After nearly three years of hosting guests from around the country (and world 🌎) in multiple properties all at the same time, we’re bound to make a few mistakes along the way.
While we have excellent processes and procedures in place NOW, we’re sharing two major hosting mistakes we made so that you don’t do what we did!
Not personalizing anything
One thing that’s definitely improved over the years is the way we communicate with our guests. In our early days of hosting, we would send generic messages to all guests.
Now when a booking comes through, we address the guest by their name and ask what’s bringing them to our property. We usually learn something from these conversations, helping us prepare the property for any needs guests may have throughout their stay.
A few easy ways we add a SoDak Stays touch to every booking:
- Personalized welcome notes
- Gifts for special occasions
- Doing our best to meet the needs of unique requests
Not having enough backups
Every host should have a backup plan, but we’ve learned we need at least two or three backup plans to ensure a good experience for our guests.
For example, smart locks are an amazing invention… until they don’t work. 🙃
If our primary smart lock for a property fails, we have a backup lock box on-site for guests to access so that they can enter the property. If our backup fails, we always have access to another physical key for the property.
Get more hosting tips when you book a coaching call
I’m sure the longer we provide property management services to short-term rentals, the more mistakes we’ll add to this list. Thankfully, every mistake is an opportunity to learn a new lesson. 😊
Now’s a great time to book a coaching call before the busy spring and summer travel seasons. We’ll share the mistakes we’ve made, guide you through the maze of property evaluation, guest communication, and even the legal mumbo-jumbo. It’s like having grandma’s best recipe, but for a successful rental business. 😉
While our bread and butter is understanding the ins and outs of South Dakota short-term rentals, we love connecting with others interested in the hosting business.
We encourage you to pass this blog post on to your family and friends who may have the itch to try out the wonderful world of short-term rental hosting. Our small, family business appreciates referrals that come from our supportive community. 💙
