• Homeowner involvement

• Block the Calendar to avoid any reservations on vacant days

• Review calendar and current reservations -

  • find comparable properties if available to move the guests to (If not contact the booking platform immediately - you will need documentation to provide to avoid penalties)

• • Current reservations: Contact the guests and let them know of the situation

  • Provide them with links to other comparable homes they can move to

• • • If the guests move to another location that is STRM managed there are a few scenarios with the rate fluctuations

      • Example: 2602 Larkspur moving to 3049 Clarendon and the rate is the same there is no additional changes

      • 2602 Larkspur moving to 5307 Everett and the rate is $600 more. The rate would be matched to 2602 for the Guest and the additional $600 would be charged to the homeowner

      • 2602 Larkspur moving to 22219 22nd and the rate is less than what was already charged to the guest, update the rate to reflect the rate of 2602. The overage will be allotted to one of the homeowners.

• • • If the guests do not wish to move locations and would rather cancel their reservation we will honor a full refund for this scenario and the owners will be charged a penalty.

      • Create task in BW to document discount or adjustment provided

      • Stephanie evaluate if owner should be charged original commission for discount provided to guest

      • Share the task with Randi to complete accounting

• Block the calendar to avoid any further reservations past their cutoff date

• If the owners are requesting to cancel the current reservations on the calendar - we are not obligated to cancel these reservations as they owners are under contract for anything on the calendar and paid for. We will attempt to relocate the guests if possible.

  • Review the calendar and current reservations - find comparable properties if available to move the guests to (If not contact the booking platform immediately - you will need documentation to provide to avoid penalties)

  • Contact the guests and let them know of the situation and provide them with links to other comparable homes they can move to. Guests ARE NOT obligated to move.

    • If the guests move to another location that is STRM managed there are a few scenarios with the rate fluctuations

      • Example: 2602 Larkspur moving to 3049 Clarendon and the rate is the same there is no additional changes

      • 2602 Larkspur moving to 5307 Everett and the rate is $600 more. The rate would be matched to 2602 for the Guest and the additional $600 would be charged to the homeowner

      • 2602 Larkspur moving to 22219 22nd and the rate is less than what was already charged to the guest, update the rate to reflect the rate of 2602. The overage will be allotted to one of the homeowners.

• Same steps as above for Client canceling with STRM

Guests have a particular way of letting us know if there are issues in the home. Once they find one they create or “find” many more. There are several scenarios to handle these situations.

Home wasn’t cleaned upon arrival

• Attempt to schedule cleaning with guest to remedy the issue

• Offer a refund of the cleaning fee if they do not want us to come clean

• Guest wants to move or cancel - we want to relocate them first after verification that the home actually wasn’t cleaned

  • Guest moves to comparable home and no rate change

  • Guest moves to smaller home, refund rate difference

  • Guest moves to larger home, STRM will cover rate difference

  • Guest wants to cancel reservation entirely - STRM pays owner - guest receives full refund

Home wasn’t cleaned well enough

• REQUEST PHOTOS - VERIFY VERIFY VERIFY

• Attempt to schedule cleaning with guest to remedy the issue

• Offer a refund of the cleaning fee if they do want us to come clean

• Guest wants to move or cancel - we want to relocate them first after we verify their allegations are substantial

  • Guest moves to a comparable home and no rate change

  • Guest moves to smaller home, refund rate difference

  • Guest moves to larger home, STRM will cover rate difference (IF VERIFIED) - guest receives refund for remaining days

Home mechanics malfunction

• REQUEST PHOTOS  - VERIFY VERIFY VERIFY

• Attempt to schedule maintenance to resolve the issue as quickly as possible

• Offer a temporary item if it’s an appliance or something we can replace until the original item is repaired or replaced

• Offer a partial refund for the issue

• Guest wants to move or cancel - we want to relocate them first after verification that the home didn’t perform

  • Guest moves to comparable home and no rate change

  • Guest moves to smaller home, refund rate difference

  • Guest moves to larger home, Owner will be charged the rate difference as a penalty for the malfunction of the home  

• Guest wants to cancel reservation entirely - Owner pays STRM the commission owed on the reservation and if there are any penalties from the booking site this is charged to the owner - guest receives full refund  

If the guest cancels the reservation and we don’t have to clean the home and we don’t have to cancel the cleaning rep to clean the home we can offer to refund the cleaning fee and any feature fees we’ve added onto the reservation.

SOP – Guest Requests to Cancel but Refuses Due to Refund Policy

1. Purpose

To outline how the Comms team should handle situations where a guest indicates they want to cancel but becomes upset about the refund policy and refuses to proceed.

2. Scope

Applies to all guest cancellations across all platforms (Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com, STRM.com).

3. Responsibilities

• Comms Team: Communicate clearly with the guest, follow platform guidelines, and escalate when required.
  
  

• Operations Team: Stay informed on pending cancellations, guest escalations, or situations that may require intervention.
  
  

• Supervisor/Manager: Provide approval for exceptions or escalations beyond standard policy.
  
  

4. Process

Step 1 – Acknowledge Guest Request

1. Thank the guest for reaching out.
   
   

2. Confirm you understand they want to cancel but are concerned about the refund policy.
   
   

3. Reiterate the cancellation policy as outlined on the booking platform.
   
   

Step 2 – Clarify Next Step to Guest

1. Politely inform the guest:
   
   

   • “We completely understand your concern. Unfortunately, until the reservation is cancelled on your end, we are not able to proceed with any review of refund options.”
     
     

2. Do not promise or imply refunds outside policy.
   
   

Step 3 – Escalation to Operations Team

1. Tags the In home team supervisor on  -  Use template "Mid-stay cancellation"
   
   

*Upon a guest canceling mid-stay, please block the calendar for 4 days to allow the in-home team to verify the guest’s departure and complete cleaning.

*tag supervisor on

Guest name: 

Date cancelled: 

2. Mark status: Awaiting Guest Action.
   
   

Step 4 – Monitor & Follow Up

1. If the guest eventually cancels:
   
   

   • Update Ops task with actual cancellation date and outcome.
     
     

   • Apply refund policy as written.
     
     

2. If guest does not cancel:
   
   

   • Leave reservation as is.
     
     

   • Document all communications for recordkeeping.
     
     

Step 5 – Closing the Case

1. Once resolved (guest cancels or decides to keep booking), mark Ops task as Closed.
   
   

2. Add a final comment with the outcome:
   
   

   • Cancelled / refund processed per policy
     
     

   • Cancelled / no refund (guest aware)
     
     

   • Reservation kept by guest
     
     

5. Key Notes

• Never override the platform’s cancellation/refund policy without manager approval.
  
  

• Keep communications calm, empathetic, and professional.
  
  

• Always escalate to Ops for awareness so they can monitor in case of chargebacks or disputes.