How to use automated messaging to your advantage
MyStay editorial staff
4 minute read
What are some of the best practices when using advanced automated messaging at your property? Let yourself be inspired by our clients, who are actively using this feature.
Pre-arrival messaging
Guests always have plenty of questions to ask, especially before they arrive at your property.
When is the check-in? What are the parking options? Is there an airport transfer? What is the current health and safety protocol? And much, much more..
To find answers, they’ll most likely go to your website, call your front desk, or double check all email communications with your hotel to look for the info they need.
Instead, sending an automated message that guides the guests to the Guest Directory, where they can find all the answers, will impress them straight from the beginning.
The pre-arrival email is also ideal for plugging in offers such as room upgrade, airport transfer or parking spot reservation.
The ideal time is 1-2 days before arrival. Just make sure you don’t overdo it with messaging, to not annoy the guests from the get go.
In-Stay messaging and promotion
If you don’t promote, they don’t know
The biggest problem is that the guest usually has no idea that you are offering something extra. Be smart and combine automated digital tools (like automated pre-arrival and in- stay messaging by email and text messages, online upsell catalogue, QR codes, wifi success page) with the power of your front desk, where they can use personalised data to sell during your guest’s stay.
Do you offer a degustation menu or decided to offer guests a welcome drink as a bonus to booking a spa? Then use the one-time message that can be sent to guests before, during their stay and pre-departure.
The message is not automatic, so the message is always received only by the group of guests, you choose to send it to. Therefore it is a great help when promoting events or even in the case of emergency i.e. a water outage.
Recognize your target audience, it allows you to deepen your connection with your guests and increase upsell opportunities as well. You can read that here.
Pre-departure messaging
Sending a pre-departure message to your guests one day before they leave can be crucial. Why?
If you usually face an influx of guests on the day of departure, when guests need to close their bills, pay and return the keys. This may be the perfect way to avoid lines during check-out at the reception
We have a solution for you: namely to set up an automatic email / or a text message the day before departure with a suggestion to close the account right away. If you use plastic key-cards as keys in your accommodation facility, then the guest can leave the card at a predetermined place at the reception only upon departure.
You can always create your own template and send it out automatically. Learn how to do that here.
Post-departure messaging
Thank your guests for choosing your accommodation and offer them a discount for their next stay. This can lead to a direct booking avoiding the involvement of OTA.
Also, you can ask them directly for feedback or to share their experiences. You can include a link for an online review directly in the message.
MyStay advanced messaging feature
It is vital that you start communicating with your guest right after the reservation and keep them informed about everything regarding their stay. This feature allows you to completely automate the process.
Customizable pre-made email and text templates are designed to send engaging messages and keep your guests informed before and during their stay.
Schedule the time and day of your automated messages or send an on-time message in case of a special occasion. The options are limitless.
Also, we not only give you the feature, we will teach you how to make the most of it as a part of the on-boarding process.
