The Automation section allows users to put several management tasks of a vacation rental business on autopilot, greatly reducing manual work. Automation allows users to automate responses to inbound inquiries, check-in and check-out emails, transactional emails, and more!
Article contents
- Inquiry Responders: Instant, customized replies to inbound inquiries
- Stay Emails: Scheduled communications before, during, or after a renter’s stay
- Transactional Emails: Booking and payment related notifications
- Scheduled Message Queue: Summarized list of all emails that are scheduled to send
- Custom Fields: Custom property-specific data fields that make automated messages easier to configure
Inquiry responders
With inquiry responders, automatically send an initial response to an inquiry the moment it arrives. This improved responsiveness not only makes a listing appear more professional but delivering an inquiry response while the renter is still browsing a site, which really helps a MyVR property stand out from the rest and can lure potential renters from the listing site to a MyVR website.
Inquiry responders utilize the custom message templates set-up in the Message Templates section of MyVR. The same message template can be auto-sent for all inquiries, or auto-responders can be triggered by certain rules.
Step 1: Go to Automation > Inquiry Responders
Step 2: Click Add Responder
Step 3: Add Name and set conditions (responder is only sent when all conditions are met)
Step 4: Choose if the responder should also go out to all instant reservations Include Reservation Requests
Step 5: Select template to send with Send This Template
Step 6: Choose to Edit Send settings
Step 7: Click Create Rule
When setting up several potential inquiry responders, drag and drop the rules in the order MyVR should respond for an inquiry
When an inquiry is received from any source, MyVR will go down the list and stop when the criteria for a rule has been met
When an inquiry responder rule has been met, MyVR will send the customized message configured when that rule is triggered
Stay emails
With stay emails, automatically send information to a renter before, during, or after their stay. E.g. choose to send check-in or check-out instructions, a quick note to see how their stay is going, or a request for a review after check-out.
With stay emails, every individual message configured will be sent using the schedule designed in MyVR.
Stay emails also send customizable Message Templates, and allow for a wide range of configuration options. Send different emails to multiple properties or property groups. Emails can also be sent to parties other than the renter. For example, send reminders to cleaners or maintenance staff of an upcoming check-out.
Message Templates can be created under Setup > Message Templates > My Templates
Transactional emails
MyVR automatically handles various booking related notifications on a user's behalf, such as reservation confirmations, payment reminders, and deposit refund confirmations.
Due to the nature of transactional emails, much of the information within these emails is not editable (e.g. a summary of the reservation details), but transactional email typically include a customizable message within the notification so that users can add a personal touch!
Scheduled message queue
Automated messages MyVR has sent for an inquiry or a reservation can be viewed on the inquiry and reservation. Often times there are messages that are scheduled to send in the future for a reservation. View these in two different ways.
View all scheduled messages in the ‘Outbox’ under the Messages section in MyVR.
The Outbox allows users to view a queue of scheduled messages, and, if necessary, pause or edit any future messages
View the individual messages associated with a reservation within the reservation detail view under Reservations.
After clicking on the "Timeline" tab, select "Future" to view all messages currently scheduled to send associated with that reservation.
Additional Resources
Comments