Airbnb - Guest Relations & Operations Specialist

Job Title: STR – Guest Relations & Operations Specialist Schedule: Monday–Thursday and Saturday, 10:00 AM–9:00 PM Eastern Time, with a 1-hour lunch. Hours: 40–45 hours per week expected; up to 50 hours when business needs require it, with approval. Pay: $6–$8 USD per hour depending on experience, communication ability, judgment, and property-management experience. About Us: Key Getaways is a premier property management firm founded by a former futures trader who traded the chaos of the Chicago markets for a passion-driven mission: creating first-class travel experiences for families. We specialize in transforming vacation rentals into high-performing assets across national markets, currently anchored in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Our culture is built on the "family-style" values of kindness and leadership, yet we operate with the precision and scalability of a high-growth tech company. We are a lean, execution-focused team that rejects micro-management in favor of individual ownership, and we are looking for a visionary partner to help us build the systems that will support our goals. Accountability: 1. Guest Experience Ownership *Own guest communication from pre-arrival through checkout, including questions, concerns, complaints, and urgent issues. *Respond quickly, professionally, and empathetically while protecting the company and property owner’s interests. *Use sound judgment to resolve routine guest issues independently and escalate higher-risk situations with a recommended solution. *Follow issues through to completion rather than simply handing them off. 2. Maintenance & Vendor Coordination *Serve as the primary coordinator when a guest reports a maintenance, housekeeping, pool/hot-tub, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, lock, internet, or other property issue. *Contact the appropriate maintenance person or vendor, clearly communicate the problem, coordinate access, and track the issue until resolved. *Keep guests informed while work is underway and confirm the repair or service was completed successfully. *Source new vendors when necessary and help maintain a dependable vendor network in each market. *Identify repeat property issues and bring patterns to management’s attention. 3. Operational Ownership & Decision-Making *Take ownership of assigned operational issues from discovery through resolution. *Make informed decisions with limited information while balancing guest satisfaction, urgency, cost, and owner impact. *Escalate thoughtfully with context and proposed solutions—not just problems. *Document important incidents, actions taken, vendor outcomes, and follow-up items. 4. Process Improvement & Systems *Identify recurring guest or operational problems and recommend ways to prevent them. *Help create and improve SOPs for guest communication, maintenance escalation, vendor dispatch, refunds/credits, and emergency situations. *Maintain accurate notes and task tracking so another team member can quickly understand the status of an issue. *Help improve workflows as Key Getaways grows. 5. Team Communication & Leadership Readiness *Communicate proactively with management and other team members about urgent issues, risks, and unresolved items. *Work effectively with cleaners, maintenance technicians, pool/hot-tub companies, handymen, and other vendors. *Support onboarding and training of future guest-relations team members as the company grows. *Model accountability, professionalism, urgency, and high-quality work. Tasks: *Monitor and respond to guest messages across Airbnb, Vrbo, direct bookings, and the property-management system. *Handle same-day guest needs including check-in problems, access issues, missing items, cleanliness concerns, amenity questions, and property malfunctions. *Troubleshoot issues remotely when possible and dispatch the correct vendor when on-site help is needed. *Coordinate maintenance and vendor schedules, provide access information, and follow up until