A large part of creating the perfect guest experience--and successful vacation rental business--is learning what not to do. What annoys vacation rental guests the most?
At BookingTeam.com, we know that you may not be able to please every single person that walks into your vacation rental. No business can, and trying to be everything to everyone can actually kill your chances of success. However, you can take steps to not annoy guests by avoiding these common and most frustrating complaints.
1. Poor WiFi or other malfunctioning amenities.
The amenities listed on your properties are expected to function properly. When they don’t, guests feel like they didn’t get what they were promised or what they paid for. As an amenity, WiFi is no exception. In fact, to the majority of guests, reliable WiFi is the most important vacation rental amenity.
Some like to go on vacation to completely unplug from technology, but that’s not the usual case. Business travelers who need WiFi to work are booking vacation rentals more often. Travelers often want to communicate with friends and family back home and share photos and stories of their trip.
Unless your listing is specifically designed to be a quiet escape from technology, guests will expect that you have fast and reliable Internet.
2. They couldn’t get into the property or locate a key.
Many hosts like to welcome their guests in-person, give them a key and a tour of the space. However, running a vacation rental business can be hectic. You may have properties in different cities or countries around the world and can’t greet every guest in-person.
Plus, many hosts rent on the side and have a main gig. For those cases, it is important to have a reliable check-in process. We recommend our BookingTeam.com clients to key exchange services like City CoPilot.
3. Lack of cleanliness.
Cleanliness is a tremendous factor in how guests evaluate properties before booking and how they will judge them after a stay. If your property isn’t well-maintained and clean, it will affect your reviews and your booking revenue.
Not only does the property need to be clean and ready upon arrival, but it should be maintained throughout the stay. Unless a guest specifically requests no housekeeping, you should have regular cleaning scheduled for every day and also make sure that guests are stocked up on any complimentary supplies and toiletries.
4. The host didn’t communicate or provide enough useful information.
Communication and information are key to great vacation rental experiences. Guests want to know that there is an actual person actively managing the property. Communicate with the guests during multiple phases of the booking journey and stay. Offer local insights and recommendations for things to do. It ensures that they know what is going on and shows you care about their experience.
5. The property was not as advertised.
One of the most important considerations for hosts is the online property listing. You want the description to be complete with useful information and details, and you want it to highlight the perks of booking with you. However, be careful how you portray your property. Don’t oversell. You can still showcase your best qualities while being clear and transparent about what you offer guests.
Photos play an important role in showing what guests can expect upon arrival. Some rental sites even allow for past guests to upload their own photos from their stay. Since the images are not just being generated by the property owner or manager, it builds trust and creates a more true-to-life representation.
Images uploaded by hosts need to be clear and true to the actual space. One way to ensure that the photos accurately reflect the property is to include more than 10. More photos can influence the number of bookings that a property receives. More high-quality photos can literally translate to more guests.
Avoiding these biggest guest annoyances can help you improve your experience, get positive reviews and increase bookings. BookingTeam.com helps hosts manage every aspect of vacation rental management so that they can optimize and grow their business.