The Psychology Behind Happy Guests with Kanan Whited and Alex Husner

the no BS podcast

In this episode of the podcast, Mateo and John chat it up with Happy Guest co-founders Alex Husner and Kanan Whited. There's something refreshing about this guest portal and the story and psychology behind the app is entertaining and fulfilling. You're gonna want to download this one.

Episode Highlights:

Guest Introductions: Exciting projects ahead: Alex, a returning guest, shares her excitement about new projects and life post-Casago.

First-time guest Kanan Whitehead, co-founder of Happy Guest, joins the show to discuss his journey into vacation rental tech.

Kanan’s Origin Story: From Amazon to Vacation Rentals: Kanan’s background in scaling creativity at Amazon/Whole Foods led him into vacation rental branding and operations. His work at Airbnb led to developing tools that streamline operations for property managers, leading to the founding of Happy Guest.

Why Happy Guest was created: Kanan and Alex discuss how Happy Guest was born from a desire to simplify the vacation rental guest experience. Focus on creating a seamless guest journey by improving communication, workflows, and reducing operational burdens for managers.

Psychology of the Guest Journey: Happy Guest focuses on the psychology of guest interactions, creating a fun and stress-free experience for both guests and property

Upsells Timing: The trend is upsells in the property management space, but upsells are most effective closer to the check-in date rather than at the time of booking.

Importance of Guest Communication: Guests prefer to communicate on platforms they are comfortable with (e.g., Airbnb), and property managers should align with those preferences while collecting necessary contact details.

Unified Communication: The challenge of disjointed guest communications (email, text, Airbnb messages) can make Airbnb the most consistent touchpoint. The goal is to streamline communication and keep it aligned with the guest's preferences.

Gamification: Happy Guest's check-in process includes a gamified element to make it engaging for guests, inspired by the success of platforms like Hopper that have integrated fun, playful design elements.

Visual Design and Branding: There is a trend towards minimalist design in tech, but Happy Guest differentiates itself with a more playful, colorful approach. The design aims to make the platform memorable and enjoyable for both property managers and guests.

Guest Journey Optimization: Happy Guest emphasizes simplifying the guest journey, from booking to check-in, using technology to make the process intuitive and stress-free for both guests and property managers.

Revenue Opportunities: Happy Guest offers upsells such as early check-in or other customizable add-ons. Property managers can increase revenue while saving time through automation.

Streamlined Setup: The platform is quick to set up, requiring little ongoing management from hosts. Once implemented, it automates many repetitive tasks, freeing property managers to focus on other responsibilities.

Consistency in Guest Experience: Inconsistent messaging and outdated terms across platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo, direct bookings) are common pain points. Happy Guest helps property managers streamline and standardize their guest communications across all platforms.

No App Download Required: Happy Guest is web-based, avoiding the friction of requiring guests to download an app, which is a significant roadblock for user adoption.

Event Participation: Happy Guest is involved in industry events, offering prizes and stays to encourage people to experience the platform firsthand at conferences.

Ease of Use: The platform offers property managers the tools to simplify guest interactions without having to be constantly engaged, making it highly time-efficient.

Happy Guest