Guesty offers many features to help property managers streamline their business. With the guidance of onboarding specialists, new clients are able to get acquainted with all of the features and take full advantage of them through a 5-week onboarding process.
But what exactly does the onboarding process look like? We spoke with Senior Product Consultant Abby Matlin, to find out about the relationships she builds with new clients as she sets them up for success.
What’s a typical day for you as an onboarding specialist at Guesty?
Every day is different as an onboarding specialist, which is why I love my job so much. I work with clients from across the globe so my schedule depends on who I am talking to that day. I usually have sessions with three to four clients a day. Between calls, I evaluate client accounts to see if features we discussed on our previous call are fully set up and activated, upload manual reservations for my users, and check in to see if the system is being fully utilized. Every Onboarding Specialist at Guesty is also part of a Guild at the company that meets a couple of times each month to help the product managers understand what our clients are looking for from the software. I am personally a member of our Expedia Guild. It’s exciting to be able to work directly with the product manager to make sure the integration is user friendly as my team will be the person helping user’s connect their properties to this channel.
What are some of the key tasks on your to-do list?
The onboarding process always starts off with channel integrations, encouraging clients to set up accounts with more channels to increase their visibility for potential bookings. Each OTA has a different integration process in Guesty. For example, Airbnb is an instant connection where you will see your reservations and calendar data in Guesty right away, while our VRBO integration goes through an onboarding process from their team as well.
Guesty’s Multi Calendar unifies date availability and pricing across all OTA’s. This allows our client’s to have an organized area where they can view/create reservations, adjust pricing, send quotes to potential guests, and set up smart calendar rules which will automatically block dates on connected listings to ensure there are no double bookings.
How many clients do you work with?
My portfolio of clients can change depending on the time of year but on average I onboard around 15-20 different clients at the same time.
What’s one thing you do to establish strong relationships with your customers from the start?
During all of my first sessions I ask my clients a series of questions to help me learn more about them and their company. It’s important for me to understand why they decided to use Guesty and what they are most looking forward to, so I can create an “onboarding flow” that maps out what we will be completing on each call. The more details I know about their biggest pain point as a PM/Owner, the faster I can make sure these are all set up in Guesty for them. I ultimately want to make sure my clients see how Guesty can help them automate and streamline every aspect of their rental business.
Walk us through the lifecycle of a client relationship with you?
During the first week of onboarding a new client I assist them through the integration and navigation of the Guesty platform which includes integrating booking channels like Airbnb, Booking.com, and VRBO and connecting any of our marketplace partners for home automations or operations. Throughout weeks two and three of onboarding we set up automations to streamline the rental process so clients can focus on growing their businesses. I like my clients to see value from Guesty as fast as possible. The most common thing I hear is that automating their check in and check out messages and setting up recurring revenue management rules saves them hours every week. Week four consists of customization for clients’ accounts. Every client is different when it comes to what they need on their account. I make sure all rental agreements + check in forms are created and automated, cleaners are receiving their daily tasks, and our PM’s Owners have access to view their properties calendars through our owner portal. Week five is the final week of onboarding where we have a summary of all the Guesty features and graduation. Lastly, if a user would like to implement the accounting feature, we have about three to four more calls together to ensure owner statements are generated correctly.
How do you measure success in your job?
When I am on a call with a client and they navigate Guesty on their own without my guidance I know I have done my job well! I love watching the progression of a client who from the first call initially felt overwhelmed to seeing their confidence towards the end of the onboarding program. That’s when I know I have helped set them up for success.
What’s the best thing about the job?
I love learning about my clients’ properties around the world. Whether they are tiny homes in North Carolina, bungalows in Bali, or cottages in the Netherlands they play an integral part in helping their guests create lifelong memories. I also work on the best team I have been a part of throughout my career. My colleagues are beyond supportive and motivating. There is never a time in the day where I feel like I am stuck on my own with an issue, I can always lean on my team for support.
What have you found to be a central priority for Guesty users?
Property Managers and Owners come to Guesty looking for a system that will automate and streamline every aspect of their rental business. Most of my clients take full advantage of every feature Guesty has to offer, including our new accounting feature! Accounting is a game changer for our clients and I have heard numerous times how much time they have saved at the end of every month generating owner statements.
How would you describe your relationship with your clients?
You can ask anyone on my team, after I graduate certain clients from Onboarding I get a bit emotional! We spend a lot of time over Zoom together so it’s only natural that I build a close relationship with them. I often get invited to stay at their properties when I travel to their city which is so kind of them. Nothing makes me happier in my job than to see client portfolios expanding with fully booked calendars.
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