Do you upsell any extra services?

[Liv]

Hey everyone, 

A few Hosts have been experimenting with selling extra amenities and services to guests - apart from the stay itself. This got me thinking and I’m curious to know if any of you have ever tried or thought about doing something similar.

It could be an optional meal that you cook yourself, a ride to the airport that you charge for separately or perhaps some paintings made by a local artist.

Either way, I’d love to learn more about extras you might offer guests. Do you upsell anything in your listing? How do you advertise it to guests?

Thanks,

Liv

[Michelle2801]

I'd love to see your scarves Matilija. Do you have a website to share?

[Vivek72]

Hey Lynda - Would love to learn more about how this is going for you. How are you communicating the additional products and services you provide to guest? I am wondering if that is something you do before they arrive.

Thanks,
Vivek

[Alisa321]

I cross-sell on my ShowplaceHQ site: https://myshow.place/g2986 (link for demonstration purposes only).
I've just started this and am adding new items every week. Next to add: private chef dinners, wine tasting events, gift cards for future stays (great for the holidays). I send an automatic email with the link to guests a few days before their stay. I'd do it within the Airbnb site if they added this functionality.

[Elisabeth40]

@Alisa321  This plate looks amazing, unfortunately in New York all this food I see in the plate would cost probably about the same price I charge per day for my guest room. I see $20 badges, $16 salmon, $3 eggs, …. I just would need to double my room price here to be able to service this. I cannot do this in New York. The food is too expensive. 

[Alisa321]

@Elisabeth40 Thank you! We do charge for these plates and other items. This one in particular is $60. We smoke our own salmon and Canadian-style bacon, and I figure all food costs into the price. We have a larger property with two units that each sleep four people, plus a suite where I can stay onsite when cooking. We get lots of hikers who appreciate the to-go breakfasts.

[Sarah977]

@Elisabeth40  She doesn't include this in her nightly rates, or provide it to all  her  guests, she offers it as an option that guests can choose to pay for.  That's what this thread is talking about- added services available for guests. No one is suggesting hosts should provide something like this for free or raise their rates to cover it.

[Elisabeth40]

I understand. Dreaming is great. But being realistic is great too. Otherwise I can swipe on Instagram all day long and collect amazing ideas there too. Why to create a second Instagram here.  If I try to apply this amazing idea in my realistic world, unfortunately doesn’t works for me personally. But I can dream and probably some people would be able to do it if not in New York 

[Vivek72]

Hey Alisa,

Just seeing your post now. You are on something! The idea of the private chef sounds fab. 

Would love to learn more about how you have been doing with additional services for guests. 

Cheers,

Vivek 

[Alisa321]

@Vivek72 In actuality, very few guests take us up on these offerings. And, Showplace, the site where I was listing them, has changed focus and I no longer have a web page there. Looking for better options/methods to present these to my guests. I wish Airbnb would add the ability to do this within the platform.

[Vivek72]

Thanks for sharing Alisa. I know Airbnb doesn't offer that ability. Let me DM you and we can connect more on this.

Thanks,

Vivek

[Elton63]

Well, since I started hosting my apartment I've had the pleasure of hosting amazing families and cause I have the possibility I've offered a barbeque free of charge just out of good hosting experience, so I don't think I would do any upsell to my guests.

[Deniz102]

Hello everyone, especially Quincy :), I always keep all services whether basic or advanced free. I do not make breakfast at home so it is valid for my guests. I prefer to have meals in downtown Urla. Singles or couples do the same and explore around the Smyrna Peninsula where many boutique restaurants and cafe bars. Only families with children have their meals at home usually. Both choices in Turkey are cheaper after the devaluation that started in 2013 slowly, now it cannot be caught. 

[Tracy754]

I have started offering additional services and it’s been great!  I have a Kawasaki Mule (ATV) that I rent for $250/day to get around the farm. I also have a line of merchandise (T-shirt’s,caps, coffee mugs, and farm made soap and candles).  With this year’s garden harvest, I’ll have items that we canned - tomatoes, salsa, green beans, pickles, okra and pepper vinegar. 

I also have a licensed massage therapist that will do in-house services. 

Lastly, amenities can be great money,  but make sure you schedule  them on your calendar.   We do meals, wine/cheese, birthday/anniversary/wedding night decor, etc. 

[Vivek72]

Hey Tracy,

Just seeing your post now. You are on something!

Would love to learn more about how you have been doing with additional services for guests. 

Cheers,

Vivek 

[Elisabeth40]

In generally I think it’s a good idea to offer guests extras and expand business. After doing Airbnb for couple years I believe it’s only worth doing it if you have an extra house or an extra place you rent out and you live somewhere in a farm or you already have a restaurant, store, cafe. You have multiple rooms for rent. The turn around would be bigger and it would be possible to be 24h available for guests expenses. In my case I need to have a full time job additionally to Airbnb. Airbnb doesn’t generates for me a salary so I can spend my time to service and manufacture things. Plus the amount of guests is so little, a voluntarily purchase wouldn’t cover anything. Every guest would need to by here something for at least $200 so i could live of this idea. It’s not going to happen in my case. But I can see that function for certain Airbnb places. Especially if someone already doesn’t works and has too much time. Even the time to prepare and clean after the breakfast for one guest is not worth it. I think it depends where you host. I host in New York, in order to achieve low pricing for guest I would need mass production. With one guest I have, the same time is wasted as for 15 guests and little turn around. It really depends where you live and what you are doing already for living.