As I was driving back yesterday from the Coke Zero Fest I started thinking about the difference between the two headline acts and why one outshone the other. Oasis vs Snow Patrol. I’m a big fan of Oasis, have been for years where-as Snow Patrol I’ve never really listened to. Not my cup of tea, a bit MOR (Middle of the Road) for my liking. So the odds were stacked heavily in Oasis’s favour even before we began. Snow Patrol were first up and from the word go they had the crowd in the palm of their hands. The tall scruffy Irish front man (Gary Lightbody) grinned from ear to ear, laughed, smiled and chatted his way through one great track after another. He complimented the crowd, told them how wonderful they were, what a great place Cape Town was and how lovely and inspiring their singing was. He made fun of himself swallowing an insect mid-song and just looked to be having a ball. Oasis on the other hand were exactly what you’d expect. Arrogant and abusive about the crowd and the country, didn’t smile, didn’t chat, told them how quickly South Africa would exit the world cup and then Liam ends with a ‘you guys were good tonight, but not as good as we were’ line. Gee thanks Liam for making us feel welcome and part of something here!

So what’s the lesson for holiday rental accommodation owners. Be smart and learn to be like Snow Patrol and not Oasis. Be self-effacing. Be nice. Smile. Listen. Sympathize. Complement. Offer your new arrivals some tea (or something stronger). Ask about their journey and listen to the answer. Make eye contact and make sure the corners of your mouth never sag. Making a good impression is so important and you (and your accommodation) will be judged on that very crucial first meeting. Set the right tone and it should be easy to get that great review / rating. Set a bad tone and it’ll be an uphill struggle.