Reply to thread: The Value Of Communication

@Geoff7 Communication and setting expectations at the inception of the booking are key. I would probably be coined what many guests and hosts consider to be an "over communicator" . I do not bother them during their stay other than the first 24 hour check in however they do get a lot of information from me leading up to their stay and also a very comprehensive guest guide. I set up blurb drip commuinication to go out leading up to their stay, all of which are in the guest guide. Some things that I see a lot of hosts having issues with can be solved before they even take place is by setting the expecations early on. Some things that get comminicated early on bugs- we are in Florida, there are bugs and ants. There is a can of Raid under the sink for you if you need it. We don't refund for bug sightings inside our outside unless it was a full on infestation. Wifi- We have a lot of summertime thunderstorms in Florida that can rival a hurricane, this will knock out power and wifi- We are sorry however we have no control over this and we just have to wait for the powers that be to get things going again. We do not refund for power outages and loss of internet. If power was going to be out for an extended period and you decide to leave we would of course refund you your remaining nights. Plumbing- Our plumbing system is delicate, please do not flush anything other than toilet paper or we could have a real problem on our hands resulting in your having to end your stay early. Thermostats- Florida is HOT in the summer months. I send an automated message to guests immediatly after booking in the summer letting them know that they can control the stat between 69-79 degrees. When it's 100 degrees out, you will not get the unit to 69 degrees. If this is going to be an issue, please contact me and we can work with you on your reservation. * I have had many guests request the temp to be turned down to 65, this is just not going to happen so we let them know immediatly this is not possible* Hosting in the summer in Florida is the bane of my existence 😁 Not sure why the heat averse choose to come to Florida in August and expect refrigeration in the unit. Early check in late check out- As part of my booking message they are told that early check in and late check outs are not offered due to mostly back to back bookings. We will however let you know if the space is ready before check in time. It is also suggested they book an extra day if arriving early morning or leaving late at night. Availability- Guests are advised that I am available up to 9PM for any issues, after that my phone is in DND. Fire, flood or Blood call 911. For anything else just leave a message and I will get back to you first thing in the morning. I am up very early so I hope they didn't message me at 2 am to ask about a wine opener.😀 I am fortuante that I truly do not have a lot of issues with hosting and I beleive it has to do with communication and setting the proper expecations up early. It was not always like this of course, however over time you learn ways to make your hosting journey less chaotic and drama filled. Cheers to being a communicator 🥂 Karen