Guest service is arguably the most important part of the hospitality industry—ensuring guests have what they need and feel comfortable asking for it if they don’t. But now that texting is preferred over calling, hotels have to make sure they’re providing the right channels for open communication.

With hospitality texting, guests can easily text in requests or questions, and hotels can even prompt guests to tell staff what they need with the mid-stay message. These status checks are a great tool to improve brand survey scores and boost your guest engagement. Let’s dive into the mid-stay check-in and ways you can implement it at your hotel.

What is a mid-stay status check?

When using a hotel texting service, it’s most common to send a welcome message—an introductory message with information about the hotel that opens the line of communication—and a post-stay message, which asks the guest how their stay was after they’ve checked out.

But best practices for hotel guest messaging include a message (which can be automated through top digital messaging systems) during the stay, asking the guest how everything is going and if they need anything. This is the mid-stay check-in, and it can have quite an impact.

Say a guest needs more towels, but doesn’t want to call or walk down to the front desk. They may shrug it off but give the hotel a seven out of 10 on a survey given the little bit of discomfort. With a mid-stay check-in message from the front desk, the guest is prompted to ask for things that may improve the stay—like towels!—via a simple text message. 

The power of checking-in

Halfway through a guest's stay, a mid-stay status check is sent out to ask how things are going. This secret weapon gives your team a chance to uncover pain points that can be fixed while guests are on the property and before brand surveys go out. 

By sending mid-stay messages throughout the guest’s stay, hotel staff can evaluate what the guest may need and fix any issues before they arise. Without this form of digital communication, problems would fly under the radar of hotel staff, and could develop into bad reviews. 

Teams enjoy increased flexibility through sending welcome and mid-stay messages. Prior to hotel texting, front desks were checking in with guests primarily through phone calls within the first 15 minutes of their stay. Kipsu takes care of all that for you. Enjoy the ease of scheduling a text message and the freedom to take care of other guests’ needs, rather than being tied to the phone waiting to give guests a call. 

Not to mention, guests appreciate that they don't have to pause their trip to communicate concerns or questions with the staff. Whether guests are out hiking a trail, on a tour, or having a quick bite along the way, they can quickly connect with staff via text message before returning to their room after a long day of exploring.

Mid-stay status check templates - what works best?

"Good day #{firstName}! We hope you are enjoying your stay here at the Hotel! On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best, please let us know how we are doing. #{userSignature}"

By initiating surveys sent with mid-stay text messages, hotel teams can gain insight into how their guests are doing at every point in their stay. This message opens up a channel for guests to mention potential issues with their experience that may allow them to be more honest than in-person or over a phone call. 

Plus, when hotel teams check in with a survey, it gives an opportunity for them to learn how to improve the guest experience while the guest is still there, instead of learning about it in a review afterwards.

"Just checking in--how is your stay going so far?" 

Sometimes simplicity is the best. Properties that use Kipsu see this mid-stay check-in message have the highest response rate. With this simple open-ended question, you are creating an open environment for your guests to address any concerns and provide honest feedback. It isn’t asking about anything specific, so you are more likely to gather more responses. Don’t overthink it, keep it short and sweet! 

These templates and tips will help your staff make meaningful connections with your guests, and enhance the overall experience. From the start of the guest journey, when a traveler books their stay, to beyond checkout when feedback surveys are sent, you can make sure guests are engaged and have open lines of communication with hotel teams through digital messaging. Check out our welcome message templates and give your front desk staff even more resources to have under their belts!