All guest communication happens through Koobo messaging, reachable from the booking in your host dashboard.
Keep it on the platform
If a booking goes wrong, the messages are the evidence Koobo uses to resolve it. We can see what was said on Koobo. We cannot see a WhatsApp or Messenger thread, which means we cannot use it to support your position.
Beyond that, taking a booking off-platform is a breach of the host terms and can mean being charged the commission anyway plus a non-circumvention fee of up to 100% of it.
Sharing your number so a guest can call you when they are lost at night is fine. Using messaging to move a booking off Koobo is not.
A simple rhythm
- At booking - an automatic message confirming the basics
- Two or three days before - directions with a landmark, check-in time, your number
- Arrival day - a short note that you are ready
- Once during the stay - a check that everything is fine
- After checkout - thanks, and a mention that a review helps
What to get right
Be specific. "Close to the beach" tells a guest nothing. "A four-minute walk, turn left at the blue gate" tells them everything. Siargao addresses are imprecise and map pins are often off, so a landmark beats a street name.
Write for someone who has never been here. They may not know that most places are cash only, that ATMs run dry, or how far Pacifico is from General Luna.
Keep it short. These are read on a phone, often mid-journey.
Reply quickly, especially before booking. A guest comparing two listings books the one that answered.
The message that matters most
Asking once during the stay whether everything is fine. Guests rarely raise small problems unprompted, they mention them in the review instead. Asking gives you the chance to fix something while it can still be fixed.