Guest communication feels like the scariest part of self-managing. It's actually the most automatable. Five templates, scheduled in your PMS, handle 90% of every stay. Write them once, refine forever.
The 5-message system
- 1. Booking confirmation (instant): Thank them, confirm dates, set expectations: "Check-in details arrive 24 hours before arrival." Ask one question — "What brings you to town?" — the answer personalizes everything later.
- 2. Check-in instructions (24 hrs before arrival): Address, door code, parking, Wi-Fi, and the 2–3 quirks people actually ask about. Clear enough that a tired guest lands at 11pm without messaging you.
- 3. Mid-stay check (morning after first night): "Hope you settled in — everything working as expected?" This message is your review insurance: problems surface while you can still fix them, instead of in a 3-star review.
- 4. Checkout reminder (evening before departure): Checkout time plus your SHORT list — start dishwasher, trash in bin, lock up. Three tasks max. A long chore list is the fastest way to lose a star.
- 5. Review ask (a few hours after checkout): Thank them, say you left a review (do it), warmly invite theirs. More in Lesson 9.
Automation with a human face
Schedule all five in your PMS with name variables. Then spend 30 seconds personalizing the first line when there's something to work with — "Happy anniversary!" Automated skeleton, human voice. Guests can't tell, and you get hours back weekly.
Pair this with a solid digital welcome book and messages 2–4 nearly answer themselves.
Go deeper
ACTION: Draft all 5 templates this week and schedule them in your PMS. One evening of writing eliminates most guest messaging permanently.
Next: the single most important hire you'll ever make — your cleaner.