Guest Expectations, Cleanliness, and Surveys

Happy Friday!

This week’s Rental Digest covers boosting your 5-star ratings and helping guests settle in by implementing one simple tactic.

Let’s get into it…

Cleanliness is the first impression your property gives a guest. When you can ensure your property is always pristine, you can also ensure your guests are content from the moment they arrive.

But we aren’t perfect. Mistakes happen, and sometimes guests’ expectations aren’t met.

As I’m sure you’ve experienced, this happens most with overly particular guests—the ones who complain about even a single hair the cleaners missed.

These guests, often frustrated by their travel, can be a handful. If we aren’t careful, they can cost us future bookings. So, the question becomes:

The answer might surprise you: Google Forms.

Setting the Tone with a Welcome Survey

I include a Google Form in my welcome message, which lets guests evaluate the check-in process, property cleanliness, and add any other notes they might like. This approach does two things for us hosts:

This simple tool has significantly decreased guest complaints. It allows guests to voice critiques without guilt and gives more particular guests an outlet to share their thoughts, reminding them that we’re all human.

Using this tactic has improved my cleanliness ratings and guest satisfaction. Here’s a link to my form so you can see it for yourself.

Hope this helps!

Talk soon,

—Tony