Arrival instructions that don't trigger questions
By GuestChat Team ·
Most messages on arrival day are variations of the same question: how do I get in? If the instructions are good, that question almost disappears. If they're not, the AI can only repeat what's there, and the guest ends up calling you from the street with their suitcases.
Start with how the guest gets in
In the property profile, in the Access & Entry section, the How the guest gets in dropdown has six options: smart lock, keypad with a code, card or fob, regular keys, someone meets them, or something else. It's not a minor detail: it changes what the AI tells guests about getting in. With physical keys, for example, the AI won't promise to open the door remotely.
Clear times
Fill in the Check-in Time and the Check-out Time. They're the times the AI uses, the ones that appear in automated messages through their tags, and the ones that set when the virtual key works.
Access instructions, step by step
Write them in Access Instructions as if the guest had never been to your city:
- How to get to the building door: which street, which entrance, something easy to recognize (“next to the pharmacy”).
- How the building entrance opens: whether they need to press a button, wait for a buzz, or push hard.
- How to get to the apartment: elevator or stairs, which floor, which door.
- How the apartment door opens, using the method you chose above.
Short sentences, one step per line. No “as usual” or “the usual thing.”
Access photos
In Building Access Photos, upload a photo of every spot where someone might hesitate: the front of the building, the entrance door, the hallway, the apartment door. Add a short description to each one (“green door, the one on the right”). They appear in the instructions the guest sees and in the instructions email.
Parking
If there's a parking spot, in Parking/Garage say whether it's free or paid, the Parking Spot Number, the Garage Floor and the largest car that fits. A Google Maps link to the garage entrance is worth its weight in gold: a garage entrance is rarely where the GPS says it is. Also upload the Garage Access Photos.
More images
In the Additional Image Bank you can upload photos with a label (for example, boiler or trash bins) so the AI sends them when the guest asks.
Check what the guest will see
In Guest Instructions you get a preview of what your guests will see. It's generated automatically when you save changes to the property profile, and you can press Regenerate if you've changed a lot. Read it as if you were the one arriving at night.
In your automated messages, the arrival information tag takes the guest to those instructions, and the virtual key tag takes them to their access. A good message the day before with those two tags clears up most questions.
Common mistakes
- A code in the instructions that changes. If the building door code changes, update it the same day. The AI will repeat the old one with total confidence.
- Daytime photos for nighttime arrivals. If many people arrive late, a photo in low light helps more than a postcard shot.
- Forgetting the elevator. If there isn't one, say so. Anyone arriving with two big suitcases will appreciate knowing before they get there.
- Instructions and access type that don't match. If you've switched from keys to a keypad, change the dropdown too.