By The Hospitable Team
We at Hospitable already can’t imagine hosting without our favorite digital aids and automation tools. We’re pretty sure you can all list a load of tasks connected to property organization these days and guests’ requirements are still going up, as Simon Lehmann noted in our previous blog.
Those who have ever tried to fully take over their properties’ maintenance will definitely back our statement that cleaning management often takes most of the host’s effort. That is exactly why Assaf Karmon, CEO, top-level software engineer and an experienced short-term rental host himself, founded TurnoverBnB – a tool that helps hosts with hiring, scheduling, and paying for cleaning services. A tool that you can also find integrated into your Hospitable profile.
In the fifth episode of our Hospitable Hosts podcast, Assaf and our VP Customers, Matthew Demetrio, go straight to the core of our hosts’ cleaning needs and discuss the real-life management tactics to build a stellar cleaning team. Had no time to listen? Then buckle up for an insightful read.
Hiring Cleaners Is Not That Simple
Assaf points out that cleaning management is a complex process. We know that it might not seem this way at first, but as hosts scale up, cleaning then involves careful coordination at several different stages. And while hiring professionals is an essential first step, finding a free cleaner in your area is not enough to be on top of the game. Pricing, reliability reviews, and background checks also play important roles in property management.
“It’s not just about finding a cleaner. It’s finding a cleaner at the right price. Because this is going to be your single biggest expense. You shouldn’t be overpaying. You also shouldn’t be underpaying. If you’re doing it by yourself, you’re going to have to call 25 different providers. You don’t know how reliable they are. You don’t know their track record. You don’t know if they know what they’re doing… That will take you a month. We can give all of it to you in three minutes.”
Management Software Steps Up the Game
Got a deal with a cleaner? Time for the “fun” to start. Assaf knows first-hand about the cleaning specifics that hosts face and already works on perfecting the solutions for each of them. He lists communication, scheduling, task checklists, problem reporting and many more as the areas taken to the next level using automation and management software such as TurnoverBnB and Hospitable.
“You even have automated payments so that you don’t have to think about invoices going back and forth. It’s just all in there. It’s taken care of itself. You can configure multiple cleaners against multiple properties and have a backup cleaner that is notified if a primary cleaner isn’t available. You can set different rates for different cleaners. You can have different payment methods against different properties. It’s just really a robust solution against very specific problems.”
Get your whole team to work in one easy-to-use app
Our own VP Customers Matthew also chipped in with his experience and agreed that the devil is in the details. For example, he says that hosts often underestimate the importance of cleaners documenting their work via uploading photos in the app. He stresses that this perception quickly changes after encountering customer complaints on Airbnb.
“The picture thing is so underrated. You don’t really know you need it until you have that dispute with somebody saying it wasn’t clean. We can prove that wasn’t the case. Here is the time-stamped picture. I’ve had hosts talk to me about how that saved them.”
Assaf and Mathew discuss more life-saving features in the full episode. Hungry for more stories? Tune in to our Hospitable Hosts podcast!
Common Pitfalls in Cleaning Management
However much we try to automate and systematize everything around vacation rentals, proper business operation still lies on human shoulders. Mistakes or emergencies happen. The good news is that by reading this you are one step ahead – forewarned means forearmed.
Assaf encourages hosts to be prepared for unexpected situations in advance. This includes both long-term preparations and regular attention to everyday details. It is a good idea to have multiple providers and train your backup cleaners. At the same time, the current team has to work with explicitly stated expectations.
“My favorite saying is ‘failing to plan is planning to fail.’ I really believe that it’s very important to be explicit about your expectations and put them out there so that there are no surprises. If you just say, ‘make it nice,’ this can mean different things to different people. You want to make sure that you are using a checklist and evolve it over time, as you’re not going to get it a hundred percent right the first time. For example, add points like checking the remote control batteries or cleaning the microwave dish. People forget to do that. So, evolve as you are getting feedback from your guests and plan, plan, plan!”
Even More Software Assistance in the Future
Assaf is constantly searching for improvements and innovations to make hosts’ lives easier. He shares that the TurnoverBnB team works hard to keep implementing the new features.
“We’re working on adding services like pool cleaning, handymen, or even routine property maintenance. We’re going to add the service providers that can help you do more and more maintenance-related tasks. So, we really want to become your full-service solution for your vacation rental. And that’s what we think about all day – how to take things off your plate, put it on our plate and make sure that you never have to worry about anything!”
Matthew also hints that Hospitable is shaping up the integration and adding more advanced cleaning team and guest messaging automation features on top.
“We love the partnership with TurnoverBnB. I’ve enjoyed working with everyone on the team and we do have plans for the future on some additional services, including being able to automate some more messaging around cleaning processes. There’s always just that one more thing. And there’s always more stuff to do.”
Haven't connetct your Hospitable and TurnoverBnB accounts yet?
Curious to listen to the full episode? Get all the latest industry insights from renowned experts in our Hospitable Hosts podcast!
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