The Email Reply Standard
Five steps for answering a written enquiry within two hours. The guest who emails has often written to several hotels, and books with the first full answer.
- Who
- Reservations agents, checked by the reservations manager
- When
- Every email and web form, during reservations office hours
- You need
- Shared inbox, guest history in the PMS, availability, room photos
- Measured by
- Reply sent within two hours
- Every question in the email answered
- Signed with a name and a direct line
5 steps
01
Acknowledge
Open the inbox every 30 minutes. Any email you cannot answer in full within two hours gets a short personal reply now, with your name and the time the full answer will arrive.
Say this
“Dear Mr Schneider, thank you. I’m checking the connecting rooms and will reply in full by 15:00. Anna”
Common mistake Letting the automatic reply count as an answer. The guest knows a machine wrote it, and keeps waiting.
02
List the questions
Before typing, number every question in the guest’s email, including the ones in the last line and the PS. Your reply answers each one, in the same order, in its own short paragraph.
Say this
Note on the draft: “1 cot – yes. 2 airport – 35 min. 3 late checkout – to 14:00. 4 vegan breakfast – yes.”
Common mistake Answering the dates and the price and skipping the question about the dog. That was the one that mattered.
03
Use their words
Address the guest by name and title as they signed, and reuse their words for what they want. If they wrote “quiet room”, write “quiet room”, not “superior category”. No room codes, no rate codes.
Say this
“Dear Mrs Kowalski, for a quiet room I would suggest the courtyard deluxe on the fourth floor, away from the lift.”
Common mistake Pasting the template with room codes and rate names. The guest has to translate the hotel before they can book it.
04
One next step
End with one clear next step: a link to book that room at that rate, a hold until a stated time, or a call at a time the guest chooses. Never end on “do not hesitate to contact us”.
Say this
“I’m holding the room for you until Thursday at 18:00. Reply ‘yes’ and I’ll confirm it straight away.”
Common mistake Closing with three options and a general invitation to get in touch. The guest has the work to do, and puts it off.
05
Sign and follow
Sign with your first name, surname, role and direct line, never the department alone. If there is no reply after 48 hours, send one short follow-up, then mark the thread closed in the log.
Say this
“Anna Ferri, Reservations Agent. Direct line +39 055 000 0000”
Common mistake Signing as “Reservations Team”. The guest has nobody to write back to, so writes to someone else.
Before You Press Send
Thirteen checks for every written reply. Run down them in the last minute before sending; most take a glance.
- Name and title spelt as the guest signed
- Every question answered, in the guest’s order
- Dates written with weekdays
- Rate shown with what it includes
- Taxes and city tax stated
- Cancellation terms in one plain sentence
- Room described in their words, no codes
- One photo or link for the room suggested
- One clear next step, with a time
- Your name, role and direct line
- Earlier emails kept below in the thread
- Subject line names the dates and the room
- Sent within two hours of the enquiry
Print it beside each screen. For a week, the reservations manager picks three sent emails a day at random and checks them against the list with the agent who wrote them. Brief the most-missed item next morning.
The Standards Library.
No. 10 · Reservations
The Confirmation Standard
Five steps for a confirmation sent the same day and a check before arrival. One wrong letter in a surname follows the guest from the airport sign to the bill.
No. 11 · Reservations
The Callback Standard
Five steps for missed calls, voicemails and unfinished enquiries. A call that ends without a name, a phone number or an email cannot be followed up.