OwnerRez is nothing but compromises and work arounds.
I reviewed several platforms before choosing OwnerRez, based on what I thought was a no frills but strong booking engine and guest interaction platform. I was quickly disappointed. Between everything I wanted to accoomplish that was easy in my old software, requiring a "Workaround," being unable to summon help when needed and instead being directed to page after page of Black Text WITH HUGE RED DISCLAIMERS or pointers saying 'actually no, this info is old, go here." After Owner Reports was launched, I found none of the reports made any actual sense. While trying to get help with this, no fewer than 5 people sent me messages, none of them had any answers, and finally they just stopped responding. I was left to fend for myself in a frontier of poorly designed web pages.
Literally every message type I send had to be duplicated at least 4 times, and one to advise guests of the trash being taken out for them, took 28 different duplications.
If you are small mom and pop, don't try to get too fancy, and just need a booking engine, go ahead. If you are trying to grow your nusiness, give guests an. awesome. and personalized experience, go elsewhere. And don't be mislead by the pricing, by the time you add what services you need it will be more expensive than the competitors.
And I wouldn't be so salty about it if they would just be more upfront. about the system's limitations.
Also if they had given ANY kind of refund for the mnths ofg misery I spent in their system. The best they could manage was a "bye!"
I don't compromise on my guests' experience, and I expect the same from my software. OwnerRez is nothing but compromises and work arounds.
Reply from OwnerRez, Inc.
Matt,
Thank you for taking the time to speak with Steve, our Director of Customer Success, directly today and for sharing your experience on the phone.
Unfortunately, OwnerRez did not end up being the right fit for the workflows and operational model you were trying to build, particularly around co-hosting/direct remittance style operations across multiple channels.
That said, we do want to acknowledge that we have heard the pain points you mentioned, especially around workflow complexity and recurring messaging setup. In fact, one of the specific examples you mentioned, recurring triggers/trash-day messaging, was recently redesigned because we recognized the setup process needed improvement. (And it is already out live as I write this)
For other people reading this - I want you to know that our team spent a significant amount of time working through onboarding, API connectivity, reporting discussions, and operational workflows with Matt directly during implementation. So while we recognize this may not have been a 5-star experience for him, a 1-star review suggests we provided little to no support or value during the process, and that simply was not the case.
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to vacation rental software. Different platforms approach workflows, automation, accounting, channel management, and co-hosting differently, which is exactly why we provide a free trial period so customers can test workflows and determine whether the platform is the right fit for their operational model before fully committing. In reviewing Matt's account history, many of the workflows that ultimately became the biggest pain points were complex co-hosting/remittance scenarios that evolved over time during implementation.
We genuinely appreciate the candid feedback because conversations like this help us continue improving both the platform and onboarding experience for future customers.
Matt, we wish you the best moving forward with your business!