Be Proactive, Not Reactive

Do you find yourself reacting to issues more than working proactively to address them?

In this article, we'll cover:

1. Common guest issues

2. Why being reactive is harder than being proactive

3. How to adopt a proactive operation

4. Deploying winning systems and processes to be proactive
   

Common Guest Issues

Hosting guests can have a lot of ups and downs. Through experience, I've found that avoidable issues fall into two categories: Guest-related issues and Home-related issues. Some examples include:

1. The Needy Guest

"We need more towels!"
"Where is the thermostat?!"

2. The Power Problem

"The lights in the bedroom aren't working..."
"How do I turn on the light switch outside?"

3. The Cancelled Guest

"We want to cancel with a full refund!"
"Hey I know check in is tomorrow... but can we reschedule?"

4. The Dirty Hot Tub

"This hot tub is disgusting!"

Hold On ... Did your eyes just roll? 🙄

If they did - you're probably reactive to these types of scenarios. What if I told you, that you could start handling these types of situations before they arise?

Sounds too good to be true?! Read on!

Stop reacting, start being proactive!

Getting a message from a guest that matches any of the scenarios above could make your heart sink.
What do I do?
Who do I call?

Lets face it, being on the receiving end of these questions can have its dull moments.

Start showing up to any event prepared and with a fully proactive mindset.

How to adopt a proactive mindset

Convert chaos to order

First, take an assessment of the way your short-term rental operations are running. Are you in control?
If you've having trouble providing a consistent outcome to your guests, I recommend checking out our article From Chaos to Order.

Document, document, document

If it happens once, its going to happen again. Use a centralized location such as Google Docs or Notion to store your documentation all in one place.

How could you solve a problem, not once, but forever?

Address recurring issues

What complaints is your portfolio running into the most?
Are your receiving bad reviews with a recurring theme?

Use your tools to advantage and keep your documentation organized so your team can use your hard work to solve a problem a second time. Think smarter, not harder!

Track and schedule important tasks

Identify recurring tasks for you and your team to leverage. An example may be to have photos taken of the hot tub before each stay. This way someone can physically review the hot tub to ensure that it will never be dirty for a guest, or at least you can work to address the problem before the guest discovers it.

Another example of proactive scheduling is routine maintenance. If you live in a cold climate, you should consider checking that there is enough fuel before the temperature drops for the upcoming colder months. This will ensure that your home does not run out of fuel once it gets cold - that would be awkward!

Deploy winning systems and processes

Like everything else in business, having the right set of winning systems will ensure that tasks are always getting done on time.

If you are looking to take a proactive outlook on your business, this is where Hostlabs comes in!
Hostlabs is configured and organized to help your operations become proactive.
with Hostlabs, start settting up your business with:

• 🔄 Proactive Operations: Configure your operations to work in a proactive manner.
  Stop reacting, start being proactive!

• 📝 Standard Operating Procedures: Define response processes and policies to common guest problems
  Respond like a champion, because you are.

• 🧳 Check-In and Check-Out Tasks: Address recurring guest-related tasks before guests arrive and after they leave.
  Start every reservation off the right way!

• 🛠️ Recurring Maintenance Scheduler: Define and monitor recurring maintenance tasks at your properties.
  Keep your properties meticulously maintained.

• ⭐️ Reputation Management: Monitor and respond to every guest review
  Maintain a 5-star reputation!

Contact Hostlabs today to transform your short-term rental operations from proactive to reactive. Start running your operations like the professional.

Schedule a FREE Consultation Today!

Enjoying our content and looking to read more? For more information on deploying systems that create winning operations, check out our article on Systemizing Your Rental Business.