[Matt Landau]

Trust comes when a vacation rental host is genuinely more interested in ensuring that the visitor has a great vacation than in getting them to book his or her property. The vacation rental business that builds the most trust, wins.

Question: What are the best ways to earn trust with future and former guests?

(I’ll begin posting other responses that come in from non-IC members below)

 

[Matt Landau]

“Discuss the potential negatives before taking the money from new guests- by negatives I mean let them know that your property is great but not for everyone- for example I have compost toilets in one island compound and i let them know that canadians are fine with that but americans can freak.” - Bob’s Lake Cottages

 

[Matt Landau]

For us, Holiday Suites, we try to gain trust by featuring positive (but true) reviews by customers. Furthermore, we try to make clear what may be downsides to our listings. This way we believe customers will first of all have their expectations met and second of all, this communicates honesty which we believe will increase trust. - Karel

 

[Matt Landau]

"Advising them to shorten their stay at your place in order for them to be able to visit an area they would enjoy visiting." - Mark

 

[JOest]

I'll help them find another property in the area more suited to their needs - perhaps bigger or smaller, better price, or allows pets. I also will tell them when there's a special event happening in case they don't want to be a part of it. Our twice a year Bike Rallies are VERY NOISY (motorcycles), and many don't want to be there on those weekends.

 

[Matt Landau]

"You always said "Help don't sell". I try to always do this. I truly do want every guest to have the best experience. I think that my accommodations should always fit the bill. However, they do not always do that. I have recommended other rental management companies. I have always sent out attractions of everything that there is to do in the area. I send out monthly emails about events in the area. Hopefully they will come back to me. Although some guests only want the cheapest. Which I am not. I try to give other things to add to their experience." -Mary Beth

 

[Matt Landau]

"Letting guests know that I would like to help them in their decision process. Hopefully this implies that I don’t think we’re the only game in town." - Jeanne

 

[Matt Landau]

"Encourage them in a response letter to an inquiry to ask any questions, not only about the property itself but the location itself. I always say “We love helping our guests have a great vacation”. -Janice

"I have a page on my site that tells customers why they should NOT come to Silver Sands Jamaica. http://www.mysilversands.com/content/dont_come.aspx?subnav=silversands" -Prem

"HONESTY. For example, August has always been the most predictably good month weather-wise. For the past 3 years, however, due to forest fire smoke, August has been awful. I have a tiny cabin in the woods in USA near the Canadian border. We get the smoke from all around. Another example: the cabin is very small with just a double bed. I tell it like it is. Any surprises are positive ones." --Cathy

 

[RichardC]

Offering impartial advice regardless of converting the enquiry into a booking. As you said Matt Landau Honesty in business these days, seems a rare quality. Nearer to the truth with the OTA's is lack of local knowledge and expertise either regarding the VR or the area surrounding the VR.

 

[HWeb]

When guests tell me they plan to arrive late in the evening I suggest alternate lodging just outside the park that’s more affordable for the 1st night of their vacation, before they start staying with us. I explain what to see/do on their arrival day on the way into the park to maximize their experience and allow them to see the views they would miss if they arrived at night. Even though it’s also good for me, I often encourage guests to plan 3 nights when they suggest 2, explaining that with our remote location guests usually regret a 2 night stay as too much driving per day. I give details on why they will like this better and I’m sincerely helping them, which comes through as they usually take my advice and thank me for it later.

 

[Amy]

Posting negative and positive reviews. By posting and responding to negative reviews it builds trust online (even if you don't talk to the guest) because it shows the property is real.

We also live in an area where AC isn't common. None of the competition post when a property does NOT have AC because they don't want to lose a booking so guests are often upset to find out when they get here. This year, we changed our marketing to be 100% honest about the good and bad of each property and post 'why this property might not be for you' on each listing. We also send our guests an article called '9 Reasons Not to Vacation on Kauai' after booking and give them 48 hours to cancel with no penalty after sending it. It lists things like AC, Bugs, High Cost of Groceries, Red Dirt and Chickens.

 

[Matt Landau]

"I also share advice and suggestions with potential guests and former guests equally. I post to our Facebook page information about the towns and area businesses to support our local community but also let potential guest know what all we have to offer where ever they should stay. When our cabin doesn’t seem to be the optimal match for them, I do make suggestions of other cabins in the area that might suit them better." -Lisa

"Send personalized messages (not templates)" -Sonia

"I send out some newsletters without suggesting that people come to stay - rather just recounting an interesting event. But the best way to respond to a booking from someone new, for me, is to reply personally each time, asking if they have some interest so that I can find out what there is for their special request in the area. I also ask if they would like me to give them a call to answer any of their questions." -Charmaine

"When prospective guests understand that I am the owner of Camden Accommodations, live locally and that I and my staff have been to all of the houses we represent, they have a feeling of trust that we will help them to find the property that best meets their needs." -Barbara

"General tips about the area - we don't seek to profit from extras, just recommend what we like and what works for us." -Dave

"Respond to each and every email even when you know it will probably not result in a booking. And when / if they let you know they won't be staying to genuinely wish them a good vacation where ever they end up staying. Sounds like a "no brainer" but I'm surprised by some owners lack of engagement at times..." -Wendy

"Presenting benefits as well as downsides of the property – thin line, we don`t want to discourage visitors on first impression. Also, if visitor ends up staying somewhere else, still offering to assist as a local. My guests often stay some days in my villa and some days in other hotels. Usually we are in contact for the duration of their stay in the country." -Moritz

 

[JPrugh]

Given our location, we assume that potential guests might not have any clue about what to do in the area. Our website aggregates information from local sources. I've started a blog highlighting the area far beyond city/county limits; working on an online guest guide. Both works in progress, but should 'hatch' soon. Wherever potential guests might look, they can see what's going on and possibly stay our properties.

 

[Matt Landau]

"Giving the guests my direct cell phone #. (Risky but effective)" -Michael

 

[DMartinez]

Contact them quickly, offering as needed:

• the requested information
• other options
• contact information for our property manager
• Facebook groups that include other owners and travel information in our area
• Info on our promos, discounts,
  
• follow up with phone call or emails to assure everything is progressing well.

 

[Matt Landau]

If they pay you a compliment - thank them for it and always use their when responding.. No question is a dumb question even if it's on your website 100 times and they still ask you the question take the time to respond politely. Make all of you communications personal try to make it as if you're only talking to them. -Chuck

"Be as authentic as possible. Share who you are and why you are pursuing this business.how your kids loved that particular beach and photos of them in your social feeds playing in the sand. Be real. Be yourself. People trust, follow and will be ambassadors for people and brands who trust them with themselves. -Jodi

"To me we must help them believe we are an actual person who cares about their vacation rather than an email at the other end of Vrbo is important. To me it’s the extra things that count— personal attention and added amenities. I try and put myself in their position and try to make it the best possible vacation ever!" -Steph

 

[Matt Landau]

"I've spent a lot of time thinking about how to attract guests to come back year after year, get them to refer friends and family, and have them all feel comfortable enough to book directly through me. If there's a magic formula, I think it's building trust. How do you do that? In my opinion, the litmus test, is the golden rule. Treat them the way you would want to be treated. I had the opportunity to put this to the test with two major challenges I am currently facing; red tide and construction next door. Both problems are intermittent, but have the potential of putting a damper on someone's vacation. To build trust, I decided to give my guests a heads up via carefully worded email. The challenge is to clearly state the potential problem without either sugar coating it or making it sound worse than it is. I also offered some fun and little known alternative activities if the are effected. In the short term, this this will hurt my business. Hopefully, in the long term, it will build friendship, credibility and trust that will result in organic growth." -Mike

 

[MariaS]

Communication is the key to gaining trust and credibility with my guests. We don’t promise that we can’t deliver. I try to understand their needs and match them to the best property, even it means missing out on the booking at my own property.

Be human.. being kind, caring and warm goes a long ways. My staff and I show genuine interest in our guests. We make sure that we’ve covered all the basics and go above and beyond.

 

[StacyW]

“Discuss the potential negatives before taking the money from new guests- by negatives I mean let them know that your property is great but not for everyone- for example I have compost toilets in one island compound and i let them know that canadians are fine with that but americans can freak.” - Bob’s Lake Cottages

I agree, it doesn't help to bring on a new customer and not be open about certain accommodations. You can quickly turn a new client into an unhappy client who is going to trash you on social media. We do this with owners now too, it their expectations are unreasonable it isn't worth bringing them on board just to have another owner if you are going to spend too much time with little or ROI.

 

[Matt Landau]

Hi folks, I'd like to try to do these kinds of MMMs more often in which we take a deep dive into one particular technique or factor or idea throughout the week, use as much input as we can to produce something actionable (or at least consolidated). Accordingly, I am sharing with you my synthesis of all the feedback (ie. a distilled version of the trends) as well as many of the standout examples verbatim. The ideas were all really fantastic: if I had a magic wand, I'd have every host do these more often. And many of them fell into the category of great customer service (which I'd argue is built on trust too!) I'd encourage you to copy/paste the ideas along to your team or even your fellow vacation rental professionals. The more trustworthy we are (as a group) the more sustainable our industry moves forward

Theme 1: Conflict of Interest
One of the themes revolved around presenting information in the marketing and correspondence process that could be perceived to be a conflict of interest, but that when presented properly earned invaluable trust. This came in the form of freely discussing the downsides or negatives of any given property in your description, explaining why it might not be for everyone, what kind of guest should not visit, or why this destination may not be for you. Revealing the harsh but honest truth was a theme, as was responding to all reviews (the positive and the negative) to show that the property is real. Perhaps more importantly, not revealing these potential "conflicts" was associated with being untrustworthy.

• “Discuss the potential negatives before taking the money from new guests- by negatives I mean let them know that your property is great but not for everyone- for example I have compost toilets in one island compound and i let them know that canadians are fine with that but americans can freak.” - Bob
• "For us, Holiday Suites, we try to gain trust by featuring positive (but true) reviews by customers. Furthermore, we try to make clear what may be downsides to our listings. This way we believe customers will first of all have their expectations met and second of all, this communicates honesty which we believe will increase trust. - Karel
• "Posting negative and positive reviews. By posting and responding to negative reviews it builds trust online (even if you don't talk to the guest) because it shows the property is real. This year, we changed our marketing to be 100% honest about the good and bad of each property and post 'why this property might not be for you' on each listing. We also send our guests an article called '9 Reasons Not to Vacation on Kauai' after booking and give them 48 hours to cancel with no penalty after sending it. It lists things like AC, Bugs, High Cost of Groceries, Red Dirt and Chickens" -Amy
• "Presenting benefits as well as downsides of the property – thin line, we don`t want to discourage visitors on first impression. Also, if visitor ends up staying somewhere else, still offering to assist as a local. My guests often stay some days in my villa and some days in other hotels. Usually we are in contact for the duration of their stay in the country." -Moritz
• "In my opinion, the litmus test, is the golden rule. Treat them the way you would want to be treated. I had the opportunity to put this to the test with two major challenges I am currently facing; red tide and construction next door. Both problems are intermittent, but have the potential of putting a damper on someone's vacation. To build trust, I decided to give my guests a heads up via carefully worded email. The challenge is to clearly state the potential problem without either sugar coating it or making it sound worse than it is. I also offered some fun and little known alternative activities if the are effected. In the short term, this this will hurt my business. Hopefully, in the long term, it will build friendship, credibility and trust that will result in organic growth." -Mike

Theme 2: The Referral
A close sibling of the conflict of interest, suggesting the guest stay in another property for one night or multiple can be used as a powerful trust builder: the confidence to know that your vacation rental is great, but that another may be better fit: the generosity in knowing you are looking out for the guest's best interest (almost ahead of your own). This can mean suggesting the guest stay fewer nights in your rental in order to see another part of the region for their vacation, suggesting another vacation rental company that is more suitable, or offering to assist as a local even though the guest does indeed decide to stay elsewhere.

• "Advising them to shorten their stay at your place in order for them to be able to visit an area they would enjoy visiting." - Mark
• I'll help them find another property in the area more suited to their needs - perhaps bigger or smaller, better price, or allows pets. I also will tell them when there's a special event happening in case they don't want to be a part of it. Our twice a year Bike Rallies are VERY NOISY (motorcycles), and many don't want to be there on those weekends. -Jenny
  
• "I truly do want every guest to have the best experience. I think that my accommodations should always fit the bill. However, they do not always do that. I have recommended other rental management companies. I have always sent out attractions of everything that there is to do in the area. I send out monthly emails about events in the area. Hopefully they will come back to me. Although some guests only want the cheapest. Which I am not. I try to give other things to add to their experience." -Mary Beth
• "When guests tell me they plan to arrive late in the evening I suggest alternate lodging just outside the park that’s more affordable for the 1st night of their vacation, before they start staying with us. I explain what to see/do on their arrival day on the way into the park to maximize their experience and allow them to see the views they would miss if they arrived at night." -Holly"When our cabin doesn’t seem to be the optimal match for them, I do make suggestions of other cabins in the area that might suit them better." -Lisa

Theme 3: Impartiality
This was the real crux of the original question: how do we remove partial thoughts and provide guests with an unbiased perspective on vacation to our destination? This came in the form of offering to "help in the vacation planning process" and responding to EVERY inquiry even thought it probably would not result in a booking. This meant encouraging guests to ask questions about the property AND the region, and embracing that no question (even the one that's been answered a gazillion times) is a dumb question: this patience and impartial attitude was a key factor for many of you in building trust.

• "Letting guests know that I would like to help them in their decision process. Hopefully this implies that I don’t think we’re the only game in town." - Jeanne
• "Encourage them in a response letter to an inquiry to ask any questions, not only about the property itself but the location itself. I always say “We love helping our guests have a great vacation”. -Janice
• "Offering impartial advice regardless of converting the enquiry into a booking. Honesty in business these days, seems a rare quality. Nearer to the truth with the OTA's is lack of local knowledge and expertise either regarding the VR or the area surrounding the VR" -Richard
• "Respond to each and every email even when you know it will probably not result in a booking. And when / if they let you know they won't be staying to genuinely wish them a good vacation where ever they end up staying. Sounds like a "no brainer" but I'm surprised by some owners lack of engagement at times..." -Wendy
• "No question is a dumb question even if it's on your website 100 times and they still ask you the question take the time to respond politely. Make all of you communications personal try to make it as if you're only talking to them. -Chuck

Theme 4: Help, Don't Sell
The most valuable metric you can gain from vacation rental marketing is reciprocity or goodwill: having provided enough helpful information that the guest feels compelled to stay with you or refer you business. This came in the form of sharing newsletters without even mentioning your properties, recounting events in the area that any visitor would love (not just your guests), and blogging about the overall region -- being a fountain of knowledge for anyone who visits (not just your paying guests) -- is a surefire way to build trust.

• "General tips about the area - we don't seek to profit from extras, just recommend what we like and what works for us." -Dave
• "Given our location, we assume that potential guests might not have any clue about what to do in the area. Our website aggregates information from local sources. I've started a blog highlighting the area far beyond city/county limits; working on an online guest guide." -Jim

Theme 5: Authenticity
This was my favorite: submissions around authenticity suggested that personalized messages crush templated or automated messages because they convey you are human and you are ready to treat each guest with personalized white gloves and that this in turns is the best way to build trust. Sharing that you (or a staff member) are locals and are ready to help with any needs, being quick to respond...all these demonstrate an authentic desire to (both actions and words) build trust.

• "Be as authentic as possible. Share who you are and why you are pursuing this business.how your kids loved that particular beach and photos of them in your social feeds playing in the sand. Be real. Be yourself. People trust, follow and will be ambassadors for people and brands who trust them with themselves. -Jodi
• "Send personalized messages (not templates)" -Sonia
• "Giving the guests my direct cell phone #. (Risky but effective)" -Michael
• "I send out some newsletters without suggesting that people come to stay - rather just recounting an interesting event. But the best way to respond to a booking from someone new, for me, is to reply personally each time, asking if they have some interest so that I can find out what there is for their special request in the area. I also ask if they would like me to give them a call to answer any of their questions." -Charmaine
• "When prospective guests understand that I am the owner of Camden Accommodations, live locally and that I and my staff have been to all of the houses we represent, they have a feeling of trust that we will help them to find the property that best meets their needs." -Barbara

Conclusion: I really enjoyed this exercise because it helped me see the many different faces of trust that we can all do (no matter our resources or skill levels). I noticed a lot of submissions that were directly related to a property or paying guest, but was especially intrigued to see the submissions that demonstrated a universal attitude for every single traveler (whether they paying guest or not). I was reminded that as small businesses we have the ability (read: it is not unrealistic) to respond to every single inquiry with white gloves, and that we often get lazy or complacent with these things after some time. Every traveler that you come in contact with is a chance to deposit a coin into your trust piggy bank: it is the accumulation of this trust that is directly correlated with Listing Site Independence and a more valuable business asset in the long haul.