Peak Season Survival Guide
No matter how dialed in your operations are, something will eventually go wrong during a guest’s stay…especially during the chaos of peak season. The WiFi goes out. The pool heater breaks. Housekeeping misses a spot.
What happens next is what really matters.
A thoughtful recovery plan doesn’t just salvage a guest experience — it can flip frustration into five stars, win guest loyalty, and turn a bad moment into your brand’s standout memory.
Here’s how to create a guest recovery system that’s ready before things go sideways — not after.
1. Recovery Starts Before Anything Goes Wrong
Most guest recovery efforts happen in panic mode — scrambling to apologize, throwing out a gift card, and hoping for the best. The problem? When you’re busy, those fixes feel generic — and guests can feel it.
The secret to making your recovery plan feel intentional is building it before you need it.
Set aside time ahead of peak season to:
Curate small recovery gifts (think local treats, branded tumblers, or custom welcome cards.)
Create a bank of pre-written apology notes that can be personalized on the fly.
Identify your go-to local delivery partners — bakeries, florists, or coffee shops — and set up pre-negotiated packages that anyone on your team can call in with one quick text.
PRO Tip:
When the inevitable happens, your team won’t be guessing how to make it right — they’ll just grab from the stash, write the note, and make the delivery.
2. Thoughtfulness Over Throwaways
A $50 Amazon gift card might check the box, but it doesn’t tell your guests you actually care.
What works better? Small, thoughtful gestures that feel personal — without adding work for your already busy team.
Some ideas:
A handwritten note paired with a bottle of wine.
Local cookies with a message like “Sorry for the rocky start — hope these sweeten the rest of your stay!”
A branded recovery gift like canvas tote bag or tumbler.
Guests aren’t looking for big-dollar handouts — they want to feel like someone sees them and cares.
3. Speed Is Everything
A bad experience gets worse the longer it goes unaddressed. The faster you respond, the better your shot at turning things around.
Set up response timeframes so your team knows exactly what they’re empowered to offer — and how quickly they should act:
Within 30 mins: Acknowledge the issue and apologize.
Within 2 hours: Offer a small recovery gesture (wine, cookies, or a branded gift).
Within 24 hours: Follow up to confirm the issue has been resolved.
PRO Tip:
A little speed + a little thoughtfulness = a lot of goodwill.
4. Automate What You Can (Without Losing the Heart)
The best recovery plans are the ones your team barely has to think about.
sojo can help you pre-stock recovery gifts, set up custom welcome cards, and even schedule these ahead of peak season — so your guest recovery plan runs quietly in the background while your team focuses on everything else.
With our platform, you can:
Build custom gifts that ship automatically.
Add branded welcome cards to every home with pre-written review requests or direct booking incentives.
Recommend product selections that best fit your market and needs.
Guests aren’t looking for big-dollar handouts — they want to feel like someone sees them and cares.
Recovery That Feels Like Magic (But Runs on Autopilot)
With sojo, guest recovery becomes just another operational workflow — one that’s thoughtful, fast, and completely automated.
Ready to build a guest recovery plan that actually works?
