If you are an Airbnb host or property manager, then you will know how important it is to maintain communication and foster a good relationship with guests. This can be achieved with personalized Airbnb messages that walk renters through the rental process from initial booking to arrival times and all the way through to check out times.
Being an available and attentive Airbnb host can improve the overall guest experience, and help to avoid a bad review. These tips will help your guests through their stay. It will give your Airbnb guest the feeling of being a valued customer and, if done right, can lead to future bookings of your vacation rental and positive reviews.
Reply Promptly to Guest Inquiries
Your guest should have the smoothest experience possible when booking your short-term rental property. Using Airbnb messaging helps you to remain in constant contact with your guests and walk them through the reservation and rental process.
Any inquiries should be responded to promptly and answer any questions that are being asked. Your messages will help to make things as easy as possible, giving your guests the feeling of being an important customer and offering them a great level of service that will be remembered.
Personalize Your Replies
To build a positive relationship with your guests it is vital to make your Airbnb messaging strategy completely personalized. You should always include your guest’s name and strive to give your messages a human tone. Guest communications should be warm and friendly and not sound like they were generated automatically from a bot or impersonal customer service office.
Your messages should speak specifically to your guests and you can include their information and personalized booking details when providing updates.
If the guest offers other communication options like social media or messaging platforms, these can be useful for communications too. However, the Airbnb app should be used in the first instance as all guest communications are protected by their terms and conditions.
By the same rule, your guests will appreciate knowing who they are talking to, so make sure they have your name and how to contact you for anything that they may need.
Provide Booking Checkpoints
To operate a successful messaging campaign, you will need to have a series of ‘checkpoints’ that trigger Airbnb messages to your guest. These can be informational in nature or notify the guest of key things like:
- Confirmation of initial booking
- Reminder of booking dates
- Countdown message (eg. 3 more days until your stay)
- Relevant arrival times (check-in times)
- Arrival follows up (is the property to your satisfaction?)
- Contact information in the event of any issues or problems
- Check out times
- Thanks for your stay message
- Review/rating request (ask for 5-star reviews)
You may also use Airbnb messaging to send receipts for any cancellations or money paid. If the booking has been paid in full, or your Airbnb guest has sent a security deposit, you can confirm the payment in the form of a message. Your guests can then save it to their phone or email for future reference.
Always Be Available to Help
Any inquiries made by your Airbnb guest should be followed up promptly, and any problems addressed as quickly as possible. This is where you can use guest messaging to your advantage to keep guests informed of progress or the steps that are being taken to resolve their issue.
The idea is to swiftly rectify any problems and exceed guest expectations. It is also a nice idea to provide local area information and give guests suggestions on area attractions, popular locations to visit, and places of local interest to help them get the most from their stay.
Leverage the Power of Follow Up Messaging
When your guests leave the rental property, take the opportunity to send them a ‘thank you for your stay’ message. There is no better way to tell your guests that you appreciate their business and that they are welcome to return. This is also a great opportunity to ask them to provide you with a 5-star review and rate you as an Airbnb host.
You can also use Airbnb messages to highlight discount days coming up in the future, special offers, or deals for returning guests.
Automate Your Airbnb Messages
While sending this many Airbnb messages may sound like a lot to keep up with, there are ways to make the process easier. There are currently several messaging platforms and automation tools on the market that will make your communications a breeze.
Using automated messaging can ensure that you are in contact with your guests at every step of the way while saving you valuable time. Automating your Airbnb messaging process with software such as iGMS can save as much as 70% of your time over manual communication.
By the way, iGMS offers a $30 bonus for Mashvisor users if you register through this link.
Conclusion
While constant contact with your guests takes a bit of time to set up and perfect, it is a valuable tool to use as an Airbnb host. It will give you the ability to check your guest’s level of satisfaction with the Airbnb rental property and their overall experience. Communicating with Airbnb guests at each step of the way gives you the ability to address any issues as they arise and provide the best guest experience possible.
This article has been contributed by Inna Shevchenko.