The self-service trend in short-term rentals is transforming the guest experience significantly, gradually becoming an inseparable part of the rental business. After the pandemic outbreak followed by a labor shortage, self-service technology took the front seat, allowing managers to engage with guests and ensuring their requests are heard in real-time. But the big question is how to provide an efficient self-service technology, measure its success, and why not ignore traditional customer service.

There is a simple way to do it – self-service technology.

Why self-service is a must-have for rental business operations

Corporate housing is very dynamic and so are the guest needs. As a property manager, there is a growing expectation to deliver high-level customer service. It is quite frustrating for guests to contact and wait for demands while working with lean staff means overburdening the staff and compromising on customer service quality customer service agent. No one likes to be on hold to get an answer to their query or check emails for every small query. Guests want a quick resolution or at least a real-time response. It gives a sense of being valued and heard. But to match guest needs requires immense work. 

Giving the power to access answers to routine questions, not only saves guest’s time & effort but also builds trust in your rental business. It’s like putting customer support in the hands of guests. It is not that rental businesses are offering less. It is more about prioritizing things so that staff can focus on providing customized service.

 

Simplifies the move-in process

Even before the move-in day, guests want all the information related to staying at their fingertips. That’s why you to make sure they know what they need, where to go, who will be the contact person when they reach the property & so. Be it providing check-in details or where to park the car in advance, or wi-fi password or nearest grocery store or any information about the property and amenities. The guest would like to access this information from anywhere.

Improve guest experience by giving self-service options to guests which does not require your staff’s intervention.

Accelerates operations

During the stay, if your guest wants an extra towel or has in-stay cleaning needs, or wants exclusive services, they will prefer to do it with a click of a button rather than dialing the phone. A simple request like extending their stay can be placed with just a click.

It saves a lot of time for staff over regular communication and makes it less stressful for guests.

streamline operations

How to provide self-service to guests

The self-service trend in short-term rentals takes guest experience to next level. But as it looks, it’s not that easy. Simply telling guests to figure out things themselves, won’t work. Only the right software with the right resources will allow guests to enjoy the benefits of self-service. All the known issues and requests should be entered into the software so that every detail becomes accessible in no time.

Online portals come in handy and provide the solution to this need. They form an essential part of self-service and guest experience. They provide online access to an array of services for guests and owners. Improve guest satisfaction and elevate customer service by lowering inquiries and requests over the phone or in person.

Digital Guest Concierge for guests

It acts like a virtual personal concierge for your guests. With a click, your guest can have all the information they need and request services from anywhere. Without much effort, you can delight your guest at every stage of the guest journey not just during move-in.

And takes the guest experience to next level and saves your staff’s time on repetitive tasks.

guest conceirge

Mobile App for Staff

It is like carrying your rental management software in your back pocket 24x7. Staff can access tasks, track tasks and make changes on the go. Staff don’t need to be sitting in office, flipping the documents, dialling phone to managing things. Rather, can stay abreast even when out for a holiday with family or when check-in on other rental properties.

How to measure it

The big question is to know whether it is working for your rental business or not. This will help you understand which areas you need to focus on for better results. If you are able to achieve these, it means it is working for your business.

You can give high-level customer service with fewer incoming calls and requests from guests.

Your staff saves time on regular communication and focuses more on providing extraordinary service to guests.

Your guest is satisfied as he gets answers to most of his queries without hanging over the phone or typing emails.

Your guest is satisfied as he gets answers to most of his queries without hanging over the phone or typing emails.

Guests can place service requests even at odd hours from anywhere.

The staff gets notified of a new task in real-time, saving time lag.

Why you can’t ignore customer service

The self-service trend in short-term rentals is here to stay. It is not a threat to customer service. Self-service technology can’t replace customer service. It can simplify things for guests and free staff to focus on improving guest experience and scaling your rental business.

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