What is the overall goal of any business? Customer satisfaction. Regardless of what industry you’re in, a business’s sole focus and purpose is to keep their customers satisfied and acquire new ones… That same theory applies to the hospitality industry as well, particularly the industry of Airbnb vacation rentals.
Customer satisfaction, in the realm of the vacation rental industry, comes in the form of meeting, and even exceeding, customer expectations. This consideration is truly what determines how much money you can make with running an Airbnb. And a large part of that is based on customer reviews.
According to the Spiegel Research Center, 95% of online shoppers read customer reviews before making a purchase, and that customer mindset applies to vacation rental bookings as well. If there’s even one bad review for your vacation rental, it can completely change the course and reputation of your entire property. That reason alone is why you want to avoid that situation altogether by meeting guest expectations with every visit.
If you’re looking to invest in vacation rental properties, here are some of the top ways to not only meet their expectations but also exceed them.
Ensure Your Property is Spotless
At the top of every vacation rental guests’ list of hospitality expectations, lies the condition of cleanliness. Guests have this expectation because it’s a standard of hotels and they expect nothing less from vacation rentals.
The last thing you want is a review from a family posting pictures of a dirty tub or crumbs on the kitchen floor. The best way to eliminate this possibility is to hire a professional cleaning service to regularly clean your property after every visit. Now, keep in mind that this service will cost you money, so be sure to include a cleaning fee in your rental pricing.
Free Connectivity
By hosting a vacation rental property, you want to provide them the luxuries of living at home without them actually being at home. So how do you do that? One of the best ways to provide them the luxury of home is through connectivity.
Provide your guests with free Wi-Fi so that they can stay connected with family and friends, search local restaurants and attractions, and get connected to their personal devices. Occasionally, you’ll run into guests that want to “unplug,” but for most people, staying connected is a way of life. Not providing this luxury would be a huge disservice to your property listing, no matter how beautiful it is.
Security
Another top expectation among vacation rental guests is the expectation of being able to feel safe in your property. For this particular section, you have to put yourself in the shoes of the guest. If you stay in a vacation rental property somewhere, wouldn’t you want to know you’re staying in a safe location without running the risk of getting your car broken into or having the property burglarized? Well, that’s how your guests feel as well.
When staying in a vacation rental, they more than likely don’t know the area, all they know is where the property is located. To put their minds at ease, as far as safety is concerned, you’re going to want to make sure you list the safety precautions you’ve put into place so guests will know they can feel safe and secure there.
You’ll want to invest in these things for your rental property:
- Security system
- Motion lights
- Privacy fence
- A safe
Accurate Description of the Property
When people are looking at vacation rental properties, the expectation is that the description and features listed are all accurate and true. Guests expect honesty through and through, and one of the quickest ways to a bad review is for you to list a property feature and not have it upon a guest’s arrival.
When listing your property be sure to list every single feature and amenity your property has, because if you don’t, it’s a safe bet that your guest will list it for you, and in a negative light too!
There are, of course, more ways to impress your vacation rental guests and meet their expectations, but the ones listed above are guaranteed ways to do so.