Using AI to draft replies to booking enquiries

A good enquiry reply answers the question asked, states only what's true for your place, and sounds like you. A chat tool can manage the first and third. The second is on you, every time, and it matters most.

What you need

• A fact sheet you write once: bedrooms, beds, who can stay, pet rules, parking, minimum stay, check-in and checkout times.
• A list of things you never promise by message, such as discounts, early arrival or exceptions to the rules.
• Two or three of your own past replies you were happy with, so the tool can match your tone.
• The enquiry text with the guest's name and contact details removed.

Why the facts go in with the question

A chat tool writes text that sounds right. The program behind most chat tools is called a large language model. Its answers can read as fluent and natural and still be "factually incorrect".¹

Chatbots can also mix in made-up details that sound believable.²

Without the facts, it fills the gaps. That's the trap. It might say the place sleeps more people than it does or that pets are welcome. So never ask "reply to this guest" on its own.

The steps

1. Remove the guest's name, phone number and email from the enquiry. Australia's privacy regulator recommends keeping personal information out of public chatbots.³ That's guidance from one country, so check your own regulator as well.
2. Paste your fact sheet, your tone examples and the question. Tell it to use only the facts you gave it.
3. Ask for a short reply: a greeting, a direct answer, the next step, a sign-off.
4. Ask it to flag anything it couldn't answer from the fact sheet, instead of guessing.
5. Read the draft line by line against your sheet.
6. Add the guest's name and the dates yourself, then send.

A prompt you can adapt

Here are my property facts: (paste them). Here is an enquiry: (paste it). Write a short, friendly reply. Use only the facts above. If the guest asks something not covered, say I'll check and come back to them. Don't offer discounts or exceptions.

What to look for in the draft

• Invented extras. Linens, towels, a cot, a barbecue, a view. If it's not on your sheet, delete it.
• Promises about timing. "Early check-in is no problem" is a promise.
• Price talk. Quote prices from your booking platform, not from the draft.
• Robot phrases. "We would be delighted to assist" sounds odd between two people. Ask for plainer wording, or just fix it yourself.
• Too much. Most enquiries need a few lines. Cut the rest.

When not to use a draft

Skip the tool when a guest is upset, asks about safety, or raises anything legal. Write those yourself. Or take the question to the booking platform's support team, who can see the booking and its terms and may know things you don't. For a complaint, see the reply habits on the guest reviews page.

Once you have three or four replies you like, save them as your own templates and edit them by hand each time. The tool then does less and you control more.