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We surveyed over 200 professional managers and gathered 24 unique statistics on how professionals plan on strengthening processes for guest and owner communication, housekeeping workflows, compliance with cleanliness and safety standards, and internal tracking and reporting. Here are the top five statistics from our 2020 Property Operations Report, along with insights to help managers meet elevated expectations from guests and owners, and deliver a more professional vacation rental product.
1) 97% of vacation rental operators think guests have increased sensitivity towards cleanliness and safety, and feel that guest behavior will change from those in 2019.
It’s no surprise that people are itching to move and are making travel plans for the fall of 2020. However, after adhering to social distancing norms and adapting to society’s new normal, travelers are gravitating towards professional, predictable, and safe places to stay. Understanding and accommodating these shifting behaviors will be a critical point of success and failure for professional hospitality providers moving forward. Think through communication strategies, the marketing of cleaning protocols, and other ways to promote your dedication to serving guests and ensuring the comfort and safety of their stay.
2) 99% of managers plan on making some sort of change to their property care programs; from protocols, communication, housekeeping time, items cleaned, and products used.
As detailed cleaning becomes one of the major components of property care, following comprehensive cleaning protocols between each stay has become the industry’s baseline standard. Customizing checklists and following Enhanced Cleaning guidelines can provide your field staff with a recipe for on-brand and high-quality work.
3) 63% of professional managers plan on implementing a waiting period between stays (14% of which plan on doing so indefinitely).
While the majority of professional managers have made changes to their safety and communication protocols, implementing a waiting period between stays has been a charged topic. COVID-19 has changed the meaning of guest safety, which now encompasses more than hand railings and smoke detectors to include the hygiene and cleanliness of physical space. In fact, the percentage of professional operators who are instilling a waiting period are doing so in order to give housekeepers and staff more time to complete enhanced cleaning procedures, and to better adhere to guidance from leading regulators and authorities.
4) 83% of managers plan on enhancing their quality assurance programs.
Pre-guest coordination is one of the most challenging aspects of vacation rental property management. Our survey found that using internal systems of record to track and verify compliance with cleaning protocols, safety and property care has become standard practice for many vacation rental operators and digitizing this process has become even more prevalent. By automating operational workflows, managers can use data like task history, number of visits to each property, and maintenance records to drive predictive insights and improve the guest experience.
5) 79% of professional managers plan on customizing housekeeping checklists for each property (up from 49% prior to COVID-19).
Using one standard checklist across your unique properties is the way of the past. Customizing checklists for each property has become the new normal, and is one of the first steps towards truly dynamic quality assurance programs. Doing so keeps housekeepers aligned, ensures every property provides a consistent brand experience, and helps meet expectations of the new traveler persona.
Looking to read our full 2020 Property Operations Report? Download the insights here.