In the age of instant messaging and notifications buzzing at every hour, communicating with guests and clients in an effective, timely, and secure way has become a real challenge. Still, email remains the top channel for marketing and customer relationships, especially thanks to its unbeatable cost-effectiveness and its ability to reach large volumes of contacts with just a few clicks (just enough to segment the database and tailor communication).
But not all communications are the same.
There are situations in which speed and certainty of message delivery truly make a difference: think of a last call for pre-check-in, a first impression survey to understand how your guest’s experience is starting (so you can promptly fix any issues), or a special initiative you want to invite them to: Wednesday’s mountain hut lunch, Sunday brunch, or Chef Giulio’s daily catch specials!
In these cases, email might not be enough — it may go unnoticed or be read too late. That’s why, with Qualitando’s latest evolution, we decided to add a second channel alongside email: SMS.
Why not WhatsApp?
A fair question. After all, everyone uses WhatsApp. And yet, the choice is not that obvious. Here are the 4 main reasons why we didn’t choose WhatsApp.
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WhatsApp Business API is not free. It can be expensive and hard to predict the cost.
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WhatsApp Business API enforces strict rules and sending limits.
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WhatsApp is NOT available worldwide.
Let’s break each point down
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WhatsApp Business API is not free.
Some still believe that sending WhatsApp messages from business profiles is free. We’re not talking about your basic Business account here — the one you use to respond to customers who contact you spontaneously, which remains free.
To send proactive, bulk “push” communications that are not requested by the client, you need WhatsApp Business API.
You’ll need a partner who has developed an interface to use Meta’s Business APIs. Let’s start by clarifying that using these APIs involves costs for every conversation started. A conversation includes one or more interactions with the same customer on a specific, predefined topic. Each conversation lasts 24 hours and has a cost. For example, if you have a 60-room hotel and start 80 to 100 conversations per day (one for each guest) on a topic like “Welcome! Discover the services available during your stay”, you’re looking at $210/month just for that theme. If you add other themes, like “Tell us how your stay is going”, the cost doubles — and so on for each additional topic.
Tip: if you’re considering software for these activities, be sure you understand all the variable costs before purchasing. WhatsApp is not unlimited and is not included as a flat rate in your subscription. Better ask in advance ;-)!
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Strict rules and sending limits.
Meta enforces strict and increasingly tight rules for “push” messaging from business to user: volume limits, mandatory pre-approval of each message topic, and the ability for users to easily block messages. This makes WhatsApp unsuitable for many communications and not ideal for all hospitality businesses.
Did you know, for instance, that for every conversation topic you want to start (e.g. “Welcome to the hotel, discover our services” – first topic – or “How is your stay going?” – another, separate topic), you must send a consent request message to the guest? Yes, even if you already collected marketing consent at check-in. This consent isn’t about privacy — which you still need — but about META’s effort to protect the platform from uncontrolled advertising. Otherwise, we’d all be flooded with spam every day.
Think about your poor guest or client: for every topic you want to bring to their attention, they’d receive 2 messages — one asking for consent to communicate on that topic, and another with your message if they agree. And yes, you pay for both 😊!
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WhatsApp is NOT available worldwide.
In some countries, WhatsApp is banned. So guests from those countries won’t have it installed on their devices. We’re talking about all customers from these countries: China, North Korea, Syria, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. A significant number of guests completely excluded from your communications.
SMS, on the other hand, reaches any mobile phone, even without internet access or apps.
And that brings us to the point:
Why we at Qualitando chose SMS for your important communications!
While it’s true that SMS also comes with a cost, it’s a predictable one. It varies by country but remains fixed and transparent. It doesn’t depend on conversations, interactions, or whether the recipient replies — just on the individual message delivered.
- Immediacy: SMS is typically read within 3 minutes. We receive far fewer SMS than WhatsApp messages, so notifications grab more attention and are less likely to be ignored.
- Universality: It works on any mobile device, no exceptions.
- Simplicity: No app download, no technical setup required from the guest.
We chose the reliability and reach of SMS to provide hoteliers and restaurateurs with a truly effective tool in moments when every minute counts. All fully integrated within our communication packages to deliver even more value.
Email + SMS = winning strategy
The real power lies in combining both channels. Email remains irreplaceable for newsletters, pre- and post-stay communication, promotions, and automation. SMS becomes the complementary channel for time-sensitive messages that require immediate action or attention.
With Qualitando, you can decide when and how to use one or the other, building a guest communication strategy that is smarter, more multichannel, and more personalized than ever.
