Why a long message gets no answer
You send one long message after the booking. It holds the door code, the parking rules, the pool hours and a question about arrival time. The guest reads the first line and closes the app.
Two days later you still do not know when they will arrive. Your cleaner asks, and you have nothing to say.
The fix is fewer words, sent at the right time. Each message has one job.
Three rules for every template
Ask one question. Give a guest two questions and you may get one answer, or none.
Put the fact they need in the first line. They may be reading on a phone in a taxi.
Send it when they need it. Door steps sent two weeks early get lost in the chat.
Right after the booking: say what comes next
The guest has just paid and wants to know that all is well. Say thank you, then say when they will hear from you. Keep the door code for later.
Message to copy
Hi [name], thank you for booking [listing]. Your stay is [dates]. I will send the check-in steps on [day]. If you have a question before then, write here.
Three days before: ask when they will arrive
This one answer helps you plan the whole day. Make it easy to give. With "a rough time is fine", the guest does not need to look up a flight.
Message to copy
Hi [name], your stay starts on [date]. What time do you think you will arrive? A rough time is fine.
The day before: send the steps to get in
Number the steps. The guest will follow them with a bag in each hand. Then say what to do if the door does not open, so nobody waits outside with no plan.
Message to copy
Hi [name], here is how to get in tomorrow. 1. Park at [parking]. 2. Go to [door]. 3. Enter the code [code]. You can come in from [time]. If the door does not open, call [phone].
The first morning: ask if anything is missing
A guest with no spare towels may say nothing until the review. One short question brings the problem to you while you can still fix it. It costs you one message.
Message to copy
Good morning [name]. Is anything missing or not working at [listing]? Tell me here and I will help.
The evening before checkout: keep the list short
Guests skip a long checkout list. Ask for the two or three things that save your cleaner the most time. If nobody arrives that day, you can also offer a later checkout. Here is how to take payment for it on Airbnb.
Message to copy
Hi [name], checkout is at [time] tomorrow. Before you go, please [first task] and [second task]. Thank you for staying with us.
After checkout: ask once for a review
Send this on the day they leave, and send it once. Do not offer anything for the review. Airbnb's Reviews Policy says a review may not be given "in exchange for something of value". It names a discount as one example.
Message to copy
Hi [name], thank you for staying at [listing]. If you have a minute, an honest review helps the next guest choose.
Put the templates on a timer
You do not have to send these by hand. Airbnb's scheduled quick replies can send them for you. Our guide to Airbnb auto reply shows how they work, and which bookings they can miss.
Before you turn one on, read it with real details in place. A wrong door code is worse than no message.
What a template cannot do
A template speaks first. It cannot answer what the guest says back.
The guest reads your steps and asks for a crib, or asks if the pool is heated. Someone on your team has to stop and look it up. With many units, those replies are the real work.
How TravelPal does this for you
TravelPal can send each guest a welcome message with a link to their stay page. Before arrival, it can send a reminder with the same link. During setup, you tell us what you send today, so no guest gets two messages.
When a guest writes back, TravelPal replies in the language the guest writes in. It answers from your house manual and your saved facts. If the fact is not there, the question goes to your team. Here is how guest messaging works.
Sources
- Airbnb's Reviews Policy airbnb.com
- Airbnb's scheduled quick replies airbnb.com