Yey! It's time for another three-day holiday weekend here in America the great US of A celebrates its birthday and independence on the 4th of July. Which means most government workers and private employees at companies that abide by govt holidays will be given a paid day off in order to celebrate. Excellent!, this means that you can require a 3-night minimum that weekend without much pushback from chronic one-night-only travelers.
If you are fortunate enough like I have been (thank god) to be completely booked for weeks in advance for the major holidays than all is good, right? I have nothing to worry about except counting my lucky stars. That is, until (1) week before said holiday weekend when the PROCRASTINATORS wreak havoc on my peace and sense of financial security. How?--you may ask.
Well, first like the procrastinators that they are they waited until the last minute to reserve a room for that really special holiday that they must absolutely (or they may perish) enjoin at your property because it's the only home that they have had their eye on and you have such good taste and everyone says how nice your place is that they just could not fathom spending the holiday anywhere else. (Made you blush--why so upset?)
Because this guest is the (30th) inquiry this week with the same story and adoration for your BnB, and the Inquiry or Booking Request that they submitted for your listing and that you MUST respond to in under 24hrs or risk degrading your response score, is dated for Monday the 5th!!!! of July, and they want to know if there's ANY way, that you still have July 2nd to the 4th available?? And yes they acknowledged that they referenced your calendar and that yes it does appear every listing/Suite you host is indeed booked solid. BUT maybe just maybe you had some secret room or casita tucked away somewhere on your compound that you keep for yourself or that you never list----on the off chance that someone like them contacts you and you can come to their rescue by offering to it them and rewarding them for not planning ahead like every other guest that you will be hosting this fun and festive holiday weekend.
And here is where the GUN to your head comes in. They have just stuck you with an active inquiry for the 5TH of JULY when they knew at the time they submitted such inquiry or request to stay that they had ZERO, none, zilch intention to book with you on that day. They only submitted that date because it allowed them to circumvent "the system" and gain access to your undivided attention and enabled them to ask you questions and communicate with you directly through airbnb inbox messages, and they even admit that none of the questions that they are asking you relate to or having anything to with the travel dates that now you as host have the burden and mandate to decide whether to "pre-approve" or DECLINE!!!
Well thats easy, just decline them and get over it. Right? WRONG!
Because this is the week before the busy holiday weekend and this is the 30TH time you have clicked DECLINE so easily and moved on. So now to your detriment, due to no-fault of your own, you now come across to the Airbnb algorithm autobots as a picky, anti-social, exclusionary host underserving of having your listings prioritized or highlighted in search queues. Why bother featuring your property---you're just gonna decline these sweet & innocent travelers like you always do--you chronic decliner downer---you, say the autobots!
Yep, I am SOOOO happy that I am hosting a full house for the 4th. No, I wont be exhausted at all come Friday from being FORCED (left with no other option but) to reply to these silly irrelevant questions on "fake" (ie fraudulent) reservation submissions. I am going to see it as simply the cost of doing business even when said cost is only against my interests and not the inconsiderate swarm of "guests" that abuse the inquiry system. I am a happy-go-lucky host cheerful as can be to dedicate hours and hours (that I could have spent ensuring my current guests have an enjoyable stay) to guests that have zero-chance of being one of my guest this weekend and high likelihood of NEVER being one of my guests because I do not associated or invite people that place me under duress to my own detriment into my HOME!
HAPPY 5th of JULY EVERYONE! Hopefully you have carved out some time for yourself this holiday to drink HEAVILY...I know I have! Cheers 😃
Que Será Será, What Will Be Will Be-CHANGED!
