Vacation rental guests expect a high level of communication, especially in this technological day and age, so what are you doing to manage that? Do you have an effective system in place? Are you leveraging your vacation rental software to optimize your performance in this very important area of guest relations? If the answer is no, we can certainly help. Even if the answer is yes, you still might want to read on to see where you can improve your guest relations and conversations.

Strong communications leads to more referrals, better reviews, and more bookings! We're here to give you a bit of insight and guidance on how to best stay in touch with your guests from booking to check-out and everything in between. 

We're breaking down eight great ways to keep the conversation flowing with your guests so that their needs are met—and you're left with positive feedback and reviews because of it. Here's what you need to know (and do). 

1. Be Proactive with Email & Newsletters

The first step is being proactive with communication between you and your vacation rental guests, as well as your past and potential guests. Offering the opportunity to opt-in to an email newsletter is a wonderful way to keep everyone in the loop, especially when you focus on highlighting area happenings, promote special vacation rental discounts, and market the best reasons why they need to book their vacation rental with your company. 

2. Leave a Welcome Note 

Don't underestimate the power of a simple welcome note. Whether it's handwritten or typed doesn't matter as much as having one there to welcome your vacation rental guests to their accommodations. A helpful list of contact numbers and local information can also be included to give your guests some direction as they settle in to their vacation rental and get familiar with the surrounding area. 

3. Provide Quick & Easy Ways to Communicate

You should offer a variety of quick and easy ways to communicate with your guests. Everyone has different communication preferences, so whenever possible offer a range of options. Whether it's a point-of-contact person, a direct phone line, a text message, an email address, a guest portal, or an app—make sure it's not overly complicated or burdensome to your not-so-tech-savvy guests. Keep it simple, straightforward, and user friendly. 

5. Provide 24/7 Customer Service

Vacation rental guests may have needs that require assistance beyond the typical work day. Offering a 24/7 line of communication or emergency contact number goes a long way when the unexpected arises. Assuring your guests that they have a point of contact no matter the day or the hour is a great way to ease guest concerns and address any problems or issues as soon as possible.

6. Offer 2nd Chance Travel Insurance

We all want our guests to protect their vacation from the unexpected. Offering 2nd chance travel insurance to those guests who initially declined it is another way to communicate with your guests and encourage them to protect their vacation investment. If we have learned anything in the past couple of years it's anything can happen! Following-up with your guests and giving them a second chance to purchase travel insurance is a step toward their peace of mind in the event of an emergency or unexpected change to their vacation plans.

7. Encourage Guest Reviews

Guest reviews are a wonderful way to build your reputation and get welcome feedback about the vacation rentals you offer your guests. Whether it's constructive criticism or a raving review, hearing back from your guests now help you improve upon your future offerings and can build your booking rate. Provide a place where guests can feel comfortable giving their feedback and use it as a platform to attract future guests. Reviews are a huge factor in the decision-making process of many potential guests and can be a powerful marketing tool for you and your company.

8. Automate & Streamline Vacation Rental Guest Communication with Welcome Home

Did you know it's easy to do many of the above-mentioned items all in one place? It is! 

Welcome Home is a part of VRM's vacation rental software. This tool directly facilitates communication with your guests via email, text message and more. 

You can set up messages to be sent to all your guests for reoccurring events, or specific messages for specific events or guests. It's easily customized and tailored to meet your company's (and guests') needs. 

Examples of this include: sending a message letting your guests know their rental property is clean and ready for check-in, sending a reminder that their second payment is due, sending an emergency message regarding details of a hurricane evacuation, and sending a scheduled message 2 days after check-out thanking your guests for staying with you. And that's just the beginning! 

Imagine how much time and manpower you can save by being able to communicate with all your guests at one time. VRM offers two versions of this feature: Welcome Home Lite and Welcome Home Complete. Click here to learn more about both options. You can also watch the VRM Insider video above to learn more.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and contact us. We'd love to chat.