@Jesse679 @Elisa
I have auto messages scheduled to check in with the guest 8:00am the day after check in (We hope you’re enjoying your stay, please let us know if you need anything to make your stay more comfortable) and at 12:00pm the day prior to check out (check out guidelines, please let us know if anything needs to be addressed, suggestions and asking for the guest to leave a review).
Sometimes I message midstay (if a longer stay) to ask if they needed anything. The day after check in message is helpful to break the ice and allows them to reach out for suggestions for exploring, message if they can’t find something (though the house manual has everything in it including how to use things and where everything is) or if something is not working as they thought. This also helps if they say in the public review that there were issues as you can then respond publicly to the review and say that you asked if everything was fine and they said it was great or didn’t respond so you did not know about the issues or have a chance to address any issues.
The more communication with a guest (within reason as some people may think you message too much) tends to form a positive impression of you and your space and makes them feel cared for or feel comfortable to reach out for questions or issues. Some people don’t respond to the messages but in the review they share that they appreciated my communication and friendliness (even though we may have not met in person).
I also include snacks/drinks with a handwritten note asking them to let us know if they need anything, asking for a review at the end of their stay and thanking them for booking our suite.
I also leave a guestbook in the space for comments, suggestions, or tips for the next guests. Some guests have left a few suggestions here. Many just write sweet notes about the space, their experience or thanking us for an enjoyable stay.
If you implement many or all of these suggestions you may get more favorable feedback prior to the review. To date since starting we have had five stars overall, Superhost and guest favorite although some subcategories were 4 stars as they are subjective (location - we clearly state where we are in distance and approx time to drive to places but a person’s opinion is relative to their experience; value - depends on the season for pricing, we are in a convenient area and have complimentary snacks/drinks, free parking, washer/dryer free use and are much more reasonable than nearby hotels or motels. Some people say value is price only but it also includes the hospitality (amenities, location, experience)). We only got docked on check in when I was running late a couple of times because of some damages and extra cleaning we had to do from the prior guests and I let the next guests know beforehand but since I wasn’t ready on the dot I got docked a star. We can only try our best and improve from feedback.
