How to respond to guests outside reception hours
How to configure an AI agent that answers 24 hours a day with your property's rules, without missing a guest who writes at night or on the weekend.
Requests arrive simultaneously via WhatsApp, email, and Instagram: "is there availability this weekend?", "what time is check-in?", "is there wifi?", "how do I get there by train?". Outside reception hours, no one answers — and the guest, without confirmation, looks for another option.
This guide shows how to configure an AI agent that answers 24 hours a day, using WhatSMS's AI Agents.
Step 1 — Load the house rules into a single knowledge base
Load the house rules, schedules, prices, and cancellation policies once into the agent's knowledge base — instead of explaining them repeatedly to each guest.
Step 2 — Connect the channels where guests already write
Connect WhatsApp, email, and Instagram, among others, to the Unified Inbox, so the agent answers on any of these channels with the same knowledge base.
Step 3 — Configure handoff for decisions that require the owner
Define which questions require your decision — like an exception to the cancellation policy — so the conversation is transferred to the team with the full summary, instead of the agent risking an answer.
Why this prevents losing the booking
Fewer repeated questions interrupting your day, and a guest with an immediate answer instead of silence until the next day — the moment when, without confirmation, many guests have already booked elsewhere.
You can create this account for free and load your property's real rules before any commitment.
Frequently asked questions
Can foreign guests talk to the agent in their own language?
The WhatSMS platform is available in 6 languages — Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian — and the AI agent replies in the language the guest writes in, based on the information loaded into the knowledge base. Human support from the team is always in Portuguese.
Does the agent answer about date availability?
The agent can record booking requests directly from the conversation, but final availability confirmation depends on the connected calendar — for questions about a specific exception, the conversation is transferred to the team.
What if the question is about an exception to the cancellation policy?
If the question requires an owner's decision — like an exception to the cancellation policy — the conversation is transferred to the team with the full history, to be answered as soon as they reopen.
What information should I load into the knowledge base?
House rules, check-in/check-out times, wifi policy, cancellation policy, prices, and transport information — everything you currently explain repeatedly by message to each new guest.
Can I take over the conversation at any time?
Yes. Every message shows whether it was answered by the AI or by a team member, and you can take over any conversation at any time.