Warning:  this post may hurt your feelings

Do you realize how important it is to be conscious of how you talk about guests on social media? 

Your guests may not see your comments – or maybe they will!  You certainly have the potential of turning off any owners who would be vacationing in your area and you may also lose some referrals.  Have you thought about that?

This has really been bothering me lately.  The more I see degrading talk about guests, the more bothered I become with how this is affecting the professionalism of the entire vacation rental industry.

Speaking of guests (or anyone in your business, i.e. cleaners, maintenance, lawncare) in such a degrading manner makes you look bad.  You come across as very unprofessional.  And as more and more owners talk like this, it jades other owners, as well.  

It truly is disappointing to see so many vacation rental hosts talking bad about their guests.  I sure hope you aren’t one of them.  If you are, I encourage you to keep reading and maybe something I say will sink in.

Just Stop It!  This is so unprofessional!

Every day I see posts in owners’ groups where hosts are badmouthing guests, or an inquiry, or even just someone who has posted an “in search of” in a rental group.

I have seen people called “idiots”, “dumb”, “scammers”, “cheapskates”, “racists”, “complainers”, “PITA”, “cheapy”, and the list goes on.

I’ve seen these comments from owners: “Good luck!  You’ll never find anything that isn’t a dump at that price.”

Someone on a budget asking for a cabin with a theater room:  “Just stay home and watch a movie.”

I Would Not Rent from You and I WILL NOT Refer a Guest to You!

Not that you care, and I’m sure my ears should be burning as you’re reading this, but I have a mental list of about 10 vacation rental hosts in my vacation rental area that I will not refer.  That’s the truth – I WILL NOT REFER!

Their vacation rentals are beautiful; it’s not that.  It’s the way they talk about their guests and the other “idiots” (QUOTE) who fail to provide a detailed list when they ask in an “in search of” post for cabin openings.

Heaven forbid if the original poster mentions they are on a budget!  Since when is it a crime to be on a budget?  When a family of 5 is planning a week long vacation, sure, it’s going to cost a lot of money. 

Any SMART person is going to have a budget in mind before they take a big vacation!  “IDIOTS” are the ones who fail to plan and end up in debt because they failed to plan.

NEWSFLASH:  The majority of people who mention they are on a budget are not looking to scam you.  They are just looking for the nicest accommodations that will fit within their vacation plans.

Venting vs. Trash Talking

Everyone needs to vent sometimes.  Guests will occasionally leave your place a mess, the cleaners will occasionally forget to sweep under a bed, and guests may make a chargeback for their reservation.

By all means, reach out to a fellow owner and voice your frustrations.  More than likely, you’ll get some fresh ideas and good advice on how to handle the situation.

BUT, there is absolutely no need to go into a full-on rage about how stupid your guests are, or air every piece of dirty laundry about the guest from the moment you first received an inquiry from the “f’n dirtbag”.  

Want to know what happened with the guest I mentioned above?  They left a tag to a new piece of clothing laying on the bathroom counter.  I’m not joking. 

GET.  OVER.  YOURSELF.  UUGGHHHH!  Put your big girl panties on and be an adult.  This is a business!  

Thanks for Listening and for Being More Aware of Your Words

For the sake of your reputation as a business professional, think before you post.  Don’t ever write something hurtful or demeaning about a person on social media.  

Have you thought about this?

Social media records are saved for a very long time.  You never know when these posts could be used against you in court.

That’s all for now.  Thanks for listening and I hope I never see one of these posts from you.  I guarantee you won’t see one from me.