Communicating with guests
To ensure your guests have a great experience at your property, you can use different tools to communicate with them from the time they book until they check out.
Congrats on receiving your first reservations with Booking.com! It's a great achievement. To ensure a smooth and successful guest experience, we recommend preparing your communication tools and channels in advance. Taking the time to set up effective communication can lead to positive reviews and repeat bookings.
Get in touch with your guests
Your guests' experiences begin well before they check in. By using the right communication tools before, during, and after their stays, you can ensure they have all the info they need to feel confident about their booking.
Responding thoughtfully to messages can also help build a positive relationship, which lowers the chances of cancellation and earns you excellent review scores.
Tools for communicating with guests
Effective communication is key to providing excellent service and creating memorable experiences for your guests. By using the communication tools available to you, you can easily manage and reply to guest messages, answer questions, and provide timely and helpful information.
Extranet Inbox
The Inbox tab on the Extranet is your go-to place for managing guest communication:
|
1 |
Reservation messages: On this page, you can read and respond to messages from guests who have upcoming bookings with you. If you want to get in touch with your guests and send them any information before arrival, this is the place to do it. |
| 2 |
Booking.com messages: On this page, you can view and respond to any messages we send you about your property, account, or partnership. We want to keep you informed and up-to-date, so don't forget to check this section regularly. |
| 3 |
Guest Q&A: On this page, you can answer questions from potential guests about your property. These answers will be displayed publicly on your property page, so make sure you provide clear and detailed responses to these questions. |
Message templates
Message templates allow you to send pre-written messages at specific times, which can help streamline your communication process. Here are some practical examples of how you might use scheduled message templates:
- When a guest makes a booking: “Thanks for booking with us!”
- One week before arrival: “Check out our top local attractions!”
- Three days before arrival: “Online check-in is available at our property!”
- One day before arrival: “We’re looking forward to welcoming you tomorrow!”
- On the day of arrival: “Please ring the doorbell on the right side of the door.”
- One day before departure: “Did you enjoy your stay? Please leave a review!”
Automatic replies
You can also set up automatic replies for frequently asked questions, such as check-in and check-out times or parking policies. At Booking.com, we split automatic replies into two categories:
|
1 |
Responses to requests that fall within the applicable booking policy: The automatic reply for these requests is typically to accept them. For example, if a guest asks "Can I use the kitchen appliances?" you can set up an automatic response that says, "Guests are welcome to use all the property’s facilities, including kitchen appliances.” |
| 2 |
Responses to requests that fall outside of the applicable booking policy: The automatic reply for these requests is typically to reject them. These automatic replies can be paired with message templates with an explanation, for example, "Sorry, we don't allow pets in the rooms." |
While automated message templates can save time, remember that guests value personal connection. Taking the time to respond to messages personally can build strong relationships with your guests and ultimately lead to better reviews.
Set up templates and automatic replies Learn more
The Pulse app
The Pulse app is a simple tool that allows you to do many of the things you do on the Booking.com Extranet while on the move. It can be especially helpful for responding to guest messages, even when you're away from your computer.
Understanding your Reply Score
Your Reply Score—on the Reservation messages page of the Inbox tab—is a measure of how quickly you respond to messages from guests.
Our research shows that guests prefer prompt responses, and partners who respond quickly and thoughtfully tend to get higher review scores and fewer cancellations. By prioritizing timely responses, you can improve your guests' experiences and potentially boost your overall ratings and bookings.
Before you continue…
Congrats on reaching this stage of your journey! Before you move to the next step, we'd like to summarize some useful communication best practices for you:
- Consistency is key. When communicating with guests, it's important to be well-prepared and consistent. Effective communication is a major factor in providing an amazing guest experience, which often starts before guests even arrive at your property.
- Use message templates and automation when possible. Message templates can help streamline communication and reduce your workload. This can also provide peace of mind to guests who are staying at your property.
- Monitor your Reply Score. Generally, responding to guests quickly is better for everyone. However, it's important to ensure that your personality and genuine care shine through when using automation or replying quickly to messages.
FAQs
-
To contact guests, visit the Extranet’s Reservations tab and click the guest you want to contact. You can also use the Inbox’s Reservation messages section to contact guests.
-
You can share check-in info with guests using the Extranet’s Message templates feature, or by sending a message to guests directly through the Extranet.
-
You can create automatic replies and message notifications on the Extranet by using the Message templates feature. Customize your messages for specific situations—like when a guest makes a booking or sends a message—and choose how you want to be notified about new messages.
-
The Reply Score measures how quickly and consistently you respond to guest messages. It ranges from 0 to 100%, and a higher score can lead to better visibility and higher rankings on our platform. To improve your Reply Score, respond promptly and consistently to guest messages.
-
Pulse is a mobile app designed for property owners and managers to manage their properties on the go. It allows them to receive real-time notifications, update availability and pricing, communicate with guests, and access performance insights.