Turn Your Small Size Into A Strength
Many people saw the incredible growth and expansion of the RV rental industry in early 2020. So, you bought an RV in order to capitalize on the new opportunity OR, you are thinking to rent out your old RV when you aren’t using it to offset the costs of ownership.
The challenge for an individual RV owner is competing against RV dealerships with a marketing budget and multiple RV listings for rent on multiple websites.
As an individual RV owner, you need to offer top-notch services coupled with unique amenities and even travel packages to beat RV dealers with large fleets.
Remember. RV dealers with large fleets may have more RV’s and therefore more listings showing up in your city and may even have a marketing budget, but they can also be inflexible, or the customer service may not be and personal.
So, here is YOUR opportunity to differentiate yourself from these big guys.
Treat RV Rentals Like A Business And Not A Hobby
What makes a business different from a hobby?
Emotional attachment.
While a hobby thrives because of the level of emotions you input, a business thrives because of effective strategies.
Understandably, your RV is your baby, and you have spent handsomely to make it happen.
However, you need to make effective decisions in the interest of the business rather than in favor of your emotions.
So, be on the lookout for metrics and analytics; business perspective, research, and trends.
Apply Professionalism And Respond To Inquiries Rapidly
Did you know that most customers buy more from a business with a short response time?
Of course you know because you're the same way. We all are! We are in an instant gratification world with Amazon Prime and overnight Deliveries, etc. So why not extend that to people who want to rent your RV and PAY YOU MONEY? It is one way of keeping your customers happy thus maximizing your revenue and beating the competition.
These families are shopping on multiple sites for their vacation. They will most likely go with the first person who responds. If you wait hours or days to respond, then ya gotta ask yourself, How Serious Am I about this as my side hustle or main hustle?
88% of customers expect a business entity to respond to their inquiry within 60 minutes even though the average response time is usually 12 hours.
To achieve this aim, you can use customer service software, email auto-responders, and time-based email alerts, among other solutions.
Avoid Last-Minute Cancelations With Lame Excuses
Sometimes, failure to deliver RV services is acceptable, but you need a good explanation for it.
Ghosting not only results in a loss of customers to the competition but also in a poor reputation of your RV business.
We live and die by our word. At the very end, it is all we have. If you find that you cannot deliver a customer's rental booking, then you are expected to communicate to the customer in a timely manner. Isn't that what you would want as a customer?
Keeping your word and being professional maintains your customer relationship and will increase good reviews and referrals.
Overall, going silent or giving lame excuses to your customers is unacceptable as a business, if you want to stay in business and keep making money.
Upgrade Your RV With An RV Care Package
Having small perks in your RV shows appreciation to your customers. Consider offering the Must Have Amenities and Items that people take for granted in order to attract RV Renters.
The customers feel that you sincerely care.
The perks can comprise of inexpensive touches that make your customers remember your RV rental services and refer others to you.
What are some perks that your RV care package should have?
Attention to details
If your RV appears as sleeping 5 on the listing, then you should provide quality amenities for 5 individuals.
Your RV should have cutlery and bedding for 5 people.
You should place the amenities in easy-to-find locations inside your RV and everything should be clean. You can go over this with the guest during your walk-through check-in process.
Last, having metal camp dishes in your RV will allow your customers to focus on fun rather than taking care of the breakables. That also saves you from getting replacement dishes that get broken.
Attention to pets
If your RV rental allows pets, then you need to provide accommodation baskets, water and food bowls; or nicely packaged treats for the furry family member.
You can also provide a pile of towels or a wet wipes package to wipe the paws of the animals thus keeping dirt to the minimum in your RV.
Animal lovers will appreciate your services and keep on coming back for more.
Attention to toiletries
The provision of some small toiletries will go a long way in attracting and maintaining your RV Rental customers.
Even though it is not a business requirement, the provision of toiletries shows care to your customers and also guarantees that your RV will have the appropriate RV specific toiletries.
You can also provide a tube of toothpaste, hand wipes, soap, and a bathroom air freshener.
Other specific items
If you have any preferred items that you want customers to use in your RV, then you should provide them.
A tank treatment should go together with disposable wipes and gloves for use after the emptying of the tank.
A preference for specific cleaners warrants for your provision of the cleaners.
Last, provide simple instructions on how to use the specific items.
Provide a welcome basket
Having bottled water or a coffee station with small quantities of coffee, filters, creamer, and sugar leaves a legacy for your RV rental.
However, your welcome basket depends on your audience.
If you also run a home based business that sells health products, from oils, lotions, cleaning products or eatables, consider making a guest basket of those items which your guests can try during their trip and a card with re-order info. BOOM! You just earned a new customer for your other business.
For a family, you can provide a kit of simple games, a s'mores kit, or a snack pack.
Having a bottle of wine is also a great idea that will entertain wine lovers.
A handwritten note
You need to add a personal touch besides the other perks.
Leaving a handwritten note makes your customers feel that you have interacted with them personally.
The note should thank the customers and wish them an enjoyable vacation.
Thus, your customers will feel your connection, come back for more of your services, and provide referrals.
Listing on Facebook Marketplace
Great! You listed your RV for Free on RVnGO. Congratulations! Now you need to market it so you will attract guests.
It's no secret that RV dealers are listed on various websites as well as their own and therefore may have an advantage. So in addition to the ideas already listed, we recommend puting the link to your RVnGO RV Rental Listing on the sites like Offer-Up and Facebook Marketplace.
The RV marketplace has become omni-channel thus providing you with several free selling opportunities.
In 2018, over 800 million people used the Facebook marketplace to buy and sell different products and services. This is a great place to post your RVnGO RV Rental Listing with the link of your listing page placed in the description and use hashtags -
#rvngo #rvrental to be found even faster.
With this, you will achieve an extended reach and get more eyeballs on your listing and with more eyeballs come more leads and more bookings.
And that is how you can compete against the RV Dealerships.