Streamlining processes

Before Breezeway, Freeman describes his operations as “running off sheer luck.” Operating 30 properties across the UK, Freeman managed dozens of cleaning and maintenance contractors’ tasks, assignments, and questions through WhatsApp. This system felt very scattered and time-consuming for both Freeman and his team of contractors. It gave Freeman no visibility into when tasks were being completed or to what standard, ultimately affecting the guest experience and reviews.

Now, with the help of Breezeway and Hostaway, Brightworks Property has implemented processes that save time and set their staff up for success to deliver great guest experiences. Reservation data in Hostaway is automatically connected to Breezeway to automatically assign the right task to the right cleaner based on location and availability. Freeman says, “Implementing Breezeway to automate scheduling and work coordination has saved me hundreds of hours this year.”

Setting a standard of excellence

By communicating tasks through Breezeway’s professional dashboard, staff have all the information and context they need for each job. For example, cleaners now know how many guests are checking into the property next, so they know exactly how many towels to leave. This has reduced internal friction, miscommunications, and unnecessary back-and-forths. Freeman says, “Breezeway helps everyone do their job better and has reduced WhatsApp messages by at least 90%.”

With Breezeway’s mobile app and checklists, staff have clear expectations of what they need to do to complete each job to Brightworks Property’s standards. With reference photos in each checklist, for example, of how the bed should be made or table should be set, Freeman can now set a standard of excellence and show what a “good clean” looks like. Freeman adds, “This means that guests see exactly what they see on Airbnb or Booking.com when they arrive at the property, which makes for a better experience and better reviews.”

This operational excellence has improved efficiency while also improving the guest experience. On average, cleaners saved 15 minutes per turnover with clear expectations and less manual communication through WhatsApp. This high-quality work is reflected in the quest experience, with their quality rating in Airbnb reviews increasing by 20% in Q2 2024.

Documenting work

Not only can Brightworks Property add photo references to checklists, but cleaners can also upload photos to document and verify that their work meets these standards, as well as report any damage or maintenance claims. Each photo has an exact timestamp and geolocation, providing indisputable evidence and seamless processes for resolving guest issues.

In addition, Brightworks Property now has insight into task timing to accurately schedule and pay their cleaners for time worked. Freeman says, “Before Breezeway if a cleaner says cleaning a one-bedroom flat will take two hours, I have to take their word for it. Now I can actually use the data on start and finish times of cleaning tasks to see on average how long each flat takes to clean and proactively set contracts with cleaners based on that information.”

With this level of detailed information, Brightworks Property started incentivizing cleaners for good reviews. Now, with Breezeway, they can confidently track and document which cleaners completed the work that resulted in a positive review and can provide monetary bonuses for a job well done.

Scaling the business

Freeman says, “Implementing Breezeway gave me more time to work ON my business rather than IN my business.” As a Director at Brightworks Property, Freeman’s role focuses on acquisitions and scaling the business, but before Breezeway, he was not able to focus on growth and spent more time maintaining daily operations and logistics.

After implementing Breezeway and successfully automating its operational processes, Freeman can focus on revenue-generating activities and factors that will help the business grow. “In the six months before Breezeway, I added one new property; now, with the amount of time I’ve saved, I’m adding at least one property per month to our portfolio.”

The increase in guest satisfaction and employee efficiency has also had an impact on owner retention and acquisition. From an acquisition perspective, Freeman emphasizes that Breezeway and Hostaway showcase to potential clients and owners that their properties will be effortlessly managed and well maintained. From a retention perspective, these combined systems showcase improved reservation data and cost savings in operations that are important to owners.