The following is a guest blog by GuestHug. In today's age of automation, there's no reason to spend precious seconds every morning brewing coffee, setting your room temperature or ordering your weekly essentials. You can all do these at the touch of a button. Automation, productivity and efficiency are hot topics. Every day, new products hit the market at lightning speed, saving you time, money and effort. Things are no different in the life of a short-let host who is juggling check-ins, multiple listings and guests enquiries 24 hours a day. Time-poor managers are increasingly turning to technology to take the strain. Here are our tips on how to automate and streamline your AirBnB operations.
Automated Check-ins
Check-ins shouldn’t be a hassle for your Airbnb guests. This is one of the most crucial elements of any stay. Get it wrong, and you risk having a disgruntled and confused guest standing in the rain wondering where it all went wrong, and no-one wants this.
In the past, in-person check-ins were the norm allowing for the personal experience; however, flight delays and travel hiccups can lead to wasted hours of uncertainty. Automation, key boxes, smart-locks and smart intercom systems have now become market standard with companies such as Klevio, August and Igloohome leading the way in keyless entry solutions.
For physical key exchanges, a friendly local store can act as a pick-up point. However, keeping track of arrivals is challenging as guests often don’t always confirm collection leaving hosts in the dark.
A new app on the block called GuestHug can solve this problem as guests are automatically checked into the property using their geolocation as a trigger. Once they arrive, it automates and sends a notification to the Airbnb host giving them peace of mind and removes the uncertainty around the check-in procedure.
As a host, you’ll need to ensure that you are always maintaining your rental property at a comfortable temperature for your guests. Home temperature automation units, like Nest, automate cooling and heating for your property.
When you install a home temperature automation unit, ensure that the ambient temperature at your property is always reasonable. You can quickly check it periodically from your smartphone. You never have to worry about guests injuring themselves or damaging your property while trying to adjust the temperature themselves.
Automated Responses
Fast responses improve your customer service and giving your guests the information they need at their fingertips is all-important. Auto-responder messaging found in some management software apps can be set up to respond with common queries. These include all the vital information that you send to guests who just placed a booking for your property. Include information, such as crucial exchange instructions, directions to your property, Wi-Fi passwords, check-in and check-out policies, and more.
GuestHug goes one step further and allows hosts to populate a bespoke native app for their guests to access with all the essential information they need. Once the guest has booked, they can download the app. They can also access a video check-in guide, automated directions, digital house manual and local guide dramatically. This cuts down on guest queries and boosting management efficiencies.
In addition to temperature control units, consider installing sensors to help automate routine activities at your Airbnb property. For example, a motion sensor can turn lights off when not in use. It will help you to save on the electric bill. A water leak or carbon monoxide sensor can detect when there is a problem in your home. These problems could potentially jeopardise your guests’ safety. It will also alert you about emergency repairs that you need to make.
You can also integrate sensors with automation software, such as SmartThings and IFTTT, It will allow you to create rules on how you want Airbnb home automation devices to respond when a sensor detects an event. For example, you can set up a rule that stops the heating or air conditioning from running. You can do this while the front door is open to save energy.
Check-out how our shiny new app can help with boosting management efficiencies and improve your short-let margins by downloading a free 30 day of trial from the App Store or Play Store.
