We love feedback! Who doesn’t? And we’d like to share with you some of the most recent feedback our customers have sent us:

In our first year on Surf to Ski Retreats, we have generated over $27,000 in revenue from guests that have used your website. I think that’s pretty good. I do have to tell you that it thrills me to see how hard you push the homes you have listed onto your different marketing channels. Your website and ads look very professional.

Thank you for all you and your staff do, Michael. Looks like you have developed a great business.

Sharon
Sunriver, OR

I wanted to write to you to tell you how pleased I am with Surf to Ski Retreats. Within 3 months I have made several bookings as a result of signing on. I am so glad I decided to go with Surf to Ski Retreats and will continue to do so.

Thank you for helping me with my properties!!

Guinnevere
Honolulu, HI

I just wanted to tell you that whatever you guys are doing to get the word out about your site is working! I have had numerous hits and have had many bookings and another going out tonight. Quite honestly, I am very impressed with your site.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Becca
Mt. Hood, OR

I was really pleased to receive so many inquiries from your site so quickly since joining. I can tell that you guys do a great job with Search Engine Optimization, which is great for your subscribers and for your business. I look forward to receiving many bookings from your site in the coming months.

Thanks.

Tandra
Charleston, SC

I have to say that I am extremely pleased with your service and I know that your web site will be a hit just because of your dedication. Your sale approach was low key and without pressure, something that I like and appreciate. Your response to problems is great and reliable. And your web site is wonderful, easy to use and not cluttered with unnecessary junk.

Stuart

Kailua-Kona, HI

Send us your feedback! Use our contact page, or leave us a comment here. Good or bad, we like to hear from owners, managers and renters. We want to provide you with a great site and service!

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Michael

Surf to Ski Retreats - Vacation Rentals For Every Season

As either a property manager or individual property owner there are several things you should be doing on a regular basis to ensure you’re doing everything you can to increase your bookings and revenue. Being vigilant and diligent is key to capturing more bookings.

List All Your Rentals

A frequent mistake that many managers make is to list a small number of rentals online. Each vacation rental is unique so having a subset of your rentals online really limits the number of inquiries and bookings. Don’t expect that because you have your top performing rentals online that people who are interested in those will want something else. You will lose bookings. You should also list your rentals on several sites. The bottom line is that you want to cast a wide net so you catch the most number of renters!

Rapid Response

The #1 activity you need to stay on top of is rapidly responding to renter inquiries. Whether its by phone or email, if you are not responding to potential renters you’ll never get bookings. You also need to respond in a timely manner. Many renters are looking at more than one property and you could lose a booking because someone else was faster at responding to a renter than you. In this day and age, it is highly recommended you carry a Blackberry, iPhone or Palm so you can email renters back even when you’re out and about.

Make sure to keep your contact information (phone and email) updated. If you change your phone number, go to your listings and change it otherwise you’re missing out on bookings you never knew you had coming.

Calendars

Most renters look at your rental’s availability before they will contact you so make sure it is updated on a regular basis. There are web based calendars and tools you can use so you don’t need to update dozens of calendars. And of course, Surf to Ski Retreats allows you to embed a web based calendar into your listing! Keep your calendar up to date. If you’re getting inquires for a rental that is not available, you’re wasting your time and the potential renters.

Pictures

There’s nothing more important than showing renters what the vacation rental looks like and it’s critical to include pictures of both the inside and outside of the vacation rental, even if it’s a condo, house or townhouse. As the decor changes, take new pictures. Renters will be disappointed if they arrive and find the vacation rental does not match what they saw online.

Publish Your Rates

Many owners don’t want to publish rates but that’s a big mistake. Renters have a budget when they are looking for their next vacation rental and they are not about to send off dozens of inquiries to see if that “perfect” rental is affordable to them. Keep your rates updated when they change. Renters don’t like surprises and when they see one rate and are given a higher rate, you’ll lose them right there.

Policies

With the current economic situation we are seeing more and more renters asking about cancellation and deposit policies. When two or more couple get together to go on vacation together and one pulls out it generally means they need to cancel the entire vacation. Publish these policies so renters feel more comfortable renting from you as they know what they are getting into and how they can get out. We always recommend to renters that they purchase travel insurance, but they don’t always do.

Conclusion

All these items might seem simple, but so many owners and manager fail to execute them and miss out on thousands of dollars in revenue. Just remember to post all the information about your rental, frequently update it and immediately respond your renter inquiries. These 3 items will help you increase your rental booking and revenue!

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Michael

Surf to Ski Retreats - Vacation Rentals For Every Season