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

[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. 

[Kim2893]

Hi.... My guests often ask for bed linen and final cleaning, which I then of course help them with. I know you can add this benefit automatically, but it affects the daily rent. Why can one not just attribute this benefit whiteout affecting the daily price....? 

[Linda3395]

im an artist and when i started in June i added my personal art to the studio airbnb and added in the welcome binder that all art was on sale. people love the art but noone has bought anything yet. so eventually i read a article that i should start a shopify store for people to buy and since i already had a shopify store but nothing in it yet since it was very tedious thing to learn and do. but more family wanted to order something from me but didnt wanna pay the high prices of an original so i finally got a good amount of my art on to the site.  **

So good news is i had a couple who checked in and was celebrating Sweetest day and she was surprising her parter with the weekend get away so i made her custom cups on my site with their names and they loved it and bought it. so its great. i design it and they get it drop shipped to their home. 

 

i keep my price low for my nightly rooms low if i can and charge for cleaning.

i also just added a mini fridge and people just take what they want and pay me though my cash app and 3 stays have paid as soon as i started it.

**[Link removed - Community Center Guidelines ]

[Stephanie1937]

I have always offered help free of charge, it is a technique I apply to eliminate the competition. I offer to look after pets on occasion as my place is pet friendly. I offer to bring packages ordered by my long stay guests to their door. I help out occasionally with food if the guest arrives late and does not have a car to go grocery shopping right away. I have often pickep up guests at the station at my previous Airbnb. 

[Anthony1363]

I am really open to help guests like you've done, but the 'heap' that I have hosted, 9 out of 10 are not appreciative, and took me for granted..

[Stephanie1937]

That is unfortunate. I may have been lucky? Don't give up!

[Sean375]

No.

[Gina-And-Jose-0]

I love one word answers.  

[Abby260]

Hello @Liv,

I have thought about doing this and wanted to get started with it right away but thing took off too fast and I wasn't able to get things set up right away.

I would love to have local artist make painting that will hang inside my property. I would love for my guests to be able to buy them. 

I am not able to offer rides to and from the airport and such because I am usually busy doing other things and would never want my guests to be waiting on me. However, I do have my car for rent on Turo and offer that as an option if they flew in. 

I also don't allow pets at my property but to pet sit in my own home so I also let them know about that option. 

The last thing I do is I have babysitting suggestions if they are looking to get out while they are visiting. I have older kids that would be great with kids. 

Otherwise, I am too busy to offer meals because I clean my place as well as 8 other properties. 

[Anthony1363]

This topic is an interesting one to ponder on..

I stock up on a breakfast bar(not advertised) for free, (viewed with suspicion) a fruit bowl full of seasonal local goodies. (nobody eats) that I am no longer offering...

The junk of the world, is what people want to eat, because I see the packaging in the rubbish bins..

So offering service outside of what's prescribed will be regarded as 'gleaning' and not appreciated, because they think it should be free..

[Mary4634]

I have to say this has been my experience as well. I do provide very basics for a morning “meal”: milk and cereal and juice and yogurt. But only for one morning. And I provide coffee enough for three or four days day. Often it goes untouched. Which is fine with me because if it’s all gone that’s about 15 bucks out of my pocket … 

[Carolyn--J0]

I'm new & put out a lot of snacks, from nuts to breakfast bars, some candy, coffee & tea set ups, a banana, water in frig.  One ate a tiny bit, the next (only 2 nights)cleaned everything out(banana in the trash!) ........they were very neat though. 

[Kevin2172]

We do not upsell or charge extra. We have a queen size bed as well as a single daybed. Our space can comfortably sleep 3. We charge the same price per night for 1 or 3 people. I have thought of offering an “experience” of wine tasting but I don’t want to drive anyone anywhere due to liability issues and because of COVID-19. 

[Sally814]

I'm a qualified holistic  therapist so I offer various therapies,  people mostly book for reflexology and massage.