Touchless Technology: a Worthwhile Investment for Your Vacation Rental Agency
With consumers increasingly using digital technologies to search, plan and book travel, it becomes increasingly important for tourism businesses to incorporate digital technologies and leverage advanced capabilities.
OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2020
The above quote from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, clearly shows that the digitalization era of tourism was already in the agenda but now it is a need that you as a Property Manager will need to cover to build guest confidence to book with you.
As the recent study made by Censuswide and mentioned in the Phocuswire Travel Trends Report 2021 shows:
¨…more than four in five travelers said technology would increase their confidence to travel in the next 12 months. ¨
Phocuswire Travel Trends Report 2021
There are many different touchpoints throughout the guest experience where you can make a difference when it comes to the booking process.
So let’s have a look at the different areas of your operation where you can go the extra mile for your guests and the touchless technology that will help you make them feel safe to book your properties.
Touchpoint 1 – When Booking Your Properties : Vacation Rental Touchless Technology
The payment process of your bookings is always a hassle for your agency: Chargebacks, Fraud, fights about the deposit returns during check-out…
But it is also a pain point for your guest: credit card data security, payment user experience during booking, waiting for refunds…
The best way for both of you to feel at ease is through payment automation and processors such as :
Stripe (Global)
Syspay (Global)
Comercia Global Payments (Global)
Ascent (USA)
Redsys (Spain)
Axerve (Italy)
Amazon Payment Services (Middle East)
These are just a few examples of payment processors you can work with. As por payment automation, most vacation software companies should be able to provide this service.
For example the Avantio vacation rental property management software can fully automate charges, refunds and deposits. As well as validate credit card funds and set-up credit card payment retries.
And if you want to go the extra mile in their travel planning process , make sure to have an intelligent date search feature for your web, which will give them the flexibility of choosing the dates and rates they prefer.
Touchpoint 2– Post-Sale Useful Touchless Technology to Stay Safely Connected
So now that your guest has booked your accommodation, you will still need to keep contact with them.
Communication tools such as a Unified Inbox or guest area are very useful when it comes to staying in touch with them before, during and after their stay with cero contact.
Here’s an example of how a Unified Inbox can help you stay in touch safely with your guests.
Having a guest area within your website where guests can log in and manage their reservations, is a great way to provide info such as house rules, what to do in the local area, and even sell extra services.
Touchpoint 3 – Vacation Rental Touchless Technology For a Safe Arrival
A variety of touchless technology for the vacation rental sector has come forth in the last couple of years from check-in apps, keyless entries, temperature sensors and much more.
And now, at the very least, tourists are most definitely expecting you to have a check-in app and keyless technology that will allow them to arrive quickly and without any risks.
Below you will find a list of options that will not only save you lots of time but also provide what your guests are looking for; an amazing experience!
Touchpoint 4– During Their Stay & Check-out: Managing Your Properties Remotely
The maintenance and housekeeping of your properties, with the current situation, has become even more of a challenge due to cleaning compliance protocols.
Now you can leverage your resources through technology, which helps you coordinate and organize your housekeeping and maintenance teams.
Plus you will be able to assure your guests that they are booking properties that are secure.
Breezeway Property Operations and Services Platform
DoInn Certified Cleaning and Laundry Services
As you have seen, the adoption of technology that allows you to set a high standard for your guests while giving you the tools to operate remotely is a worthwhile investment.
It willl….
- Assure the safety of your guests while still offering a high standard and quality service.
- Helps you leverage your operational tasks remotely keeping you and your employees safe.
- Save time which you can use to focus more on your business strategy and less time-solving problems manually.
- Be a source of information to keep track of your business and make the right decisions at the right moment.
If you are interested in any of the services mentioned above, Avantio offers a full suite of products and integrated solutions for your vacation rental agency.
Want to know more about what we can do for you? You can set up a free consultation with our market experts.
