A short while ago, an SMS Partner user and Airbnb host pointed out to us some possible areas for improvement in the SMS communication strategy of the famous startup. Indeed, the platform for booking stays in private homes has neglected some important points in the implementation of its SMS campaigns. Which goes to show that even for the largest companies ( Airbnb is currently raising funds that would value it at $24 billion), there is always room for improvement to get ever closer to an optimal customer experience. Mistake 1: Bad timing airbnb-sms1Have you ever been woken up by a text message? We've all experienced that moment in the night when, torn from our sleep by the ringing of our phone, we hesitate, then get up, haggard, to read the message received...
Never pleasant, and rarely justified by the urgency of the information sent. It is important to remember that 8 out of 10 people keep their mobile phone open and within reach when they sleep. So, if the message chile phone number data in question is a reminder SMS sent by Airbnb at 2:30 in the morning, do you think the recipient has a good image of the platform? According to our client's feedback, the effect was not very positive. Indeed, there is no need to be woken up in the middle of the night to be informed of a reservation made on the site for a stay a few days later.
Carefully setting up and controlling the time at which SMS are sent is of paramount importance ! Especially in the case of a reminder SMS, the sending method must take into account the user's comfort, by offering useful information AND in a relevant format. On the SMS Partner platform, it is easy to schedule exactly the sending time of your SMS campaigns . Regulatory reminder – CNIL: SMS campaigns must be sent between 9am and 7pm. In short, beyond a bad customer experience, Airbnb is breaking the law! Mistake #2: Leaving the customer hanging! airbnb-sms2In a constant concern for responsiveness, Airbnb strongly encourages "hosts" to respond quickly to any request to book their accommodation. In this context, Airbnb is absolutely right to rely on SMS.
Indeed, various studies prove that 95% of messages sent by Premium SMS are read within 3 minutes. In short, no means of communication ensures such speed of access to the recipient! The host is informed almost in real time of the booking request. As you can see in the example opposite, the host receives an SMS message that transmits the reservation request… The SMS indicates the first name of the requester, the desired reservation dates, and the beginning of the message sent by the requester.