ThinkReservations allows you to send several automatic messages to your guests. These are set with Message Rules, Surveys, and the after-hours autoresponder.
Message Rules are separated into categories based on where the guest is in the reservation lifecycle. In each category, there are multiple opportunities for you to configure an automated message. Click on the toggle switch located to the left of the rule to enable each individually.
Confirmation Message
Confirmation messages are used when you wish to send a text at the same time as your initial confirmation email is sent.
💡Pro Tip: Best practice is to be mindful of your messages with these tips:
Introduce your business early on the first automated message
Include instructions on how to opt-out (reply STOP).
Keep your texts concise. Short and sweet is always better with texts.
Don't use URL shorteners.
This helps your guests understand who these messages are coming from and their legitimacy. It also helps ensure that your messages are not filtered or undelivered.
Reminder Messages
Reminder messages are for communicating with your guest pre-arrival. These messages might be used for things like confirming the details of an upcoming stay and encouraging stay enhancements or add-ons using the Upsell Portal.
Once the message rule has been enabled, set the number of days prior to arrival, choose your Message Template, and select the time of day at which you'd like it to be sent.
Arrival Messages
Arrival messages are for communicating with your guests on the day of arrival. The Multi-night message is used for messaging a guest one day after check-in of a multi-night reservation. These messages might be used for things like sharing directions, parking suggestions, or check-in directions.
For the Day of Arrival Message, once the message rule has been enabled, choose your Message Template and select the time of day at which you'd like it to be sent.
For the Check-in Message, once the message rule has been enabled, choose how long after check-in you'd like the message to be sent and select your Message Template. Note that this message rule is dependent on the reservation status, so it is triggered when a staff member clicks the "Check In" button in the reservation.
For the Multi-night message, if you have a guest that is staying more than one night, you can message them automatically with a template the day after they check-in, at a time of your choosing.
Departure Messages
Departure messages are for communicating with your guests after they have left the property. Note that these messages are not based on the reservation status, so they will be sent regardless of whether the reservation has been checked in or checked out. These messages might be used for things like check-out instructions or guest satisfaction surveys. For more details about surveys, refer to our support article on Survey Templates.
For the Check-out Message, once the message rule has been enabled, choose your Message Template and select the time of day you would like the message to be sent.
For the Follow up Message, once the message rule has been enabled, set the number of days after departure you would like the message to be sent, choose your Message Template, and select the time of day.
💡 Pro-Tip: Need to pause automatic messages for a specific reservation? You can temporarily disable automatic communication for an individual booking without affecting your property-wide rules. Simply open the reservation, scroll to the bottom, and check "Do not send automatic communications."
Once checked, both automatic emails and automatic text messages will not send for that booking. (Don't worry—you can still send manual emails and texts to the guest whenever you need to!)