Download PDF
Twilio > Case Studies > Airbnb Streamlines Rental Experience for Global Travelers Through Automated SMS
Twilio Logo

Airbnb Streamlines Rental Experience for Global Travelers Through Automated SMS

Technology Category
  • Networks & Connectivity - Cellular
  • Robots - Wheeled Robots
Applicable Industries
  • Cities & Municipalities
  • Telecommunications
The Challenge
Airbnb, a global community marketplace for booking accommodations, faced a challenge in facilitating secure, automated mobile communication between rental hosts and potential guests. The platform allows hosts to post listings of available rooms or properties, which guests can then filter and search according to their needs. However, once guests found a suitable place and communicated with the host to finalize the reservation details, the hosts had a 32-hour window to accept or decline the booking request. Often, hosts were not near their computers and couldn't respond promptly, even if they wished to confirm the booking. This delay in response time was affecting the user experience negatively, as potential guests had to wait longer to hear back on a reservation.
About The Customer
Airbnb is a community marketplace founded in 2008, based in San Francisco, CA. It allows people to list, discover, and book accommodations around the world, online or from a mobile phone or tablet. Airbnb empowers private residents and commercial properties to rent out extra space to travelers looking for a hotel alternative. With listings in 191 countries and 34K cities worldwide, Airbnb offers travelers affordable, creative, or unconventional lodgings. The platform allows hosts with an available room or property to post listings that potential guests can filter and search according to their needs.
The Solution
To overcome this challenge, Airbnb partnered with Twilio to automate mobile communication between rental hosts and potential guests using text messaging. If a host did not respond to a booking request within a certain timeframe, they would receive an automated SMS message from Airbnb. This message would contain information about the guests, the dates of the requested stay, and the price for the stay. Hosts could then quickly respond with a text, even if they were away from their computers. This solution not only improved the user experience but also increased the number of successful bookings. Airbnb understood that a positive user experience could translate into more bookings for hosts, and this solution enabled hosts to confirm a reservation with their mobile phones, thereby improving the experience for potential guests.
Operational Impact
  • The implementation of automated SMS communication significantly improved Airbnb's operational efficiency and user experience. The solution allowed hosts to respond promptly to booking requests, even when away from their computers. This quick response time not only improved the experience for potential guests, who no longer had to wait as long to hear back on a reservation, but also increased the number of successful bookings. By leveraging technology to streamline communication, Airbnb was able to enhance its service offering and strengthen its position in the global accommodation marketplace.
Quantitative Benefit
  • Listings available in 191 countries
  • Accommodations can be booked in 34K cities
  • Over 2M listings worldwide

Related Case Studies.

Contact us

Let's talk!

* Required
* Required
* Required
* Invalid email address
By submitting this form, you agree that IoT ONE may contact you with insights and marketing messaging.
No thanks, I don't want to receive any marketing emails from IoT ONE.
Submit

Thank you for your message!
We will contact you soon.