Automated reservation confirmation and reminders via SMS/Email

Purpose

1.1. Automatically send reservation confirmations and reminders by SMS or Email to guests, reducing no-shows and increasing engagement.
1.2. Enhance guest experience and trust by providing timely, clear communication about each booking status.
1.3. Free staff from manual message sending, ensuring that all reservations are acknowledged and reminders dispatched efficiently.
1.4. Track message delivery and reservation confirmations for operational insights.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. Guest submits a new reservation through online booking form, phone, or third-party platform.
2.2. Specific time interval elapses before reservation (e.g., 24 hours prior) for reminders.
2.3. Reservation modifications or cancellations are registered.

Platform Variants

3.1. Twilio SMS
• Feature/Setting: Use Programmable Messaging API. Configure ‘Send SMS’ action with dynamic phone number and reservation details.
3.2. SendGrid
• Feature/Setting: Use v3 Mail Send endpoint. Configure transactional templates for confirmation/reminder emails.
3.3. AWS SES
• Feature/Setting: Configure SendEmail API for automated transactional reservation confirmations.
3.4. Plivo
• Feature/Setting: Messages API to send SMS with reservation information using restaurant’s sender ID.
3.5. Nexmo (Vonage)
• Feature/Setting: SMS API. Parameterize flow to insert guest name, time, and booking reference dynamically.
3.6. Mailgun
• Feature/Setting: Messages API with dynamic fields, utilize ‘reservation confirmation’ template.
3.7. SMTP2GO
• Feature/Setting: Trigger SMTP email with personalization fields for reservation metadata.
3.8. Infobip
• Feature/Setting: Use SMS API; configure rules for confirmation and follow-up reminders.
3.9. Pabbly
• Feature/Setting: Automated Email functions using confirmation workflow rules.
3.10. ClickSend
• Feature/Setting: SMS API to dispatch reservation updates, with message scheduling for reminders.
3.11. HubSpot
• Feature/Setting: Automated Email Workflows—configure with reservation properties as tokens.
3.12. ActiveCampaign
• Feature/Setting: Automated email and SMS via CX Automation; map reservation data as triggers.
3.13. Google Workspace (Gmail API)
• Feature/Setting: Send draft emails with reservation details upon form submission trigger.
3.14. Outlook 365 (Graph API)
• Feature/Setting: Send automated reservation confirmations using event-based workflows.
3.15. MessageBird
• Feature/Setting: Flow builder to send SMS confirmation/reminder based on booking actions.
3.16. Mandrill (Mailchimp)
• Feature/Setting: Transactional email templates configured with reservation variables insert.
3.17. WhatsApp Business API
• Feature/Setting: Send template message for confirmation and reminders, opt-in managed by rules.
3.18. Facebook Messenger API
• Feature/Setting: Use Send API flow to deliver confirmation/reminder as direct message.
3.19. Slack API
• Feature/Setting: Automated notifications to internal channels or to guest via Slack Connect (where applicable).
3.20. Zapier Webhooks
• Feature/Setting: Connect booking system trigger to SMS/Email service endpoint dynamically.
3.21. Moosend
• Feature/Setting: Automated campaign for reservation confirmations with time-based triggers.
3.22. Iterable
• Feature/Setting: Workflow triggered by reservation event, sending SMS/Email as per user channel preference.

Benefits

4.1. Reduces guest no-show rates via timely reminders, improving revenue consistency.
4.2. Delivers uniform, branded communications, boosting client perception.
4.3. Reduces manual staff workload, allowing focus on guest experience.
4.4. Provides immediate visibility to guests about bookings, fostering trust.
4.5. Tracks communications and delivery results for later optimization.