From coordinating multiple locations and different property types to ensuring properties are maintained and protected, managing multiple properties can feel like a constant juggle of an overwhelming number of tasks.
On top of that, property managers are responsible for a high volume of guest interactions, including answering questions, sending booking confirmations and check-in details, ensuring guests are satisfied, and managing feedback.
But communicating with your guests is about more than just sending messages—it’s about building relationships, ensuring smooth operations, and enhancing their overall experience. For those overseeing multiple properties, the volume and complexity of guest communications multiply, likely leading to exhaustion and burnout.
What if there’s an easy and safe way for your guest communications to ensure timely, personalized messages while freeing up your energy for other pressing tasks?
Introducing Automated Messaging for Property Managers
Automated messaging uses technology to send pre-scheduled or triggered messages to guests without the need for manual intervention. It ensures that important messages are delivered at the right time, with the right content, across all properties and platforms.
Automated messaging helps handle the repetitive aspects of guest communication—such as sending booking confirmations, check-in instructions, or answers to frequently asked questions. Property managers, especially those with a large portfolio, who use automated messaging maintain high-quality, personalized communication while saving time and reducing the risk of errors. This ultimately leads to a better experience for both managers and guests, as well as good reviews and stronger relationships.
At Rentals United, we released an Automated Messaging feature, in addition to our Unified Inbox tool, to help property managers save time, reduce errors, and enhance the guest experience. Our clients remain in full control of what gets sent and when, how they customize their messages, and how they refine their guest engagement—all with peace of mind.
Five Benefits of Rentals United’s Automated Messaging for Property Managers
1. Save Significant Time
Think of how much time is spent writing routine messages. A typical guest journey requires at least a few touchpoints, such as:
- A welcome message with check-in instructions.
- A follow-up during their stay asking if they need anything.
- A post-checkout thank-you note, potentially requesting a review.
Managing this for 50 or even 100 properties can be extremely tiring and time-consuming. Automating these routine communications means that instead of spending hours crafting and sending messages, you can now set up templates once and let the system handle the rest. Using automated messaging frees up your time and reduces stress in your work life.
2. Reduce Human Error
Manual processes are prone to mistakes. Have you ever accidentally sent the wrong check-in details to a guest or forgotten to follow up post-stay? Automated messaging ensures the right message always goes to the right guest at the right time. It minimizes the risk of sending incorrect information or overlooking a vital communication step, all while maintaining a personal touch.
3. Personalization and Customization
With Automated Messaging, you can create customized templates that include information such as the guest name, booking dates, or property details, making every message tailored to the recipient.
By providing personalized information and saving time, you can now focus on thoughtful touches that create memorable guest experiences. Without adding to your workload, you may now consider sending a list of local restaurant recommendations or tips for making the most of your guests’ stay.
4. Improve Guest Experience, Boost Reviews, and Increase Bookings
Guest communication plays a crucial role in shaping the guest experience. By automating key touchpoints, you ensure guests receive consistent, professional messages throughout their stay. Timely, informative, and friendly messages build trust and rapport, increasing guest satisfaction and contributing to positive reviews and repeat bookings.
5. Flexibility and Control
One of the biggest concerns for property managers is losing control over their communications. With Rentals United’s Automated Messaging, you remain in complete command of when and how messages are sent. You can create your own rules to dictate which triggers prompt a message—such as a booking confirmation, check-in day, or checkout—and you can edit, pause, or cancel automations at any time. This flexibility allows you to respond to changing circumstances without fear of sending outdated or irrelevant information.
How Rentals United’s Automated Messaging Works
This feature enables you to:
- set up customized templates for messages, depending on your use case.
- choose the bookings for which you wish to automate messages (per sales channel, per property).
- choose when the messages are sent (upon booking, before the arrival, during the stay, or after the check-out).
Whether you’re managing one property or one hundred, you can get set this up in no time.
Automated messaging is available as a standard Guest Communication feature with Rentals United. If you have already been using Guest Communication, there is no additional set-up required from you. You can immediately proceed to create your first automated messages.
If you have not used Guest Communication before, speak to our team!
Step 1: Set Up Your Templates
Start by creating message templates for each stage of the guest journey. Use variables like guest name, booking dates, and property details, so that each template becomes personalized for individual guests.
Note: To ensure compatibility across all sales channels and email clients, it’s recommended to use plain text for template messages. If using HTML, be cautious, as advanced elements like text decoration may not display correctly.
Step 2: Configure Message Triggers
Next, choose when these messages should be sent. You have full control over the timing:
- Upon booking confirmation
- One day before check-in
- Mid-stay (ideal for checking in and upselling services like bike rentals or spa bookings)
- Upon checkout
- One day after checkout (a perfect time to request a review)
By setting up these triggers, you ensure your messages arrive at the right moment.
Step 3: Review, Customize, and Send
While Automated Messaging handles much of the work, you can always review and tweak individual messages before they’re sent. Whether you need to update a check-in time or add a personalized note, the flexibility of our system ensures that no communication leaves your control.
Practical Automated Messaging Use Cases for Property Managers
- Pre-Arrival Booking Confirmation
Instantly send a booking confirmation message with stay duration dates, property address, and your contact details, should guests need to contact you.“Thank you for your reservation in the [Property Name] from the [Check-in date] to the [Check-out date]. The address is [Address].
If you have any questions, please contact us at [Contact details]. You can also visit our website [Website link].
It will be our pleasure to accommodate you, and we look forward to seeing you soon.“ - Pre-Arrival Information
Automatically send a welcome message with check-in details, property rules, and local tips. This not only saves you time but ensures guests feel informed and prepared.“Welcome to [Property Name]! We’re happy to have you here. Here are your check-in instructions…”
- Mid-Stay Check-Ins
Schedule a message to be sent halfway through a guest’s stay, asking if they need anything. It’s a thoughtful touch that shows you care about their experience, and it’s super easy to automate across all properties.“Hello, [Guest Name]! We hope you’re enjoying your stay. Please let us know if there’s anything you need.”
- Post-Stay Reviews
Upon checkout, send a thank-you message and a polite request for feedback or a review. Positive reviews are essential to boost future bookings, and automating this request may help you collect more testimonials.“Thank you for staying with us at [Property Name]. We’d love to hear about your experience, and please leave us a review if you enjoyed your stay!”
- Upselling Services
Want to remind guests about optional paid services like breakfast or spa packages? Schedule an upsell message before their arrival to enhance their stay and potentially increase your revenue.“Hello [Guest Name]! We’re looking forward to receiving you soon at [Property Name]. This is a reminder that our highly rated and loved [Upsell Service] is available to book at [Link]. If you need further information, please let us know.”
- Frequently Asked Questions
Do you often get asked the same questions by guests? Instead of responding to each one individually, consider putting together a list that you can send guests before their arrival.
Let Automated Messaging Do the Work for You
We know that automation can be intimidating. But with Rentals United’s Automated Messaging, the power remains firmly in your hands. You decide what messages get sent, when they go out, and to whom. And if you ever need to make changes, our system is designed to be flexible, giving you the freedom to pause, edit, or cancel automations as needed.
Automation is about working smarter, not harder. By embracing this feature, you can save valuable time, reduce the risk of human error, and enhance your guest experience—all while scaling your operations efficiently and increasing your profits.
Already a Rentals United customer? Set up Automated Messaging today and start transforming the way you communicate with your guests.
Not using Rentals United yet? Speak to our team to see how our guest communication tools can revolutionize your property management business.
