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Guest Feedback - Go Visitant

How to Manage Guest Feedback

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How to Manage Guest Feedback

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly!

Who benefits from guest feedback?

All guests are entitled to leave honest and open feedback about the property they have stayed in. This is such an imperative part of this industry.

All reviews give potential new customers a great opportunity to learn more about the property, before they book it, from the eyes of another guest who has already experienced what you have to offer.

When the reviews are good, this has an excellent ongoing impact on your business reputation, however, when the reviews fall short of the mark, they can have the opposite effect on things.

Reviews and feedback always give us the opportunity to make improvements to the service that we are offering. Even if the reviews are consistently good, you must remember to keep your eye on the ball and maintain the standards you’ve achieved to date. This is equally important for those owners who live far away from the property and manage things remotely, and to those who live locally.

Whatever the level of feedback is for your property, don’t let the negative reviews dishearten you and try not to become complacent if they are always 5 stars.

Can we please everyone, all of the time?

Absolutely not – this is simply not possible. Even if you have a place of impeccable luxury, it’s important to remember that there are millions of people on the planet, all with different views, needs and opinions.

Whilst we cannot please everyone at every single moment in time, we can endeavour to do our absolute best to cover as many eventualities as is humanly possible to ensure that guests do have the best experience possible. Do your best, your best is enough.

Reviews - Go Visitant

The glowing reviews

“Loved everything about this property, had the most relaxing break and there was everything we needed and more! We will be back!”
5/5

When a review comes in which is of a very high standard, probably matching the high standards that you set for yourself when going into business, the feeling is like no other! You’ve done what you set out to achieve; invested in a property, turned it into self-catering holiday accommodation in an area that is desirable for tourists and then kitted it out to cater for every scenario you can possibly imagine!

However, it is very important to remember that there is scope for improvement at all stages of the journey, whether that is in the form of updating or upgrading fixtures and fittings, redecorating or changing furniture.

If there is one thing we have learnt on our journey as hosts, it is to replace & update before things fall into disrepair or become outdated. This means that you can keep on top of your glowing reputation and guests will arrive knowing that what they have read in the reviews is entirely accurate, there will be no disappointment, and this always starts the holiday off on the right footing.

Reply to these reviews with thanks and gratitude for the kind words. It is so important for a guest to realise that the person behind the business is genuine and appreciative for this kind of feedback.

The “middle of the road” reviews

“The property was nice and clean but the décor wasn’t really for us. It would have been nice to have a more generous Welcome pack and to have some communication from the owner before arrival” 3/5

The middle of the road reviews are probably the most useful reviews we can receive as owners, they keep us on our toes! They give us both positive and negative feedback about the overall guest experiences and we have the chance to make the necessary improvements. Read these reviews with your business head on, not from your personal perspective and gratefully accept any constructive feedback and act upon it.

Wherever possible, reply to these reviews publicly. This gives future potential customers the faith and knowledge that you will act on improvement suggestions wherever possible.

There are always things that are subjective, like décor for example, and this is something that you cannot amend to suit every guest that comes and goes from the property. Try not to take these things personally, it is one person’s opinion. As long as your photographs on your property listing currently reflect the current décor, fixtures and fittings within the property then there is nothing more that can be done on this front. These reviews are our saving grace and [put us back on the track to the 5/5 we were personally striving to maintain!

The “requires improvement” reviews

“Very busy main road right outside the property which meant that we didn’t get a proper night’s sleep for the week that we were in the property. The property could have been cleaner, and the kitchen was missing some essential utensils. The closest pub served terrible food and wasn’t very welcoming”
1/5

These reviews are the most disheartening reviews to receive, and it is incredibly hard not to take them personally. They can come as a shock, after a perfect run of glowing reviews for months, or you may experience them more regularly, the most important thing to do is act wherever possible. This kind of review does take time to recover from, but as long you do everything you can then it won’t happen again.

If you have been scored down on cleanliness for example, it is key to speak with your housekeeper, or make changes yourself to how you are cleaning and maintaining the property. It has obviously always been important to present an impeccably clean holiday let to guests, but it is even more so in the current pandemic climate. Rightfully so, people are expecting no stone unturned in the properties that they stay in. Make tweaks to the cleaning routine. If this has come as total shock out of the blue for you and you are an owner operating remotely, create a checklist for your housekeeper. Obviously, we are all human at the end of the day and errors do happen, things get missed but act immediately and then maintain the new standards. Reply to these reviews concisely and professionally. By doing so, you show future guests that you’re committed to making changes to enhance guest experiences and that you take things seriously.

How can we help you maintain good feedback levels?

As part of the package, Go Visitant offers a unique positive feedback platform for guests to review the property that they have just stayed at. The feedback is then sent to the owner for approval, and once approved, the feedback is moved to your Virtual Guestbook for future guests to read when they receive the Guestbook link. We have taken the step to name the Review tab Highlights, this will encourage people to always look for the positives in your property, instead of finding fault. There is a separate space within the Guestbook for guests to log maintenance issues for you to respond to and act upon, this keeps the Highlight section exclusively for positive feedback, and as the saying goes, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!

Go Visitant also has two other key features which will help you to maintain high guest feedback levels. The What 3 Words capability will help to eliminate problems that we have no control over – like the main road next to the property. This will be clearly visible to guests before they arrive and won’t come as an unpleasant surprise during that first night in bed! The next feature is the ability to make personal recommendations on the map. This prevents guests from checking out the slightly unsavoury pub or eatery down the road and encourages them to visit places you can personally vouch for from a quality and customer service perspective. Thus improving the overall guest experience while they are in the local area!

Check us out at www.govisitant.com to learn more!
Go Visitant

Everything You Need To Know About Go Visitant!

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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GO VISITANT

Who are we? Why are we here? How can we help you?

Who are we?

Welcome to Go Visitant. As holiday let owners, we entirely understand the value, both sentimentally and financially, of properties that are rented out to guests. Over the years, we have noticed some problematic areas in the industry, particularly a lack of protection for hosts. We have created an entire package in one place to give hosts and their properties the peace of mind and security that they deserve once guests enter their accommodation.

Why are we here?

Who looks out for you once the booking is completed by a booking agent? Or, if you are flying solo and using booking channels, how much support do you have once the guest enters your property? The guests arrive, and suddenly there is very little help available to you if something does go wrong, either accidentally or sadly and very rarely, intentionally. The insurance excess is too high to claim for menial, low value damages, the card which was used for the Good Housekeeping Bond is now invalid and the guest is now uncontactable so you are forced to write those damages off as a loss. Over time, these small losses soon mount up which is why we are here. Based on our own experiences as Hosts, we have created the most comprehensive membership package to bridge the gap between you and your guests. Aside from the legal protection offered as part of your membership, you also receive a whole host of other benefits which will enable you to provide a completely seamless experience, both for your guests and yourself. We want to work towards restoring the work-life balance and help to make your hosting more enjoyable by reducing stress and saving you time.

How can we help you?

As experienced hosts, we entirely understand how frustrating certain elements can become, and how they impact your business and livelihood which is why we have created Go Visitant. We want to help you eliminate worries and enhance the experience for both you and your guests.

  1. First up, we have our fully customisable virtual guestbook, which not only gives your guests the ability to familiarise themselves with your accommodation, and the local area, before they even walk through the door but also removes the need for you to print (and reprint!) a paper guestbook. The Virtual Guestbook has an easy-to-use template with upload portals for PDF appliance manuals, as well as photographs and videos. Even though the user experience is simple, you can rest assured that everything is as you want it to be, and that your guests will love the end result!
  2. Working alongside your Virtual Guestbook, you have the custom made legally binding Terms and Conditions. These T&Cs have been tailor made to cover all accommodation types, from pods to treehouses, and cottages to castles. They create a legally binding agreement between you and your guests, which is not to do with the booking process itself, but the expectations and courtesies you might expect guests to have while enjoying their time in your property and onsite facilities. In the event of any incidents which may occur during a stay, these Terms and Conditions give you the legal standing to withhold a portion, or all of, the deposit you will take in your portal.
  3. How do these legally binding Terms and Conditions help to reduce your damage losses and give you extra peace of mind? Well, they work hand in hand with the in-house security deposit feature which Go Visitant offers as part of your membership package. The deposit isn’t a Housekeeping Bond, but a pre-authorisation hold placed on a credit or debit card directly through your portal. This pre-authorisation is then released, automatically, providing that you do not report any damages to be deducted on your portal. With the deposit working hand in hand with both the signed Terms and Conditions & your Virtual Guestbook, you’ll have much more time to relax and know that in the event of any incidents, you’re covered, without the need for losing valuable time chasing things up.

Just when you thought we had it all covered to save you time and provide peace of mind, Go Visitant also offers some exciting additional bonus features as part of your membership which, as hosts, we know you’ll find incredibly valuable for a multitude of reasons!

  • Do you struggle to find the time to send out information and take security deposit payments, maybe you have to use a multitude of platforms & service providers to do this? This system is designed to be automated. This means that your guestbook, T&Cs, deposit payment link, return of the deposit and the key safe code, are all sent to your guests with minimal input from you, all we need is the dates of arrival and the guest mobile number or email address!
  • Are your guests frequently asking to arrive a little early? We appreciate that guests are always keen to begin their breaks as soon as possible, but we also know the level of work that is required on changeover day! Go Visitant has a timed key safe code release. There is a bit of magic involved here behind the scenes! You set your preferred arrival time in your guestbook portal, once the guest has arrived at your property, the key safe code will be automatically texted over to them at, or after, the specified time. This prevents early arrivals on the days when it is just not possible and gives your guests easy access to the key safe code when the time is right!
  • Do you have to repeat local recommendations on a weekly basis? We know that guests like to be prepared and make the necessary plans to maximise their time in your area, but the repetitive nature of recommendations is time consuming for you. Our Interactive Map gives you the option to manually make personal recommendations in your local area. This helps to ensure that your guests only experience the absolute best that your area has to offer, which in turn, enhances their time in your property and makes for very happy customers!
  • Are your guests ever lost, or maybe even just knocking on the wrong door? Go Visitant has What Three Words capability and will help to ensure that your guests get to the exact right location so that they can begin their holiday without any stresses, and you won’t have to receive those phone calls!
  • Struggle to keep on top of the ever-increasing Health and Safety requirements, or perhaps even property maintenance organisation? Go Visitant has complimentary SMS reminders included in your membership. This means that the Gas Safe Boiler Inspection renewal, and other annual certification reminders can be texted to you, or you can even set it up for the monthly visit from the window cleaner! Anything you need to help you run your accommodation as smoothly as possible. You can even set up automated Bin Collection reminders to your guests, or advanced notifications of the gardener popping round to mow the lawn!
  • Do you find it hard to find the time to upsell items to your guests? Go Visitant has an option for Add On Items in the Guestbook area. You can set your own prices, your own packages, and take payment and orders through the portal. All you need to do is arrange for the items to be in your accommodation to ensure that the guests have the most wonderful time for that special occasion!

Go Visitant is a real turn up for the books. Created by hosts, for hosts, to provide a membership package which will give you and your property greater protection, save time and enhance guest experience.

Find out more at www.govisitant.com