After a stay, guests are expected to share the experience with family and friends, not only through the usual word-of-mouth or word-of-mouth, but also through the written reviews on the respective short-stay holiday rentals platforms. Whether you manage it yourself or a holiday rentals management company, this business is very dependent on sharing real, first-person experiences. Keep in mind that feedback can be a very important factor in the decision making of future guests, so you should put together a set of essential strategies to enhance the most positive experience of the stay.
Reviews and ratings are very valuable in an online business. The quantity and quality of reviews shared by guests is one of the most important indicators in holiday rentals platforms. Ensuring a good stay experience is the first step to get positive reviews, encourage other people’s choice and even build guest loyalty.
5 tips to get positive reviews after a stay in a holiday home
Have an effective communication before, during and after the stay
Guests value the accessibility of the holiday rental owner or company in the booking, check-in, stay, check-out and post-stay process. The ease of getting immediate information to any issues that may arise throughout the process is key to making the guest feel safe and satisfied with the service.
Ability to solve problems and manage unforeseen events
No matter how much preparation has been made in advance to ensure that nothing is missing, there are unexpected situations that may occur. In these cases, being contactable, available and easy to respond with quick and effective solutions, is something that guests will value and mention as a positive aspect.
Having a good cleaning and maintenance service
The cleanliness and maintenance is one of the most mentioned points in reviews. To ensure a high rating, it is essential to provide an excellent cleaning and maintenance service, especially between bookings.
Establish partnerships, indicate experiences and extra services at disposal
Guests find it increasingly important to provide information about unmissable tours, extreme activities, cultural activities and the like that they can do throughout their stay. This complimentary information adds value to the experience. An Island Apart works in partnership with several regional companies, from rent-a-car, electric bike rental, to adventure experiences around Madeira Island or breakfast at home service.
Ensure all pre-arranged amenities
Guests expect to find exactly what they paid for. Always ensure that all stated amenities are available and working (e.g. air conditioning, hair dryer, washing machine, dishwasher, hoover, iron, kettle, coffee machine, etc.).
In conclusion, a good or bad review makes all the difference when choosing a holiday home. Often, there are details that depend on you and that can be considered in advance. What is written about your property is important for those who do research on your holiday home and influences the moment of decision making. Also, try to respond to all comments about your holiday home, both positive and negative, this can help send a message of credibility, professionalism, avoid bad situations in the future and/or resolve some issues.
When hiring a local accommodation company, know that there is a specialised team (24 hours a day, every day of the week) to solve problems, analyse reviews, respond, suggest and ensure that anything less positive is not repeated.
To ensure a good service, get good feedback, increase bookings and make your holiday home more profitable, look for an experienced and specialized company. If you are looking for a Holiday Rentals Management Company in Madeira, get to know our services and discover our action plan.