Ideas on How to Handle Customer Complaints!
Take a deep breath, relax and listen.
No matter how hard you try or how conscientious you are, you will inevitably receive a complaint from time to time. It will happen, so it is best to be prepared for it so that you do not have to worry unduly.
Handling customer complaints can be the toughest thing to swallow, especially if your holiday home is the jewel in your eye. It is easy to take it personally but remember renting a vacation home is a business and so you must treat it like one. Try to remember that often a complaint is a learning opportunity and it can pay dividends to take action. To that end listen to what the guest has to say, let them get it out of their system. Empathize with them and get an action plan together to deal with the issue at hand. Prompt action often turns a complainant from a foe to friend and they may then recommend you to their friends in turn.
Think about what annoys you most when you are on your own holiday and this will give you a clue as to what to expect from your guests. Most complaints from guests will be about the cleanliness of your vacation rental. Different people have different expectations and you can't please all the people all of the time. If you or your agent on the ground receives more than one complaint about the cleanliness of your property then it makes sense to re-arrange your cleaning contract. In terms of maintaining your property it pays to keep it as clean as possible, so any complaint may in fact be doing you a favour in the long term.
Make sure that any facilities, extras, comforts etc that you advertise are actually in good working order and in situ. Guest expectations not met on arrival at the property can get you off on the wrong footing. Remember what it's like to finally arrive on your own holiday only to be let down by the accommodation.
Make sure that you have clear instructions and good systems in place for things like key handovers, directions, hot water etc. Your guests may be exhausted on arrival and will want everything to go as smoothly as possible when they finally get there.
Managing guest expectations is a must. List the basic rules in your booking contract to help avoid potential disagreements with your guests. Keep your adverts up to date, giving all the correct information and providing contact details where guests can contact you or your agent. Make sure your photos are accurate and up to date too. Keep up to date with maintenance and inform renters of any essential works that may be carried out during their stay - this will again help avoid any misunderstandings.
Do not try to duck the issue. There is nothing worse for a guest than to be unable to contact somebody if they do have an issue. Make sure contact details are up to date and respond as quickly as possible. This will save both time and stress for both parties and will enable you to be pro-active in the management of your property. Ask guests for feedback in terms of what they think may need improvement or could be done better - this is positive and leaves a good impression.
Remember your aim is to fill you property as much as possible by word of mouth and repeat bookings, this saves you money and time and, if done properly, will not only help with the business of your vacation rental but help maintain your property in a pristine condition. Make any complaints you get work for you!
This was written by Nick Hargreaves.
http://www.VacationRentalPeople.com - thousands of private rental properties world wide.
Buy TomTom 920
Buy Garmin Nuvi 255W
No comments:
Post a Comment