# Reservations & Guest Messaging: done-for-you AI automation by BufferSol

> A done-for-you reservations and guest messaging automation is an AI agent BufferSol connects to your phone line, text, email, website chat and booking system. It takes and changes reservations in OpenTable, SevenRooms, Resy, Mews, Cloudbeds or Opera, answers routine questions about parking, check-in, menus and policies, and passes special requests and complaints to staff with full context. It goes live in 3 to 6 weeks.

- Canonical: https://buffersoltech.com/done-for-you/automations/reservations-guest-messaging
- Industries: Hospitality (Hotels & resorts); Hospitality (Restaurant groups)
- Provider: BufferSol Technologies (New York; serving the US, UK, Ireland, Canada and the EU)
- Timeline: live in 3 to 6 weeks
- Pricing: quoted after a short scoping call

## Answer every booking request and guest message, even when the desk is slammed

**Who it is for:** Independent and group-owned hotels and restaurants where the host stand or front desk handles calls, texts, OTA messages and email between check-ins and covers, and requests go unanswered at peak times.

### Signs you need it
- The phone rings through dinner service or the check-in rush and nobody can pick up.
- Guests ask the same questions every day about parking, early check-in, dress code and allergy options.
- Booking changes arrive by email, text, Instagram and the OTA inbox, and someone retypes them into the book.
- Special requests like a birthday cake or a crib get lost between shifts.
- Night staff cover the desk alone and messages wait until morning.

## Business outcomes
- **Fewer missed bookings.** Calls and messages that arrive during service or the check-in rush get answered and booked, instead of turning into a voicemail nobody returns.
- **A calmer desk and host stand.** Staff spend their time with the guests in front of them, while routine questions and simple changes are handled in the background.
- **Requests that reach the right person.** Allergies, occasions, accessibility needs and complaints are written to the guest profile and routed to the manager on duty with the full conversation.

## How it works today
1. A host or front desk agent answers the phone while seating guests or checking someone in, and puts callers on hold.
2. Missed calls go to voicemail and are returned hours later, if at all.
3. Emails, texts, OTA messages and social DMs are checked between tasks in separate apps.
4. Each change is typed into OpenTable, SevenRooms, Resy or the PMS by hand, and notes live on paper or in a group chat.
5. Shift handover depends on what the last person remembered to write down.

Hidden costs:
- Guests who cannot get through book somewhere else.
- Staff burn out juggling phones and guests, and desk turnover stays high.
- Wrong or missing notes lead to service mistakes, refunds and poor reviews.

## How it works done for you
1. The agent answers calls, texts, web chat, email and OTA messages, and identifies the guest from their phone number or booking reference.
2. It reads live availability in your reservation system or PMS and books, moves or cancels within your rules for party size, deposits and blackout dates.
3. It answers routine questions from an approved knowledge base: hours, menus, parking, pet policy, check-in times and directions.
4. It writes allergies, occasions and preferences to the guest profile so the team sees them at the table or the desk.
5. Requests that need judgment, such as large parties, comps, complaints or late check-out on a sold-out night, go to the manager on duty with a summary and a suggested reply.
6. Every conversation is logged with the transcript, the action taken and who approved it, and a shift summary is posted for handover.

## What changes for the team
- **Host or front desk agent.** Today: Answering phones and inboxes between guests and retyping changes into the book. Done for you: Focuses on the guests in front of them and handles the requests the agent hands over.
- **Reservations or guest services manager.** Today: Chasing missed messages and cleaning up double bookings. Done for you: Reviews the daily summary, sets rules for deposits and large parties, and coaches staff.
- **General manager.** Today: Hearing about missed calls from bad reviews. Done for you: Sees booking, response and request data across shifts and properties.

## KPIs we measure
- **Answered calls and messages:** Share of inbound calls and messages answered, from phone system and inbox logs, baselined before launch.
- **Response time:** Minutes from a guest message to first reply, split by channel and by shift.
- **Bookings taken at peak or after hours:** Reservations created by the agent, tagged by time of day and day part.
- **Request completion:** Guest requests logged versus completed, checked against PMS or reservation notes.
- **Handoff rate:** Conversations passed to staff, reviewed weekly to add answers and adjust rules.

## Industry data
- 69%: of Americans say they are likely to give up on going to a restaurant if no one answers the phone (Harris Poll, May to June 2025) ([Hostie (The Harris Poll)](https://hostie.ai/blogs/missed-connection-over-two-thirds-of-americans-would-ditch-restaurants-that-dont-answer-the-phone))
- 65%: of surveyed US hotels report staffing shortages; front desk roles cited by 26% (AHLA survey, December 2024 to January 2025) ([Hospitality Net (AHLA survey)](https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4125946/65-of-surveyed-us-hotels-report-staffing-shortages))

## Systems it connects to
OpenTable, SevenRooms, Resy, Mews, Cloudbeds, Oracle Opera PMS, Twilio, Booking.com and Expedia extranets, Google Business Profile, Slack or Microsoft Teams

## Guardrails
- Deposits, refunds, comps and rate overrides always need a staff member's approval.
- Card numbers are never taken in chat or text; guests get the payment link your system already uses.
- Allergy details are recorded word for word and flagged to the kitchen; the agent never promises a dish is safe.
- The agent tells guests they are talking to an automated assistant and offers a person at any time.
- Transcripts follow your retention policy, and personal data is masked in logs.

## What teams say about this work
- Front desk staff describe a desk that is constantly understaffed, with phones ringing unanswered while the team is swamped with check-ins and check-outs. ([Glassdoor](https://www.glassdoor.de/Bewertungen/Bewertungen-The-Riverside-Hotel-E1673670-RVW92029943.htm))
- Most surveyed US hotels still report staffing shortages, and front desk roles are the second most cited gap after housekeeping. ([Hospitality Net (AHLA survey)](https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4125946/65-of-surveyed-us-hotels-report-staffing-shortages))
- Diners say calling is their preferred way to reach a restaurant, yet many of those calls go unanswered, and most say they would give up on going if nobody picks up. ([Hostie (The Harris Poll)](https://hostie.ai/blogs/missed-connection-over-two-thirds-of-americans-would-ditch-restaurants-that-dont-answer-the-phone))
- Call analysis found hotel brands leaving calls unanswered or failing callers through abandonment and poor handling, losing customers who were ready to book. ([Marchex](https://investors.marchex.com/news-releases/news-release-details/marchex-institute-study-finds-hotel-and-cruise-industries-lose))

## Delivery: live in 3 to 6 weeks
1. Week 1: discovery, access and a baseline of today's numbers.
2. Weeks 2–3: build the agents and connect your systems, with your rules and approvals.
3. Weeks 3–5: test on your real history, then pilot on live work with your team reviewing.
4. Weeks 4–6: staged go-live, training, dashboards and handover.

## Executive Ask questions for this workflow
- How many calls did we miss during dinner service last week, and how many still turned into bookings?
- Which guest questions come up most at the front desk, by property?
- Which special requests were logged this weekend but never marked as done?

## Frequently asked questions
### How long until it is answering guests?
Most properties are live in 3 to 6 weeks. We build the knowledge base with your team, connect the phone line, inboxes and your reservation system or PMS, and set booking rules. The agent then runs alongside staff, with a manager approving its replies, before it starts answering on its own during the hours and channels you choose.

### What does it cost?
It depends on how many properties, channels and call volumes are involved, and which booking systems need connecting. We look at your current call and message flow, then give a fixed quote. Cost is quoted after a short scoping call, so you know the full number before any line or system is connected.

### Does it work with our reservation system or PMS?
It works with the common ones, including OpenTable, SevenRooms, Resy, Mews, Cloudbeds and Oracle Opera, through their APIs or approved integrations. If your system has limited access, the agent can create a pending booking that staff confirm with one click. We confirm what is possible with your exact setup during scoping.

### Will guests know they are talking to an AI?
Yes. The agent introduces itself as an automated assistant for your property and offers a person at any point. Tone, greetings and sign-offs follow your house style, and certain topics, such as complaints or anything about safety, are always passed to staff with the conversation attached so the guest does not repeat themselves.

### How does it handle allergies and special requests?
It records the request word for word on the guest profile or reservation note, tags it so the kitchen or housekeeping sees it, and confirms to the guest that the team has it. It never promises a dish is free of an allergen or that a room feature is guaranteed. Those confirmations come from staff.