[Poll] Do you use the guest email feature?

[Stephanie]

Hello everyone,

We haven't had a poll in the Community Center for a while, so we thought it was about time and I'm quite intrigued to see the results! The Product Team would love to hear your feedback relating to the guest email messaging feature. This is the feature which generates a unique and anonymous email for your guest, which would resemble something like this: stephanie-dfsnsns@guest.airbnb.com and is one option to communicate with your guests. 

In order to participate in this poll, simply choose 'yes', 'no' or 'sometimes' in the box below in answer to the question 'Do you use the email guest feature?' and then click 'submit'. Then write a comment below in the thread telling us more about your choice and your experience of the three options - e.g. I don't use the email guest feature, I prefer to use the Airbnb messaging tool, to keep track of my conversation.

It would also be great to hear any additional comments on this feature below. Do keep an eye out on this discussion, as we will be providing the results as more come in. 

Thanks,

Stephanie

[Michelle53]

I stay inside the messaging system, so there is only one place for communication, in case of issues. I don't want guests to be looking in more than one place for information. No to using email. 

[Colleen253]

No,  have not had a need to use it.

[Eileen0]

I've been using this feature with every guest booked with me in the past six years.  Approximately one week before their arrival time, I email with confirmation of  number of people booked to stay, and dates of their arrival and leaving.  Also in the email is detailed information on how to find my place, and confirmation of what I will be providing.  I ask them to confirm their arrival time, and the name of the other guest (if they haven't told me beforehand).  Attached to the email is a copy of my house rules and a map to mine.  I feel happier knowing that I have covered all the bases.  I would definitely miss this feature.

[Ann783]

I have used it but a few messages were not received.  So I usually ask for the guests personal email as the app doesn’t allow me to sent a pdf with beach information or the contract I use.

[Jim-and-Marcia0]

No, I’ve never used the guest’s email.  I think it’s best to keep all communications on the Airbnb message system and in one place.  I appreciate the comments I’ve read as to why some people use it.  It would be nice if the Airbnb messaging system could accommodate a pdf.  We can send a photo via Airbnb messaging, so if I wanted to send a pdf I’d probably take a photo of it and send it that way.  I do however use the guest’s phone number if they're not responding to messaging or I need to have a quick discussion about something.  🙂

[Kevin1322]

Only used it to send a map and google map directions to our house,  but people never looked at them.

So I too would like to be able to send a map image and directions diagram via messages.  It seems really daft that Airbnb won't let us even once a booking has been accepted and paid for.

[Kelly1161]

I also use it often so I can attach my Welcome Book that I have saved (and I adjust as necessary) as a .pdf--along with maps, community info, etc.  I agree with those saying it would be nice to be able to add attachments like this to the AirBnB messaging system.

[Crissy13]

I always email my guests with detailed directions which include a pdf of the location, as our guesthouse is difficult to find with online navigation alone. The phone signal can also be erratic in rural Portugal!

[Wendy684]

No. Actually never heard of it and didn't know there was such a thing. Probably because I use the air bnb app primarily? I don't know but I've never come across this before. 

I use the air bnb message or the guests phone number to send a text message. If I needed to send an email I would ask them to send me their email address. Why would I want to faff about with some weird guest email? These people are staying/will be staying in my home, have my phone number, door key, Wi-Fi pass code - they can jolly well have my email too! Lol 

[Jocelyn108]

I have used it once or twice but everything I have read indicates that as a host we should always communicate within the platform 

[Sarah977]

@Jocelyn108  It is advisable to keep things which might end up needing to be looked at if there is some dispute between a host and guest on the Airbnb messaging, but I use it simply to send my guests a map to my place and directions for taking the bus from the airport to my town. And my guests phone or text me when they arrive in town, so I can jump in the car and pick them up at the bus station, which is only a 5 minute drive for me. So there's nothing potentially contentious in any of that that would need to be documented.

[Jocelyn369]

Thank you!  

[Gordon0]

I haven't been receiving enquiry/booking emails from Airbnb for six months or more. @Laura_C was looking into the glitch for me, but I fear my case may have fallen into a dark hole!

On this basis the idea of emailing guests wouldn't fill me with confidence.

[Christine1]

Hi there,

I used to use the anonymous email all the time when I first started hosting, but I admit, I lost track of how to access this option during one of the site updates.

I have managed with the online messaging and phone sms since then.

I manage to send property photos and data links for local information such as transport and tourism websites, via sms, so I seem to be meeting my communication needs with guests.

2 threads of communication are enough to track and monitor for myself and my guests.

However, I do think there are many circumstances where email is going to be beneficial to guests, and I would not like to see this function disappear; judging by the number of other hosts who use it to link up to automated systems. They seem to be getting good use out of early email contact. 

Regards, Christine from Wombats Studio Glenbrook in the [still green and] Blue Mountains.

[Sarah977]

@Christine1  To access that coded email address, just scroll down the booked guest's reservation info to the left of the message stream. You'll see "email guest" with the coded email address there. I just copy it and paste it into the address field when I compose an email to them.