If You Have Ever Considered...

If you have ever considered becoming a short-term rental host, you will want this book:

I don't toot my horn as much as I should, but I did put all of my tips and tricks into this book. And I'm pretty proud of it, so I'm getting the word out.

It isn't enough for me to be a short-term rental host, I want to be better than most. I took my years of working in customer service, as well as my extensive written communication skills, to make something pretty darn special out of a little two bedroom bungalow in Kansas City.

Less than six years later, and nearly 800 reviews later, my guests are still raving about their stays.

Now, not everyone is happy. It is literally impossible to make EVERYONE happy. But Cottage West comes close. Why? Because I'm always open to improvements. And I'm always trying to be the best that I can be at Cottage West and to create a welcoming, comfortable space for my guests.

We don't live in a static world, after all. We must change as circumstance, technology, and culture changes around us.

With Short-Term Rental Success, I set out to make the best possible book that I could. One that encapsulated everything I knew about running a business and creating a space that guests would love and enjoy. I've taught community education classes on a variety of subjects, and I love sharing knowledge with others. Because, after all, a rising tide lifts all boats. I won't put myself out of business telling you all my secrets, and following some of these tips will only elevate your STR and the industry as a whole, which is a win-win!

One section in particular focuses on the best response to give to criticism. As a host, as someone who renovated an 1910 bungalow from the ground up with a dream of creating a creative/bookish haven for guests to stay in, it can be hard to hear that someone doesn't like the property. I think this is true of most hosts, especially those who have renovated a house from the ground up. However, a house is not your baby. It is a place of business. And when I recently received a 4-star review (which is actually a rather bad review by Airbnb's standards) suggesting that the neighborhood was dangerous, I debated whether or not to respond. I waited until I was in a head space to make the best response and then wrote the following response:

Feel/Felt/Found - while I did not specifically describe this technique in my book, following this technique the other day allowed me to validate the guest's feelings, while pointing out that I have littles and worry about their safety too, and that we have found our experiences (and those of our guests) to be far better than expected.

Employing the feel/felt/found technique helps guest feel heard and understood. It also shows those potential guests who read the reviews a different view, one of someone who LIVES here every day.

The morning that I wrote this post, I received a note from a departing guest that I would like to share with you...

A fellow host found room for his own STR to be improved based on his experiences staying at Cottage West. Could there be a higher form of praise? If so, I cannot think of it.

And hey, if you prefer to listen over reading, Short-Term Rental Success is even available in audio!

You can also subscribe to my monthly newsletter, which includes an original, never before seen Tip of the Month from my Short-Term Rental Success and Get Organized, Stay Organized books every month.

Social Proof

And in case you need it, two days after penning this post and hitting Schedule, I received the following email...

This has to be one of the best emails I've ever received. Talk about an affirmation that I've written a useful book! Now, she didn't include a link to her property, but I found it pretty easily. If you are heading to/through Wisconsin, definitely check her out because, wow, this place looks so very nice!