Effective communication with guests

April 2024

How to communicate with guests? In any respectable business, communication with the public and especially with customers is crucial. Knowing how to address others, generate sympathy, be polite, convey a good image… Communicating well is a sign of professionalism and instils confidence in guests. From the words chosen in the advertisement for your holiday rental on a portal, to the attire you wear when welcoming guests, everything counts. In this article, we’ll help you perfect your communication skills with guests with a series of recommendations. Join us through these tips for holiday rental hosts.

Mind your manners when addressing guests

Polish your language when presenting your holiday rental

How to effectively communicate with guests? If you’re pondering this question, it’s worth knowing that the communication of hosts with guests is a key piece for the success of a holiday rental business. Responsible, concise, direct, friendly, and simple communication is essential for attracting guests to stay in our house or apartment and for them to repeat, provided we guarantee them a pleasant experience.

Below, we list a series of tips that are the ABCs that every good host should know when advertising a holiday rental property. These are the best practices for communicating with guests:

• Pay utmost attention to your appearance. When a guest arrives at a holiday rental property, they feel secure seeing that the host presents themselves with a neat and tidy appearance. It’s a sign of professionalism, showing that we take our work seriously. Opt for a neutral, formal, elegant, cheerful, and unobtrusive outfit.
• Speak clearly and try to adapt to the guests’ level. If you speak another language fluently, you can share it with the traveller. Leave instructions very clear with kindness and plain, understandable words.
• Offer your knowledge of the area when suggesting plans for your guests to undertake. Provide visitors with valuable information and feel free to give them some advice that you know will enhance their tourist experience. They’ll appreciate it.
• Also, offer maximum availability to travellers. Let them know they can call you at any time, always at reasonable hours, and provide guidance on local issues.

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Transparency is highly valued by guests

Transparency is another fundamental pillar of good communication in the holiday rental sector. Travellers arriving at a holiday rental don’t want surprises or shocks; they abhor being charged any unexpected additional fees or finding out that the property doesn’t have some of the advertised features.

In this regard, we must be very clear about the stay’s fees and any associated services that involve any expenditure. We must also be honest about the peculiarities of the property and its features. Highlight its advantages with attention to detail, without exaggerating or masking reality. And, of course, be especially clear about the rules of coexistence, essential to avoid misunderstandings.

Transparency is not only an added value in terms of honesty but also protects us in cases of complaints or claims. If we have clearly stated the conditions of the housing agreement and its type of use, our backs will be better covered.

Maintain an online presence as well

As hosts of a rental property, we must establish proactive communication before, during, and after the stay. This “before” implies that we will have to undertake a good strategy regarding our presence on holiday rental websites. In this regard, we must communicate the property’s characteristics accurately, highlight its qualities, be detailed, offer high-definition photographs that showcase the place and rental conditions.

Moreover, interaction should be smooth. Whether through a platform like Holidu, instant messaging, or email, as hosts, we must be available and respond to inquiries within 24 hours. Quick responses are an added value for guests. In this sense, we need to familiarise ourselves with different communication channels and ensure that multichannel character in our customer service.

How to resolve a conflict of interest?

The importance of communication in holiday rentals reaches its peak in crisis situations, where we must demonstrate our professionalism. To deal with a complaint or issue, above all, we must maintain a calm, courteous, and actively listening position. We need to understand the travellers’ point of view.

Present appropriate explanations to your guests sincerely and transparently; explain the reasons for the rules of your holiday rental and offer positive and agreed-upon solutions. If that’s not possible, engage in a negotiation that seeks to satisfy common points. One way to avoid such situations is to record any agreements or services. But, above all, address the guest with composure, politeness, formality, and seriousness. Professionalism will help you gain ground in these delicate cases.

Personalise guest treatment as much as possible

Another detail that will add a plus when renting a holiday apartment is personalising the treatment for the guest. From the moment the reservation is formalised until the follow-up afterwards, you can send specific and personalised messages.

For example, if your guests are a family with young children, you can enhance the living room with some toys, offer a cot in your services, or provide various family-friendly plans. If your guests are young and looking for fun, point out where the most entertaining places in town are or leave a karaoke machine next to the TV, for instance. The magic of hosts lies in the details.

Create a welcoming atmosphere

One of the basic tips for hosts of holiday rentals is to create a good, warm, and welcoming atmosphere during the stay. How to foster it? You’ll have to start by being more detailed: place welcome messages at the entrance, give guests a welcome kit, ask about their journey, etc. You don’t need to overwhelm the travellers; many of these details can be subtle; however, they’ll help you establish a trusting relationship.

Follow up after the stay

At the end of the stay, offer your guests a questionnaire where they can express their impressions about the service clearly and freely. Request constructive feedback.

And continue to care for the treatment; it costs nothing to wish guests a safe journey home during their departure, thank them for staying at our holiday rental, or send an email reminding them, from time to time, of our offers. And if you can afford it, offer a discount voucher for their next stay. It’ll help you build customer loyalty if they return to your city.

We’ve highlighted the importance of communication in holiday rentals and listed recommendations for good practice. Now it’s your turn to make the most of Holidu and your holiday rental with an offer where effective communication is the vehicle to a dream stay.

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