Miscellaneous Guests never run out of questions to ask and in the course of a booking season in our rental agency we deal with dozens of them each day. There is a pattern to them – often they just want clarification that the listing is accurate and what is shown will actually be there – mostly they want to feel confident that the choice they made is the right one. However, many people who book don’t do their due diligence and ask the right questions, and may be disappointed with their selection of accommodation. Take the review I recently saw from a disgruntled guest who complained that she had not been told her elderly parents would have to climb stairs to get to the bedroom, even though the listing stated there were two bedrooms on the upper floor and two on the lower level with the main floor in between. Although we grumbled that she should have read between the lines and assumed there might be stairs to access different floors, or asked about access to bedrooms, we are dealing with a new generation of clients that need a greater degree of hand-holding. As owners we need to be one step ahead of our guests, be prepared for the unexpected and appreciate that our ‘blame culture’ has eroded personal responsibility to the extent that if anyone is disappointed with a product or service in any way they will make it known to all and sundry that it wasn’t their fault. If we can tackle what our guests and potential guests worry about, before they arrive, and nip any concerns in the bud, not only will we have happier guests but they will be motivated to write better reviews. Rather than being reactive and decrying the lack of self-reliance these days, taking a proactive stance and getting everything out there in front of potential clients will deliver a win-win situation in the long run. Here’s what our travelers questions showed they had worries about: Is it a legitimate rental? This is entirely natural given the media is hot for news of fraudulent listing that parts innocent people with their money for a property that does not exist, or has been scraped from a legitimate listing by a scan artist. It’s not common and as we know, the vast majority of rentals are managed by owners or agencies that operate in a completely professional manner. However, first timers to vacation rental are easily spooked by these stories and will be suspicious of anything that doesn’t seem right. You can allay their fears by talking with them on the phone; creating a relationship and showing you know your property and the area well, and accepting credit cards rather than asking for money orders or wired payments. Having your own website or blog is a great way of creating confidence too particularly if you have a good About Us page that gives some personal information about the owners of the property. Am I getting what I paid for? Vacation rental listings can be factual, objective and straightforward telling it like it is, or full of descriptive language using words like luxury, stunning, spectacular, and out-of-this-world. When there are listings out there that describe ‘stupendous sunsets’ then have a map showing the property with east facing decks and gardens, there’s something just so wrong. We have a responsibility as owners to portray our homes as accurately as we can and to ensure that what we say in a listing will be interpreted in the way it was intended rather than to mislead clients into thinking they are getting something they are not. This includes photographs that deliberately cut off any showing of the close neighbouring properties. Simple omission can be just as deceptive as over-exaggeration. Create confidence by delivering honesty in every way you can – in text, in additional photos, in FAQ documents, in personal contact. Don’t hope your guests won’t notice if a feature mentioned in a listing has been removed or got broken – they will. Be up front and let them know and offer a form of compensation for the reduction in amenities. What happens if something goes wrong? Put a group of people in a new environment and it will take them some time to adjust and feel at home. During this period of adjustment things can go wrong and whereas they may have practical skills and confidence to deal with these issues in their own place, on a vacation a minor breakdown situation can grow out of proportion to its real significance. Risk of power outages can be a worry for many guests particularly if their chosen location is out in the country with perceived isolation. Think Smoky Mountains or our own Ontario Cottage Country and you’ll get the picture. The imagination can run riot if your cabin is off the beaten track and offering platitudes in response to this concern won’t go down well. Like any good manual, a property welcome guide should have a ‘troubleshooting section’ at the back with tips and suggestions on dealing with things that might happen to cause worry. Let’s say it looks like the fridge is not working correctly. All you may need to create relief is to let guests know that loading it with a lot of warm food on arrival may slow the cooling process. Write clear and simple instructions on how to use the amenities and offer a “Help” phone number. This is all about reassurance and it’s a simple task to get it right. In addition create a ‘Power Outage Pack’ and let your guests know they will have all they need to manage their stay during an unforeseen outage. Will our kids be safe? I lose count of the amount of times we are asked whether a property is child-friendly or not, so this is clearly a concern for many parents. Of course, this is a completely subjective topic – and dependent to a great degree on the ages of the children, how protective the parents are, and their level of risk tolerance. We were asked on several occasions this year whether we had any ‘peanut-free’ properties because of children’s allergies, and one memorable discussion where a mom required a written guarantee that the place had been completely ‘disinfected and sanitized’ during the changeover. While it’s understandable there are fears of the unknown, I feel there are some families who would be better off staying at home. Regardless, some of these worries and concerns are legitimate and we can take steps to alleviate them. Make a list of all the kid-friendly features of the property such as enclosed decks, flat grassed areas to play, as well as anything that may need to be noted like steep staircases or potential hazards such as rocks in the water if your place is on a lake or river. If you have your own web site, create a page that addresses all these issues and is transparent in its detail. I love the idea of a Frequently Asked Questions document that you can send out in response to enquiries as an attachment – from the response we get to this, the information is highly valued and guests really appreciate the thought that goes into it. In fact, it’s a huge time saver for owners as a comprehensive FAQ sheet can replace countless phone calls and emails. Check out our FAQ Primer Free Download for some ideas on what to include.
