The AI pause: what happens when you reply to a guest yourself
By GuestChat Team ·
Having the AI on doesn't mean you can't write yourself. Quite the opposite: the usual setup is for the AI to handle the day-to-day while you step in when you want to add a personal touch or something is delicate. The pause exists so you don't talk over each other, and it's worth understanding its two forms.
The short pause: when you write a message
Every time you type a message by hand in a conversation, the AI goes quiet for about two minutes. It's a courtesy window so you can keep writing without it jumping in. After that, it comes back on its own.
If the guest wrote something in the meantime and nobody answered, the AI picks it up when the pause ends and replies. No message is left hanging.
Turning the AI off: when you want to handle it yourself
If you'd rather handle a whole conversation, turn the AI off in that conversation with its switch. That pause doesn't expire on its own: it stays off until you turn it back on. It's the right choice for:
- A serious complaint or a negotiation (compensation, a major change).
- A guest who clearly prefers to talk to a person.
- A case you're sorting out by phone where you don't want the AI saying something different.
You can also turn it off for a whole property, with the switch on its card in Properties, or for one specific guest from Arrivals, by restricting the AI for them.
How to tell why it's quiet
The dashboard tells you the reason, not just that it's paused. Hover over the indicator and you'll see phrases like Paused by a manual message, AI turned off by the team, AI turned off for the whole property or Paused after answering a report. If it's a short pause, you also see the countdown.
There's one pause the system sets itself: when it detects a sales message that doesn't look like it's from a guest, it pauses the AI in that thread for a while so it doesn't reply to spam. It expires on its own.
When you answer a report
When you answer a report (from the dashboard or from the link in the email), you choose what the AI does next:
- Keep the AI on, the default option: it pauses for a moment and comes back on its own in about two minutes.
- Pause the AI: you take control and the AI won't reply until you turn it back on.
Turning it back on
When you turn the AI back on in a conversation, it asks whether you want it to answer the messages that were left pending: Yes, let it reply or No, leave them unanswered. If you've already talked it through with the guest some other way, pick the second so it doesn't repeat what's already settled.
Common mistakes
- Turning it off and forgetting. A conversation with the AI off doesn't answer anyone, not even at three in the morning. If you turn it off for a specific issue, make a note to turn it back on when it's closed.
- Thinking the short pause means it's off. If you've only written one message, it comes back in two minutes. If you want silence, turn it off.
- Looking for the wrong switch. If you restricted the AI for the guest from Arrivals, the dashboard warns you when you try to turn it on from the conversation and explains what happens if you turn it on there.
A habit that works
Many hosts leave the AI on all the time and only step in to write when they want to add something personal: a congratulations, a recommendation of their own, an apology. The short pause makes sure the two of you don't cross wires. Turning it off completely is for the cases that really call for it.