An easy way to sell items to guests

[Nikk2]

Hi guys,

Looking for some feedback for my project https://www.suggest.club

The story:

I am a budding entrepreneur who has sold a few tiny companies, which, luckily for me, allowed me to become an AirBnB host so I can join the ranks of folks like yourselves!

I quickly realized that guests didn’t have all the items they needed, and frequently were asking me where they could buy X, Y, or Z. I started placing these items in my rental with a tip jar, but people often didn’t have cash; it was hard to track, etc.

I started using QR codes to allow guests to buy items; and it became much much easier; electronic, and automated. After a while, I thought other hosts might have success doing the same thing. So me and a few buddies are off to build Suggest, which allows you to print QR code enabled stickers and posters to sell everything in your unit: from food, alcohol, candy, to services that you provide.

I’d love to see if the community is interested in this kind of thing and if there is any feedback or things that you think I could do better. Also, if you like the idea it would be INCREDIBLE if you could sign up, which would give us much needed validation. I’ll let you in first when it’s ready. Oh yeah, it’s free to use as well; (takes a 2% commission per sale you make).

Everything is up in the air though, so would love to hear anything from other hosts and/or chat directly. Email is in my profile. Anyways hope you like. I spent quite a bit of time wracking my brain around how to make this useful for people. 

Thanks so much!

[Sarah977]

@Nikk2  There have been posts like yours here before. Most of the responses to them indicated that hosts feel that trying to sell things to guests is pretty crass. I certainly wouldn't be interested in anything like this, and if I were  guest, I would be offended to see stickers all over everything telling me I could buy one.

We're constantly barraged with advertising to buy this or buy that. I don't need or want such things in my home.

[Rachel0]

@Nikk2  No, this is just a horrible idea and about as far away from the original concept of Airbnb as you can get.  If you want to sell things, get a shop.  Apart from anything else, selling alcohol requires a licence.  

[Nikk2]

It's weird because the feedback I got on reddit was quite the opposite. I appreciate the feedback though. Thanks guys. 

[Helen3]

I've seen you post on a few forums @Nikk2  and the feedback has been overwhelmingly negative about hosts selling guests products.

I think if you make your own art, crafts or food or local specialities,  then it is fine to display this in your listing and sell said products or direct people to your own website.

Trying to up-sell products such as alcohol - illegal in many countries without a license (do you not need one where you live) and food seems tacky and impractical. Where would this be stored/how would guests access it once they had paid?

Reddit tends to attract a mainly US based group of  Millennials -  like yourself - so maybe this idea appeals to this small group rather than wider hosts.

[Nikk2]

Yeah! Based on what people have said I definitely agree that downplaying the alcohol aspect would be a good idea.

My guess is that it's vibed better with millenials because they're more apt to try new things; so I guess I'll see if I can reach more of those hosts instead. Thanks for the feedback 🙂 

[Helen3]

No it's not that US Millennials are more apt to try new things, it's more a cultural thing @Nikk2 

Hosts by their very nature, whatever their age, and wherever they come from are  open to trying new things.

You haven't answered any of the issues raised such as how the items for sale would be accessed/stored or how much you would charge on top for this concept..

[Nikk2]

Hi Helen! Thank you for this constructive dialog, it's very encouraging 🙂 

So credit card payment processing fees are generally around 2.9%, the idea would be to charge another 2% on top of that. 

Items wouldn't have to be "locked away", but if theft were to become an issue, I have a hardware engineering background and would have no trouble designing a lock that hosts could use to lock items and allow unlocking after payment. Could be a good idea, don't know, it's all experimental. 

My last guests just found the pizzas in the freezer, saw the stickers on them with the price, paid, and they were good to go. For tonight's guests I'm trying with boxes of assorted snacks and cookies, as well as a few other items in cabinets. It will be interesting to see for sure!

[Sarah977]

@Nikk2  Trying to sell things to people isn't a "new thing."

[Sarah977]

@Nikk2  What a strange concept- it's not that they're more apt to try new things- just because someone is older doesn't mean they have some aversion to new things and new ideas. It's that we have a sense of something that is known as good manners and respect for others, we don't just think about ourselves and what we can do to further our own cause.

[Elena87]

@Nikk2 

I quickly realized that guests didn’t have all the items they needed, and frequently were asking me where they could buy X, Y, or Z.

After hosting hundreds of times, it's not my experience.

As they say,  half-baked impractical idea, millennial dreaming of unearned wealth, I'm out.

[Sarah977]

@Elena87 Not my experience either. Guests seem to come with whatever they need, and there are stores all over to buy things if they need to. Maybe millenials go off travelling half-baked and forget essential items 🙂

[Solveig0]

Its not relevant for me, and I think for other small time hosts it's more hazzle than its worth, but go for it! I'm sure it could be relevant for people who do apartments professionally or on a larger scale. 

[Nikk2]

Thank you so much!! 

[Rachel177]

@Nikk2 it's an interesting concept. As an in-home host it's something that wouldn't interest me & wouldn't appeal to the guests who stay with me.

But I could see it being very attractive to management companies who run multiple listings, and to guests who stay in that type of accommodation. If I was staying in an apartment & had arrived exhausted from a long haul flight I'd be happy to buy something if I needed a snack/light meal rather than have to find a shop to buy something from. I could see it working like a mini-bar or room service, hopefully not at the ridiculous hotel prices 🙂