How One UK Homeowner Won Her Certificate Of Excellence

Jun 2, 2017 | Expert Advice

It’s official: the TripAdvisor Rentals Certificate of Excellence is here! And we’d like to introduce you to one of the winners…

Dawn Meeks lists her two vacation rentals in Harrogate—a charming market town in the north of England—on TripAdvisor Rentals. Both The Old Dairy and The Courtyard have proved incredibly popular with travelers, with over 50 reviews between them.

We asked Dawn how she feels about winning the Certificate of Excellence and being one of TripAdvisor’s top rental owners. We also asked her to share the secrets to her success! Read on for a real perspective on what it takes to establish and run a top listing on TripAdvisor, and you could soon be a Certificate of Excellence winner, too!

Q+A With Certificate of Excellence Winner

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Congratulations on doing such a good job with your rental! There aren’t many people who have earned a Certificate of Excellence, so your efforts really are impressive.

Thank you very much! It’s something I work very hard at, and it’s nice to know I’m doing something right.

Clearly! We’re very excited sharing your success with the rest of our owners. For starters, can you tell us a bit about how you got into the holiday rental business?

My children were growing up and it was the right time for me to diversify. We bought a property and it had an outbuilding, but was unconverted. So we went through the whole process of getting planning permission from the local authorities, with a view for me to do something from home. I’d had a career and I just fancied working from home!

I live next door to both of the cottages—they’re part of my family home, so work was right on the doorstep. Very, very convenient for a mother with a family.

That sounds heavenly!

Yes! The first building was called The Old Dairy Cottage and it was a small barn that was used as a dairy. We got planning permission and basically had that for 12-13 years.

Our actual house used to be two cottages. So, when my sons eventually moved out of the house, we returned that part of our house to its original state as a separate cottage. We joke that we kicked the boys out and sold their bedrooms!

I absolutely love doing this and I wouldn’t do anything else now.

What encouraged you to list with TripAdvisor Rentals?

It’s got a great name. Everybody talks about TripAdvisor ratings and reviews—it’s what EVERYBODY uses now. That’s why! The name.

I’ve also travelled a lot myself and I find it’s the most reassuring way of getting guaranteed, honest feedback from people. You learn a lot straight from the horse’s mouthfrom people who have actually visited establishments.

We recently talked to another owner based in the UK, Sara Eastwood, about how important reviews are. What’s your own take on them?

I’ve had this business for 15 years and, in the early days, reviews weren’t part of running a rental business. But in the last five years, the majority of people who book say, “We’ve looked at your reviews.” Reviews are the first thing people judge your rental on. It’s the only thing they have to go on if they’ve never visited your rental before! It’s an essential part of my business.

How do you go the extra mile to make sure travelers have a great experience?

Firstly, I respect their privacy because I am next door and I don’t want to be the “busybody” owner. We’ve created space for ourselves—a separate garden, separate parking… If they want us, we’re here. But we don’t pester them.

What about the process before they arrive? Do you have any tips and tricks to secure those bookings?

Responding quickly to ANY inquiry is essential. If you respond within an hour, you stand a high chance of getting a booking. If you leave it any longer than that, you’re one of many.

I think it’s about going the extra mile without being over the top. I always ask: Is there anything else I can help with your trip? Can I get food in for you? Can I get you anything that will make your stay easier? Even if it’s not connected to the rental itself.

A lot of guests have told me, “What you said and did has actually pushed you to the top of the queue and been the reason I booked”!

What advice would you give to first-time rental owners?

Think about what YOU like when you travel and stay in different places. Bring all the things and facilities you enjoy when you go away to your own rental. That’s exactly what I’ve done!

When I go away on vacation and we’re in a nice hotel or cottage, I’ll sit there and think: that’d be really nice to add to my rental! It’s those little extras that guests love and that make your stay a memorable home from home.

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So what’s the secret?

What, then, is the secret to Dawn’s success? As well as listings that look fantastic, her vacation rentals tick all the boxes for Certificate of Excellence—great review scores, high response rates and high acceptance rates. But Dawn takes it a step further and goes beyond what she needs to do.

Running a successful rental business is never a walk in the park. But even the simplest steps—whether that’s responding within an hour to secure a booking or asking if there’s anything you can do to make a guest’s stay easier—can result in a fantastic review and get you a step closer to that Certificate of Excellence.

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