1. What Are Automated Messages?

Automated messages are communications delegated to an AI guest services agent, known as INTO Autopilot. Autopilot is designed to handle routine interactions flawlessly, 24/7, without requiring human intervention.

• Purpose: To automate repetitive tasks, save time, and scale effortlessly as property portfolios grow. Autopilot handles the majority of questions (up to 80% of guest conversations).

• Benefits: Autopilot improves response times, boosts efficiency, and enhances the overall guest experience, particularly for high volumes of inquiries and after-hours messages. It ensures personalized service at scale.

2. Common Automated Message Types

Autopilot specializes in interactions that can be reliably answered using the Knowledge Base (which draws from Guesty listing details, custom fields, and saved replies).

Message Type

Example Scenario Handled by Autopilot/AI

Availability/Booking Inquiry

Guest asks: "Is the cottage available from June 10th to 16th?". INTO instantly checks the Guesty calendar and confirms or denies availability.

Amenities/Property Details

Guest asks: "Does the property have a hot tub?" or "Is there parking?".

Check-in Procedures

Automated instructions regarding key codes or access.

Local Recommendations

Suggestions for restaurants or nearby activities.

Revenue Boosters

Proactive messages promoting discounts for Orphan Nights (single nights or small gaps between bookings).

Examples of Automated Messages

Example Type

Content Focus (AI-Generated based on data)

Booking Confirmation/First Inquiry

"Thank you so much for your interest in our villa! We would be delighted to host you. I'm happy to confirm that the property is available from July 5th to 25th.".

Pre-Check-in/Instructions

"Please find your check-in instructions here. [Link]. The WiFi password is X. We look forward to your arrival.".

Orphan Night Offer

"We noticed a gap in our calendar! We'd love to offer you the night of [Date] at a [Discount %] discount to extend your stay.".

3. Typical Guest Communication Timeline

Automations fire at critical points in the guest journey (from booking to checkout). While the sources do not detail specific time triggers (e.g., 48 hours pre-arrival), the AI handles interactions throughout the entire journey:

Stage

Focus of Automation

Inquiry/Booking

Responding to first inquiries, confirming availability.

Pre-Stay

Sending instructions and key property details.

In-Stay

Answering troubleshooting and amenity questions.

Post-Stay

Managing review encouragement and sending personalized replies to guest reviews.

4. How to Identify Automated vs. Human Messages

All Autopilot messages are generated and tracked by INTO's systems.

• Autopilot Messages: Messages that successfully meet the Confidence Score threshold (currently ≥95%) are sent by the AI. These messages are tracked in the Autopilot Monitoring Interface.

• Human/Copilot Messages: Messages that have a confidence score below the threshold (<95%) are forwarded to the agent for review through INTO Copilot in the Guesty inbox.

To review automated actions, agents access the Autopilot Monitoring Interface via the INTO Customer Portal (AI > Autopilot > Monitoring tab). This tab lists all messages sent by Autopilot, including the guest message and the corresponding AI response, allowing review of AI performance.

5. Why You Must Never Contradict Automations

Consistency is essential for delivering the seamless, personalized service that INTO aims for.

• Undermining the Knowledge Base: The AI continuously learns from guest interactions and self-corrects/updates from your messages. Contradicting an automated message (e.g., providing a different check-in time or policy) undermines the accuracy of the underlying Knowledge Base, leading to confusion for future AI responses and for the guest.

• Brand Voice: AI responses are calibrated to match your established brand voice and tone. Contradictory human messages erode this consistency and the perceived professionalism of the brand.

6. How Message Variables Work (Personalization)

Message variables allow templates and signatures to feel personalized and human-like.

Feature/Variable

Description

Agent/Manager Customization

Custom Signatures

Adds warmth and personality to AI-generated messages. The AI rotates through a list of personalized sign-offs.

Managers set signature preferences in the Customer Portal (AI > Signature). Sign-offs can include manager names, brand names (e.g., "The [Brand Name] Team"), or contact information.

INTO Templates

Enables creation of multiple template variations for crucial interactions like first inquiries and orphan nights.

Managers create and compare variations (e.g., formal vs. conversational tone) to refine messaging and align with brand voice.

Property/Reservation Details

Inserts dynamic data like guest name, dates, availability, and specific property features (e.g., hot tub status, parking details).

This information is pulled directly from the Guesty data used by the Knowledge Base.

7. When Automations Fail (Spotting the Signs, Troubleshooting)

Automation "failure" usually means the AI lacked sufficient confidence to send the message automatically.

Failure Indicator

Agent Action

Low Confidence Score

The Confidence Score falls below the 95% threshold, resulting in a Copilot suggestion instead of an automatic Autopilot response.

Guest Reports Missing Message

A guest says they never received check-in instructions or a confirmation message.

Incorrect Information Sent

Autopilot sent a response with a factual error (high confidence, but wrong data).

"If guest says they didn't receive X message" Troubleshooting Flowchart

Step

Action

Outcome & Next Step

1. Review Monitoring Interface

Log in to the INTO Customer Portal and check the Autopilot Monitoring Interface for the reservation.

Outcome A (Message Found): The message was sent. The failure is on the receiving platform (OTA). Proceed to Step 2. Outcome B (Message Not Found): The automation failed to fire. Proceed to Step 3.

2. Manual Resend/Confirmation (Message Sent)

Use Copilot or Agent Assist to draft a friendly, human message confirming the details and apologizing for the OTA platform's delivery issue.

Coordination: Use the Summarize feature to ensure your confirmation is consistent with the automated message content.

3. Automation Failure (Message Not Sent)

Immediately inform the client/manager about the failure and Escalate to Remy Support team [Query] to investigate the technical issue.

Correction: Manually provide the required information (e.g., check-in instructions) to the guest using Agent Assist tools like Translate and Change Tone while awaiting a technical fix.

8. Coordinating Your Messages with Automations

Since Autopilot handles routine interactions, your human interventions (via Copilot review or proactive messages) must be timely and cohesive.

| Side-by-Side Comparison: Automated vs. Appropriate Human Follow-Up | | :--- | :--- | | Automated Message (Autopilot) | Appropriate Human Follow-Up (Copilot/Agent) | | Response to: "Does the unit have a hot tub?" "Yes, the property has a hot tub. It is available year-round. Looking forward to welcoming you!" | Follow-up: Guest replies "Great, thanks!" Agent Action: Review Copilot's suggested brief acknowledgement. Use Summarize to ensure no previous context was missed, and send a simple, personalized response incorporating the Custom Signature. | | Response to: "When is check out?" "Check-out is strictly at 10 AM. Failure to adhere may result in a fee." | Follow-up: Guest replies, "I know checkout is 10 AM, but can I have 1 PM, please?" Agent Action: This requires human judgment. Use the Guesty Calendar (View Only) to verify if the property is free [Module 4]. Escalate the request for manager approval, then respond using the approved decision. |

9. What You Cannot Do

Agents (users) primarily operate within the Guesty inbox using the INTO Chrome extension. They do not have access to the INTO company account, which is required for all Autopilot configuration.

Agents cannot perform the following administrative functions:

• Create or edit automated messages (templates).

• Configure Autopilot settings (like category selection or Confidence Score thresholds).

• Disable or pause Autopilot.

• Manage plan and billing information.

All configuration and customization are managed by managers within the INTO Customer Portal.

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Practice Scenarios

Scenario

Goal & Information Required

Agent Action & Rationale

Guest says they never received check-in instructions: how to respond

Determine if the automation failed and manually provide the critical information.

Action: Check the Autopilot Monitoring Interface. If the message was not sent (Automation Failure), manually provide the instructions, then escalate the failure to Remy Support team [Query].

Coordinating your welcome message with automated confirmation

Ensure your personalized message (via Copilot) doesn't duplicate or contradict the automated confirmation already sent.

Action: Use the Summarize feature to quickly review the communication history. Draft your welcome message (via Copilot) and use Agent Assist: Change Tone to make it warm, ensuring it uses the Custom Signature and provides new, non-repetitive information.

Guest received conflicting information: troubleshooting and correcting

Identify the source of the contradiction and provide the correct, final answer.

Action: Immediately Escalate the contradiction to a manager, as this indicates an error in the Knowledge Base or configuration. Use the correct information (as provided by the manager) to respond, and use the INTO Support feature to report the problematic response.

Recognizing when to manually resend information after automation failure

A high-priority message (e.g., immediate access code) failed to send via Autopilot.

Action: Based on the Autopilot Monitoring Interface, if failure is confirmed, manually send the critical information to the guest immediately. Note the failure in the reservation using the Summaries & Notes feature.

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Embedded Guesty Resources

• Automated Messages Overview (https://help.guesty.com/hc/en-gb/articles/9369677957261)

• Creating or Editing Automated Messages (https://help.guesty.com/hc/en-gb/articles/9369680628753) - Reference Only - This is Admin Function [Query].

• Using Message Variables (https://help.guesty.com/hc/en-gb/articles/9369679673741)

• Workflows Overview (https://help.guesty.com/hc/en-gb/articles/4405430729361)

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