Six places to check before lunch
Your reservations team checks the Airbnb inbox, then Booking.com's extranet, then the email inbox, then the website chat, then the WhatsApp number on the owner's welcome book. Each has guest questions waiting. Can we bring two dogs to the barn? Does the cottage have a travel cot? Is there a charger for an electric car? Can we arrive at 1pm?
Most answers are in the property information, if someone looks it up. Some messages get missed, and channels notice slow response times.
Why guest messaging is hard to keep up with
Messages are spread across channels that do not talk to each other, unless your property management system brings them together, and even then email and WhatsApp may sit outside it. Each message needs checking against the right property's facts, which may be in a document or a colleague's memory.
Channels also expect replies within their own time frames, and response rates can affect how listings are treated. So there is pressure to answer quickly, even when the answer needs looking up.
What slow and inconsistent replies cost
Unanswered enquiries become lost bookings. Inconsistent answers, such as one colleague saying yes to two dogs and another saying one, create problems on arrival and in reviews. Staff spend most of their time on repeated questions, leaving less time for the ones that need care, such as complaints or special requests.
The guest inbox we build
We build a single inbox and answer-drafting layer on top of the messaging you already have.
- One inbox: messages from channels are collected through your property management system's unified inbox where it exists, and email, website chat and WhatsApp Business are added to the same queue.
- Property facts: each property has a maintained set of facts, such as pets, cots, parking, EV charging, check-in times, hot tub and accessibility, and your policies for exceptions.
- Drafted replies: a language model drafts a reply to each message using only the property's facts and your policies, in your tone. If the facts do not cover the question, it says so and does not guess.
- Approval: your team approves drafts with a click, or you allow automatic sending for low risk topics you choose, such as parking or Wi-Fi details for confirmed guests.
- Response clock: each message shows how long it has waited against the channel's expectations, with alerts before it becomes late.
- Escalation: complaints, refund requests and unusual requests are flagged to a person with the booking and property details attached.
| Question | Answered from | Sent automatically? |
|---|---|---|
| Can we bring two dogs? | Pet policy for the property | Draft for approval |
| Where do we park? | Parking fact for the property | Can be automatic for confirmed guests |
| Can we arrive early? | Check-in rules and cleaning schedule | Draft for approval |
| The heating is not working | Maintenance escalation | No, flagged to a person |
After the change
Your team works one queue, not six. Routine questions are answered quickly and consistently from the same facts. People spend their time on complaints, special requests and the enquiries most likely to become bookings. Channel response times stay within what each platform expects.
Signs you need this
- Guest messages arrive through several channels your team checks separately.
- The same questions about pets, cots and parking come in every day.
- Different staff give different answers about the same property.
- Messages have been missed or answered late.
- Property facts are in documents that take time to search.