How Does the Automation Actually Work?

Koli is the AI built into every HostDesk plan. When a guest sends a message, Koli drafts a response based on your property details and how you've set up your rules. That draft goes to you for review. You read it, adjust it if needed, and send it. Or you don't send it, and you write your own. 

Koli never sends a guest message without your approval unless you've explicitly turned on auto-send for specific message types, like a checkout confirmation that goes out the same way every time. 

The same applies to pricing suggestions. Koli might notice that your listing is priced lower than similar properties nearby for a busy weekend. It flags that for your review and shows you the comparison. You decide whether to adjust. Koli doesn't touch your pricing without you. 

When a cleaner or vendor needs to be sent to your property, Koli routes the request to your approved vendor list and presents you with the options. You confirm the vendor and the job before anything moves forward. 

If there's no one on your approved list who can handle it, or if the situation is outside the rules you've set, Koli escalates to you instead of improvising. 

Your husband does the plumbing? Put his name on the approved list. Your neighbor handles the lawn? Same thing. Koli works within whoever you've authorized. Anyone who's not on that list doesn't get dispatched. 

There are some things Koli can handle without requiring your input every time, but only for tasks you've explicitly enabled: 

• Sending pre-written check-in instructions at a scheduled time before arrival.
• Confirming checkout times with guests using a message template you've approved.
• Flagging maintenance issues from post-checkout reports so nothing falls through the cracks.

Even in these cases, everything is logged and visible to you. Nothing happens silently. 

To be direct about it: 

• Koli never approves a refund or makes a financial commitment on your behalf 
• Koli never lets a vendor into your property without your authorization 
• Koli never changes your pricing without your review 
• Koli never responds to a guest complaint or dispute without escalating to you first 

If something falls outside the rules you've set, the default is always to flag it for you, not to handle it independently. The system is designed to do less when it's uncertain, not more. 

When you set up HostDesk, you define the rules Koli works within. You choose your vendor list, the types of messages Koli can draft, how much it can spend before checking with you, and which situations should always come back to you directly. Once those preferences are saved, Koli operates inside them. When something falls outside the rules you've set, it comes back to you for a decision instead of guessing. 

You define what Koli is allowed to do. Everything else comes to you first. 

Get started free at thehostdesk.com. 

• What Happens After Your Guest Checks Out 
• How to Set Up Your Property Profile on HostDesk 
• What to Ask Before You Hire a Vendor for Your STR 
• The Go-Live Checklist: What to Complete Before Your First Booking 
• Dynamic Pricing Explained for New Hosts