Vacation letting guest communication is something that can make all the difference between a glowing review and an average review. Despite the many advantages of improved guest communication, many rentals fail to make an effort in this regard. By not putting any thought into how you communicate with potential, current and past guests, you are missing out on a huge potential to grow your reach.

In this mini guide, we share some tips on how you can take your vacation letting guest communication to a whole new level of excellence.

Improving Your Vacation Letting Guest Communication

Some of the ways that you can fine-tune your vacation letting communication for guests include the following:

• Initial responses to enquiries. How you communicate with guests from their very first enquiry makes all the difference. The simplest way to improve these types of email responses is to take a good look at your auto responders to see whether they are geared at enticing guests to make a booking. Be warm, friendly and welcoming, offer an easy way for guests to complete the booking, include your social channels, and don’t forget to add any other useful information that may apply. For example, you could share a short bit of info on the area if potential guests ask where your rental is located.
• Booking confirmation. What information do you give guests once they have made their booking? You don’t have to spam them with information that may not be useful, but you could consider creating a special email that outlines what happens next so that guests know what to expect. You could also offer some helpful links or tips on things such as guest concierge, car hire and add-on services that may be relevant, such as tours that are offered.
• Pre-arrival communication. A few days before your guests arrive, you can get in touch once again. This time, your goal is to help them prepare for their stay with all the info that they might need. This could include a list of nearby restaurants in the area, booking information that may be relevant, and anything else you’d like to include. Simply put, this communication helps to provide an enhanced level of service by proactively assisting guests before they have even arrived.
• House rules and other useful tips. House rules are important for you as well as your guests. You can leave a copy of your terms somewhere that can be easily found. You could also include additional helpful resources – a local phonebook, take-out menus from local delivery services such as OrderIn or Mr Delivery, emergency contacts, how-to guides for various devices, TV guide for available television channels, WiFi passwords and anything else that may be useful. This can be emailed once guests have checked in, or printed and left alongside your house rules.
• Check-out communication. Last, but certainly not least, you need to think about post-stay communication. The experience does not end once the guests have booked and arrived. It ends when they have checked out. You could include a polite request for guests to leave a review, along with a personalised thank you note for choosing your vacation letting property. This goes a long way in boosting your vacation rental reputation, so be sure to put in a bit of effort into your check-out communication.

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The most effective way to take your guest communication to the next level is to work with a dedicated vacation rental manager who will be on hand to assist with marketing, bookings, guest concierge and day to day management. To learn more about how a manager can take your vacation letting goals to the next level, contact us today.