Trying A New Approach To Guests Who Book Without Reading The Listing Info

[Todd-and-Reese0]

After two bookings (both IB) in a row where the guests showed up and thought they had rented our entire home and not a private room and bath, and obviously not read any house rules, didn't know we had cats, etc......I'm trying a new approach.

I have a strict cancellation policy so that 7 days or less before their arrival if a guest cancels I still get paid. So, just under one week before they arrive I am sending the following type of message so they can cancel if they realize they booked without checking the details and it's on them.

Let me know what you think! I will try to revisit this thread to let you know how it's going. I recently instituted a hidden phrase in my rules to see if folks read them but these are some reservations that happened months ago before I got savvy.

"Hello So & So!

Hope you are doing well. Your trip is less than a week away. We wanted to touch base and start familiarising you with our home and area so you can plan your stay. These things are all mentioned in the listing in several areas, but they tend to get overlooked when booking, so we make sure there are no surprises. Our listing is a private room and bath in a shared home which means we will be here. That being said, we are super busy and you will hardly see us. You will probably see more of the kitties, which brings me to the fact that we have 3 rescue cats that have free roam of the house. Note: they do not go into your bedroom unless allowed, so you can keep your door closed to keep them from visiting.

It's a large house (3 stories total) so we all have plenty of space. Our offices are on the top floor and our entrance and bedrooms are in the back of the house and basement. These areas are off-limits to guests and there is a layout in the listing photos.

Speaking of listing photos, there are photos of your areas of the house and of some suggested activities as well as the nearest places for coffee and food. There is also a guidebook in the listing created by me that lists everything nearby and also tons of attractions.

AirBnB requires upon booking that you read and agree to our house rules. Some of the more important ones to us are quiet hours and no shoes on the wood floors, but please read through them (and share them with your guest) to be sure both guests and hosts have a 5-star stay. Alright! Let us know if you have any questions. We will touch base a day or so before arrival to talk about check in.

Thank you!

Reese and Todd"

[Todd-and-Reese0]

We are obviously on the premises of our property but we still have problems. We created every rule and adjusted what we offer based on guests who took advantage. I have learned how to work around them so that we get positive feedback and then I leave them honest feedback. 

[Helen274]

Tod and Reese, I can't thank you enough for reminding those guests that they are not getting the whole home. I I can't tell you how many times I've seen a surprise on the guest face when they find out that my stuff is in the refrigerator too and then I actually live here is it the whole premise of Airbnb is a shared space I think some people tend to forget the premise of Airbnb! Well I've copied and pasted to my listing and we'll send this reminder notice a week before their stay! Thank again this is a awesome thought about message.

[Todd-and-Reese0]

@Lizzie  The hidden phrase in the house rules is working out great. So far, 3 out of 4 bookings included it. We had a last minute booking that included it and they were fantastic guests, so it's looking good. 

This one week ahead message I have sent twice since creating it and both guests responded without saying they were surprised about anything or that they would need to rebook or any issues. Will need to see what happens when they arrive and if their guests were clued in.

[Steve143]

Hello  @Todd-and-Reese0,

How come you picked Irish for the house rules quote that must be included in booking messages?

Even most Irish people wouldn't be able to type it out directly, they'd have to cut and paste it.

Steve.

[Todd-and-Reese0]

They can copy and paste it in 5 seconds. If not, I guess it will keep the Luddites out, which is one of our house rules. 

[Jo158]

Great new approach guys.  I have had two guests recently who expected the entire place when the listing is clear its shared.  Might pinch some of your words and do the same for guests in future.

Thanks

Jo

[Todd-and-Reese0]

You are welcome to borrow whatever ideas you like! Better hosts make better guests and make AirBnB more consistent and fun for all. 

[Cynthia157]

I have a large house with a separate wing for my two guest suites, which is locked off from my part of the house. One suite is on the 2nd floor (sitting room with fireplace and leather furniture, bathroom w shower and whirlpool tub, and bedroom with antique bedroom set and double bed). The other suite is the former servant's quarters on the 3rd floor so smaller and cheaper, although it has an additional room (sitting room, bathroom w claw foot tub, bedroom with single bed, room with table and chairs). Both suites have minifridge, microwave, coffee maker, and dishes.

Three issues have come up:

Locks on doors - I live in a small, rural New England college town of 6,000 people. I've lived here for 30 years. People here don't lock doors. I don't give a key to my guests because I've never locked the door. I've been doing airbnb for three years. I occasionally get guests from NYC who freak out that I don't lock the back door to the house (where they come in). On a couple of occasions I've had paranoid guests lock the back door from the inside locking me out or locking out my other guests. This weekend I got a guest who left me a bad review because she couldn't lock her bedroom door or the back door. Another airbnb host in town did give her guests a key, but they kept taking them and she felt like she had to keep changing the locks because these people now had a key to her home.

Entry through the 2nd floor suite - My guests come in the back door, go up the back stairs and enter the 2nd floor. If they are in the 3rd floor suite they walk by the 2nd floor sitting room and bath to get to the 3rd floor stairs. They don't walk past the bedroom. This is stated clearly in the description for both suites, and when guests arrive I ask them to respect the privacy of the 2nd floor guest. When there are to be guests on the 3rd floor I tell the 2nd floor guests. There's no other way for the 3rd floor guests to reach the stairs. Sometimes 2nd floor guests then get annoyed with me that someone will be walking part way down the hall of their space, even though it is pointed out in the description.

Sharing shower - It clearly states in the description, and is seen in the photo, that there is no shower on the 3rd floor, just the antique clawfoot tub. When I show my 3rd floor guests to their suite I clearly state that the 2nd floor rooms are exclusive to the 2nd floor guests. Sometimes people on the 3rd floor harass my 2nd floor guests saying they want to use the very upscale bathroom on the second floor. My 2nd floor guests pay more for the nicer suite, and it's irritating when they complain to me that the 3rd floor guests are bothering them or even just letting themselves into the 2nd floor bath. If I remind the 3rd floor guests to use their own bathroom they leave bad reviews. Argh! 

Sometimes it's so annoying to have guests in the house.

Cynthia

[Sean119]

invest in a simple, programmable, 4-digit electronic keypad deadbolt.  Program a different entry code every week/month.  Put slidig deadbolts of latches on the inside of the rooms for guests.  I am in a similar scenario where we leave doors unlocked, but also remember these visitors are used to living in locked boxes.  Additonally, if something was "stolen" from their rooms they could argue it was for lack of a lock.  We use programmable deadbolts and people LOVE them...so do we, especially when people arrive late. PLUS, no lost keys. 

[Huma0]

@Cynthia157, I live in a fairly central part of London, so am in a very different situation to you. I would never dream of leaving the front door unlocked unless I am gardening out front, or the back doors unlocked unless I am at home. Guests have their own keys because it just wouldn't work any other way. So far, no one has taken them, but I do really stress to them that they mustn't forget to leave the key when they check out.

I also stress to guests that they must properly shut the front door when coming in or going out and this seems to work. However, no matter how many times I ask them to bolt the back doors if they use the outside areas and then leave the house, they simply ignore this. If we had a burglary, I'm pretty sure the insurance wouldn't cover it if it came to light that my guests left the doors open!

Despite this slack approach to basic security, many guests seem very perturbed that the bedroom doors are not lockable. I have Victorian doors with the original locks and never inherited the keys when I bought the house. I had a builder look into replacing the locks and it seems that it's not a straightforward thing to do. I also don't like the idea of not being able to access the room in an emergency. I don't lock my own bedroom and after hosting around 100 guests, have never had anything stolen nor has a guest had anything stolen from another guest, but you never know...

The solution I have found is to have lockable desks in each room so guests can stow away any valuables. Funnily enough, the guests who seem alarmed that the bedroom door doesn't lock never bother to use the lockable desk!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

ah @Todd-and-Reese0  The best is when they say our description is not accurate but they didn't even read it . In fact their assumption is not accurate 🙂 

But I am not surprised. They book through their phones on the go, they just run from one destination to another so at the end they don't remember where they have been. I don't understand the point of such holliday... one city in a day... it's not a vacation it's a marathon... no wonder they are lost in space...

[Anna9170]

.@Branka-and-Silvia0  Last year my vacation was 3 days, which I and my friend spent in Belgium. One day in Bruges, one day in Ghent, one day in Brussels. I have a lot of work, I have many children, you can say that this is a marathon, but it does not mean that I am not adequate.😉

[Susanna68]

Thanks for sharing. Excellent tip to confirm. 

[Lilian20]

Hello @Todd-and-Reese0 - your approach makes complete sense, what is the short version ? 

[Marcie9]

Three months ago I had a guest who broke just about every rule, and I don't have that many! I should have taken more seriously when she complained about a previous airbnb experience, then mentioned she hadn't read that listing closely.

I went over the basics with her when she arrived and showed her a binder with directions for using appliances, how to get around, etc. It also includes the house rules from my listing. Each time I reminded her about a house rule, she'd say she "didn't read that level of detail." (Eating only in the kitchen or dining room is highly detailed?)

She came back the following month and seemed to have forgotten everything. In fact, she was annoyed when I asked her not to do the same things. She had booked a third stay, which I decided to cancel. Thankfully, she canceled the reservation (and left negative feedback). 

I don't know if sending another email would make a difference with people who don't bother to read the original posting. Now I ask if guests have any questions about the listing before I accept their request, instead of waiting until I send a reminder days before they arrive.