Travel Industry Archives - Enso Connect Inc. Guest experience redefined Mon, 16 Sep 2024 09:44:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://ensoconnect.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cropped-Img2_Favicon-32x32.png Travel Industry Archives - Enso Connect Inc. 32 32 Is all visibility good visibility? https://ensoconnect.com/blog/is-all-visibility-good-visibility/ Sat, 11 Sep 2021 17:32:28 +0000 https://ensoconnect.com/?p=4578 The post Is all visibility good visibility? appeared first on Enso Connect Inc..

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You’ve probably heard the phrase “All publicity is good publicity” in regard to those in Hollywood, but does the same sentiment apply to short-term rentals? In short, no. Unlike the world of Hollywood press, where bad publicity can sometimes spike interest or intrigue in the person in question, bad publicity for a short-term rental can severely damage or even ruin the business.

Short-term rental businesses rely heavily on their reputation, which is built on exceeding guest expectations and delivering consistently positive experiences. One negative review or poor guest experience can snowball, leading to a loss of trust, lower occupancy rates, and a decline in bookings. Unlike other industries, where bad press can sometimes be spun into a comeback, negative reviews in hospitality stick around in public forums, impacting future guests’ decisions.

In this industry, reputation is everything. High ratings and glowing reviews help build credibility and drive bookings, while a damaged reputation can be difficult to recover from. Potential guests are likely to move on to competitors with better ratings if they see consistent negative feedback or unresolved issues, as they prioritize comfort, safety, and positive experiences when choosing a place to stay.

In the short-term rental market, maintaining a good reputation means everything. That’s why operators must prioritize guest satisfaction, continually improve their services, and promptly address any concerns or issues to safeguard their business’s success.

Staying out of the spotlight

If you’re trying to maintain a stellar reputation, one of the biggest risks is a guest throwing an unauthorized party in your rental. Depending on the size and impact of the party, this could cause serious damage to your property, disturb neighbors, and potentially even land you in legal trouble. In some cases, large parties in short-term rentals have even made headlines, drawing negative attention to both the property and the host. Once something like this becomes public, it can be hard to recover from the reputational damage.

To combat this risk, it’s crucial to institute preventative measures that can help protect both your property and your business’s image. One effective solution is to implement smart noise sensors. These devices can monitor the noise levels in your rental and send real-time notifications to both you and your guests if the sound exceeds a certain threshold, indicating that things may be getting out of hand.

Noise sensors offer a non-intrusive way to keep tabs on guest behavior without invading their privacy, allowing you to maintain control over the situation while still respecting your guests. By proactively addressing noise complaints and intervening before a party escalates, you can prevent potential damage to your property, avoid complaints from neighbors, and safeguard your reputation. This simple preventative measure not only helps ensure the safety and security of your rental but also reinforces your commitment to providing a peaceful and professional environment for all guests.

Getting good publicity

It’s relatively rare to see a short-term rental make headlines for good reasons. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t work toward positive publicity on the online travel agencies (OTAs) where you list your property. The best way to gain that positive visibility is through consistently garnering good reviews and creating memorable guest experiences. These reviews serve as social proof, signaling to potential guests that you are a dedicated host who cares about both your property and the comfort of your guests.

Positive feedback can greatly enhance your listing’s reputation, helping it rise in search rankings on platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com. The more 5-star reviews you accumulate, the more likely you are to stand out in a competitive market. Guests often prioritize highly-rated properties when deciding where to stay, and glowing reviews can be the deciding factor that tips the scales in your favor.

If you find yourself stuck at a standstill when it comes to receiving stellar feedback, there are plenty of strategies you can implement to improve. We’ve written other articles discussing how to secure more 5-star reviews, offering practical tips like enhancing your communication, providing thoughtful amenities, and addressing guest needs proactively. By following these practices, you can not only improve your chances of good publicity on OTAs but also build a loyal guest base that contributes to your long-term success.

Maintaining guest expectations

This is probably the easiest step. If you’re already excelling as a short-term rental operator—by your guests’ standards—then continue doing what you’re doing. Consistency in delivering great service is key to maintaining your reputation and keeping those 5-star reviews coming in.

However, if you’re unsure about how your guests truly feel about their experience, it’s a good idea to reach out to past guests for feedback. A simple follow-up message asking for their thoughts on their stay can provide invaluable insights. Not only does this show your commitment to improving their experience, but it also gives you a clear picture of what aspects of your rental and service are working well, and where you might need to improve.

By doing this, you can uncover potential pain points that may have been overlooked, and proactively address them to enhance future stays. At the end of the day, this open line of communication can reassure guests that their feedback matters, potentially leading to repeat bookings and better reviews. Plus, if everything is running smoothly and guests are consistently satisfied, you’ll gain the peace of mind that your property is living up to—and even exceeding—their expectations.

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The travel industry and vaccines https://ensoconnect.com/blog/the-travel-industry-and-vaccines/ https://ensoconnect.com/blog/the-travel-industry-and-vaccines/#respond Tue, 05 Jan 2021 14:00:00 +0000 https://ensoconnect.com/the-travel-industry-and-vaccines/ With the slow roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine, it is only natural to think about what the next steps are with the travel industry.

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By now, the gradual introduction of the COVID-19 vaccine is old news. Starting in the UK, the first non-trial administration of the vaccine took place in early December, and since then, more and more people around the world have begun to receive their doses. With the vaccine slowly rolling out, the question on everyone’s mind is how this will affect travel restrictions and, ultimately, the short-term rental industry.

As the world anticipates a gradual return to normalcy, it’s only natural to start thinking about how travel policies will evolve in the coming months. For property owners and managers, this is a crucial time to prepare for the changes that are likely to come. While demand for travel is expected to increase, new health and safety protocols will remain a significant factor in how guests choose their accommodations.

In 2021, being proactive about implementing the right protocols for renting out your properties should be high on your radar. With competition heating up, staying one step ahead of industry trends and guest expectations will give you a significant advantage. It’s essential to think about how you’ll adapt to potential shifts in travel patterns—such as increased domestic travel or last-minute bookings—as well as evolving health guidelines.

Now more than ever, clear communication with your guests about health measures, cleaning protocols, and contactless technology will be critical. Guests will still seek properties that emphasize safety, so ensuring your listings highlight any updated practices related to sanitation, flexible cancellation policies, and vaccine-related requirements will be key to gaining their trust and confidence.

By planning ahead and preparing for post-vaccine travel dynamics, you position yourself to capitalize on the expected travel resurgence. Travelers are eager to explore again, but they will still prioritize properties that prioritize their well-being. Anticipating these changes and being ready to adapt quickly will ensure your rental business thrives in 2021 and beyond.

What happens to travel after the vaccine?

Preparing your STR for future stays

So, how can you prepare for the future when everything at the moment is so unpredictable? When dealing with the travel industry, the first step you need to take is having any sort of detailed plan.  Having this ready, you can then prepare for each scenario. Being able to foresee the future, you gain the ability to accurately adapt to each new obstacle in a timely manner. Take the start of the pandemic for property owners for example: You may have completely stopped taking bookings, and ended up having a loss for those months. As time went on, you realized that maybe short term stays wasn’t the smartest idea or maybe you implemented some new cleaning measures. Just like that you adapted to your situation. What’s great now, is that you now have the hindsight from what happened before so you can better predict what may happen.

Wearing masks and sanitization will be normal

With the introduction of the vaccines, some restrictions will most likely be lifted in some areas of your country (if you currently have restrictions) depending on the overall situation. As these restrictions start to lift, cleaning procedures and preventive measures will still be in place. Think wearing masks, and regular sanitization. If you do own vacation homes, we mentioned in earlier posts about the importance of regularly sanitizing your properties in order to keep things in order. These thoughts are still just as valid today, if not more so. After a vaccine is implemented, you are in the preventative stage to make sure the virus does not make any surprise appearances. If you yourself are uncomfortable with cleaning your properties, we suggest leveraging a service cleaning company that can clean and disinfect your property.  We also wrote a post about how you can actually leverage property management software to make this process even more efficient and seamless.

When it comes to cleaning and preparing your property for a post COVID-19 world, there are so many points you have to consider. Making sure you have a plan for the future is the first step to ensuring that your property management business doesn’t see a drop in occupancy, and cleanliness is an important second step to retain current guests and also see more.  If you are still wondering how to better prepare your property for the 2021 year, feel free to message us at contact@ensoconnect.com.

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