Channel managers : the essential of conciergeries short-term rental

To effectively manage all these properties on multiple channels, the channel managers (management software for multi-platforms such as Smoobu, Guesty, Hostaway, Lodgify, Smily, etc) have emerged as essential tools. They automate the synchronization of calendars, to prevent double-bookings and centralizes many of the operational tasks. But if the channel managers greatly facilitate the daily management of a concierge, they don’t cover everything. In particular, the communication with the travelers a fast, personalized and available 24h/24 remains a challenge that the classical technology just to meet. In this article, we will explain the role and benefits of channel managers, to review their limits in terms of e-mail client, and find out how Zenivia, an innovative solution integrated to your stack, technological, comes to fill these gaps through the AI to provide an experience traveller worthy of a 5 star hotel.

What is a channel manager ?

A channel manager is a software that allows you to synchronize and manage your rentals on a variety of platforms booking online at the same time. Specifically, this tool centralizes all the information of your ads (schedules, availability, fares, reservations, etc) and updates it in real time on each site such as Airbnb, Booking.com, Abritel/VRBO, Expedia, Google, Holiday, etc

. Interest ? Most require you to manually log on each platform to change a price or to block a date , the channel manager does it for you, virtually eliminating the risk of forgetting, or human error. It is a software widely adopted by professionals of vacation rentals, including conciergeries, as it greatly simplifies the day to day operations (advertising management, availabilities, bookings, pricing,…) and improves the overall efficiency of the management of your properties

. In sum, the channel manager acts as the conductor technique of your concierge : it connects your accommodation to all booking channels relevant and standardizes key data on all of these channels. Solutions such as Smoobu, Guesty, Hostaway, Lodgify or Smily offer, for example, this type of features that are essential for that handles multiple units.

Why conciergeries in need ?

For a concierge, to adopt a channel manager offers multiple advantages :

• Centralization and time-saving : A channel manager brings together on a single platform, the administration of all reservations or ads. Finished juggling between 5 or 10 extranets different every day ! All updates (availability, price, descriptions…) are carried out in a single action, saving you valuable time. Even if it is not a requirement, this tool has become almost essential to the conciergeries of any size because it avoids the ressaisies time-consuming manual on each site.

 By automating repetitive tasks (for example, the instantaneous update calendars or send confirmation emails to customers), the channel manager provides you with a considerable amount of time in everyday life.

Maximizing the visibility and reservations : with a channel manager, you can easily publish each housing on multiple platforms simultaneously. This widespread distribution increases mechanically your visibility to travelers and therefore your chances of booking. By connecting all of your accommodation to the major OTAs in the market, you make sure to “cast a wide net” and reach the maximum number of potential travellers, including in the low season.

Studies show that improving response rates and responsiveness on Airbnb can increase significantly the number of bookings : for example, moving from a response rate of 89 % to 100 % can increase the bookings 116 %.

A channel manager, facilitating the management of the multi-platforms and updated in real-time from your schedule, directly contributes to this performance (the dwellings perfectly synchronized to avoid the penalties of the platform and appear higher in the results, which leads to more passengers).

• Error reduction and peace of mind : one of The worst mistakes, short-term rental is the double booking (two travellers booking the same slot on the same dates through different sites). A channel manager to virtually eliminate this risk by synchronizing instantly your calendars as soon as a booking falls. You no longer have to fear that a booking Airbnb doesn’t block fast enough the date on Booking.com, for example. This operational reliability is crucial to preserve your reputation and avoid a lot of headaches. As the stresses Lodgify, centralize all the operations of booking within a single interface greatly reduces the risk of human errors and forgotten to update.

You will work more serenely, while having a clear overview on your activity.

• Focus on the customer experience : By automating the logistics multi-platforms, the channel manager will free up time and mental workload. The conciergeries who use it can focus on other strategic aspects, such as improving the passenger experience on the ground, the relationship with the owners, or the development of their portfolio of properties.

Rather than spend hours update announcements, you can spend this extra time to fine-tune your services, accept clients like it should be, or fine-tune your pricing strategy. In short, the channel manager automates the management of the shadows,” so you can focus on the human and the growth of your business.

In summary, a good channel manager is the technological pillar that allows a concierge to extend its activity without sacrificing quality. Without him, it is difficult to effectively manage more than a few goods, and with him, some managers are driving tens (or even hundreds) of properties in a fluid manner.

It is therefore not surprising that more than 5 000 companies concierge in France is to be launched on the market in full growth (+15 % in 2024) and is equipped with professional tools in order to remain competitive

The limits of the channel managers classic

Despite their many advantages, the channel managers ‘classic’ does not solve all the problems of conciergeries. In particular, three major limitations still exist with these software : the refined management of the e-mail travellers, the customization of the communication, and responsiveness 24h/24 to client requests.

• Communications not enough automated or custom : The most channel managers integrate a unified inbox where converge the messages of the platforms (Airbnb, Booking.com etc.) and sometimes a few models of automatic messages (e-mails types sent to the reservation, prior to arrival, etc

However, these automated messages remain very basic and static (for example : a generic email of welcome or sending of the welcome booklet). As soon as a traveller asks a specific question or out of the scenario, it is necessary that you or your team to take the relay manually. The channel manager will not be able to spontaneously respond to “What bus to take from the airport ?” or “Can we park two cars ?”. The customization is also limited, all travelers will receive more or less the same content standard, and this lack of a human touch is adapted to the situation of each one.

• Reactivity 24/7 difficult to ensure : The conciergeries promise to their owners and travelers with a professional service, which includes being available in case of need. However, if your channel manager is not able to meet him-even travellers ‘ questions, you need to stay in touch or check your emails regularly including at night and on the weekends. It is a challenge, because nearly 75 % of the messages of travellers can occur outside of office hours classic.

Without an automated system, whether you agree with the staff on-call for nights and Sundays, messages wait hours (at the risk of chafing to the customer). Unfortunately, the slow response is discontent n°1 expressed by customers in all sectors, and particularly in the seasonal rental in which travellers are demanding answers nearly instantaneous (by analogy with the speed of Uber or services online modern). A channel manager alone does not guarantee that this responsiveness continues, which may impact your response rate on Airbnb (criterion of the status of Superhost), and overall satisfaction.

• The barrier of the language and the tone of the conversation : the Other limit, if you welcome an international clientele, manage the multilingual can become complex. A traveller brazilian you wrote in Portuguese on Airbnb ? You’re going to have to translate his request and write down a response in a foreign language. The channel managers do not all offer integrated translation, and definitely not the ability to write naturally in the language of the traveler. In addition, keep your style and “voice of mark” in each message requires care. However, when we meet in the emergency, or by using standard templates, we can get away from his tone as usual. The channel managers have not been designed to adapt to the register of language, or the turn of phrases according to your brand identity, they simply pass on your words as such. This means that a concierge who want to distinguish themselves by communication warm, humorous, or ultra-professional will still write manually the majority of her messages to introduce this to your custom.

In summary, the channel manager manages the infrastructure of your rentals (ads, fares, schedules, etc…), but the customer relationship in real-time remains in large part to your support. As your property portfolio and the number of travelers grows, the communication part can become a real bottleneck : monitor a mail 24h/24, respond quickly and well to dozens of questions varied, in multiple languages and with tact… it’s a job in itself ! This is precisely where the new generation of tools doped in AI, designed to complement the channel managers on the aspect of conversation.

Zenivia : brick missing your tech stack

Zenivia is one of these innovative solutions that add a centerpiece to your software ecosystem. Rather than replacing your channel manager, Zenivia is part of in addition to support the e-mail travellers from A to Z so intelligent and automated. In other words, Zenivia is a virtual assistant smart that works hand in hand with your existing tools (channel manager, PMS…) in order to automate and personalize the communication with your customers at every stage of their stay.

In practical terms, that brings Zenivia ? Here are the key benefits to a concierge desk :

• Centralization channel : Zenivia brings together all of your channels of customer communication in one place. Whether it’s messages Airbnb or Booking.com SMS/WhatsApp or even a cat into your website, everything can be centralized in a single interface. No request does not fall in the moat of an application that you forgot to open it. You see everything, and best : Zenivia monitors all to you at all times.
• Answers automated 24h/24 and 7d/7 : Thanks to the AI, Zenivia can instantly answer, day or night, to the common questions of your travelers. Finished the need to check your phone to 23h, or at dawn : the virtual assistant knows the key information of each booking, and can provide the correct answer in a few seconds. According to a study, the AI can take care of up to 80 % of interactions with travelers and respond immediately to the most frequently asked questions (time of check-in, code Wi-Fi, local recommendations, etc), without human intervention.

No need to supervise your inbox 24h/24 : the chatbot takes care of them, and never sleeps. Your travelers benefit from a reactive, which reinforces their confidence and lets you breathe.

• Detection of emergencies and requests sensitive : Zenivia is able to automatically detect the urgent messages or unusual. For example, if a traveler sends ‘I’m locked out, the key does not work’, or indicates a failure of heating, the AI will spot it immediately and report it as a priority for human intervention. You will receive an alert to deal with this critical case as Zenivia continues to manage the rest. Thanks to this detection of emergency powered by AI no more important message passes through : the urgent problems are immediately flagged for priority processing smily.com.

Thus, you have the peace of mind that all the important conversations will be treated in time, even without you scrutiez permanently the screen.

• Multilingual Interactions fluids : Zenivia breaks the language barrier between you and your international travellers. The IA includes applications in multiple languages and can respond in the language of the traveller, with formulations natural. You can offer a service that is equally responsive and friendly to a tourist Spanish or German as a French client, without the need to go through Google Translate. The wizard prepares concise answers and adapted to the context for travellers around the world, improving their experience while saving you a lot of time on translations.
• In practice, this means for example that if a host Italian written in Italian, Zenivia will detect the language and it will automatically reply in Italian, with the right tone.
• Responses to the tone of your brand : in Contrast to a template frozen, the AI of Zenivia into your brand identity and your communication style. Each message generated seeks to reflect your “voice” : a professional and courteous if this is your picture, or on the contrary casual and friendly if that’s your trademark. This consistency strengthens the credibility of your concierge in the eyes of the travellers. Zenivia ensures consistent communication and authentic, perfectly aligned with your style, which enhances your image and inspires confidence.

Your clients have the impression to talk with you or your team, not with a robot without a soul, even as it is the AI that makes the bulk of the work behind the scenes.

• Integration with your PMS/Channel Manager : Zenivia don’t work in a vacuum ; it connects to your other software (channel manager, PMS, tool, cleaning, etc) to exploit existing data and enrich their responses. For example, the AI will automatically retrieve the details of the booking (dates, number of travelers, options written) in order to provide accurate answers, and custom. If a client asks ‘ what time can you leave on the last day ? ‘, Zenivia knows the check-out provided in the PMS and will be able to answer correctly according to the policy of the accommodation. Similarly, by being connected to the system, the wizard can update the state of a conversation, save notes, or trigger other automations (automatically alert the cleaning service in the event of a specific request, etc). This tight integration ensures that the AI works hand in hand with your existing process, without duplication or contradiction.

In sum, Zenivia brings the layer of artificial intelligence that was missing from your rental management. Where a channel manager to structure the data and automations ‘hardware’ (announcements, calendars, payments), Zenivia manages the relational aspect and the human scale. The result ? A concierge capable of responding to this at any time, by speaking the language of the customer, with the right tone, while filtering which require your direct involvement. Your travelers will benefit from exchanges fast, useful, and custom, while you, you save valuable time and insurance not to let anything pass.

Channel manager + Zenivia = experience traveller 5 star

Associate a channel manager performance and the wizard Zenivia, it’s a bit like enhance your concierge to a duo of shock technology covering the entire customer journey. The channel manager takes care of the hidden face (coordination platforms, logistics of booking), Zenivia supports the visible face (communication and satisfaction of the traveler). Together, they allow you to provide a flawless experience for travellers and owners.

To better visualize the benefits crusaders of these two tools, here is a comparison of their respective roles :

Requirements / Features	Channel Manager	Zenivia (IA)
Multi-platform (OTA)	Yes : synchronizes the advertisements, price lists and calendars on all of the sites.	Not : role focused on the e-mail (complementary to the channel manager).
Avoid double-bookings	Yes : locks instantly dates on other platforms as soon as a booking is made.	N/A (outside of its perimeter, managed upstream by the channel manager).
Centralization of messages travellers	Partial : unified inbox OTA/email usually included, but not intelligent processing of messages.	Yes : centralizes all channels (OTA, email, SMS…) into a inbox intelligent and deals with the conversations.
Automatic responses to questions	Limited to : email sending types programmed (standard information), not of interactive real-time chat.	Yes : instantly respond to recurring questions via chatbot AI (80 % of the messages handled automatically).
Availability of the answer 24h/24	Not : requires human intervention outside office hours (no answer active at night).	Yes : 24/7 support provided by the AI, response time of a few seconds at any time.
Customize the tone and the style	No : communications standard, not fine-tuning the tone of the company.	Yes : adapts to your style of communication (language, usability, etc)
Multilingual Support native	Very limited : use of external translators in need, no generation of multilingual automatic.	Yes : multi-language integrated understanding of and responses in the language of the traveler.
Detection of emergency messages	No : an urgent message may go unnoticed until it is read manually.	Yes : AI detects the urgent messages or negative and alert for priority action.
Integration with the PMS / third-party tools	Yes : often included in a software-all-in-one, connected to the PMS, and other services.	Yes : connects to the PMS/channel managers to use the reservation data in its responses.

As can be seen, the channel manager and Zenivia are allies complementary more than redundant tools. By combining their forces, a concierge can both optimize its operational management and enhance its customer relationships. This synergy brings tangible benefits :

• For your travelers : a super-fast communication, continuous and custom, which translates to less waiting, less stress, and more confidence. A traveler gets an answer to his question in a minute 23h will have every opportunity to leave an opinion of 5 stars on communication. Moreover, approximately 20 % messages to travellers make reference to the quality of communication in the trade, that is to say, the importance of excel in this point to get good reviews. With a channel manager + Zenivia, your clients get a service that is worthy of a hotel, while keeping the heat and the customization of an individual host.
• For your concierge : a huge efficiency gain and serenity. You eliminate practically the risk of double-booking and errors of schedule thanks to the channel manager, and you eliminate also the sleepless nights or last minute emergencies thanks to Zenivia who is the keeper. Your team sees his workload repetitive decrease (up to 80 % of the messages processed automatically, it should be remembered), which allows him to focus on tasks with higher added value (physical host, exploration of new products, improvement of the supply…). In addition, a response in less than 1 hour for each request increases not only satisfaction, but also the chance to convert leads into bookings and properties with an average response time is less than an hour notice 25  per cent of conversions in addition to Airbnb.
• In other words, this responsiveness increased provides a real competitive advantage and the potential for additional revenue.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the channel managers have emerged as indispensable tools for any concierge desk professional wishing to effectively manage several locations on multiple platforms. They are the base operational, offering automation, centralization and reliability in the daily management. However, to achieve a higher level of service and make a real difference, it is crucial to address the pane of the client communication is personalised and responsive to an area where the classical solutions reach their limits. This is where Zenivia, the wizard IA specialized in the e-mail travellers, acts as the missing piece of your puzzle technology. By integrating Zenivia to your channel manager, you build your concierge to make a pair high-performance able all at once to optimize your processes and pamper your travellers. The result ? Owners serene, customers delighted by the speed and relevance of exchange, and a concierge who wins in time, efficiency and reputation. In short, by combining a good channel manager, and the intelligence of Zenivia, you put all the chances on your side to provide an experience traveller 5-star will make a difference in the demanding world of the short-term rental.