preferences.
3. Provide insider recommendations, exclusive deals, and freebies.
Everybody loves deals and freebies, especially in the hospitality industry. Offering exclusive deals or free perks to guests such as spa time or a welcome basket of goodies makes your property stand out. Even giving them recommendations like popular activities to do and the best restaurants or attractions to visit enhances the experience. It shows that you are willing to go beyond the minimum to make sure that guests enjoy their stay.
4. Value their time.
Time is precious. Appreciate the fact that guests are passing some of their time at your property. Have rooms ready when guests arrive for check-in. Accommodate them with luggage storage if they need to check-in or out late. Show you care about their time with speedy responses and attentive service.
5. Prioritize cleanliness and upkeep.
One of the most important, basic requirements for guest satisfaction is cleanliness. Yet, some properties still lack in this department, and it hurts their business significantly. With BookingTeam.com, you can have routine maintenance and housekeeping scheduled for you so that you can make sure properties are always ready for the next guest.
6. Listen to your guests.
Oftentimes, when properties can’t seem to figure out why several guest experiences have been negative, it is because they aren’t listening. Nobody wants to receive a negative review. However, it can reveal parts of your business that need improvement but you’ve never thought of it or simply overlooked it. Listening to all feedback--both negative and positive--can help you hone your business so that you consistently deliver superior service.
However, don’t rely on negative reviews to get valuable feedback. In fact, you should ask guests to respond to survey or leave feedback after every stay. This way, you get their suggestions and avoid many negative reviews from being written in the first place.
7. Embrace technology.
Managing a rental property is a lot of work, especially when you have multiple units in different locations. Trying to handle it all on your own requires marketing savvy, customer service experience, financial expertise, as well as organizational skills and countless other responsibilities.
Luckily, technology can help. BookingTeam.com allows property managers to offload routine work, learn more about their properties and guests and stay organized.
Our platform pairs managers with a team of booking professionals that are available 24/7 to answer any questions and complete critical tasks. With more time on your hands, you can focus on crafting superior guest experiences and on expanding your business.