Not pretty but great water pressure.
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The web is by nature very impersonal. My goal is to make your website as human as possible by helping your guests enjoy their vacation. But that's just the website. To please your customers you'll need to communicate personally on your site, by e-mail, on the phone, and in person. To make sure you've got the best, you'll need to do research.
The Rentors.org Newsletters are a great source for tips. The back issues are worth rereading from time to time.
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Renters don't expect perfection and they'll certainly never get it. Don't be responsible for unpleasant surprises. Tell them how great your place is - sure - but don't ignore the parts that aren't so great. If bears riffle your garbage every night, they deserve to know. If there is nude beach next door, you'd better tell them.
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Make your guest feel welcome.
Make some phone calls:
- When you make a rental deal, call the guests to answer any questions and to know you are available to help.
- Just before the vacation starts, call the guests to wish them well and answer any questions.
- During the vacation welcome calls from the guests about problems, things to do, and questions.
- After the vacation, call to thank them, discuss problems, and learn what your guests did and didn't enjoy.
Send some mail:
- Mail an information package when you make the deal.
- Give them something tangible in writing. It might just be a portion of your web site: a map, things to do, places eat, places to shop, brochures for nearby attractions.
Send some e-mail:
- Keep a mailing list of your guests and those who have expressed interest.
- Send occasional e-mails to announce specials, new features about your place (hey, we got a Jet Ski and installed a 48" TV), and cancellations.
- Don't SPAM.
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Keep good notes. Record queries, questions, rentals, comments, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, comments, number and ages of guests, and anything else you can think of. This is vital to improving your property and to marketing it.
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Check your competition.
- How does your property compare?
- How does your website compare?
- How do your the rental listing ads present your property?
- How does you property appear in search results?
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- Promptly answer your e-mail. Even if you can't properly reply, at least say, "Thanks for your e-mail, I'll get right back to you within ? hours."
- Check your SPAM. A bona fide email might look like SPAM, you'll have to make sure by checking it out.
- Include your URL on all of your e-mails.
- Include your guest's original e-mail in your responses. Some folks get 100's of e-mails a day. By including the original, you won't force your guests on a wild goose chase through their "sent" folder.
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There is something special about seeing your insights on the web. If you do a thorough job of communicating with your guest, you'll learn a lot about your property that will help other guests. Put that on your website. The extra benefit is that your guests well have the sense that they have contributed to others' vacation enjoyment. Their comments will be on your site.
Many sites have on-line guestbooks, not a bad idea. http://Rentors.org has a free one. But most folks won't use your guest book. You'll learn more from your telephone and e-mail correspondence.
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If we've done things right, nearly everything your guest will need is on your website. But, your guests probably left their computer at home. Collect everything your guest might need or want to know in a folder or loose leaf binder and leave it at your property.
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