25 July

oncierge services are utilized by hosts as a way to check in guests and have them become familiar with your Airbnb listing. Hosts have a variety of rea

Concierge Service Description

A concierge service is a type of service a host can offer guests. The host will hire someone local to check the guests into the property, show them the listing and answer any questions or concerns they may have. Hotels offer this service but, is rarely seen in Airbnbs. The person checking the guest in can offer insights into the surrounding area thereby improving the guests experience.

The host will provide a way for the concierge team member to reach out to the guest to schedule a check-in. Once the guest arrives, the host will contact the concierge person to help them check into the home. The concierge service should show up on time and be professional as they interact with the guest.

Where to find a Concierge Personnel

There are a number of different ways to find concierge personnel.

    1. Yelp- Type “concierge service” into the search box along with your city name. If your listing is in a popular Airbnb city, there is a high likelihood that there will be some companies offering this type of service. When going through yelp, make sure to read the reviews. If there are any negative reviews, the business owner should respond courteously. If the business owner responds in a vindictive tone, this may not be a concierge service you want to work with.
    2. Meetups– We have mentioned this many times in our blog but going to meetups is a great way to network and meet people. When you go to meetups, let people know who you are and what you are looking for. Property managers in the meetup may offer this type of service without requiring you to sign up for their property management.
    3. Ask your maintenance team– There may be a member of your maintenance team who can do the concierge service for you. Ask your cleaners or handyman if this is something that they would be interested in. A great benefit to having a team member such as a handyman perform concierge services is that they can immediately fix any issues the guest may find.

Setting Expectations with Your Concierge Team Member

A concierge team member is a direct extension of you as the host. You will want to make sure that this person remains professional when interacting with guests. The concierge person should dress professionally. They don’t have to wear a complete suit and tie, but they should be presentable. A host should hold the concierge team member accountable for their interactions with the guest. Let them know that you will specifically ask for guest feedback on how the concierge service was.

You want to make sure the check-in process is thorough but also does not take to long. About 15 minutes is the most that it should take for the team member to walk the property with the guest (this can vary if you have a luxury listing).

Make sure that you are open to feedback that your concierge team member gives to you. Both the host and concierge team member should work together to improve the guest’s experience.

The team member should have a checklist that they go through with each guest. Below are some items that you may want to include should you choose to offer this type of service.

Concierge Team Member Checklist for Each Guest

  1. Give the guest the Wi-Fi information
  2. Show guests how to use house features (pool, hot tub)
  3. Demonstrate how to use the coffee maker and kitchen equipment
  4. Show guests where extra supplies and the first aid kit are located
  5. Review house rules with guests(pet rules, quiet time)
  6. Let the guest know about the checkout process
  7. Give guests recommendations on local spots they can go to
  8. Answer any questions that the guest may have.

Pros of Concierge Service

1. Identifies guest issues that come up immediately

Dealing with guest issues can be challenging, especially because many have to be resolved immediately. By having a concierge team member walk the property, problems can be identified right away so they don’t negatively impact the guest’s stay. Hosts should have a protocol allowing the concierge team member to deal with specific issues without the host’s intervention. Empowering the team member to take action will save you time. Hosts can review situations as they come up with concierge team members.

Using a concierge is a great way to help automate your listing. For more information on how to automate your listing, see our post . This post will provide you with steps to save time and money in your Airbnb business.

2. Allows guests to ask questions on any property features

Some homes can have complicated amenities that are difficult for guests to use. Examples of these types of amenities can include pool equipment, hot tubs, and fire features. It can be difficult to explain to guests how to use these via Airbnb’s messaging system. Your concierge person can prevent the guest from messaging you by showing them how to use all features of the home.

3. Prevents guests from sending messages after check-in

While dealing with guest messages is part of being a host there are ways to reduce guests from sending messages and asking questions. By using a concierge service guests should have answers to common questions. For example we often get asked about if there is a first aid kit on the property. This is where the concierge team member can go through every detail of the house with the guest which will help decrease the number of messages you will receive.

4. Gives the guest a personalized experience

Although guests like to do main tourist attractions, they also appreciate having inside knowledge that only a local would know. Make sure your concierge team member knows of local restaurants and activities. The team member should be able to provide information on the main tourist attractions and spots only known to locals. Providing this type of information to the guest, can make their experience unique and enjoyable. This can be the difference between the guest leaving the host a 5-star review!

Cons of Concierge Service

1. Logistical Challenges Can Occur

Adding a concierge team member will be another logistical issue that the host will have to think about. The concierge team member should be able to check the guest in whenever they arrive on the property. The challenge with scheduling a check-in time is that guests may run into traffic or have flight delays. The other challenge is that if you pay your concierge service by the hour, it may take up more than 1 hour of their time to accommodate the check-in, which will result in an added charge for you.

2. Will create an added expense for the host

Hosts will want to discuss with the concierge person how their services will be charged. The team member can either charge by the hour or a flat fee for every check-in that they do. This charge will eat into your bottom line. One way to avoid paying the concierge fee yourself is by adding that rate to the cleaning fee.

Example: Your cleaning fee is $175 and your concierge service charges $35 to check-in a guest. You can add the $35 to your cleaning fee for a new cleaning fee of $210.

3. Managing another team member

Host will have to manage the concierge team closely to ensure they provide good customer service. Adding another team member can add to the stresses of being a host. Make sure to hire someone you get along with. The person does not need to know everything about the property, but they should be willing to learn. They should be receptive to feedback and put the guests need above all else.

4. Guests may not like this type of service

This is especially true since the COVID-19 pandemic. Guests are more hesitant towards having another person with them in the home who is not part of their group. We have found that families with young children seem to have the most hesitance when it comes to concierge check-in.

Many guests simply do not like interacting with strangers, even if they are a member of hosts’ team. They prefer to check in and relax after a long journey to their destination.

In our experience, we have found that adding concierge services did not impact the listing. We ran a test where we had 1 of our listings on a concierge service and compared it to another one of our listings similar in size and amenities that we would not run concierge services on. A local person was hired to perform the concierge service. We set all expectations with this person and created a checklist for them to go through with each guest. We ran this test for two months and then reevaluated to see if we should continue to offer it.

The 5-star review rates were the same between the properties. We did ask the guests who received concierge service how they felt about it. We were upfront with them in letting them know that we would be trying a new service and wanted to get their feedback at the end of their stay.

We found that guests who were provided the concierge service found it difficult to coordinate the check-in time with the concierge service team member. Often guests were delayed by traffic or had flight delays which required them to adjust the check-in time with the concierge team member. The guests let us know that when they have a long drive or flight that the last thing they wanted to do was have someone check them in. They wanted to get into the property, unpack and relax. For this reason, we ended up canceling the concierge service.