How Platinum Vacations of Destin improved operations and communication with Breezeway + Escapia

Managing smooth arrivals and departures with Breezeway + Escapia

One of the biggest game changers that Platinum Vacations experienced with the Breezeway and Escapia integration is setting up tasks based on guest arrival and departure dates. Breezeway pulls reservation information from Escapia to auto-schedule cleaning workflows based on check-in and check-out times, with automated updates when bookings change.

This visibility into both operations and occupancy also allows Platinum Vacations to be more strategic with scheduling maintenance. Aaron noted that some guests used to get irritated if non-urgent preventative maintenance tasks happened to be scheduled during their stay. Now with Breezeway and Escapia’s integration, preventative maintenance can be automatically scheduled between reservations when the property is vacant to ensure guests are uninterrupted.

Additionally, the Breezeway integration pulls over guest information so teams can differentiate between owner and guest arrivals and departures. For owner arrivals, housekeepers and inspectors go through specific checklists to ensure the property is exactly how the owner expects it. For owner departures, owners can check out later, so field staff are scheduled accordingly. Knowing the guest type allows for a level of detail that Platinum Vacations could not achieve previously.

Improved internal communication

Everyone at Platinum Vacations touches Breezeway, from Aaron himself to maintenance techs, inspectors, property managers, third-party housekeeping contractors, and reservations managers. Before Breezeway, all communication between individuals and departments was handled through text.

Now with Breezeway, Aaron says he receives half the amount of questions from staff about a task or an issue in a property. Aaron explains, “Breezeway simplified all of that because our employees are able to open up a task, see the requirements, when it needs to be completed, if it’s during a guest stay, information about the property, and identify what tools they’ll need.” This system for assigning and completing tasks not only gives staff clearer expectations but also gives property managers visibility into the progress of tasks and the ability to directly communicate through comments and photos.

“You realize how much time you save by not having to text somebody. General basic questions like, is there a guest in the house, get eliminated because all the information staff need to know about their task is at their fingertips in Breezeway and is updated in real-time. There is never any lag in Breezeway like we’ve experienced with previous platforms.” - Aaron Zimmerman, Director of Operations, Platinum Vacations of Destin

Increased accountability with photo documentation

In addition to improving internal communication, Breezeway has also helped Platinum Vacations’ internal teams complete quality and consistent work. With the ability to upload photos and comments to tasks and checklists, Aaron’s team can hold themselves accountable so nothing gets missed.

“Uploading pictures in Breezeway is very easy,” Aaron explains. For example, Aaron recalls that a work order for a long-term maintenance project that took over three weeks to complete had over 100 photos in Breezeway. The ability to add comments and photos in Breezeway in one place kept everyone, from the property managers to maintenance techs, up to date on the task with fewer questions and confusion.

This not only helps ensure quality work for internal teams but also helps when dealing with guest-reported issues, like damage claims or cleanliness complaints. Aaron says, “That has been gold for us because we have a report with pictures of exactly what a property looks like before a guest checks in and another report of what it looks like after they depart.” This allows inspectors to identify the root of the issue and respond accordingly if it was an unforeseen issue, caused by the guest, or something missed by their team.

“Before Breezeway, if an inspector had come across an issue in a property, there was no way to report it other than by text message. Now, accountability has become the forefront. With Breezeway, an inspector can report the issues and there’s a documented history of what’s been reported and resolved. Our property managers are able to stay on top of various issues, no matter how big or small they are. Staying on top of issues is 1,000% easier with Breezeway than what we were using before.” - Aaron Zimmerman, Director of Operations, Platinum Vacations of Destin

Optimizing the guest experience

There’s no doubt that these efficiencies have also improved the guest experience. Platinum Vacations has adopted Breezeway Messaging as guests and travelers increasingly prefer a text message versus an email or phone call. Breezeway can also push property status back into Escapia once turnovers are complete giving Platinum Vacations property managers the ability to message guests with early check-in and set a great first impression. Aaron says, “This results in a 100% increase in happy guests right off the bat when you’re able to offer guests early check-in.”

To continue optimizing the guest journey, Breezeway’s integrations into Platinum Vacations’ tech stack have significantly reduced issues with door codes and digital guidebook links. Breezeway Messaging seamlessly integrates with our Guide product to automatically text guests their personalized digital welcome book and with PointCentral smart locks to automatically text guests their personalized door code.

Breezeway Assist has also helped Platinum Vacations with better communication after hours. When guests call or text with a question outside of normal business hours, instead of having a manager on duty or keeping guests waiting until the morning, Breezeway’s team is trained to respond based on company policies and processes.

“Breezeway Assist is already paying for itself because we don’t have to worry about it. It makes work a lot easier for us because our team no longer gets calls after hours to answer simple questions like, “What’s the nearest restaurant?” However, the Assist team will alert us with emergencies, but we’ve had very few phone calls with major issues.” - Aaron Zimmerman, Director of Operations, Platinum Vacations of Destin

Platinum Vacations has seen positive results from establishing proactive communication with guests. Opening up these communication channels helped improve the guest experience and property maintenance by letting guests know that a property manager is reachable in a timely manner if something goes wrong during the stay. Without these channels previously, guests might not have alerted property managers to these issues and left a bad review because of it. The combination of Breezeway operations and messaging allows Platinum Vacations the opportunity to resolve issues and improve the guest experience.