Without great Airbnb reviews, your vacation or short-term rental business just won’t last. The reviews your guests make have a huge impact on your Airbnb ranking and when future travellers are searching for a place to stay, their decision will be heavily impacted by the reviews they read.
A big part of making your Airbnb rental a success is having a thorough understanding of the review process and determining how you can ensure you get a great review from each guest. When a guest reviews their stay after they complete their trip they are asked several questions, from their overall experience, to the cleanliness of the space, to the communication between your guest and you from the minute they book, until they check out.
In order to ensure 5-stars across the board, we have set out some tips for you to follow so that when your next potential guests see your Airbnb listing, they will want to scoop it up as fast as they can.
Communication is Key
From the minute your guest books your rental, you’ll want to be available until they check out. When they message you, make sure you always respond as soon as possible, so your guest knows you are there to answer questions ensuring you keep your response rate at 100%. Ignoring messages or responding hours later is not going to bode well with your credibility and may give your guests the impression that you don’t care or can’t be bothered.
Always Under Promise and Over Deliver
Being honest is incredibly important. If your short-term rental is in the middle of a busy part of town, don’t give the illusion that it’s some quiet escape, when in fact it may not be. Once you’ve set an expectation that is low, it can only go up from there. If there is a lot of noise in the area, get creative and offer your guests some earplugs. They’ll appreciate the honesty and, in the end, your review will reflect it.
Use a Code Phrase
We found this tip on Forbes and thought it was a great idea to manage guest expectations. If you put a code phrase at the very end of your listing and ask guests to put the code in their message to you, this ensures that they have read every facet of your listing and understand what you are offering. You always want to make sure your guest knows everything about their new short-term home before they even step foot in it, so after they leave, you aren’t left with a poor review complaining about something lacking about the rental that you mentioned in the listing.
Make Each Guests Stay Personal
Going above and beyond for your guests adds a big personal touch to your space and leaves a great impression well after you guests have checked out. You can make their stay a little more personal by helping them find great restaurants or bars in the area. You can also send your upcoming guest a message outlining what the weather will be like during their stay. Get even more personal and provide your guest with a personalized welcome card for their arrival, carefully placed in plain sight. Once your guests are settled in, check in on them to make sure they are doing well and ask if they need anything. Once they’ve checked out, send a thank you message and wish them a safe journey home or wherever their next destination may be.
If you’re looking to make sure you have 5-star reviews across the board, start with the tips above and make sure you’re consistent! If you live a busy life and don’t think you can commit to using these tips with each guest, HostOften may be the perfect option for you.
HostOften is a Canadian Based Property Management Company that specializes in Airbnb Listings. We offer full service management, and dependable turnover service. From the listing creation and optimization, to 24/7 guest communication we are committed to each client. Our team is available around the clock to answer guest questions, solve issues and make sure you, the homeowner, feels they put their property in the right hands. We always strive for a 5-star guest experience and want to make sure you and your rental have the best reputation possible.