Want 5-star Airbnb reviews? Focus on great experiences — here’s how it’s done.

March 13, 2024

If you Airbnb your property, you’ll know the anxiety around scoring those 5-star reviews. Granted, you can’t control what everyone says, but if you want 5-star Airbnb reviews (and who doesn’t?), you can do loads of wonderful things to make your guests happy. But before you turn yourself inside out doing everything (and throwing in a $20,000 Jacuzzi for good measure), let’s look at what truly impresses your guests and moves the needle.

According to Price Waterhouse Cooper, creating happy customers boils down to great experiences. Give your guests a great customer experience, and you’ll make them feel heard and appreciated. They’ll also be prepared to pay more, be loyal, and share their experiences with friends.

Sadly, most businesses (and you could assume hosts) get this wrong, focusing instead on ‘things’ and technology rather than meaningful connections.

“Great customer experiences make guests feel heard and appreciated. They’ll also be prepared to pay more, be loyal, and share their experiences with friends.”

What is a good customer experience?

PWC say a good experience includes factors like speed, convenience, consistency, friendliness — and human touch — doing what you can humanise what could be a technical transaction (for example, adding a short but warm, personalised welcome note when accepting guests, rather than merely clicking a button.)

How can I create great Airbnb experiences?

You have around eight ways (not including transactional communication) to personalise the experience with each guest. Here’s what you can do.

1. Respond to all communications.

Respond quickly — and helpfully to all messages. Tell them what they need to know and make their check-in experience as friction-free and pleasant as possible. Go even further and leave a welcome basket in your holiday home with a small note or card, addressing them by name. Do they have children or pets? Perhaps mention them, too.

2. Make it sparkling clean.

A sparkling clean house puts your guests at ease. Remember, all guests feel slightly anxious before arriving, wondering if they’ll be able to feel at home. No one wants to stay at a place where it’s obvious other humans have been before. If the house is as clean as new, you’ll remove all anxieties and create a positive guest experience.

3. Invest in thoughtful appliances and amenities.

What would put your guests at ease, eliminate their stresses and make them feel at home? Including the basics like coffee, tea and milk is a start. Equipping the bathroom with soaps, spare toothbrushes and toiletries certainly helps. Adding a coffee machine, quality fluffy towels, plenty of hooks (guests always need to hang toilet bags, carry bags, jackets, etc.), a suitcase caddy and a bottle of wine or fruit juice in the fridge helps that much more, too.

4. Leave helpful signage.

Instruction booklets are great, but not many of us want to sit down and read a manual when we arrive on holiday. One of the critical tenets of excellent customer service is reducing friction. Why not make life easier for guests by framing small, clear instructions at appropriate points in the home? Do you have dozens of light switches? Leave signs explaining which ones work where. Confusing washing machine? Frame quick tips on how it works. Do you store extra furniture throws for pets? Let them know where they are stored. Leaving appropriate messages where guests need them will make life so much easier. And don’t forget to frame a sign with all emergency and essential numbers.

5. Be knowledgable.

According to PWC, a cornerstone of good customer experiences is knowledgeable staff. Translate this into the world of Airbnb and we have ‘knowledgeable hosts’. You know your neighbourhood and town better than most, so share your knowledge through a local guidebook. Importantly, personalise your expertise by sharing your insider tips. Airbnb gives you the tools to create an online guidebook, which you can print out for your guests. Most cities provide tourism guides for places to visit, eat and drink, so track some down and keep a stash handy for your guests.

6. Be helpful and responsive.

Respond immediately to all queries during your guests’ stay and be helpful. Avoid blaming tradespeople or bad appliances and offer solutions to any glitches they may experience.

7. Take on their feedback.

Your guests’ feedback is priceless. Take it on and learn from any negative experiences to perfect your offerings in the future.

8. Thank your guests.

Once your guests leave your property, send them a quick, personalised note thanking them for their stay. And remember, if you tell them you’d love them to return, you’ll make them happier again.

Need help managing your holiday home rental?

If you’d like to generate more income without the hard work, contact Cloudbnb today.

Perth-based Cloudbnb can maximise your earning potential and minimise the stress. Our complete short-term holiday rental management service makes getting the most from your rental property (like 14% in passive returns) without lifting a finger.

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