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WhatsApp template: guest forgot something

Forgotten items happen in 8-10% of bookings: chargers, books, glasses, clothes. The right reply determines whether the guest gets the item back quickly and feels heard. Three variants: item found and shipped at guest's cost, item to be picked up by them, item not found in apartment.

When to send

When to send: as soon as you receive the guest's message. Never after 24 hours — it's a situation generating anxiety and silence amplifies it.

3 ready-to-copy templates

Three tone variants. Pick the closest match to your style, or use them as a baseline to personalise.

Placeholders like {{guest_name}} are intentionally left visible — replace them with your data before sending.

1Found and shipped (paid)

Hi {{guest_name}}, I checked the apartment with the cleaning team and we found {{forgotten_item}}. It's safe!

Options to get it back:

📦 I can ship it via {{shipping_service}} (Post / Express courier). Shipping + packaging cost: ~€{{shipping_cost}} for {{destination_country}}. Payment via PayPal or Airbnb resolution.

📍 Delivery time: {{delivery_time}} business days.

I just need:
1. Full address to ship to
2. Confirmation you're ok with the cost

As soon as I have both okays, I'll pack it right away and ship within 24 hours.

2Pick up in person

Hi {{guest_name}}, I found {{forgotten_item}} you left behind. It's in safekeeping with me.

Since you're near {{city}}, two options:

🚪 Come pick it up: I'm available {{availability}} (days and hours) at {{address}}. Let me know 30 minutes ahead so I'm there.

📦 I'll ship it: I can send it where you prefer, shipping cost ~€{{shipping_cost}}.

If you can't come by {{custody_deadline}}, we'll go for shipping only. I'm keeping the item safe meanwhile.

Let me know what you prefer.

3Not found

Hi {{guest_name}}, I carefully checked the apartment with the cleaning team but we couldn't find {{described_item}}.

We checked:
• Bedrooms (under beds, nightstands, closets)
• Bathroom (drawers, shelves, under sink)
• Kitchen (drawers, above/under fridge)
• Living room (under couch cushions, shelves)
• Eventually balcony

Possibilities:
1. It's in a spot we didn't check — if you remember a specific one ('maybe under the garden chair'), tell me and we'll look again.
2. It was left elsewhere during travel (taxi, previous hotel, restaurant).
3. For very small items (earrings, rings) or very valuable, we'll message the full cleaning team in the next 48 hours for double check.

Sorry, I understand the frustration. If nothing emerges in 48 hours, we can consider the matter closed.

💡 For valuables: do you have travel insurance? In many cases it covers these episodes.

Practical tips

  • 1Always include approximate shipping cost in the first message. The guest will ask anyway, anticipating saves 1 chat round.
  • 2For minimal-value items (under €30), consider shipping free as a courtesy gesture. Cost to you €5-10, ROI in review is huge.
  • 3Never suspect the guest of lying about not-found items. Even if you doubt, keep professional tone — reputational risk is too high.

Frequently asked questions

How long to keep a forgotten item?+

Standard 30 days if guest requested it. Without explicit request: 60 days. After, value items (€20+) you can keep further, trivial ones (books, socks) you can dispose of.

Guest wants refund because they lost something important?+

Never accept refund. The loss isn't your responsibility (guest left forgetting). You can propose as goodwill gesture free shipping or next-stay discount, but refuse monetary refunds.

What to do if item is truly valuable (jewelry, cash)?+

Document everything: photo of item, exact location found, cleaning team witnesses. For high amounts (€500+), consider hand-delivering at post office or shipping with insurance and tracking. Keep signed copy of handover.

Want to automate the non-template replies too?

Verto AI handles guest conversations for you, in 25+ languages.

Templates cover predictable cases. For everything else — unexpected questions, photo attachments, voice notes, different languages — Verto AI replies on its own, understands context, and keeps the tone you set.