The Art of Airbnb Messaging: 8 Proven Ways to Enhance the Guest Experience

As an Airbnb host, you’re in the business of providing service to others and it all starts with your Airbnb messaging. In fact, the quality of the customer service that you provide from the very beginning will determine whether your guests have a positive experience. 

Effective Airbnb communication with both potential and current guests also plays a key role in boosting guests’ impression of their stay. Consequently, it helps you to attract more bookings.

Finally, if your goal is to become a Superhost, pay careful attention to your guest communication. As a part of determining eligibility for Superhost status, Airbnb prefers hosts who respond quickly and have a response rate of at least 90%. 

Now that you know the importance of a carefully crafted Airbnb messaging strategy, you might be curious how to create one. Here are 8 proven ways to enhance the guest experience with Airbnb messaging.

1. Reply Promptly to Guest Inquiries

Replying promptly to all guest inquiries is the first and most important rule to follow when it comes to Airbnb messaging. By responding swiftly, you can increase the number of bookings and achieve more 5-star reviews. 

You should also know that the average traveler researches and makes inquiries with an average of 5 different properties before making a booking. So if you’re not around to answer a message from a potential guest, they will simply move on to your competitors. 

A recent study found that 63% of hosts reply within 1 hour, which means that you need to reply faster than that to secure more bookings. Luckily, Airbnb messaging automation can come in handy. Using vacation rental software with the messaging automation feature, you’ll be able to significantly reduce the amount of time that it takes to deliver responses. 

2. Personalize Your Replies

While interacting with a guest, keep in mind that you’re talking to a real person. As a result, personalization is the key to creating a positive impression of you as a host. 

In a retail survey, 80% of people confessed that they are more likely to purchase products or services from brands that offer personalized experiences. The same is true about communication on Airbnb. 

If you’re not sure how to personalize your replies, here are some ways you can do this :

• Create messages that sound like they were written by a human but not a company customer service department.
• Always use the name of a potential guest in your reply.
• Include personal booking details when updating current guests.

3. Be Transparent With Your House Rules

Your Airbnb house rules are also part of your Airbnb messaging strategy. Transparency when it comes to your house rules means that there shouldn’t be any ambiguity or uncertainty for guests on the rules of conduct at your property. 

Furthermore, try to avoid making long “not-to-do” lists in your house rules. This can make your guests feel unwelcome right at the moment when they’re considering booking your listing. If potential guests see a long list of no-no’s, they will likely search elsewhere for a property with less strict rules instead of booking with you. 

4. Stay Updated on Airbnb Rules and Changes

To provide quality support to your guests, make sure to answer their questions fully. In order to do this, you need to have profound knowledge of all the Airbnb rules and stay on top of the latest updates. 

Set aside some time to review the Airbnb terms and conditions and the basic rules of the platform on a regular basis. Keep track of the latest Airbnb news by following Airbnb company accounts and relevant vacation rental groups on social media and forums.

5. Keep Guests Informed at Every Stage of Their Booking

A lack of communication can leave your guests feeling confused and in doubt about what to do next. To avoid this, make sure that you keep in touch with them throughout their stay by supporting them with important information. 

Create a schedule for your Airbnb messages to send the necessary instructions and recommendations at every stage of the reservation process: upon inquiry, before and after check-in, etc. 

6. Always Be Ready to Help

Friendly communication and prompt messaging should not end right after your guests’ check-in. Demonstrate that you are always willing to help throughout their stay at your property. 

Your guests will appreciate a quick response to their messages if any issues arise. Though a lot of hosts choose WhatsApp to communicate with their guests on the go, stick to the Airbnb app instead. Communicating through Airbnb helps ensure that you are protected under the Airbnb terms and conditions. 

Make sure to ask your guests before their arrival to download the Airbnb app. Yet if you still prefer using WhatsApp or similar messengers, make sure to write any important decisions and changes on the Airbnb message threads in order to stay protected by the platform.

7. Don’t Skip the Post-departure Communication

When your guests leave, follow up immediately to thank them for staying at your place. It’s just a part of good Airbnb etiquette to tell your guests it was your pleasure hosting them. A courteous and timely gesture like this one can help to smooth out any wrinkles that would otherwise be remembered as an unpleasant moment during their stay.

At the same time, make sure to ask them to leave you a review. You can also let them know that you will keep them informed on discounts and special offers by sending monthly newsletters. 

8. Automate Your Airbnb Messaging 

As you rise in the ranks of Airbnb, you may find that sending out individual messages is becoming time-consuming. Automating your Airbnb messaging can help you save up to 70% of the time that you would otherwise spend on your communication manually.

Don’t worry – automated Airbnb messaging templates can actually sound just as personalized and friendly as manually written replies that have been specifically tailored to each guest. For example, iGMS automated messaging enables hosts to set up personalized templates by using smart elements that can be varied according to each reservation. 

In addition, you can take advantage of automated triggered messaging that will enable you to send your messages on preset dates and times. This ensures that your automated messages are sent at the times when they will have the greatest possible impact on the guest experience. You can be sure that your guests will be kept informed and feel completely cared for. 

Conclusion

Remember that the guest experience begins long before your guests arrive at your property and doesn’t end when they leave. By taking the necessary steps to ensure that your Airbnb messaging strategy provides positive and professional interaction with you as a host, you’ll vastly improve the reputation of your business and your bottom line.