Pre-arrival welcome emails or messages

Purpose

1.1. Automate the delivery of personalized pre-arrival welcome emails or messages to guests with reservation details, property guidelines, local area info, directions, Wi-Fi codes, packing lists, and spiritual notes tailored for religious lodging.
1.2. Automates guest engagement before arrival, facilitates preparedness, minimizes manual outreach, and enhances guest satisfaction by providing essential info and a warm welcome in advance.
1.3. Automator improves operational consistency and ensures messages are delivered in a timely, automatedly manner aligned with check-in timeframes and guest needs.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. Automatable trigger: Reservation created or modified in the PMS (Property Management System).
2.2. Automates when guest email or phone is logged, or X days/hours before scheduled arrival.
2.3. Automator initiates flow on booking confirmation, paid status, or manual trigger for specific events.

Platform Variants

3.1. Mailchimp
• Feature: Customer Journeys Automation.
• Setting: Trigger flow when guest added to "Upcoming Arrivals" audience; use merge tags for personalized content.

3.2. Twilio
• Feature: Messaging API.
• Setting: Automates SMS/WhatsApp welcome message via programmable messaging, trigger via CRM webhook.

3.3. SendGrid
• Feature: Automated Email Campaigns.
• Setting: API integration to send event-triggered transactional emails upon booking update.

3.4. ActiveCampaign
• Feature: Automations workflow.
• Setting: Initiate pre-arrival campaign with dynamic content blocks when contact enters "Arriving Soon" segment.

3.5. HubSpot
• Feature: Workflows.
• Setting: Automate email sequence based on CRM deal stage or booking custom property’s date field.

3.6. MailerLite
• Feature: Automation Triggers.
• Setting: Start workflow when guest subscribed to “Pre-check-in” group, send templated email.

3.7. Zapier
• Feature: Multi-step Zaps.
• Setting: Automates trigger from PMS/CRM, format with formatter tool, send via Gmail/Outlook/other.

3.8. Salesforce
• Feature: Process Builder or Flow Builder.
• Setting: Automates sending email alert on new guest record with arrival date logic.

3.9. Microsoft Power Automate
• Feature: Automated flows.
• Setting: Trigger on new reservation in Excel/365; automate Outlook email with dynamic fields.

3.10. Google Workspace
• Feature: Apps Script or Gmail API.
• Setting: Scheduled Apps Script to automate templated pre-arrival email from Sheets data.

3.11. Klaviyo
• Feature: Flows.
• Setting: Automates trigger based on expected arrival date profile property.

3.12. Constant Contact
• Feature: Automation Email Series.
• Setting: Start automated pre-arrival series when guest added to “Next Week Arrivals” list.

3.13. AirTable Automations
• Feature: Automate record trigger.
• Setting: SendGrid or Gmail automation step when record’s “Check-in Date” is upcoming.

3.14. Pabbly Connect
• Feature: Workflow Automation.
• Setting: Triggers from booking system webhook, automate sending email/SMS.

3.15. Intercom
• Feature: Series & Messages.
• Setting: Automate in-app or email pre-arrival message triggered by custom event.

3.16. Freshdesk
• Feature: Email Notification Automator.
• Setting: Automates custom pre-arrival notifications as part of guest onboarding tickets.

3.17. Moosend
• Feature: Automation Workflows.
• Setting: Pre-arrival journey starts when “Check-in Date” falls within specified window.

3.18. Omnisend
• Feature: Automation triggers.
• Setting: Automates message flow when order-type object matches booked date.

3.19. Slack
• Feature: Incoming Webhooks or Slackbot automator.
• Setting: Automate pre-arrival notice in private or team channels for internal use.

3.20. Zoho CRM
• Feature: Workflow Rules.
• Setting: Automate email alert on “Arrival Date” approaching for each guest lead.

3.21. Booking.com API
• Feature: Messaging API.
• Setting: Automate template message to all guests with upcoming stay.

3.22. WhatsApp Business API
• Feature: Templates & Notifications.
• Setting: Automate template message dispatch X days before arrival.

Benefits

4.1. Automating pre-arrival messages boosts guest preparedness, comfort, and loyalty by providing timely information.
4.2. Automation minimizes manual intervention, reduces human error, and standardizedly delivers branded communications.
4.3. Automated flows streamline staff workload so they can focus on unique guest needs, not repetitive outreach.
4.4. Automator ensures 24/7 consistency in communication regardless of staff shifts or resource constraints.
4.5. Automate improved data trackability for guest engagement and feedback, allowing for analytics.