Many property managers claim that it is critical to implement automated messages for a vacation rental business, especially when running more than ten lets. If you have doubts about this statement, answering a couple of questions could be helpful to analyse the concept better.
What is the most essential as well as the most time-consuming part of a rental property operation? Yes, it is “communicating with guests”. But how do you handle this aspect of your business?
Do you spend hours on end answering the same questions of guests? Do you always attempt to keep track of each guest’s arrival time in order to send check-in instructions in advance? Do you text alternating messages with your housekeepers to control and schedule their work? If so, you must be getting buried under text messages and emails.
If you want to gain 5-star reviews and stay on top of your responsibilities, you should take into account using automated messages. Doing so helps you save and scale your business efficiently because:
- It eliminates the risk of human errors.
- It enhances customer service and improves the guest experience.
- It optimises your time and streamlines your workload, so you have more freedom to expand your company.
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What Are the Five Automated Messages You Should Use in Your Vacation Rental Business?
In order to consolidate your operation, improve communication with guests, and keep your staff updated, you should set some automated messages regarding:
1. Check-in and Check-Out Instructions
If you have special house rules, you may set automated text messages or emails to send instructions, prior to guest check-in. Within your message, you can ask if the guest has any particular requirement to be prepared prior to his arrival.
You can also send auto-messages before guests’ departure to give them all the information needed to check out properly and wish them a safe trip back home.
2. A Warm Follow-up
It is recommended to start establishing friendly relationships with guests immediately after their check-in. It would be nice to send a quick message a few hours after guests arrive and ask if they already have all they require. You can arrange automated messages and sit back with confidence that your guests will receive the note at the right time.
3. Instant Notifications
It is necessary to arrange automatic emails and SMS in the case of an emergency or disturbance. As an example, it is vital to inform all guests in advance of possible water cut due to maintenance purposes. In this way, you ensure all the tenants get important messages, and there is no delinquency from your side.
4. Review Reminder
It is common among happy guests to forget to leave comments on a property and service. Therefore, sending auto-reminders is almost necessary to collect more reviews, especially a few days after guests’ departure when they still have fresh memories of their trip. It can be through automated emails containing direct links to the review page that makes the process easier for guests.
5. Communicating With Staff
Automation is always the game-changer, whether in communication with your guests or crew. Arranging automated notifications to inform your cleaning staff of their new working schedule is the most proactive way to control the cleaning tasks. You can also adjust automatic messages to notify check-in staff once a guest confirms the arrival time.
How Can Zeevou’s Automated Messaging Boost Your Vacation Rental Business?
With the aim of simplifying communication with guests, Zeevou has developed an automated messaging solution in the form of some features. Through accessing a set of default templates and automation tools, Zeevou users can benefit from automated messaging for different aspects of the guest journey.
The following are some of Zeevou’s features and integrations that enable property owners to go beyond regular host communication with guests and staff.
Unified Inbox
With Zeevou’s unified inbox, you can manage communications with your guests and team and sort messages coming from different platforms, all in one place. Using prepared and customisable templates in a unified inbox, you can automate various conversations with your stakeholders.
Booking confirmations, check-in/out instructions, follow-up letters, and urgent updates are only some examples of automated emails and text messages you can set up in the unified inbox with no hassle.
ClickSend’s Integration
Zeevou’s integration with ClickSend will allow you to keep your communications on a regular basis. Zeevou users can send automated text messages and SMS, such as reminders and notifications to the employees and guests, and easily archive important conversations.
Mobile App
To save time and better operate your business while on the go, Zeevou is preparing a mobile app serviceable for you and your team. The first section of this app has been given out for housekeepers to facilitate their work and communication with the hosts.
Through this app, cleaners can automatically receive notifications regarding schedule updates and their new cleaning tasks. If you want to know more about this feature, please read the blog post, “Zeevou’s Short Term Rental Cleaning Management Solution with Mobile App”.
Automated Online Check-in Process
To simplify and secure the processing of all bookings, Zeevou has created a one-of-a-kind 5-Step Online Check-in Process. Everything goes automatically during this process, including necessary conversations with guests and check-in staff.
For example, once a guest makes a booking, an automated email is issued outlining which verification requirements have been fulfilled and which steps need to be completed. The check-in staff members are also notified by auto-messages when the guest’s arrival time is confirmed.
All multi-property managers who achieve year-over-year success employ automation in their short term rental company. So no one can deny the power and importance of automated messages in the vacation rental business. In this regard, the best advice is to rely on a Property Management System and its built-in tools to experience a fully automated and smooth operation.
