Two words: guest communication. Any STR manager knows communication is essential to sustaining a successful business. And with growing guest expectations for prompt, helpful responses, and the prevalence of co-hosting on platforms like Airbnb, property managers need to stay efficient and responsive.
Here are five strategies for improving guest communication, with insights into tools like Hostfully’s Co-Host and InboxAI messaging solutions that can make your job easier and keep guests happier.
1. Establish a Unified Inbox for all guest messages
Managing listings across various channels (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, smaller channels and direct booking sites) is a balancing act. Before scaling your business, it’s critical to enlist a channel manager or property management platform like Hostfully. Using a Unified Inbox will consolidate all guest communication into one platform, helping property managers handle messages more efficiently. Missed inquiries? Held up response times? No longer.
And with the rise of co-hosting, especially on Airbnb, property managers increasingly need to provide selective access to co-hosts. Giving co-hosts the ability to handle guest inquiries without exposing them to sensitive information about other properties is a game-changer.
Tools like Hostfully’s Co-Host Inbox offer this flexibility, allowing vacation rental managers to delegate guest communication safely and efficiently. Property managers can thus expand their teams confidently, knowing they retain control over information access. Selective access allows co-hosts to manage only their assigned properties, providing better control and security.
2. Stay organized, especially as you scale
Keeping track of guest conversations can be challenging, especially when a guest returns or you have multiple guests at different properties. Managing conversations with repeat guests or across multiple properties can get complicated. By organizing messages into booking-based threads, each reservation is compartmentalized, making it easy to track each guest’s history.
This setup reduces the risk of mixing up guest interactions and past bookings, and provides teams with all the context they need to provide excellent service, even when managing high volumes. It’s especially useful in reducing errors and confusion, creating a smoother experience for both guests and team members. For Hostfully users, learn how here.
3. Use AI messaging tools for quick, reliable responses
Increasingly, property management tools are leaning into AI technologies. By integrating tools like Hostfully’s InboxAI, STRs and MTRs can take guest communication a step further with smart AI-powered responses that simplify interactions with accuracy and personalization. With such guest communication tools, managers can handle high volumes of inquiries seamlessly, saving time and ensuring that guests receive consistent, high-quality responses, from local recommendations to send check-in instructions and beyond.
4. Provide consistency
Consistency is key in guest communication. No matter where guests are reaching out—through Airbnb, direct booking, or other channels—they should experience the same level of responsiveness and service.
By establishing clear guidelines and best practices for guest communication, property managers can create a consistent experience across all channels. This builds guest trust and improves their overall experience, leading to positive reviews and repeat bookings.
5. Leverage data and feedback to continuously Improve
Guest feedback offers valuable insights into how you can enhance your communication processes. Analyzing feedback helps property managers identify areas for improvement and anticipate common questions, allowing you to adjust your messaging and strategy accordingly.
For example, Hostfully’s Dashbord provides Financial Reports and Performance Analytics, allowing vacation rental managers to monitor response times, identify communication trends, and see how specific team members perform. Tracking these metrics enables property managers to make data-driven decisions, improving guest satisfaction and refining team communication standards. This kind of proactive approach not only addresses current issues but helps prevent future ones.
With industry must-haves like integration with Airbnb Co-Hosting and AI-driven communications shaping the future of property management, staying equipped with the right tools can make a big difference.
