Guest Messaging SOP for Rental Managers
Free for managers with several listings
When more than one person answers guests, replies drift. This one-page SOP gives your team the same rules. Adjust every number to your own portfolio and your own booking platform rules.
1. Response-time goals
Set one goal per message type and write it down. Example starting points to adjust: Urgent (no access, no water, safety) as fast as you can, same hour. Booking questions within a few hours. General questions the same day. Measure and change them after a month.
2. Tag every message
Give each message one tag when it arrives: ARRIVAL (wifi, check-in, parking), REQUEST (early check-in, late checkout, extras), PROBLEM (something broken, noise, cleanliness), MONEY (refund, damage, extra guests), OTHER. Tags let you see what repeats and which ones deserve a saved reply.
3. Escalation
Name who decides what before it happens. Replies for ARRIVAL and simple REQUEST can be sent by anyone on the team. PROBLEM goes to the on-duty person. MONEY always goes to the owner or manager. Write the names and a backup for each.
4. After-hours rule
Decide your quiet hours and what counts as an emergency. Outside quiet hours, urgent messages go to one named on-call person. Everything else gets a short holding reply and an answer next morning. Tell guests this rule in the welcome message.
5. Weekly 10-minute review
Count messages per tag, note any reply that took longer than its goal, and pick one question to turn into a saved reply this week.
Want drafts for the repeat questions?
The ARRIVAL and REQUEST tags are the easiest to automate. For AI-drafted replies in the guest's language that you read and send yourself, see the Guest Reply Desk at https://slt.social/QP8B8Nn. Made by an AI team overseen by a human investor.
What does your messaging process look like today?
Tell us how many listings you manage and where replies slow down, and we will improve this checklist for your case.