Tips for Creating an Effective Guest Guide for Your Listing

[Selome0]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to start a discussion about creating a clear and helpful guest guide. A good guide can make the guest experience smoother, reduce questions, and even improve your reviews.

What do you usually include in your guest guide?
Do you prefer a digital guide, printed version, or both?

I’d love to hear what’s been most useful for you and what guests appreciate the most.

Looking forward to learning from your experience!

[Elisa]

Hi @Selome0 😊, 

Thank you for bringing up this conversation here, it’s really interesting!

Do you prefer a digital version or a printed one?

I’m tagging a few hosts to see what they can advise you: @Guy991, @Emiel1, @Jue0, @Lenore22 and @Geoff7.

Thank you in advance, everyone!

[Geoff7 · Accepted solution]

Great question @Selome0  - I do a couple of things. 

1. in my listing I have bullet point items on check-in, check-out, wifi, local fire safety, local issues with wildlife. I also use the Airbnb tools and have marked off things like no smoking , no parties etc.

2. In my scheduled messages - I cover off issues in more detail like access, and then again wifi, check-in, checkout etc

3. Then just in case, because as we all know guests never read anything - I have a hard copy house manual which also double as a tourist guide (with places to go, things to do, restaurants, cafes shops etc) on the coffee table in the house. 

And most recently i use a new feature that Airbnb have given us where I can add a "button" to the chat with the guest which gives them direct access to call me if they need anything - and I encourage them to do so.

Most of all I try to keep away from writing a book - keep instructions short and bullet point. I have found that no-one reads a "book" of does and don'ts - not even me when I am the guest.

[Joan2709]

@Geoff7 

I just saw the add phone number button to messages. What does that do? Does it embed your alternate phone number in the message chat (Airbnb has moved to alternate phone numbers now). They actively remove a phone number if it appears in the message chat now, so perhaps this is a way to provide the alternate host phone number to guests so their system won't remove it?

Alternate Phone Numbers

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3764

[Geoff7]

yes I believe it does - the guest does not actually get to see your phone number - so it only really works if they are in the chat on their mobile - they hit the button and it calls straight through - good system really.

[Joan2709]

@Geoff7 

Thanks for clarifying that! Unfortunately, hosts using a Channel Manager have guest messages generated in the Channel Manager and not native to Airbnb only. I do believe they should still have a contact Host in their Trip Details which probably has the alternate phone number.

I suppose hosts could add an additional message in Airbnb that uses the Add Phone Number button, but seems like one more message that isn't really necessary.