How to stay competitive

[jaquo]

@Yana

they still let you guys do Airbnb?
I read about new restrictions, everyday something new .

I remember reading about them late last year. There are a lot of restrictions in Miami Beach. I think that areas that are specifically zoned for STR business are okay but they have to comply with a lot of regulations and standards.

[gypsy]

Hollywood is separate from Los Angeles, no?

[Jackie_GranCanaria]

I have had two cleaners in my unit. One I never brought back. The second is “ok”, but I use her for my house now and would rather clean my bnb by myself.

[Yana]

Hehehehe… yes it in South Florida , Broward county

[KKC]

@Jackie_GranCanaria

I have had two cleaners in my unit.

@Malagachica

who don’t shine the taps, arrange the sofa coshions a millimetre out etc. and in the end, like many of us her

I’d be an excellent Airbnb housekeeper, or just anyone’s housekeeper. I just don’t think anyone would be willing to pay me enough in this low wage city. I’m also an excellent pet caregiver and am competent around the house for minor repairs. That would be option for me if they suddenly outlawed Airbnb in my town.

[liveincourage]

right, I think I need to dig into the forums more for remote hosts who are automating as many tasks as possible. it’s different when you don’t see your guests firsthand, more difficult to offer ‘personal touches’.

[liveincourage]

yes you are right, thanks.

[LoneStar]

@liveincourage

when you don’t see your guests firsthand, more difficult to offer ‘personal touches’.

I am remote. I try to give the personal touch in my messages and guidebook. Here is a real message from earlier this summer:

Replied
Hi it’s (me) from (place). I wanted to point out to your group if you are not aware: You are visiting during the peak of the Eta Aquariid meteor shower. Due to the moon being full during the remainder of the big meteor shows this year, this is the last opportunity to watch some nice falling stars in 2019. They will peak just before sunrise but will be active all night. The back deck is a good dark spot to watch them. Enjoy!

Guest thanked me, was unaware of the meteor shower. Since watching falling stars is my thing, and we have the awesome dark skies for it, I plan on advising all of my guests when they are staying during a good show. I try to find something to recommend for each group if I can find something relevant during their stay.

One guest mentioned a local restaurant that is well known by tourists and highly overrated by them according to us locals. I recommended they also go check out a place in the next town over in our same county that was featured on two well known Food Network shows. They had never heard of it and thanked me for the recommendation.

Edited to add that I ask in the questions the guest answers when reserving whether they have been to our area before and if they need more specific directions or any local recommendations. So far all but a couple of sets have been long time visitors, hopefully some will become repeat future guests. If everyone comes back who says they will, year two is going to be rockin!

[Magwitch]

@liveincourage

What do guests most often ask you when you greet them to check in? Have they mentioned it in their reviews as part of a positive experience?

The questions are often ones that are answered in the house manual but, as we all know, guests are often averse to reading. Plus many of my guests are not English speakers so I can mime/demonstrate things. I’m pretty good at that! Plus I speak a smattering of various languages - enough to understand or at least gauge what they’re asking about!

Other things are

• how much time should I give to get the airport if my flight is at xx hour.
• is it really worth going to xyz attraction?
• does the local shop sell almond milk?
• how do I buy tickets for the bus?
  and a myriad of other random things.

A house manual will never cover everything a guest might want to know. So the personal touch can’t be beat.
And yes, it does get mentioned in reviews a lot.

[LoneStar]

@Magwitch

guests are often averse to reading

Or they don’t comprehend what they do read. I got feedback that there was no propane to be found for our grill.

That would be because it’s a charcoal/wood BBQ pit and smoker. I thought “BYO wood or charcoal” was explanatory enough.

I thought that visually inspecting the pit would make obvious to anyone who didn’t read that it is not a gas grill, as evidenced by the absence of gas lines and gas burners. Evidently not!

So I’ve added to the captions of the pictures where the grill shows up, “This is not a gas grill.” That’s for the people who just look at the pictures and book.

I also explicitly spelled out next to “BYO wood or charcoal” in the description: “This is not a gas grill. There is no gas cooker anywhere on the property.”

“There was no propane to be found anywhere!” laughing

[LoneStar]

How to stay competitive: Know your market.
AirBnB’s price tips is completely and totally failing to pick up an event that is more than a month in the future and has the inventory for comparable properties slashed by 2/3rds already.
I have my rates set at the highest I’ve ever set them, $10 higher a night than the last time I said that over a big event (I’m priced $100 a night more than price tips is recommending for the upcoming event, like I was the last time I flagrantly ignored price tips and went with my local expertise), and booked it 6 weeks out for that one. I fully expect to book it. I know this crowd, it’s massive and loyal and I’m right where they want to be.

[Jo24]

I am with you. I rather clean the airbnb myself and see close up what is going on. The housekeeper is for me after I am tired from cleaning the airbnb.