Doctors Diagnose Disease - Lodging Newsletter July 31st, 2019

By Wm, May
Published: 07/31/19 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Vacation Rentals, Vortex VIP Comments: 0

It is difficult to tell people things they don’t want to hear.

Doctors don’t want to give diagnosis of disease. Bankers don’t want to say your account is overdrawn. Your kids don’t want to say you are getting older.

In lodging management, sometimes we have to tell clients how the industry works. With the pace of change in this quirky industry, sometimes we have to call up and say something has changed.

So this letter is to summarize some of the changes to the lodging industry that you just might not know about.

In fact, the marketplace is growing, owners are making more money, more guests are enjoying homes and management is becoming more scientific, more predictable and more fun.

It’s also more work, but that has always been the case.

Lodging Newsletter by William May 
July 31st, 2012 - Bringing the News

It’s not bad news, usually it’s good news, but it’s always news.

BUSINESS: Every home that becomes a vacation rental becomes a business. They create income for property owners, but demand time and attention. We offer maximum income with minimum fuss. We invest the time and send profits to owners. Hundreds of methods are applied to make that happen, in ways no other manager does, and in ways do-it-yourself owners can’t match. We treat it like a business.

NET INCOME: Owners have two goals (A) Keep the home in good condition (B) Send them maximum net income. That may require some owners to change their thinking. Presumptions don’t help, inflexibility doesn’t work, and failure to adjust to constant industry changes risks low income. Rely on us to avoid those problems.

PERISHABLE INVENTORY: At midnight every day a home which has not been rented becomes worthless for income. Grocery stores understand that some inventory, such as produce, is perishable and must be discarded if not sold. The manager’s job is to book every night at the highest rate, and sometimes at a modest rate rather than to produce no income for the owner.

SCIENCE: We use sophisticated Yield Management techniques that employ Dynamic Rates. Every owner is delighted to see super high rates at the super popular times. But it also means medium rates during shoulder seasons, and low rates in slow seasons. Rates must change based on supply and demand. We don’t set rates, the market sets rates.

PRIDE: Some owners are delighted to see big rates and slighted to see low rates often proclaiming "My house is worth more than everyone else’s!" Pride of ownership is understandable, but don’t let pride empty your pocket book. Allow your manager to employ the science.

NEGOTIATIONS: Since the recession, Americans have became hagglers. Decades ago we all laughed at those silly European or Asian countries where bargaining was everywhere. Today we have become them. Good managers never regret travelers who want deals, but work to turn every possible customer into a happy paying customer.

MAINTENANCE: Every home ages over time. Second homes age about the same. Renting does not accelerate routine repairs and maintenance, but it does enforce the need. Guests have come to demand properly managed homes and hospitality grade cleaning. Good managers provide basic maintenance for affordable rates not to line their pockets, but to avoid guest refunds and credits.

REVIEWS: With the advent of the internet, every business gets reviewed, sliced, and diced online. No matter the quality of a home, owners must be prepared to see negatives online. Plus legitimate complaints (such as a failed water heater) must be fixed fast to avoid reputation assassination. Your manager should be praised for taking swift action to protect owner income, even if there is a cost.

OBSERVATION: Housekeepers and managers keep an eye on every home, but no one can memorize the interior of multiple homes They might not notice a missing throw rug, a pot, pan or hand towel. Guest theft is very rare, damages are uncommon, but as a business it does happen. Your manager can attempt to assess the guest or charge damages to deposit insurance. If that is not possible, it becomes a cost of doing business for the property.

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Author: Wm, May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0682 – 07/31/19

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Surprising Internet - Lodging Newsletter June 30th, 2019

By Wm, May
Published: 06/30/19 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Online Travel Agents (OTAs), Search Engines (Google, Bing, Safari), Vacation Rentals, Vortex VIP Comments: 0

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Author: Wm, May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0676 – 06/30/19

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Quick Tips - Lodging Newsletter May 31st, 2019

By Wm, May
Published: 05/31/19 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Vacation Rentals, Vortex VIP Comments: 0

We love to talk with property owners and other people about our craft. In fact we encourage questions and education.

However explaining what we do has risks because, we never know if the owner just wants the short simple answer that we have spent decades mastering.

Or do they want to learn the details, the minutiae of how we arrived at the answer, what other facts were considered, and how we reached our conclusion.

Sometimes they want to know the policies, procedures and standards we have devised to master a topic. Sometimes they want to suggest alternatives or new ideas.

Our success has stemmed from grabbing good ideas wherever we find them, and quickly adapting to changes and improvements; but in explaining it all we try to avoid the "pocket watch" syndrome.

When you ask the time do you just want to know (1) the hour and minute? Or (2) do you want to know how the watch was designed, manufactured, assembled, and how it works?

This month's letter takes the first approach as we jot down some of the repetitious questions we get with the simple answers that we know to be true.

Here are yes/no questions you might want to know.

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- How many hours does it take to self manage? Experts say 520 hours per year.

- Will I make more money self-managing? No.

- Why would I self manage? You need an unpaid hobby.

- Should I limit occupancy in my place? Absolutely.

- What produces the most bookings? Advertising on hundreds of websites.

- Should every home have its own website? Yes, and we provide that.

- Why are your photos so spectacular? Expert photographers using HDR.

- Why are 3D tours used? Guests want to see what they are renting.

- Why do you work 24-7? If not you would make less money.

- Who pays for guest cleanings? The guest does.

- How many sets of towels-linens do I need? At least 2, preferably 3.

- Will towels and linens wear out? Yes, over time.

- Who does deep cleaning? We do or owners do, at their choice.

- Can I just use part of your services? Yes, we offer full-service or a-la-carte.

- If I put in a hot tub, will I make more money? Yes, much more.

- Is a hot tub cleaning fee charged? Yes.

- Will allowing dogs get more bookings? Yes, more bookings & higher rates

- Should cats be allowed? Never.

- Should a dog cleaning fee be charged? Yes.

- Will I make more money if I handle advertising myself? No.

- How do I find a good cheap housekeeper? You can't.

- Are background checks performed on housekeepers? We do them on all staff.

- Do your staff members receive training? Yes and on a continuing basis.

- Can you help me furnish my home. Yes, we know what works.

- What happens if there is damage? We require guest damage insurance.

- If I sell my house, must future bookings be honored? Yes.

- Who pays the credit card costs? The guest does.

- What rates should I charge? Rates must be very dynamic.

- Do guests call after hours for services? Yes, and we answer them all.

- Can I fill my house by using AirBnB? It’s good, but not enough.

- Do VRBO, AirBnB, etc. charge commissions? Yes.

- How can I avoid them? You can not, but we can minimize them.

- Why do you advertise on those "Online Travel Agents"? They make you money.

- Do you mark-up rates, to cover OTA fees? Yes.

- Can I cancel bookings after guests make them? No.

- What happens if I do cancel bookings? Your home could get blacklisted.

- Do you collect and pay lodging taxes? Yes.

- Why are lodging taxes not shown on my statement? They belong to the state.

- Can guests request a "Chargeback" on credit cards? Yes.

- Do they need a good reason? No.

- Do you try to reverse those? Always.

- Are reversals successful? Usually, but not always.

- Must I get a permit to rent? In some areas, but not most places.

- Do I need special rental insurance? Yes. We can recommend agents.

- How do guests get into my rental? Keysafes, electronic locks, or front desk.

- Do you have more answers? Boy do we. Thousands.

- Do owners need to learn it all? No, we'll do all the work. Just ask.

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Author: Wm, May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0671 – 05/31/19

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Who Owns Your Property? - Lodging Newsletter April 30th, 2019

By Wm, May
Published: 04/30/19 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Vacation Rentals, Vortex VIP Comments: 0

So who owns your property really? The answer may surprise you.

Vacation Rentals have been around forever, going back in time even longer than hotels. Did you know that Thomas Jefferson rented a vacation rental when he wrote the Declaration of Independence? Of course, they weren't called that then, but people often rented private homes for short stays.

The operation and growth of lodging has gone through many, many changes over the years but it has only been since the advent of the Internet that the pace has skyrocketed.

Recently, we saw a small condominium building and a remote resort hire one of those out-of-town national lodging companies to manage their rentals. Unfortunately both property owners allowed that company to take advantage of them by dropping their brand name and coopting guest relations for themselves.

This month we'll emphasize why owners should care about owning the operations, reputation, and marketing for their homes; and how our a-la-carte programs allow owners to do just that by deciding how they want their property managed.

One size does not fit all.

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Owners of every Inn, Resort and Vacation Rental work to offer unique and wonderful properties and when they hire a management firm a big question is "Does that manager promote themselves or do they focus on the property?"

We are proud of our company and staff members who work so diligently for owners. We offer the best of both worlds - local management businesses that provide stellar hands on assistance, with a back-office of advertising, marketing, reservations, and accounting that the big guys can't match.

Everyone in the industry needs to admit that first-time guests pick the property and not the manager. Property owners should be wary of the big-mouthed management companies who take center stage at the expense of their personal homes visibility.

Of course guests demand that homes to be hospitality clean, that services be instantly available and that their trip be hassle free. Only local on-site business management owners meet those goals and provide long-term continuity that returning guests cite repeatedly as to why they book again and again through us.

Online Travel Agents such as Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia, and others act like giant catalogues making it easy for guests to browse and pick the very best home for their needs. While other managers list homes on a few OTAs, we advertise every home on hundreds because, to do anything less, would decrease demand, lower rates, and result in less income to owners.

Even within those mammoth OTAs, properties that we market stand out with more and better creative techniques than anyone else.

Yes, those steps cost us more, but we are able to so while charging clients less because we are small, nimble and industrious. No one can match our "Perfect Touch: Dynamic range photos, walk through 3D tours, color floor plans, brand names, logos, and graphics.

To offset some of the OTA costs, our content heavy regional websites attract guests who book directly with us. We also build regional tourism websites, plus we create an impressive e-commerce website for every home and property.

For Inns and Resorts, we retain their brand name by building sumptuous websites that feature them and them alone. They keep their reputation and brand name, we just help operate it behind the scenes.

Most important, we go the extra mile with all of those tasks to promote every home first to guests, and to only take the stage when the guest wants to know that we are reliable, trustworthy, and helpful.

Our first office opened in 1964 so our locations are staffed with long tenured professional adults. To these wonderful people, long ago we have added website wizards, deft database programmers, agile advertising people, adroit accountants, and happy reservation pros.

Our goal is very simple - to help every owner achieve maximum income with minimum fuss. We do that with full-service programs or a-la-carte fitting our service to what owners want and need. All because the needs of the property must come first.

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Author: Wm, May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0664 – 04/30/19

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Rates & Pricing - Lodging Newsletter March 31st, 2019

By Wm. May
Published: 03/31/19 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Vacation Rentals, Vortex VIP Comments: 0

Everyone aggress that the very best reason for buying a second home is to love it, to bring family and friends to a favorite place, and for everyone to enjoy themselves.

The internet has made another trend possible, and that is for everyone to make better use of their assets.

For example, instead of owning a car that sits parked most of the time, you can share one (so to speak) with your Uber driver only when you need it. If you own a vacation rental home, you can earn money from it when you are not there.

The high mucky mucks of finance would call this "asset utilization" with the acknowledgement that achieving better utilization is always the goal.

Many people jump into vacation rentals with the misconception that the simple way to get maximum income is to set the highest rates. Unfortunately, setting rates has become a strange amalgam of art and science.

So this month, we will dip into the arcane area of rates and pricing.

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- Who sets the rate, the owner or the manager?

- What would the nightly rate be for my home?

- How many nights will it rent?

In the simplest form, answering those questions may sound a bit too glib. "No one sets the rate. The market sets the rate". or "The number of nights will be dictated by the rate."

This does not mean that rates must be low because that leaves money on the table, but setting rates too high on some dates will cause occupancy to crash. The only technique that works is to charge the "very right" price for every day of the year. That is easier said than done. Here is how we go about that process.

DYNAMIC PRICING - The use of seasonal rates has been around forever, albeit in a rudimentary fashion. Set high season rates higher and low season rates low, weekend rates higher than mid week. With dynamic pricing, different rates can be set every day of the year. Rates may need to be adjusted frequently, sometimes as often as daily.

EXACT INSIGHTS - Third party research services sample millions of units every day of the year, for many months or years in advance, querying billions of points of data daily. This reveals what competitors are doing as well as global, regional and local trends. IT builds a graph of price short term and long term to visualize trends and pick optimum yield.

LOCALIZED STRATEGY - Globally based managers get lost in the details and seldom know local events that allow us to tweak prices for better rates and occupancy. Combined with dynamic rates even changes of 5 to 10% can yield more income to owners.

PERSONALIZED STRATEGY - Even within a geographic market, there are rate differences between homes. Luxurious places get higher rates, but there are guests for every type of property. This is done by determining the relationship between homes, those we manage and those we do not.

UPGRADES: Should owners change amenities, add a hot tub or make other improvements, we must revise photos, descriptions, and then anticipate up ticks to capture more income quicker.

OWNER GOALS: Generally rates are within fairly narrow ranges and when science is employed, every home produces more net income than before. Our job is to find the sweet spots between "supply and demand."

We start with the premise that every owner wants to achieve the maximum net income for their property. We understand that some owners present ulterior motives. Some feel they must have a higher rather than a neighbor feeling that their home is superior, or they set a "Rock Bottom" rate that is so high those cut down the number of bookings.

Our approach is more scientific than local competitors and more intricate than the national firms can deduce. The goals is to have the right price every night, and to have it every night in advance, to attract early and late bookers alike.

Clients should buy a second home because they will love and use it. Now with our efficient pricing tools and daily attention to rates and occupancy, they will get the highest asset utilization for the days they do not use the home.

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0658 – 03/31/19

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Did you know? - Lodging Newsletter February 28th, 2019

By Wm. May
Published: 02/28/19 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Vacation Rentals, Vortex VIP Comments: 0

In a 2016 survey, HomeAway, the operator of various vacation rental advertising websites such as VRBO, found that that managing your own home only takes 10 hours per week.

That 10 hours per week computes to about 25% of the hour that a full time employee works. Full time employees usually work 40 hours a week, but when you subtract coffee breaks, vacations and sick leave, it's really far less.

The old saying goes, "You never know what you don't know until you discover you don't know it." The vacation rental industry is not immune from that situation.

Property owners often begin renting without taking the time to read and study what the business is all about. In most cases they do fine, but it may be fair to say that they are always surprised, hopefully only in minor ways.

Owners who attempt to manage their own properties get the biggest surprise because those hours can be spread from first light until midnight, occasionally even overnight.

They cannot be scheduled because guests want what they want, when they want it. In today's era of computers and smart phones that can be any time of the day or night. If you turn off the phone, you lose bookings to professional managers who provide 24-7/365 service.

All this is just another way we help owners get maximum income with minimum fuss.

So, this month I thought I would summarize random things as "Did You Know" type questions.

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Here is a mish mash of "Did You Know" facts, figures, statistics, and plain ol' good wisdom we have picked up over time.

DYK - Our definition of "Hospitality Clean" is defined as cleaner that most people leave their homes just after they've done a deep clean. Guests demand clean above all else.

DYK - Many housekeepers drive miles and miles between homes each day to make them clean and ready for guests anxious for a vacation. Making people happy is the entire definition of hospitality.

DYK - Did you know that our managers participate in weekly continuing education, collaboration, and problem solving sessions? DYK that we discover and implement a list of new things every week? (Wow, this industry moves fast!)

DYK - Dynamic rates are becoming the norm. Rates must vary by season, day of the week, and even local events such as festivals. They also must jump up or down based on demand.

DYK - We get telemetry from several sources that reveal prices that others are charging, so we can be a dollar less or sometimes strategically much higher. Research can't answer all questions.

DYK - We are the only management firm that offers a full slate of "creative" selling tools - HDR photos, panos, 3D tours, floor plans, and a custom website for every property.

DYI - That the giant out-of-town managers churn through clients with homes in and out, and all because they can not provide the truly hands-on, committed, concerned care that we can.

DYK - There is nothing the corporate managers do that we do not? In fact, we have a long list of services we provide to get owners maximum income with minimum fuss. As that old "Annie Get Your Gun" song said, "Anything they can do, we can do better." (We will spare you our singing)

DYK - That we operate local tourism websites as a service to guests but also a way to get prospective guests that the competitors don't even know about.

DYK - Our very first management office opened in 1964, making us the oldest in the area and one of the oldest in the country. Surprisingly, we are the most tech enabled too.

DYK - Many cities and counties are pushing to regulate or even prohibit vacation rentals? If you think your property rights include being able to rent you may be surprised.

DYK - Vacation Rentals are also not new. Thomas Jefferson ensconced himself in a kind of vacation rental for weeks while drafting the Declaration of Independence.

- - - - - -

SHOUTOUT - To our friends at Eden Valley Guest Ranch in North Central Washington State. Lovely cabins. Ride a horse. Sign around the campfire. Your kids will love it (you will, too!) Look at EdenValleyGuests.com

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0650 – 02/28/19

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Rain Rain Snow Snow - Lodging Newsletter January 31st, 2019

By Wm. May
Published: 01/31/19 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Vacation Rentals, Vortex VIP Comments: 0

In the Summer high season, when every property is booked solid, guests are coming and going, and yes properties sometimes need maintenance and extra services, it's nice to think that it will slow down a bit soon.

Naturally we would prefer it to be smashingly busy at all times and we would never want bookings to be slower, but we must admit there will be respites where we catch our breath.

This winter, we have had abnormal "rain rain, go away, come again another day" along with "snow snow go away don't come back another day". Can you imagine the extra work of trudging from house to house to clean in pouring rain or bounding over walls of snow and ice?

So which is better? Winter or summer? Maybe spring or fall?

The answer is - doesn’t matter.

This is a fast moving and intricate industry in a even faster moving company, that has mastered the hundreds of key capabilities. How about we give you a "day in the life" of a vacation rental company?

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Vacation rentals are a seemingly simple industry. How tough can it be? Run some ads, take reservations and money, give keys to the guests, find a housekeeper and do it all again. But a day in the life looks little like that.

The day actually starts the day before when our rez pros take calls to confirm guests scheduled to leave today, later they get confirmation that homes have been cleaned and inspected. The night auditor double checks that guests arriving tomorrow have their instructions, usually sent days before.

No matter the preparation, guests call with sometimes unbelievable questions. Does the house have water? (Yes). Do we have to bring our own dishes? (No). Can we bring our pet pig? (No). Owners too call with questions (maybe) and requests (of course we can).

The night before, managers and housekeepers set the next days "turns" (check-outs and check-ins). Early the next morning, reservation crew are already processing new online bookings, receiving phone calls non-stop, telephoning guests and staff to coordinate and handle maintenance work orders. No lunch today, the phones are buzzing and we love new bookings.

In full swing now, fastidious cleaners "jump" from one home to another as they wait for linens to complete drying, then return to complete other tasks. It all must happen in a short 5 to 6 hours for multiple homes. Some parties are late getting out, so the clean driving route is altered.

Cleaners work in teams to make it work. All homes are visited, lights turned on, even turned up. The home is checked to be perfect for guest arrival.

Our money staff reconcile credit cards, checking accounts, process payroll and payables, and prepare comprehensive financial statements to be mailed to every owner, along with checks. Then remit taxes to dozens of jurisdictions.

Our marketing ninjas review inbound pricing telemetry, check on automatic price recommendations but alter rates to match our knowledge of market factors. They create specials, blast emails to guest lists, create print materials and pump up sales.

Our software gurus have engineered a system that creates stunning websites, electronically integrates with all top websites and hundreds of others. But features are always being added to stay far ahead of the competition.

As the office buzzes, staff photographers roam the country shooting stunning dynamic range photos, videos, panoramas and 3D walk-through tours. For new homes, managers are documenting every niche of every home and ensure that every little things is right. We call it zero defects.

More phone calls. Did we find the IPhone we left in the place? (Yes). Can we arrange to have it shipped? (Yes). Can we alter reservation after we depart? (No). Can we bring our peg pig? (Sorry no, who is this really?)

Then later that afternoon it all starts again - over and over again, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. So why do we do it? Because helping owners make money and guests have wonderful stays makes a day in the life well worth it all.

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0649 – 01/31/19

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Want the Money? - Lodging Newsletter December 31st, 2018

By Wm. May
Published: 12/24/18 Topics: Lodging Newsletter, Vacation Rentals, Vortex VIP Comments: 0

Vacation Rentals and specialty lodging are the fastest growing segments of the lodging industry. Fueled by the internet; the number of cabins, condos, houses and inns have been growing rapidly for two decades.

There are books and blogs and forums all tempting property owners to jump into the rental market. Online travel agents like VRBO, TripAdvisor, and Booking.com, along with hundreds of others can expose any kind of lodging, anywhere in the world, to travelers who are searching out interesting, unique and unusual destinations and properties that would been difficult to find years ago.

We love taking care of guests and owners and properties, but must admit there is a another side of the vacation rental business that every property owner should consider before they make the plunge into renting.

That question is - do you want the money? Do you really?

In surprising ways, being a vacation rental owner is different than new owners presume. Diligent and professional managers help owners avoid significant issues. But when a home becomes a rental, some things change.

So in this letter I am attaching a short outline of questions every owner should ask before starting to rent.

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DO YOU WANT THE MONEY? If getting the money is not your goal, you may find even the smallest aspects of landlording might make you uncomfortable

CAN YOU SCHEDULE? Like all comprehensive management firms, our system allows owners to easily block out dates for their own use. They can be unblocked later, but having to schedule use of your own home is a new requirement.

ARE YOU PATIENT? Ramping up requires lots of information and double-checking. Ramping down (when you want to stop renting) takes months because guests book far in advance and because we invest time and money to give you maximum success.

CAN YOU TAKE CRITICISM? With the advent of online reviews, some consumers decide to criticize even the smallest detail of wonderful homes. Of course legitimate issues must be dealt with quickly, but be prepared for those few guests who are ill mannered as they espouse their errant opinions on the world.

CAN YOU BEAR WEAR AND TEAR? We provide $3,000 incidental damage insurance (which guests pay for) but you may find wall scuffs, deep cleans and some increase in utility bills. Appliances wear out over the years, flatware, plateware and pots and pans disappear (very slowly) with it being impossible to blame the guests. The cost is small compared to the rental income.

WILL YOU ACCEPT THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS? "Online Travel Agents" (OTA's) such as Expedia, Booking.com, and VRBO spend lavishly to dominate internet and even television advertising. We offset those costs by charging higher rates on those websites. But OTA's insert themselves in guest policies and add a cost of business that can not be ignored which some owners dislike.

WILL YOU APPRECIATE MANAGEMENT? Engaging a manager gives owners far wider advertising, reliable onsite staff and personable guests services. Managers provide 24-7-365 services but need the authority and autonomy to provide the best results. Significant occurrences are reported, but managers perform routine duties most efficiently by not having excessive owner intervention.

ARE YOU UNDERSTANDING? Managers work overtime to clean, maintain and care for homes. Cleans must be done quickly and with limitations. Maintenance must be quick and cost effective. Staff are dispatched to re-clean, repair or provide guest services as soon as practical. No matter the situation, staff are treated with courtesy and respect for undertaking what is a difficult and demanding job.

ARE YOU RESPECTFUL? If something is missed or special effort is needed, a call to the manager will bring results. But expecting housekeepers and staff to be perfect in every case would be like expecting a great football receiver to catch every pass. Everyone on the staff must be treated with respect and dignity even when there are minor oversights.

In summary, operating rentals in a business like manner is the key to success. Schedule your use, be prepared for guest critiques, and understand there will be minor wear and tear. Allow your manager to spend most of their time managing for you and less of their time talking about it.

If you want the money this is the surefire way to make it happen. You get maximum income with minimum fuss.

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0629 – 12/24/18

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Monster Trucks - Lodging Newsletter November 30th, 2017

By Wm. May
Published: 11/30/17 Topics: Advertising, Dynamic Rates, Housekeeping, Lodging Newsletter, Vacation Rentals Comments: 0

Jeff Bainer of Kittitas County Washington State may know nothing about the vacation rental industry, but he does know all about monster trucks.

The Yakima Herald-Republic newspaper reports that Bainer is a member of the Monster Truck Hall of Fame. Who knew there was such a thing?

Fans of monster trucks know of Jeff's first truck "Hot Stuff" which was launched in 1986, and later rebuilt into a humongous red jeep, said to be the world's largest.

Today he considers himself to be semi-retired because he transports, races and wins "only" 17 events per year, around the country. Who knew there were even that many?.

Bainer makes a comment that is just as relevant to the Vacation Rental business as it is to monster trucks. "Our industry has changed so much in the last three years." It has gone from an industry of independent drives to one dominated by a single company.

As the vacation rental industry has also morphed into something different than what it was just a few years ago. Luckily for us, the big guys are making big mistakes. Smaller vacation rental managers who band together have far more to offer by operating locally while also marketing globally.

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Just like Monster Trucks, Vacation Rental management is changing fast. Innovation has always been at the heart of business. In some industries bigger can be better, but vacation rentals are the opposite. It requires stellar onsite services combined with today's technological tools to advertise globally.

Big Company #1 - has been around for decades, being sold from one conglomerate to another, charging high commissions and loading their overhead with "executives" who do more talking than they do cleaning toilets. Today the company is again for sale to the highest corporate bidder. No where do they promote the sale as better for property owners and guests. In effect, they are selling their property owners short.

Big Company #2 - Likes to buy up local competitors and then discard the local personal touch. They promise technological competence and dynamic pricing which is really no different than what savvy local managers can provide. They offer a comprehensive fee, but supplant it with undisclosed fees, resulting in a large class action law suit. Staff members come and go resulting in HUNDREDS of livid online complaints.

Big Company #3 - Offers a low commission but "manages" from hundreds or thousands of miles away. Owners are forced to find local housekeepers, maintenance staff and hosts because, as the Big 3# spins it, those people are cheap and desperate to work for you. How predatory. The heart of every lodging are the hard-working, loyal, committed and friendly people who do the heavy lifting and are on call 24/7. Then when this company gets a complaint, they blame it on the owner and the local staff.

Big Company #4 - Also promises a lower commission and secret technology to advertise rentals worldwide and on major websites. They fail to admit that all top local managers can now meet or beat their advertising distribution, dynamic rates and photos. They also fail to disclose that they are encumbered with greedy venture capital that requires growth at all costs, even if their services are not up to snuff locally.

Our Company - If you like some of the big company capabilities, but fear the lack of personal local service to care of your valuable vacation home, there is good news. We offer the best of both worlds.

Our well tenured local partners live nearby to keep close track of your place. Our world-class back office professionals provide compelling websites, superior software, dynamic rates, stunning HDR photos as well as 3D tours, not to mention courteous quick sales and reservations, topped off with attentive guest and owner services. Although our first office opened in 1964, we have tech tools none of the big guys have even dreamed of yet.

For our clients we must admit the industry is not perfect and duties are relentless, but we promise to keep investing more time, money and commitment per house than those big guys.

If you are not yet a client, we make you the same promise - lower fees and greater service. Call today. Why wait?

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex VIP
Blog #: 0572 – 11/30/17

Sponsor: Vortex VIP – – VortexVIP.com

Vacation Rental Picante Sauce

By Wm. May
Published: 09/01/17 Topics: Lodging Management, Vacation Rentals Comments: 0

Yet another corporate vacation rental management company has announced gobbling up tens of millions of dollars in investment, in hopes of dominating the vacation rental management industry in America, and perhaps even the world. But they are risky for property owners.

Beginning as far back at 1989, Pace Picante sauce began running television commercials. In one, grizzled cowboys threaten to lynch the camp cook when they learn he has been serving them picante sauce from "New York City?"

The cow pokes become offended because Picante sauce should be made by "places in San Antonio with fresh vegetables and spices by people who know what picante sauce is supposed to taste like."

Watch it here.

While the huge vacation rental management companies want to convince property owners that they can manage every home just right, even though they are located hundreds of thousands of miles away, the truth is - they can not.

One of these giant companies even has over 300 negative complaints and reviews online about shoddy housekeeping and lack of response. The average for vacation rental managers is zero, one or two over time. Something is seriously wrong with having 300 unhappy guests, because that means there are far more who don't take the time to post complaints.

For another competitor, their complaints reveal a wolf in sheep's clothing. Although they profess to be managers, they quickly throw owners and managers under the bus whenever there are any complications, as the following complaint answer proves:

COMPLAINT: "2 days before my trip receiving a voice and email telling me that my reservation had been cancelled because of a double booking."

ANSWER: "Booking was canceled within 48 hours prior to her arrival when it became apparent to the Host that there was a conflict with a previous client who'd booked."

And then they accidentally revealed the wrong problem, (our company) "The Host (homeowner) is the party responsible for resolving any conflicts. [Our company] is a marketing and booking service that Hosts use to assist with reservations. . . The rental agreement. You accepted . . . Clearly states that the booking is directly between the Guest and the Host."

And then they reveal the unreliability of their services by saying "Double bookings are an unfortunate side effects of the vacation rental and travel industry as a whole."

Well, duh, no that is not correct. That is excuse making

Although no one is perfect in the lodging industry, double bookings are NOT common and they are certainly not an unfortunate side effect. They are the result of a company pretending to be a lodging manager when they are, in fact, too far away and too powerless.

LOCAL IS BETTER:

Vacation Rental Firms have proven to be a locally branded business. Owners and guests prefer to deal with a local reliable professional firm that is on hand to attend to them. Members of the Vortex Organization have found the best way to do that.

They are independently operated to ensure great houses, hospitality cleaning, happy guests and happy owners. Our first office opened in 1964, but we are the most tech-enabled managers. We are in it for the long haul..

But the network ensures that managers have all the tools such as dynamic pricing, post listings on hundreds of advertising websites, and answer guest inquiries 24/7. In fact, local firms have access to local tourism promotion, websites and contacts the others can not match.

That means our managers produce more bookings as well as more peace of mind.

So if the vacation rental "manager" you are using to book your home is not actually located in the area where you rental home is situated, or even in "New York City", its time to go local.

Call a local professional vacation rental management company to learn about all the comprehensive and reliable services you have been missing.

- - - - - - - - -
And a few more just for fun:

1989 Pace Picante Sauce

1990 Pace Picante Sauce

1993 Pace Picante Sauce

1993 Pace Picante Sauce

1994 Pace Picante Sauce

1995 Pace Picante Sauce

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Author: Wm. May, Vortex Managers
Blog #: 0530 – 09/01/17

Hire a Crack Head to Clean your Home

By William May
Published: 03/01/17 Topics: Housekeeping, Vacation Rentals Comments: 0

"Hiring cheaper housekeepers is no problem", said the property owner. That way they can make more money.

"I mean how hard can it be to clean my little 3-bedroom 2,000 square foot house?"

Do you mean clean it any day of the week including weekends? Be on-call for special cleaning? Always show up on time and never complain? Be willing to do extra cleaning, and without notice, when some guests leave a terrible mess?

Do you mean a cleaner who has lots of family and friends to back her up when she gets busy with other things and decides she can't work on a day you have a back-to-back? Or when a child is ill or a car breaks down?

Some owners want to believe there are many people just begging to clean their homes. Unfortunately, there are not. Worse yet, most of them don’t pass a background check. They don't have references. They don’t want to take training. They detest checklists.

These cleaners don’t stick around when things get too busy and they never clean at high hospitality standards. They do not clean sufficiently and they are not there when you need them the most.

Let us all be honest, not all job applicants will be dedicated to our industry. There is no glamour unless they work for a desirable company that treats them well.

Many applicants just want a quick buck to pay for their drug habit. This is more common than you might imagine. The homeowner may never know until the druggie goes missing along with assets from their home.

If you are paying your cleaner in cash, do beware that it's illegal and your money may be just feeding a habit.

Professional management firms must protect their reputation with guests as well as owners. They want to pay their staff a good working wage. They want to be fair, kind, and responsible employers. They need workers who are reliable, loyal and competent. They do background checks and they have extra staff for backup.

Of course, these things are just good business, but they are also the only way to provide hospitality grade cleaning - the kind that discerning travelers expect at every lodging establishment from four-star hotels to cottages in the woods.

"Oh, but if you can’t clean the house cheaply, it will drive away guests," said that owner.

It's actually the opposite that's true. Guests are not stupid, they understand that no one can clean homes for a measly amount. One guest enunciates what some owners refuse to acknowledge;

"Your home was amazingly clean. But last year I rented a beautiful new home from another manager and the place was disgustingly dirty. I should have known better - no one can clean a whole house as cheap as they charged."

Yes, and every owner should understand the basic formula for requiring professional and thorough cleaning. With the advent of the internet, guests now have a global platform to report unclean homes. One bad review can lose thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars in lost bookings.

Why risk that? The math is simple. Hiring great housekeepers, paying them well, rewarding them with praise and thanks is good for business. It's even greater for maximizing income while minimizing problems.

Still not a believer? Here is the challenge - after the next few departures, do your own cleaning.

Arrive to clean exactly on time and then wait while the guests loiters and leaves late, knowing that the incoming guests while inevitability show up early, and expect the house to be sparkling clean even before their scheduled arrival time.

Of course, you must chit chat and make nice with every guest, or they'll make nasty comments to your boss, even though they were not supposed to be inside yet.

To clean well, get your hands down deep into and behind the toilet, scrub your knuckles off in the shower, get on your hands and knees to scrub the kitchen and bathroom floors. Wash stacks of dishes, pots, and pans with gobs of dried on food.

Wash loads of towels and linens. Be sure to treat any of those unmentionable stains. Make every bed perfectly and plump every pillow. You'll just love trying to put on comforters on bunk beds. It is not impossible, but you won't enjoy it.

While you are at it, clean up the dog poop in the yard, or shovel the walkway of snow in the winter. Scrub that meat-encrusted barbecue until the brush breaks. Sweep the leaves from the porch.

Don't forget to check every light bulb, vacuum every square inch of every floor, and catch every cobweb or your boss will scold you like a child.

Do all this in the shortest number of hours because some owners out there want you to work cheap while treating you like an indentured servant.

After you do your own cleaning, the light will come on. You will want to pay cleaners more, you'll treat them better and you'll make more money because happy housekeepers make happy hospitality grade clean homes!

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Author: William May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0583 – 03/01/17

Grading Vacation Rentals on the Curve

By Wm. May
Published: 10/01/16 Topics: AirBnB, Vacation Rental Association, Vacation Rentals Comments: 0

A long time AirBnB hosts with multiple properties all with 4.5 or higher average ratings, recently complained that he received an online warning from AirBnB that his listings might be delisted if the average goes below a grade of 4.

Research has showed that average ratings on AirBnB are a full one star higher than the number of stars for homes on HomeAway.com.

Could this mean that only the better homes are listed on AirBnB? A random view of homes in most areas show even a wider variety of rentals than on other vacation rental listing sites.

Another factor is that AirBnB lists individual rooms or guest suites within a home, and these are uncommon on HomeAway websites. A constant reading of AirBnB forums such as AirHostsForum.com, reveals that the horror stories of in-house rentals can be even more rancorous with hosts and guests often very unhappy with each other.

There are rooms that stink, and guests that are stinkers. There are places that would make most guests gag - a trailer in someone's back yard? A Tee Pee with no bathroom handy? A sleeping bag under a tree?

In most U.S. High Schools, teachers often grade students on what is called "The Curve." This is a philosophy that posits not all students perform the same. Some study diligently, some do not. Some have greater native intelligence and some do not. Therefore, the grades within a given set of students should be spread often in a graph looking something like this.

A = 10%

B = 20%

C = 50%

D = 20%

F = 10%

** The actual percentages can vary by teacher, but the general proportions are similar.

Most teachers never understand that a usual class size of 20 to 30 students is not a wide enough sample to allow the curve to be valid within that class. But, the concept does seem to be applicable to other matrixes.

50% of hotels are adequate (and not luxury)

50% of drives obey the speed limit

50% of employees do adequate work.

50% of diners leave an appropriate tip.

Most teachers also never admit that the success of students is greatly dependent on the teacher. Some instructors explain things very well, some offer extra help and some are expert motivators. But, we have all had teachers who were lazy, rude, or bad communicators.

So how come AirBnB seems to think that 100% of its guests must get a grade of A or A minus?

If their goal is to drive up quality and guest relations, that is a wonderful idea. But if their goal is a scaling system on which guests can determine the quality of a home, then they have it all wrong.

More likely, Airbnb's warnings to the hosts of homes is intended to fool guests into thinking that every home is a luxury place, every destinations is truly unique and bookings on AirBnB will ensure a perfect vacation. All of that is simply to increase bookings and fill Airbnb's pockets.

Any intelligent person knows that it can rain at the beach, have crappy snow at a ski resort, or that a home may not be as big as you dreamed even if you got a bargain price. A better solution would be to truly rate homes with an overall system that better informs guests of the variety of homes, quality, location, size and other factors.

And that would result in homes being graded on the curve.

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Author: Wm. May, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0511 – 10/01/16

Vacation Rental Restoration

By William May
Published: 12/28/15 Topics: Insurance, Lodging Management, Vacation Rentals Comments: 0

Vacation rental homes are susceptible to the same problems as full-time residences. Sometimes pipes break, basements flood and even smoke or fire damage can happen.

It may be possible to have maintenance firms handle such problems but for larger problems it is necessary to hire a company that specializes in restoring homes to their original condition.

Such companies are referred to as Restoration Specialists and having the name of one or more firms on hand is just good preparation. Odds are high that they will never been needed.

Because damages may result in cancellation of bookings, the loss to owners may exceed even the cost of repairs. So here are some steps to be prepared for what you can hope will never happen:

(1) Property Insurance - When insuring your home for vacation rentaling, that use must be clearly communicated to your insurance agent who should provide a policy specifically allowing short-term rental use.

Most basic second home policies are not sufficient for offering a home as a vacation rental. Take care before you have a claim to properly protect you in the unlikely hood a claim becomes necessary.

(2) Business Loss - Second home insurance can cost more than your primary resident. And vacation rental policies cost more than basic second home polices. However, such policies should also cover the owner for loss of income should the home become unrentable for a period of time.

(3) Restoration Specialist - To find a company that specialize in quick and through restoration use Google Maps for your location searing for "Fire Restoration" because that is the most common keyword on which these firms advertise.

(4) Remote - If your home is remote or in a sparsely populated area, it may be necessary to question restoration firms closely to insure that they would be willing to come to your address should you later need their services. Keep good notes.

(5) Records - Be sure to record the name of several restoration companies because, in the case of local flooding or severe weather, any one firm may not be able to handle your needs quickly.

(6) Property Managers - If you use a local property manager, good firms will already know of restoration providers and be able to quickly get help on site.

Lodging managers are not in the restoration business and claims are so unusual that the manager may never have had to use a restoration company. But do not hesitate to ask the manager if they can recommend anyone.

(7) Schedule - Restoration firms can not guarantee that any given property will be restored over night. In fact, time may be required to allow a house to dry.

Even when repairs will take a longer period, restoration firms can often arrive quickly to stabilize the situation and then return later to complete repairs.

(8) Fire - Should your home become partially damaged due to fire, your local fire department will often board over a home to make it is weather tight or to protect it from intruders. Do not hesitate to ask their help when they are on site.

(9) Franchises - Here are the names of several franchises that brand and endorse local partners to do restoration. This does no guarantee the quality of the work. Even local non-franchises are often skilled and dependable.

- ServePro.com

- ServicemasterClean.com

(10) Action - Try to secure your insurance company's approval before completing restoration. By calling their claim number you should be able to secure approve to start the restoration with full approval secured once the restoration firm can provide a more detailed estimate.

Not long after its founding in 1907, the Boy Scouts organization adopted the motto "Be Prepared." When it comes to unexpected events for your vacation rental home, being prepared is great advice.

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Author: William May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0473 – 12/28/15

Creepy Vacation Rental Videos

By Wm. May
Published: 05/27/15 Topics: Marketing, Vacation Rentals, Videos Comments: 0

Recently, a number of websites - including some Vacation Rental portals - have begun using videos as a kind of background image that depict people using vacation rental homes.

Maybe you have seen them. Often they are mundane and slow moving but even the slight movement attracts attention.

There is no sound, and no titles and they are seemingly used mostly as a graphic element - to indicate that staying in the home is comfortable and desirable.

Unfortunately, they do the opposite because no one realized the implications that make the videos creepy.

• One depicts a young woman asleep in a disheveled room as she wakes up.

• Another shows a dad and daughter playing on the top bunk of a bed.

• Another shows a couple of men making breakfast, in a none too attractive tiny kitchen.

All of these feel like they were video taped by a peeping tom when the people were not looking. Viewing them should make you feel uncomfortable.

So who thought this was a good idea? Maybe a peeping tom or voyeur?

The videos are often grainy, or perhaps faded which inadvertently indicates the videos were shot a non-professional camera. That too implies they were taken without the subjects approval. Even more creepy.

By comparison, some videos are exterior long shots of the ocean with boats moving, or waterfalls falling, some have people far in the background.

Those videos are more reassuring because they were clearly taken in a public space and not of some one in a private bedroom in their jammies. The subtleties between various videos is the difference between acceptable and creepy.

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Author: Wm. May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0398 – 05/27/15

How to Hire & Retain Happy Housekeepers (10 rules)

By Wm. May
Published: 01/28/14 Topics: Lodging Management, Vacation Rental Association, Vacation Rentals, WAVRMA Comments: 0

Servers at restaurants, both fancy and plain, demand tips. The valet who parks your car puts his hand out. Even your neighborhood Starbucks barista wants money for making up your fancy café mocha, skinny, double cup, with foam.

In Lodging many guests simply do not know they need to tip those hard working housekeepers who slip in and out of their rooms while they sit comfortably in the dining room, paying too much for dinner, and giving the smiling cheerful waiter a big tip for being so attentive.

Recent anecdotal responses indicate that tipping in Vacation Rentals occurs less often in hotels. That is a disrespectful situation that must change.

Industry research consistently points to lack of cleanliness as the most common complaint of travelers. Everyone wants a good clean place to stay. But some guests are even reluctant to stay in a vacation rental for fear it is not sparkling clean.

It is time to prove them wrong.

Heavy Work

Those who clean bathrooms, scrub kitchens and scour barbecues deserve the highest respect not the lowest. It is hard work and under appreciated.

By comparison, being a corporate executive is a piece of cake. Those big wigs must even "Carve out" time everyday to go to the gym for the workout they do not get at work.

Housekeepers don't need a trip to the gym. They get down on hands and knees scrubbing floors, they climb ladders to clean or change light bulbs and they tote tons of trash out of homes.

Rent By Owners

Vacation rental rent-by-owners complain they can not find housekeepers, or good ones, can't keep them, or lose them often with little notice. That is because amateur owners base their hiring and retention methods on personal observations instead of empirical knowledge.

There are secrets to finding and keeping most any kind of employee, but they are especially clear and unavoidable for housekeepers and other workers who do societies dirty work.

Rental Managers:

Some vacation rental managers make the same complaints, but often they are new to the industry or have an over-blown sense of their own importance, while avoiding the hard work of personally cleaning homes.

Walking a mile in a housekeepers shoes is the only way to understand how difficult and deadline driven the work can be, and why those housekeeper shoes are often worn and tattered.

Luckily, most vacation rental managers eventually discover the secrets to finding and keeping the kind of loyal, industrious and committed workers who are willing to clean toilets and do other unglamorous work.

10 Iron Clad Rules

To find and keep top-quality people, who serve your guests well and do so with a smile on their faces it is necessary to follow some iron-clad rules.

PAY - Stop scrimping and pay people well. Pay them based on the hours cleans take and not on your budget, which is often far too little, and seldom accounts for differences in how guests leave a home.

SCHEDULING - Arrange cleaning dates as far in advance as possible. Provide online tools so workers can see where they are to be and when. Adjust schedules to accommodate second jobs, day-care, etc.

FULL TIME - Don't hire more people than you need. There will be employees who prefer part-time work but most want to get a full week's pay or close to it.

WEEKLY PAY - Pay your staff weekly, do it direct-deposit and never miss a payroll deadline, even by a few minutes. Everyone needs to get paid. They have bills to pay.

TIPS - Put out cute and subtle time envelopes, signed by the cleaner that just so happen to mention tipping. Guest actually like to reward those who serve them. Unlike restaurants, lodging guests need a reminder. This can increase pay 24 to 30% making housekeepers beam.

STANDARDS - Write clear concise cleaning "Hospitality" standards. Do not demand "Hospital" standards because they are not necessary or economically feasible. If you don't know the difference, someone else in your organization needs to be the inspector.

TRAINING - Require even experienced housekeepers to work along side current staff to learn the ropes of each home. Use checklists. Train, re-train and train again. Inspect work. Provide pleasant feedback.

HONESTY - Only hold housekeepers to a standard you could attain. To prove it - clean multiple houses in one day, and invite the housekeepers to inspect your work. Then do it for a week.

BE KIND - Cleaning small simple hotel rooms is far easier than scrubbing large personal homes that can have owner possessions, far more furniture and utensils and even peculiar outfitting.

RESPECT - Every housekeeper must be treated with the utmost respect. Never raise your voice. Never complain, Never insinuate.

This is the most often violated rule, but the most important one. Never fall victim to your feeling of superiority.

BONUS TIP - Believe every word housekeepers tell you. If a home needs deep cleaning - believe them, If a house needs extra cleaning after an owner says they cleaned it - believe them. If the vacuum cleaner needs to be replaced - believe them

Anything less disrespects the challenging labor to they do for you so reliably.

The Result

Not all new hires will be good housekeepers. Not all will achieve hospitality standards. Not all will remain employees for years to come. But converting your thinking to these iron clad rules will insure you achieve the following:

• High Quality Hospitality Cleaning.
• Happy guests and property owners.
• Respect from wonderful housekeepers
• Personal satisfaction in knowing you treated people well.

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Author: Wm. May – Volunteer, Vacation Rental Association
Blog #: 0338 – 01/28/14