Overview
Think of HostBuddy as your most dedicated employee, available 24/7, 365 days a year! To begin automating your guest communication, you will start by scheduling HostBuddy for it's first shift!
To offer flexibility, we provide two scheduling options:
Weekly Schedule: A recurring schedule that repeats weekly.
One-off Shifts: Custom shifts outside of the weekly schedule.
To begin scheduling, navigate to the properties page. Here you will find a calendar button next to each listing—click this to start scheduling.
Configuring Weekly Schedule
Add Weekly Schedule
Access the Schedule view from the calendar. Click Add at the bottom right of the screen.
Select which reservation stages you'd like for HostBuddy to respond to. Choose the days of the week for the schedule. Set your start and end times. Click Apply to save the schedule.
Adjust Weekly Coverage
For 24/7 coverage, you need to set HostBuddy to cover all hours of every day. Start by choosing 'Weekly Schedule' and selecting all days of the week. Set the time from 12:00 am to 11:59 pm so that HostBuddy is always available. Remember, HostBuddy stays offline until you schedule it.
HostBuddy Must Be Scheduled To Communicate
HostBuddy remains offline until you schedule it for activation. However, you'll still receive action items and notifications even when it's offline, keeping you updated and informed.
Even when offline, the messaging inbox and Smart Templates/Upsells remain functional for testing and other uses.
Set One-Off Shifts
Create One-Off Shift
Navigate to Month view by clicking the Month button at the top right of the properties page. Click Add.
Select the relevant reservation phases. Choose the status (On for activation, Off for temporary disablement). Set your start and end dates and times. Click Apply to save your changes.
Notes on One-Off Shifts
Calendar schedules override the weekly schedule.
The start time corresponds to the start date and end time corresponds to the end date.
Copy Schedule to Other Properties
Select Properties for Schedule
To copy the schedule to other properties, click Copy to Other Properties at the bottom of each Schedule.
Then, choose specific properties or select Select All to apply the schedule to multiple properties.
Understand Time Zone Settings
When copying your schedule to all of your properties, you'll see an option for setting time zone behavior. Each option adapts to either the property's location or your Account Settings location/region. Actual time aligns with your account setting location. For instance, if your account is set to East Coast time, the coverage hours will follow the East Coast time frame. You can adjust your accounts location in the settings page.
If the schedule is based on relative time, it will adjust according to the property's specific location. This is found under basics in your property profile.
Understand Time Zone Settings
Time zone settings affect scheduling accuracy when copying schedules to other properties. Ensure you've selected the correct time zone setting to maintain proper timing across all listings.
Use Manual Override
Stop HostBuddy for Specific Property
To turn off HostBuddy for a specific property, click the Stop button next to the property name on the properties page. This will deactivate HostBuddy's automated messaging for that particular property.
Stop HostBuddy for All Properties
To turn HostBuddy off for all properties, click Stop All at the top right of the properties page. This action will deactivate HostBuddy's automated messaging across all properties simultaneously, ensuring all scheduled activities are paused.