Guest Communications: Research-backed Strategies for 5-Star Hospitality
Kate Stoermer 
Reflections on the recently published survey of over 2500 short-term rental guests on communication preferences
Guest Communications - Can you Automate them?
Guest communications; what's the "right" thing to do in terms of guests staying in short-term rentals? First, I want to note for those who don't know it - operationally, if you are using Airbnb you can automate some of the more rote communications - like information about their stay, and schedule it. In VRBO, as of this time, you can have a template but the Host has to actually hit "send". Now, software exists to automate and standardize across platforms (I use Guesty for Hosts, which was YourPorter when I signed up) - and honestly, knowing that I wouldn't forget to send critical info needed was huge; if you use a channel manager of any kind likely you have this ability.
But I still wanted to ensure the communications had an element of personal - while having the automation. I'm in vacation markets, an most of my guests let some personal information drop related to their stay - a "much needed get away" or "girls weekend" or we just had a booking for a couple who "want to get away for the holidays because they just had an adoption fall through" (sad!). So my happy medium has been to have my automated communications set up - and I automate "my time" as well. What I mean, is my routine is every Monday I have a task to review the upcoming check-in's and I will personalize the upcoming scheduled messages for the folks checking in to reflect any details they've provided - simple things like, I hope your hikes are amazing or I hope your getaway with hubby is perfect in everyway get's inserted to the first sentence or two. Sometimes I even comment on the expected weather, say "Happy Anniversary" or whatever they've shared in previous communications.
Automation for me is key, but also having a routine in place to insert a more personal touch is one way I look to be a stand-out host for my guests. But because the communications are on automation, if for some reason I don't get to my Monday routine - I'm still covered, the guest gets the information they need.
What Schedule/How Much Communication?
How many communications? So I do one on reservation confirmation that lays out the expectation that they'll get info a couple weeks before which is sent 10-14 days prior to check in, 48 hours prior to (access info) and the night before they are due to depart. So that's 4; and according to the survey results from the Touchstay Guest Communications Survey, 4-6 appears to be ideal. The timing changes a bit depending on my market and typical lead times, but these in general are my time points. A lot of folks opt to do a mid-stay check in and I've been on the fence. The reason I've been on the fence? I don't like receiving a mid-stay check in personally! Sorry, I'm a typical GenXer and when on vacation, I want nothing more than to disconnect from life fully. I know, I know - but I assure you its not personal! But I know many who feel that is a critical checkpoint; so you do your business how you want!
Who Did the Guest Communication Survey?
As you know, data is so helpful for informing our operations, and I appreciate that Touchstay is so invested in understanding and helping us with guest communications. This is not a sponsored post, but I do use Touchstay as my digital guestbook provider, and I enjoy that as a company they are always looking to innovate and help us Hosts and Property Managers. The reality is, most of us don't have any face to face time with guests, so their entire experience of us as Hosts is based on written communications; so to hit those 5-star stays, its pretty critical that we get it "right".
Touchstay provides a template of sorts to make it easy to put together and Guests can access it via a link or as an app they download. Its filled with information both practical - what to bring, check-in/out information, links to appliance manuals but also recommendations. Its highly intuitive to use and we can use it to collect guest emails and build our out marketing efforts as well.
Changes I'll be Making as a Result of this Information
As a result of this study and some thoughts I've been having already, I'm actually going to add to my process - insert another communication that offers an itinerary or favorite places - which I do include in my digital guide, but I think as a stand-alone message might have additional impact. The reason? I've previously learned that 73% of our enjoyment of our vacation is before we ever show up - so I'd like to feed that anticipation with a couple well timed and crafted additional messages that heightens that anticipation.
In Conclusion
The survey covers a number of points, but I would consider - as with any information, its important to reflect on your specific target audience and market as well when making decisions about your operations. For example, I mentioned above about being a GenXer and not wanting any mid-stay communications; but Boomers and Millennials probably DO appreciate more communication vs less (I cover information like this in my Listing Optimization Course if you want to learn more about that - check it out HERE) Touchstays report is extensive and packed with great information to help think about this piece of your operations - check out the Touchstay Guest Communications Survey Report HERE
*******
Need some help? I offer 20 minute calls - no strings, to help you answer your trickiest questions. Some folks go on to work with me - sure (hey, I have to make a living) but some folks just need 20 minutes and I'm happy to connect and learn from you, with you, and help you too. Book a time HERE.
If you'd like to receive updates from The CEO Host, join our email list. No spam, just the occasional update to help your Short-term Rental business, with an eye on data, optimization, and best business practices to ensure your short-term rental biz is successful. Join me on the journey and Sign Up HERE
*****
Hey Boss! I'm Kate, owner/founder of The CEO Host. If you are interested in taking a leap into short-term rentals - or have some questions about your existing business, my goal - passion, and career, is to help YOU succeed. I've coached hundreds of folks getting started or looking to optimize, analyzed more deals (and duds) than I could count, completed thousands of hours of education and training, attended conferences... So don't be shy. A good CEO knows to bring in expert help - and that's what I'm here for! Lets HOP ON A CALL and chat!
In the meantime, check out Touchstay's Guest Communications Survey results HERE
Categories: : operations, self management