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Best practices: Message automations

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Here are some best practices and a reference guide to help maximize your work efficiency and communication with guests, team members, and property owners.

Our guide below will cover how to utilize our message automation templates, customizable conditions, and automated messages based on your needs.

Tip:

Learn more about best practices for automated messages.

How message automations work

Message automations allow you to structure a series of automated actions throughout a reservation.

Each message automation allows you to:

  1. Set conditions to determine which type of reservation will initiate it.
  2. Create the reservation timeline by adding automated messages to it.
  3. Create automated messages for your guests, as well as internal automated messages for your team.

Learn more about how to message automations. 

 

Onboarding checklist: Create a message automation

We recommend starting with six different message automations:

  • 4 for confirmed reservations
  • 1 for when a reservation is altered
  • 1 for canceled reservations
Message automation template checklist:

Pro users Lite users

Follow these instructions to add a message automation template:

  1. Select the relevant message automation template.
    • Getting started best practice
      These templates are for the most common ways that guests book a stay.
    • Advanced best practice
      1. Use the “Require check in form” templates to ask for more details from your guests before check-in (this can help you get to know your guest better and protect yourself from fraudulent guests).
      2. Use the “Add more guest types” templates to help strengthen your communication strategy and create an even more customized experience for your guests
  2. Change the default message automation's conditions settings if needed.

    Condition type

    Explanation

    Properties to include
    • All
      This is for all of your properties.
      • Properties added in the future will be automatically included
      • You can also select which properties to exclude
    • By Rule
      This allows you to set conditions by specific cities and/ or tags.
      • ​​Any properties added in the future with those cities or tags will be added automatically
    • Specific
      Choose the exact properties to include


    Channels

    		 You can set conditions for all channels, specific channels, or select which channels to exclude.

    Notice before check-in:

    • Any time
    • Equals
    • Equals or less/more than
    • More/less than
    • Between

    This determines which reservations the message automation will be triggered for, depending on how many days a guest booked in advance.

    For example:
    If you set your notice before check-in to “Equals or more than 2 days”, your message automation will be applied to reservations that were booked at least 2 days before the check-in date.

    If a reservation was created on the same day as the check-in date, they won’t receive this message automation.

    Duration of stay:

    • Any duration
    • Equals
    • Equals or less/more than
    • Is more/less than
    • Between

    The message automation will only be initiated by reservations that meet the duration of the stay you set.

    For example:
    Set your duration of stay to “Equals or more than 2 nights” if you want your message automation to be triggered for reservations that are a minimum of 2 nights.
  3. Edit each automated message within the message automation.
    1. You can add/edit automated messages, and utilize images/videos, hyperlinks (URLs), variables, and custom fields to personalize your messages.
    2. Set conditions for when each message is sent (e.g. payment status, number of guests, etc.).


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Message automations for “Confirmed” reservations

We recommend that you have these four different automated messages included in your message automations:

  1. A message for a reservation confirmation
    Use this opportunity to thank your guests for the reservation, and ask for their ETA or any other important details to know before check-in
  2. Internal reminders
    For example: to notify your staff to follow up on collecting payment.
  3. Pre-check-in instructions
    If the reservation has been fully paid, you can schedule pre-check-in instructions.
    For example: to ask for verification.
  4. Check-in instructions
    If the reservation has been fully paid, you can schedule check-in instructions.
    For example: to provide the door code, wifi password, etc.
Step by step:

Pro users Lite users

Follow these instructions to add a message automation template for confirmed reservations:

  1. Sign in to your Guesty account.
  2. In the top navigation bar, click the mode selector and select Guest Experience mode.
  3. Click Automations and select Messages from the dropdown menu.
  4. Click New message automation to create a new message automation, and select the relevant template to get started.
    You can also edit an existing message automation by selecting it from the message automations list.
    If you'd like to create your own message automation, click +Create custom.

Tip:

Use variables and custom fields to customize your messages.
For example: The guest's full name, the listing's complete address, check-in date, Wi-Fi codes, and more.

Collecting payments directly

Set up different message automation conditions based on whether you’re collecting payment for a guest’s stay directly, or if a booking channel is collecting payment.

What to include:

Make sure to include the following automated messages:

  • A message to the guest for their reservation confirmation
    Use this opportunity to thank your guests for the reservation, and ask for their ETA or any other important details to know before check-in.
  • Payment reminders if payment hasn’t been collected (this is done by applying a condition)
    1. Schedule a payment reminder for your guest before check-in 60, 30, and/or 7 days before check-in.
    2. Schedule an internal payment reminder for your team to look into the situation and collect payment if the reservation hasn’t been fully paid.
  • Pre-check-in instructions
    If the reservation has been fully paid, you can schedule automated messages for your property’s “pre-check-in” instructions.
    For example: Ask for ID verification (if needed), send the property’s door code, Wi-Fi password, etc.
  • Property instructions (for check-in)
    If the reservation has been fully paid, you can schedule automated messages for your property either before or at the time of check-in.
    For example: The property’s door code, Wi-Fi password, etc.

Collecting payments through a booking channel

Note:

Airbnb collects payment from the guest before their check-in date, however, the balance on Guesty won’t display this until the guest’s arrival time.

What to include:

Create a message automation and make sure to include the following automated messages:

  • A message to the guest for their reservation confirmation
    Use this opportunity to thank your guests for the reservation, and ask for their ETA or any other important details to know before check-in.
  • Pre-Check-in Instructions
    If the reservation has been fully paid, you can schedule an automated message to the guest with pre-check-in instructions.
    For example: Ask for verification (if needed), the property’s door code, Wi-Fi password, etc.

 

Message automations for reservation alterations

If a reservation is edited or altered, we recommend that you have external and internal automated messages included in your message automations.

These messages can help keep your staff/owners in the loop, make sure your guests are aware of changes, and make sure that the property managers are updated on whether they need to reach out to a guest or not.

Some types of alterations include changes to dates, properties, or the number of guests.

What to include:

Create a message automation and make sure to include the following automated messages:

  • An internal message to your team about any important changes
    For example: If a reservation’s check-in date has changed to an earlier date and the cleaning team needs to be informed to prepare the property earlier.
  • A message to the guest with their reservation updates
     Make sure to include confirmation that any changes to their reservation have been received.
  • A message to the property owner (if necessary)

 

Message automations for canceled reservations (canceled by guests)

If a guest cancels a reservation, we recommend that you have an external message to the guest and internal automated messages included in your message automation, to update the property manager/team.

What to include:

Create a message automation and make sure to include the following automated messages:

  • An internal message to the property manager or your team (with any relevant instructions)
    For example: Letting the property manager know that the property is available for specific nights, notifying relevant staff that there is revenue loss, informing the cleaning team, etc.
  • A message to the guest with their reservation cancellation
    For example: Confirming that their reservation has been canceled, and hoping that there will be an opportunity to host the guest in the future.
  • A message to the property owner (if necessary)

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