From small to large property management companies, thousands of guests attended the conference to hear from experts such as Airbnb’s Nate Blecharczyk speak about buzzing topics. SkyRun’s Director of Location Support, Susan Graber, sees the growing industry becoming more competitive and sheds light on a few key takeaways from the conference such as sustainability and the guest experience.
As we all know, sustainability is an ever more important business practice. Graber states, “We in the vacation rental business have a unique opportunity to practice sustainability -- in our operations, by educating our homeowners and guests, and steering guests toward green activities in our communities.” After attending a session on green practices, Graber’s belief was further reinforced. I think Graber touches on an important topic, that is to lead by example. It’s simple to say you will do something and it’s far more difficult to take the initiative to execute a plan.
Graber also shares about the significance of the guest experience, “One important reminder for me was that the travel experience doesn’t start when the guests arrive in our vacation home -- it starts when they first start looking for a place to stay. So, our online presence and ease of use are critical. Even better than just being easy to use, is to make the experience fun somehow.” Today, the guest has immense power because of technological advances making customer satisfaction more important than ever. It may take a company years to establish its reputation, and seconds for it to be damaged with the click of a button.
If we continue to value our carbon footprint, transcend our passion and care through the guest experience, capitalize upon technological advances, and advance with the emerging trends, there is no doubt we will stay among the prevailing property managers. Among the many reasons, I am proud to be a SkyRun employee because of where the company stands. We are striving to “deliver unique and delightful guest experiences.” We provide localized daily itineraries, a list of fun activities, premium 24/7 customer service, and a user-friendly web presence. SkyRun’s tagline, Local Touch Local Fun, is a perfect representation of why we will continue to succeed. We cherish our guests and their experience on the front end while staying ahead of the technological curve on the back end. Building our knowledge through events such as the VRMA conference helps ensure SkyRun’s future will be bright.