Similarly to my last post about owners, #RadicalHonesty with our guests has to start with radical honesty with ourselves.
Maybe it’s time to shift the paradigm a bit.
“They leave their brains on the other side of the bridge...”
“Tourons...”
“Let me get out my crystal ball…”
“I can’t wait until the season is over…”
“Why can’t they just leave their money and go home?”
Any of these sound familiar? That’s a rhetorical question.
Do You Secretly Resent Your Guests?
We disparage our guests.
Sometimes, in some pretty strong terms.
I’ve done it.
When I worked on the Outer Banks and I had guests literally wagging their fingers in my face threatening me, you better believe I was silently cursing them.
My coworkers and I used to shake our heads in frustration at the tourists going 20 mph down the Bypass (speed limit of 50 if I recall correctly) trying to find the right street.
We lamented not being able to go to the grocery store on weekends (particularly Saturday) because not only could you not find a parking spot, the lines were backed up down all the aisles.
We hated that they took over “our” beach each summer.
We resented our guests.
Why?
With the clarity of years and distance, I can hazard a few educated guesses.
The Reasons Why
First, some of them truly were just straight up pains in the ass. They took every opportunity to complain, to demand, to demean.
Maybe they were just frustrated with their long drives or screaming kids or not being able to get in their property at 1pm, but they sure displaced that anger.
Second, we’ve created an adversarial relationship before they even walk in the door.
They resent us, too, so it becomes a lose-lose scenario.
They’ve learned that even though they’ve spent thousands of dollars for a vacation rental, they essentially have no power or influence if anything goes wrong.
We make it very clear that our loyalty is to the owners, not to them.
Our policies and procedures are written in frank language and are very explicit. We detail what they can and can’t do and also let them know the sometimes harsh punishment for any possible infraction.
It’s like we read them the riot act before they’ve even done anything.
I understand why we’ve had to do that. It’s all thanks to the guests who have bent or broken the rules over the years.
But we’ve created a system where everyone gets punished, not just those few guests who are the root of the problem. More on those guests later.
Last, and this might take a minute to wrap your mind around, I believe that we resent some of our guests because we can’t do enough for them and that frustrates us.
They come to us with legitimate complaints and many times, all we can offer is a token of an apology.
A 10% discount off their stay.
A refund of a fee for an amenity not functioning.
Really? That's the best we can do?
We can’t move them. We can’t refund a significant enough portion of their money to satisfy them.
Even though we can put ourselves in their shoes and feel their frustration, we still have to absorb their anger.
So, of course, that causes both frustration and resentment. We’re only human.
Why does all of this happen?
Again, because we work only for the owner, not the guest. We have to protect the owners best interests, even when it’s at the cost of the guests.
Look in the Mirror
So, how do we practice #RadicalHonesty with our guests?
By first practicing it with ourselves.
We have to look at our own behavior.
Do we offer our guests just a tight smile when they walk in the door? Better yet, do we initially ignore them because we're "busy"?
Think about the impression that gives.
Do we subconsciously approach them with an assertive stance, in anticipation of a verbal onslaught that may or may not be coming?
Do we spit back policy-speak instead of actually trying to help when they do approach us with an issue or concern?
(I once rented a cabin in the north Georgia mountains. When I called the rental office to complain about construction noise at 7am directly next door, the literal first words out of the staff member’s mouth were,”We’re not responsible for construction.” They got a scathing 1-star review.)
If someone asks for a meal recommendation, do we use that as an opportunity to tell them about our favorite off-the-beaten-path spot or do we just give them the name of a popular tourist restaurant?
Talk to Your Guests
Do we ever just TALK to our guests?
Remember this. They are more than their reservation or property number.
They’re people. They have names. They have interests and allergies and quirks.
They have families. Maybe they have a kid with special needs. Maybe the dog has just been diagnosed with cancer and this is his last trip with the family.
Maybe they’re there for their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary and they’re really excited to see cousins that they haven’t seen in 10 years.
Maybe this is the first time they’ve been able to take a vacation in 4 years because one of them lost their job then and they’ve just managed to get back on their feet.
Chew on This
Here’s something else to think about.
If you make the time to get to know a guest on a personal level, even if it’s just a 5-minute conversation, they’ll remember that when and if an issue does arise.
They’ll approach you differently. They’ll be kinder. They’ll be more rational. If they see you making a genuine effort to help, they’ll probably be satisfied with whatever you are able to do for them.
But it’s not just because they’ll be easier on us when there’s a problem.
It’s fun to get to know our guests. 95+% of them are lovely people with great families and interesting stories. They appreciate our input. They make us laugh.
We can forge genuine connections with some of these folks that last for years.
It’s a wonderful feeling when a past guest calls back specifically to speak to you to rent a property again.
It’s even better when they arrive and you get a warm hug in greeting.
If we encourage every member of our staff to engage with customers as often as possible and comfortable, just think how what a positive effect it would have on your office and your work atmosphere.
The Customer is NOT Always Right
And here’s the flip side of #RadicalHonesty for guests.
The customer is not always right.
That’s just bullshit.
I once had a guest tell me, with his face inches from mine, that if his property wasn’t ready by 4:00, I was going to go out there and clean it myself.
I once had a guest who insulted my integrity because she made a mistake with dates when she booked her reservation.
They were just wrong. There was no spinning either of those behaviors
YOU DON’T HAVE TO TOLERATE TOXIC GUESTS.
Now, me being the damn Yankee that I am, have gotten back in people’s faces and backed them down. Because bullies always back down when confronted. (Of course, I also immediately told my rental manager to expect a phone call.)
The point is, we shouldn’t have to put up with bullies. Any employee, whether a rental manager, reservationist, housekeeper or maintenance person, should have the employee right to verbally defend themselves against angry and aggressive guests.
I think it’s time we let guests know that we are there to help them, but not absorb their anger or tolerate verbal abuse.
It should NOT be part of the job description.
Further, those guests should then be placed on a “Do Not Rent” list. And if they call back in the future, let them know they’re banned. If you want to, let them know why.
Do any of us need a rental so badly that we’ll allow ourselves or our staff to be treated with aggression and disrespect?
Of course not.
Summary
Think about what kind of culture you are cultivating. Do you want a company and a reputation full of positive reviews, repeat guests and happy staff? Who wouldn’t?
Stop treating your guests like a possible enemy to be wary of.
Make sure your staff understands what they can and can’t do for guests. Then empower them to do the best they can for every issue. Encourage them to seek true solutions for guests issues and not just brush them aside with “policy-speak”.
Engage with your guests whenever you can. Enjoy their stories and maybe even tell one of your own. You might just make a new friend! At the very least, you’ll have a loyal new guest.
Don’t put up with bullshit from toxic guests. Open your mouth and let them know you won’t tolerate disrespect and aggression. Then let them know they’re no longer welcome to rent from you.
You may get some social media blowback, but people can always read between the lines, particularly when you’ll have so many positive reviews from happy and loyal guests to counteract the one or two negative ones.
With so many people flocking to vacation areas, I could never understand why rental companies operate with such a scarcity mentality. There’s plenty of guests to go around. With these simple tweaks, we’ll find the ones we want to serve, for this season and many more to come.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE feedback! Please hit “reply” and let me know what you thought of this post, whether it’s good or bad. I want to know!
Also tell me what else you would like to read about. I want to be here for you.
Thanks so much,
Alissa