Stop spending so much time stuck behind your keyboard answering the same questions. Following these tips and templates will help you pave the way to less stress and improved ratings.
How to use Airbnb chat
As a vacation rental operator, it’s vital that your guests have the best stay possible, and it’s indisputable that a good guest experience begins with excellent communication. If you’re using Airbnb to book your property, communicating through their messaging feature will help protect you if any issues should arise. For this reason, it’s super important to become familiar with this feature and use it in a way that saves you time and helps guide potential Airbnb guests through the purchasing journey.
Some of the benefits of creating a winning communication strategy are:
- Build rapport with your guests
- Improve communication resulting in more 5-star reviews
- Obtain or maintain your Superhost status
- Assist in establishing your brand’s tone and the vibe of your accommodation(s)
- Replying quickly to guest messages helps boost search results
How to send a message through Airbnb
- Step 1: Log into your Airbnb hosting account.
- Step 2: Go to the Messages tab.
- Step 3: Click “New Message” – from here, you can begin to type out the message you’d like to send to your potential or current guests.
Checking your messages on Airbnb
- Step 1: Log into your Airbnb hosting account.
- Step 2: Go to your Messages tab.
- Step 3: Search your inbox the same way you would with an email inbox.
What are “Quick Responses?”
Airbnb has implemented an important feature. Quick Responses. It will free you from the monotony of answering repeated questions like providing the wifi password or reminding guests of check-out procedures. Now, you can opt to save and send pre-written templated answers, saving you the time it would take to write the message from scratch.
If you’d like to take your communication automation system even further, consider a Property Management Platform (PMP) like Hostfully. Our platform has built-in messaging features that work across multiple distribution channels like Vrbo and Booking.com to make it super easy to get back to guests without logging into different sites and managing multiple inboxes. Clients love the benefit of the time they save, the efficiency of managing one unified inbox, and additional features that can make your customer service stand head and shoulders above the competition.
Essential Airbnb message templates to send to your guests
Host hack: Steal this communication flow and automate it for a headache-free customer service strategy
Pre-booking message
Your mom was right.
First impressions ARE incredibly important.
That’s why sending a thoughtfully crafted pre-booking message is essential. This particular message is your opportunity to show potential guests how much you prioritize efficient customer service guests, which in some cases can mean the difference between a 4 or 5-star rating.
To simplify the process, we suggest taking advantage of the pre-booking message feature in Airbnb made available to you when the instant book option is activated.
Some key elements to include in this message are:
- Thank them for their interest
- Share any quirks or information you feel they should know about your property, like creaky floors or limited parking.
- Get to know them a little bit by asking them a couple of questions about their likes and dislikes concerning what you offer. Ie. Coffee or tea, chips or cupcakes?
- Ask them their preferred language.
- Gather any additional information you may need for your own records
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Formal message template:
Dear [Mr./Ms. + Last name]
Thank you for your interest in our property. We’d like to take this time to give you more information about our listing and ask you a few questions to ensure your booking process is as seamless as possible.
Important information about this property:
- (things you can place here are noise policies, pet-friendly policies etc.)
To complete your booking, some information we’ll need from you is:
- (place a short list of questions here that’ll help you customize their stay and host them to the best of your ability – such as the names of the people that will be staying at your property, if they’ll have a car and if they’ve ever been to the area before.)
Best Regards,
[Your name or Company name]
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Conversational message template:
Hi [First name],
Thanks so much for your interest in [Property name]
My name is [your name], and I’ll be your host during your stay.
Here’s a bit more information about the property :
- (things you can place here are noise policies, pet-friendly policies etc.)
To customize your stay and ensure it runs as smoothly as possible, I’ll just need you to answer a few quick questions:
- (place a short list of questions here that’ll help you customize their stay and host them to the best of your ability – such as the names of the people that will be staying at your property, if they’ll have a car and if they’ve ever been to the area before.)
Thanks again! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
[Your name]
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Booking confirmation message
Guests have become accustomed to receiving a message directly after making a purchase. If they don’t receive a booking confirmation message, it may trigger them to assume something’s wrong. Sending this message will alleviate those concerns and help them to be excited about their upcoming stay rather than worried about the details.
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Formal message template:
Dear [Mr./Ms. + Last name],
Thank you for your booking. We’re looking forward to hosting you here at [Property name] on [dates of the reservation].
Details for this booking are:
Property Location: [Insert your property’s address]
Check-In Information: Check-in information will be provided the day before your arrival.
Property Instructions: Once you’ve entered the property, you will find an iPad with our digital guidebook that will provide you with all the information you’ll need for the wifi, electronics, parking and information about the surrounding area.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
Best Regards,
[Your name or company name]
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Conversational Message:
Hi [First name],
You’re all booked up! We can’t wait to host you.
Check-in date: [insert date and time]
Check-out date: [insert date and time]
Some essential details you’ll need for your reservation are:
- We’ll provide you with the access code to the [lockbox or the front door] the day before your check-in.
- Once you arrive, you’ll find our digital guidebook on the Ipad. This will have all the information you need for things like the wifi password, electronics and the surrounding area.
We’re located at [address of the property]
If you have any questions before your arrival, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
We can’t wait to host you.
Cheers!
[Your Name]
Pre-check-in messages
Your guest’s check-in day is approaching, and they may be traveling from far distances. It’s essential to make sure you send this message a day before their reservation so that they have all the information they’ll need to access your property easily.
Things to include:
- The property’s address
- Basic directions (could be very helpful if they don’t have access to GPS).
- Instructions on how to access the property (passcode to your door or the lockbox)
- Your contact information including a phone number in case of emergency
- The wifi password
- Your house rules and policies
- A link to your house manual or digital guidebook
Formal message template :
Dear [Mr./Ms. + Last Name]
We’re sending you this message to provide you with all the essential information you’ll need for your check-in tomorrow on [date of check-in]. We’ll be ready to welcome you any time after check-in at [time of check-in]
Location: [property address]
Passcode: [insert instructions for the location of your lockbox and the lockbox code or the code for the front door lock]
Wifi Password: [insert password]
House Rules: Please take a moment to read through the house rules, our area recommendations, and other important information we’ve included to ensure you have a comfortable stay. [insert a link to the house rules in your digital guidebook]
If you still have any questions or requests after reviewing our welcome package and guidebook, feel free to contact us anytime at [include phone number].
Best Regards,
[Your name or Company name]
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Conversational message template:
Hi [First name],
It’s almost time to check-in. We’re looking forward to hosting you and wanted to send you all the information you need before your check-in tomorrow on [date of check-in].
We’ll be ready for your arrival any time after [check-in time]. Your check-out date and time will be on [check-out date and time].
Address at [Property Name]: [Insert property address]
Passcode: [insert passcode for lock box with instructions of where the lockbox is or the passcode for the door handle]
House Rules: To ensure that everything runs smoothly, please take the time to read over our house rules so that you know everything we allow and to ensure your stay is as comfortable as possible. [insert link to house rules in your digital guidebook]
If you have any questions when you arrive, be sure to check the welcome package and our digital guidebook conveniently located on the iPad. If you still have any questions or requests, don’t hesitate to contact us here or at this number [Include phone number].
Have a great trip!
[Your name]
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Check-in message
If you haven’t heard from your guests on check-in day or after their arrival, it’s a good idea to send a check-in message as a follow-up to ensure that they’ve arrived safely, the check-in went smoothly and to see if they have any questions.
We suggest scheduling this message for the morning after their check-in so they’ve had a chance to settle in, use the amenities, and have a better idea of any questions they may have about your home or the surrounding area.
___________
Formal message template:
Dear [Mr./Ms. + Last name],
This is just a quick message to ensure your check-in ran smoothly yesterday and see if you have any questions about the property or the surrounding area.
Please feel free to message us at any time with any questions that may arise throughout your stay or let us know if you have any requests.
Have a lovely stay!
[Your name or Company name]
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Conversational message template:
Yay! You’re here! This is just a quick check-in to ensure you arrived ok and see if you have any questions about the property.
Please feel free to contact me here anytime if you need anything or if there’s any information you can’t find in our guidebook.
Have a great time!
[Your name]
____________
Mid-stay check-up message
Sending this message is optional, but as Airbnb hosts, it can be a good idea to send a short message halfway through your guest’s stay to see if they have any additional questions after settling in.
____________
Formal message template:
Dear [Mr./Ms. + Last name],
We just wanted to send a quick message to check in and see how your stay is going. If everything is going well and you don’t have any questions, please feel free to ignore this message, but if you need us for any reason, please feel free to reach out.
Best regards,
[Your name or company name]
____________
Conversational message template:
Hi [First name],
This is just a quick message to see how things are going and make myself available if you have any questions. If everything is going great, don’t feel obligated to get back to me, but if you need me, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Cheers!
[Your name]
Check-out message
This message is the bookend to your guest’s stay. It’s an important message to send because over the days that your guests were at your property, they may have forgotten some of the critical information they need for a successful check-out. Sending this message is not only a courtesy for them but could also help you avoid any headaches if your guests forget to take the proper steps when leaving your property.
Information you’ll want to include is:
- Check-out instructions, including check-out time
- Any cleaning protocols such as what to do with the linens, garbage or recycling
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Formal Message:
Dear [Mr./Ms. + Last name],
We hope you’ve had a fantastic stay with us here at [property name]. This is a reminder that your check-out date is tomorrow [check-out date] at [check-out time].
Please remember to [ insert instructions, i.e., place the key in the lockbox when you leave and put all your linens in the middle of the living room. There’s no need to worry about removing the garbage or recycling, but if you could have it all bagged up in the kitchen], we’d greatly appreciate it.
Contact us if you have any questions about check-out before you leave.
Best Regards,
[Your name or Company name]
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Conversational Message
Hi [First name]
Can you believe it? Check-out is tomorrow on [check-out date]! It went so fast. This is just a reminder that your check-out time is at [check-out time].
Please remember to [insert instructions, i.e. place the key in the lockbox when you leave. We’d also appreciate it if you could gather up the linens and leave them in a pile in the living room. There’s no need to worry about taking out the garbage and recycling, but if you could have it all gathered together in the kitchen], that would be a big help.
We hope you had a great time! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about check-out or need anything before you leave. We hope to host you again soon.
Happy Travels!
[Your name]
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Follow-up Message
Your check-out message shouldn’t be the last time you speak with a guest. Guests have 14 days to leave a review on Airbnb, so we recommend sending this message approximately a week after their stay to secure that review and nurture the relationship even further in hopes of repeat bookings, or perhaps they’ll search you out online to make a direct booking through your direct booking site if you have one.
Information we recommend including:
- Thank the guest for booking your vacation rental
- Let them know that you’ve left them a 5-star review
- Take the opportunity to get feedback about your property and ask them if there was anything that stood out to them they really enjoyed or appreciated.
Formal message template:
Dear [Mr./Ms. + Last name],
We want to thank you once again for choosing to stay at [Property name].
We’d love the opportunity to host you again and have left you a 5-star review. If you could please leave us a 5-star review, it would mean the world to us as it helps us improve our ratings and helps us be able to host more guests.
We’d also like to take this opportunity to ask you for any feedback you may have for us regarding the property or your stay and let us know if there was anything in particular that you enjoyed.
We wish you all the best and hope to host you again in the future.
Best Regards,
[Your name or Company name]
____________
Conversational message template:
Hi [First name],
I wanted to personally thank you again for choosing to stay with us at [Property name]. Thank you for being such great guests. We’ve left you a 5-star review and would be super appreciative if you could leave us a review. It will go a long way in improving our ratings.
I’d also like to see if you had any feedback or if any aspects of your stay stood out to you?
Your feedback helps me to make sure that we’re continuously improving.
I’d love the opportunity to host you again. Feel free to reach out any time.
Cheers,
[Your name]
Bonus message templates
While those are the top messages we recommend for Airbnb hosts to send to their guests, here are a few bonus templates that can come in handy whether you have listings on Airbnb, Vrbo or Booking.com.
Extra guests policy
Thank you so much for booking a stay with us here at [Property name]
To protect our property and ensure you have a great stay, we’ve implemented the following guest policy.
- This property accommodates up to [insert number of guests]. Any amount of guests over this amount is not permitted to stay over on the property. If you have guests above this number overnight, an additional nightly charge of [$] will be charged per guest.
- We allow up to [insert number of people] to visit the property; however, if this number is exceeded and you do not comply with these rules, you will be asked to leave the property without a refund.
- Parties are prohibited.
Please note that an outdoor security camera is in use for your safety and ours.
We appreciate your co-operation. Additional information regarding Airbnb’s party ban can be found here.
Pet policy
This home is pet-friendly!
Furry friends up to 25 pounds are allowed in this unit. In addition, [Property name] requires a non-refundable $250 pet fee to cover additional cleaning for things such as pet hair. This fee does not include damages such as chewing-up furniture, urine stains, or excessive waste removal. These issues may result in additional charges. Please let us know if you will be bringing a furry friend. Failure to do so may result in extra charges.
Parking availability
[Property name] includes one dedicated parking space for your convenience. We ask that you respect our neighbours and ensure you only park in our designated spot.
Street parking is also available if you require additional parking and will be subject to town bylaws.
Parking Spot Location: [insert number and location of the parking spot]
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Message etiquette
There’s an art to crafting the perfect messaging for your short-term rental. To communicate your brand, attract your ideal guest and communicate effectively, you’ll want to consider your tone and word choice.
Choose your tone
The words you choose and how you phrase your messages help set the tone for who you are, your hosting style and what your property is like. For example, if you’re the owner of a luxury property that caters to a more professional demographic, you may want to consider using a more formal tone, but if you offer a more kitschy experience, it may make sense to write your messages in a more informal, conversational tone.
A copywriting tip for deciding how to craft the tone of your messages is to read through the advertisement emails in your inbox and take note of the different styles and word choices that luxury brands use in their messaging versus more budget-friendly brands. Once you’ve noticed a pattern, you can apply similar techniques to your messaging.
Editing your message
Sending messages free of errors is essential in ensuring you put your best foot forward and that your messages are concise and easy to read.
Some editing tips professional writers use are:
- Read your messages out loud so you can more easily hear any mistakes.
- Print out your messages and read them from a piece of paper rather than a screen to help catch mistakes.
- Use editing software like Grammarly or Hemingway to assist you with spelling and grammar.
Don’t miss your chance to increase guest happiness and gain more 5-star ratings with an effective communication strategy….
There’s no way around it. A good communication flow is key to establishing and scaling your vacation rental business. But, without a strategy, it can be easy to become overwhelmed and drop the ball. You can unchain yourself from behind the keyboard and stop re-typing the answers to the same questions over and over by saving these templates, using the messaging features in Airbnb and implementing a property management platform like Hostfully.
