Most owners of small hotels answer guests' questions without having arranged them over time. One guest writes at 21:40 the evening before arrival and asks where to park. Another calls at 7:15 in the morning during breakfast to ask by what time the room must be vacated. Both questions have a simple answer, but they arrive at a moment when you don't have a free hand.
If you arrange the questions by stage, you can see which of them can wait and which need an answer ready before the guest has even asked.
Example scenario
Imagine a family hotel with fourteen rooms in a small mountain town. Reception is busy in the morning and evening, and during the day there is often just one person who checks guests in, helps in the kitchen and answers the phone all at once. The owner decides to review what guests ask and when. Here is what comes out in this scenario.
A week before arrival
The guest has already booked and starts to plan. The questions are about the route and what the stay includes:
- How do I get to the hotel, and are there stretches that are hard for a smaller car?
- Is breakfast included, and until what time is it served?
- Do you accept children, and is there a cot?
- Do you accept pets, and on what terms?
- What is there nearby for a walk if the weather is bad?
These questions are not urgent and can wait a few hours. But they are repeated by almost every guest. That is why the answers should be written down in one place, ideally already on the website or in the welcome message after the booking.
The day before arrival
This is where time starts to weigh. The guest is on the way or getting ready to leave and wants specifics:
- From what time can they check in, and can they do so earlier?
- Where do they park, and is it free?
- How will they find you when they arrive late?
- Is there someone to meet them after a certain hour?
It is exactly these answers that should be ready in advance. If a guest arrives at 22:00 and doesn't know where the entrance is, it is not only he who calls you, but also his wife and the driver waiting in front of a closed door. One clear paragraph with the address, a landmark, check-in times and an emergency phone number prevents most of these calls.
After check-in
On site, the questions become small and frequent:
- What is the Wi-Fi password?
- Where can we have dinner nearby, and until what time is the kitchen open?
- Is there somewhere to leave skis or bikes?
- How does the heating or the air conditioning work in the room?
Most of them are not for reception, but for a sign in the room, a sheet on the door or a short guide on the guest's phone. If the answer is one sentence, it doesn't need to become a conversation.
The day of departure
On the last day the questions are few, but short and urgent:
- By what time must the room be vacated?
- Can the luggage stay while the guest takes a walk?
- How do they pay, and is a document issued?
- Where should they leave the key if they leave early?
The guest should have learned most of these the evening before, so the best place for the answer is the sheet in the room or a message in the evening.
What to prepare in advance
Of the whole list, there are four groups that shouldn't depend on who is on shift:
- The address and the path to the entrance, including a landmark and where to park.
- Check-in and check-out times.
- Rules for children, pets, breakfast and quiet hours.
- A phone number the guest can call if something is unclear.
The rest, such as dinner or walk recommendations, can be added to over time, but it should also be written down rather than only in the owner's head.
Where the assistant fits
If the answers are written down, the guest can get them outside working hours. ISKA Assistant answers from the venue's approved information, and when there is no data, it directs them to the venue's phone. There is no live chat with a person and it does not replace reception. If you want to see how it would work for your venue, you can request a demo.
Assumptions
The scenario is an illustration, not a forecast: there is no data or figures on results. We assume a family hotel with fourteen rooms, one person at reception during the day and questions that repeat from guest to guest. The times are examples; check your own times and rules.