Vacation Rental Check-In & Check-Out Tips

Many vacation rental managers may underestimate the importance of the check-in/out process and how it can leave a huge impact of future bookings at the property.

TIPS ON CHECK-IN PROCESS FOR VACATION RENTAL MANAGERS

Unless guests are returning ones, arriving at the property will be the first time they get a proper feel for the place; being disorganized or neglecting the check-in process is very damaging to your vacation rental brand.

Not only could it result in setting a negative tone for your guests stay, it may entail negative reviews; which will make future guests think twice about booking your vacation rental.

Checking out of the property is also very important since no vacation rental manager wants to encounter any costly lap-over departures/arrivals. Additionally, maintaining excellent customer service throughout a guest's vacation rental experience will increase chances of being referred to friends and family.

Organize Staff & Housekeeping Schedules

Arriving at an unclean property will immediately set a low standard of customer service and certainly will not impress guests. Make sure your housekeeping staff are well aware of guest arrivals/departures so that the vacation rental will be up to high cleaning standards. And if the property is managed from afar, don't keep guests waiting for greeting staff through lack of organization. It will look really bad and reflect negatively in reviews.

An excellent tool vacation rental managers can use is a check-in and check-out planner which helps in managing and organizing the staff calendars. That way, housekeeping or greeting schedules can be synced with staff calendars to make sure an arrival is never missed.

Keep Guests Well Informed

If there will be no one meeting guests upon arrival or departure, preparing all neccessary information beforehand will encourage a smooth check in/out process. By sending out pre-arrival checklist emails, guests can be reminded of the property location, contact details, security information, check-in/out time frames etc. And, since guests are likely to be travelling from afar, making sure there is a local contact on standby in case they cannot meet the check-in time frame will ensure that they won't be left out in the cold.

Check-in/check-out emails can be organized in advanced with an email automation tool. By creating a email template including all neccessary information, it will save time and ensure that a check-in is never missed.

Make A Welcome Hamper

Creating a welcome hamper including a guide to local attractions, discount coupons to local restaurants or wifi connectivity information etc. is an excellent way of setting a strong customer service standard and will encourage guests to refer the property to friends and family.

Keep In Touch With Guests

An excellent way to maintain great customer service is to send guests a check-out email to wish them on their journey home. It is important to outline any check-out requirements and time frames so that the next guests have a pleasant stay also. To keep in touch with previous guests, make sure to include them in any mailing lists to alert them of any special offers to encourage rebooking.

 
There you have it, some ideas on how to deliver an excellent vacation rental check-in/out process. Please feel free to share this post, add any comments or any more ideas in the comment section below:

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