Podcasts
VRS058 - A Customer Service Revolution in Vacation Rentals with John DiJulius
Vacation rentals and customer service go hand-in-hand, and we have it covered– or so we believe.
We all like to think we are offering amazing service to our guests – we respond quickly to their inquiries; deliver a beautiful home with lovely décor and comfortable beds, and provide them with comprehensive information on the property and the local area.
But, is that enough?
My guest on the podcast today thinks a little differently.
I first came across John DiJulius at the VRMA Conference in San Diego where he delivered the keynote address then followed that with a standing-room only seminar.
I was transfixed with his passion, enthusiasm and the take-away information that I applied as soon as I got back to our office.
And John’s new book, The Customer Service Revolution, is the required read for all our staff.
Here’s some things we’ve put in place since we got back:
Never and Always
Although this sounds like it would apply to agencies rather than individual owners, it is just as effective whoever uses it.
John advocates creating a set of standards (or actions) that you or your employees should live by. He describes them in the book as:
“…typically one to three words in length…with no room for personal interpretation…and without any need for additional explanation”
Some examples are:
Never: Point
Always: Show them
Rather than respond to a guest inquiry about rates and availability with a link to your web page, send them a clear quote
Never: Say No
Always: Focus on what you can do
Instead of rejecting any group based on too many people, pets, etc., offer them an alternative – perhaps another local property you know of that would meet their needs.
The book has numerous examples demonstrating how companies have created their “Always” and “Never” lists.
Examining the words we use
John talks about the words we commonly use and gives food for thought when he talks about some of the simple things we see everyday and how they could have a different spin put on them. How often do we see this sign?
‘Please Wait To Be Seated’
He mentions a little change one restaurateur made so the sign now says:
‘It Is Our Pleasure To Seat You
In our office the word ‘renter’ has been eradicated completely, to be replaced with ‘guest’. We never say, “I’m sorry I can’t help”, instead the phrase is “What can I do to resolve this for you”?
I often see the expression on websites: ‘Strictly No Pets’. That could be changed to ‘Many of our guests have allergies so we have maintained a pet-free environment so they can enjoy their vacation without the potential of an allergic reaction. If you have a pet we can recommend some alternatives nearby’
A new and less ‘angry’ rental agreement
I’d never really thought about our rental agreement and how it must sound to a guest until speaking with John about how most seem to be ‘angry’. Once we really looked at ours we began to rewrite the clauses to make them more friendly and welcoming.
Of course there still needs to be the ones that tells rather than asks, but even here we could change “Smoking is not permitted in any of our properties” to “ We are pleased to offer smoke-free accommodation”.
Which brings me to my favourite DiJulius quote:
“Don’t punish 100% of your Customers, or Potential Customers, for what you are afraid 2 percent might try to do”
That is now my go-to argument in favour of ditching damage deposits!
I could go on and this post would be epic. John touched on many other things in the podcast so if you have come here before going there, check it out. If you are reading this because you’ve already listened to the podcast and want to win one of the three books I am personally sending out, leave a comment with your best customer service suggestion.
I will read them out in a future podcast.
Some of the things John talks about:
- Why the traditional notions of customer service as ‘defence’ and marketing as ‘offence’ are outdated
- Creating titles for staff that define the customer service role i.e. Director of First Impressions
- Why 60% of the words we use with clients don’t need to be said
- How an ‘angry’ rental agreement can lead to buyer’s remorse
- If you want to be a world class customer service expert, don’t use policies
- How getting into the day in the life of a guest will change your perceptions of them
- How Secret Service works and what the acronym ‘FORD’ means (warning – this could increase your bookings)
- Why we need to attract the kids – they are the decision makers
- Anticipating customer needs and focusing on individual touchpoints
John’s book The Customer Service Revolution was released on January 6th and is available at Amazon. We have 2 copies to give away in a draw for the best comments telling us what your customer service tips are. What do you do that shows you are a service revolutionary?
Links
Where you can find John:
Website
Google+
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