Answer every booking request and guest message, even when the desk is slammed
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.
- Live in 3 to 6 weeks
- Works with OpenTable, SevenRooms and more
- People approve what matters
Is this you?
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.
- 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.
Today vs done for you
The current way, and the new way
What your team does by hand today, and what the automation does instead, step by step.
How it works today
- A host or front desk agent answers the phone while seating guests or checking someone in, and puts callers on hold.
- Missed calls go to voicemail and are returned hours later, if at all.
- Emails, texts, OTA messages and social DMs are checked between tasks in separate apps.
- Each change is typed into OpenTable, SevenRooms, Resy or the PMS by hand, and notes live on paper or in a group chat.
- Shift handover depends on what the last person remembered to write down.
What it quietly costs you
- · 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
- The agent answers calls, texts, web chat, email and OTA messages, and identifies the guest from their phone number or booking reference.
- 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.
- It answers routine questions from an approved knowledge base: hours, menus, parking, pet policy, check-in times and directions.
- It writes allergies, occasions and preferences to the guest profile so the team sees them at the table or the desk.
- 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.
- Every conversation is logged with the transcript, the action taken and who approved it, and a shift summary is posted for handover.
Your people
What changes for your team
| Role | Today | Done for you |
|---|---|---|
| Host or front desk agent | Answering phones and inboxes between guests and retyping changes into the book. | Focuses on the guests in front of them and handles the requests the agent hands over. |
| Reservations or guest services manager | Chasing missed messages and cleaning up double bookings. | Reviews the daily summary, sets rules for deposits and large parties, and coaches staff. |
| General manager | Hearing about missed calls from bad reviews. | Sees booking, response and request data across shifts and properties. |
The numbers
What it's worth to you
Estimate the time and cost you get back with your own numbers. We baseline the real figures in week 1 and track these KPIs from day one.
Example inputs · change them to yours
Covers routine questions, simple bookings and changes; complaints, comps and large groups stay with staff.
Staff time back
117 hours a month
About 0.7 full-time people freed for higher-value work
Capacity reclaimed a month
$2,567
A year
$30,800
An estimate from your inputs only. In week 1 we measure your real baseline, so results are tracked against your own numbers.
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.
69%
65%
Works with the tools you already use
- OpenTable
- SevenRooms
- Resy
- Mews
- Cloudbeds
- Oracle Opera PMS
- Twilio
- Booking.com and Expedia extranets
- Google Business Profile
- Slack or Microsoft Teams
Guardrails built in
- 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.
Why it hurts today
What teams say about this work
Common complaints from operators, reviewers and industry research.
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.
Most surveyed US hotels still report staffing shortages, and front desk roles are the second most cited gap after housekeeping.
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.
Call analysis found hotel brands leaving calls unanswered or failing callers through abandonment and poor handling, losing customers who were ready to book.
Done for you
Live in 3 to 6 weeks
We do the build, the integrations and the rollout. Your team gives us access, reviews the pilot and approves go-live.
- 1
Week 1
Discovery and access
We map the workflow with your team, agree the outcomes and KPIs, measure today's baseline and get secure access to your tools.
- 2
Weeks 2–3
Build and connect
We build the agents and connect your systems, with your rules, approval steps, permissions and logging.
- 3
Weeks 3–5
Test and pilot
We test on your real history, then run a pilot on live work while your team reviews what the agent does.
- 4
Weeks 4–6
Go live and hand over
We roll out in stages, train your team, hand over dashboards and runbooks, and keep improving it with you.
Executive Ask: ask your business anything
One plain-English assistant connected to every system you run: CRM, helpdesk, ERP and accounting, HR, inbox and docs. Leaders get sourced answers in seconds and can trigger actions with approval. It respects everyone's existing permissions and logs every answer.
See Executive AskAsk it, for example
- 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?
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.
Pairs well with
Healthcare & Clinics
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See the outcomeHome Services & Construction
Missed-Call Capture & Job Booking
Every call answered and booked, even when your techs are under a sink
See the outcomeCustomer Support
Shared Support Inbox Automation
Your support@ inbox sorted, owned and answered without crossed wires
See the outcomeSources
- Lots of stress - Front Desk Agent bei The Riverside Hotel: Mitarbeiterbewertung, Glassdoor
- 65% of surveyed U.S. hotels report staffing shortages, Hospitality Net (AHLA survey)
- Missed Connection? Over Two-Thirds of Americans Would Ditch Restaurants That Don’t Answer the Phone, Hostie (The Harris Poll)
- Marchex Institute Study Finds Hotel and Cruise Industries Lose Significant Volume of Customers Due to Poor Call Handling, Marchex
Get Reservations & Guest Messaging done for you
Tell us about your volumes and tools. A senior engineer replies within one business day with scope, timeline and cost.
Live in 3 to 6 weeks · Priced after a short call · Company emails only