We’re thrilled to announce that Host Tools has just released another often-requested feature: quick replies with tags!  Our latest update is yet another way we can help make your life easier as a short-term rental host and ensure a five-star guest experience. This blog post will update you on everything you need to know about quick replies on Host Tools.

Host Tools provides an automated, unified calendar for short-term rental hosts, allowing you to seamlessly list on all major channels. Start your free trial today!

What are Quick Replies?

Quick replies are essentially pre-written responses that you can easily insert into your messages to guests. This latest update allows you to save canned responses with tags, so you can quickly choose them from your inbox and your message will be added to your text box. Then, you can modify the response as needed and hit send – or just send it as is.

What is a canned response?

A canned response is a pre-written message that can be inserted into a conversation. For example, if you often get asked the same questions by guests, you can easily insert a canned response with all the relevant information with quick replies.

What are tags?

Tags are variables that will be replaced with relevant information when you insert a canned response into a message. For example, the {{Guest First Name}} tag will be replaced with the guest’s first name, and the {{Check-In Date}} tag will be replaced with the guest’s check-in date.

Why are Quick Replies Important?

Quick replies are essential because they save you time and improve your communication with guests. Rather than typing out the same response to every guest, you can easily insert a quick reply with all of the relevant information and personal details will be added using tags. This way, you can spend less time on menial tasks and more time on growing your business.

Examples of Helpful Quick Replies

Here are a few examples of short-term rental quick replies that you may find helpful:

1) If a guest asks about parking, you can have a canned response that says something like the following:

“Hi {{Guest First Name}},

Yes, we have parking for two vehicles! You’re welcome to park in the garage and also the covered area directly behind the garage door. The entry code for the garage will be the date of your check-in. For example, if your check-in date is {{Check-In Date}}, you will enter all of the numbers minus any forward slashes, in 6-digit format.”

Host Tools will automatically insert the guest’s first name and check-in date, and the message will be populated to your message text box. All that is left for you to do is hit send!  It’s that easy!

2) If a guest has a question about the wifi password, try something like this:

“Hi {{Guest First Name}}

We’re so happy to have you at our home! The wifi information is in our house manual, but I’ll also provide it to you here: {{wifi Password}}. Please let me know if you need help locating the house manual.”

3) An appropriate quick reply for a guest running late could be:

“Hi {{Guest First Name]],

No problem! As you know from our check-in instructions, we offer self-check-in. This means you don’t need to worry about arriving late. As a reminder, your access code is {{Guest Lock Code}}, followed by the checkmark on the keypad.”

How Do I Use Quick Replies with Host Tools?

1. Select the “Inbox” tab on your Host Tools dashboard.

2. Click on the blue chat bubble at the bottom left corner of your selected conversation

3. Select “Add New Quick Message”

4. Name your new quick reply. For this example, we will add a quick reply for parking.

5. Type in your message and add any tags you would like to use.

6. Save.

7. Now you can easily use this parking quick reply by choosing the “Use this reply” button.

8. The message will preview in the chat box with your tags auto-populated, giving you the opportunity to make custom adjustments before sending. When you are ready to send the message, simply select the paper airplane icon to the right.

9. That’s it! You can add as many quick reply templates as you need.

How to Use Quick Replies in the Host Tools App

1. Once in the desired chat, press the blue speech icon to bring up quick replies:

2. This brings up the list of quick replies. You can hold down on a reply to edit it, press the “+” icon in the upper right-hand corner to add a new reply, or “use this reply” to choose a reply.

3. When creating a new message use the “@” symbol to pull up available tags to insert into your message.

4. Once your message is written, press “save” to add it to your list of quick replies.

5. When you choose a quick reply, the text will auto-fill into the text box with the correct tags inserted. You can edit the message if needed, or just hit send to send it to a guest.

That’s it! You’re all set within the Host Tools app.

If you are a short-term rental owner or manager, quick replies are a must-have. They save you time and improve your communication with guests. Set up your quick replies today and make your life easier!

Host Tools provides an automated, unified calendar for short-term rental hosts, allowing you to seamlessly list on all major channels. Start your free trial today!