We have shared some tips on how to handle poor reviews, but what about avoiding vacation letting complaints altogether? Obviously, it is impossible to completely avoid any complaints. In some cases, complaints are less about vacation property and more about unhappy guests who may not have been happy, whatever you had done. With that said, there are quite a few things that you can do to prevent some of the more common complaints that might be made. Simply put, the harder you make it for guests to complain, the lower the odds are that you will get complaints.

In this mini guide, we will first look at some of the main reasons that guests might complain. Then, we’ll share some tips on how to keep your complaints down as low as possible.

How to Avoid Vacation Letting Complaints

A study done by Zendesk revealed that 40% of consumers take their business to a competitor purely due to their reputation for customer service. The same study showed that 82% of consumers stop doing business with a company due to poor service. It goes without saying that customer service is particularly important in industries such as the hospitality sector. If guests are not given the level of care they expect, they will go somewhere else. They are also more likely to take their grievances to social media. Given that people are more likely to talk about a poor experience than a good one, preventing complaints is far better than responding to complaints once they have already been made.

How do you go about preventing complaints? Consider the following tips for vacation letting investors…

• Provide a consistent experience. The simplest way to avoid complaints is to make it hard for guests to find anything to complain about. Consistency is key to providing guests with a world-class experience, every single time they book your vacation let. The main difference between self-managed and managed vacation rental is that the latter has the advantage of a fully skilled team of experts who have ample experience in dealing with guests. If your guests always know exactly what to expect, from the services you provide to the quality of the accommodation, you will soon develop a solid reputation.
• Grow your reputation. And that leads us on to the next point – developing your reputation. You will be hard pressed to find many complaints from well-respected properties that are known for their commitment to guest service excellence. This is because people have come to know what to expect from that property. A reputation takes time to build, but it is worth the time you invest. Once again, a simple way to grow your reputation is to ensure that your property is expertly managed by a vacation rental manager who knows how to market and manage your property efficiently.
• Develop (and use) systems. One of the most effective ways to handle problem guests is to have systems in place that prevent and/or deal with challenges. These systems could be as simple as having a policy on how to respond to questions and requests, or they could be more involved, to help you deal with late-payers, double bookings or guest communication. If your team know exactly how to respond to small situations, it could prevent those small issues from blowing up into bigger, harder to handle issues.

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Looking for further information on vacation let management? Totalstay offers a full service approach that incorporates marketing, day to day management, guest concierge and booking management. We operate within the key areas of Cape Town, working with a number of property owners. Our portfolio includes a bespoke selection of villas, apartments and aparthotels. To learn more about working with Totalstay, contact us today!