Hello @Heidy14
And yes there is so much to learn when you start out and still learning from other hosts every day!
If I receive an information request I always reply obviously as quickly as possible and just leave it at that despite the reminders you get after. It's so much easier in this case as all that is expected of us is to reply. I'm a bit cagey of that AI and wonder if I press that decline button even if it's only a booking inquiry where that information is stored and it might come back and bite me one day😂
However if it's a booking reservation, it's another story as the amount of declines does get processed and our acceptance rate shows up on our listing. If we decline too many bookings, we receive an email from Airbnb. So when I have a guest who wants to come with small children (I accept kids from 12 upwards) I explain the situation and why and ask them to withdraw their request so that they are free to book elsewhere and no hard feelings. If they don't reply within that 24 hour window which can be a problem when dealing with transatlantic bookings, I have to act my end. If I'm in doubt about something - no profile information added, no reviews, something against the house rules I will refuse and explain why.
There has also been the case when the guest just hasn't taken the time to reply but I would have liked them as a guest so in this case I explain that I have had to take refuse their booking as I hadn't heard back from them but should they wish, they can send another booking request. I'd rather refuse a guest because I haven't had the necessary information to make a decision than be in a position where I have to cancel a reservation because that is the utmost sin in the Airbnb world and is full of negative consequences for both host and image of the platform. Make sure you read about this!
If you want a crash course on things to know, there is a guide section that is really handy. On the CC, where you see your profile picture, click on that and in the drop down menu go to Host Guides
All the best Heidi and we're not far if you need any help😉
Joëlle
PS. You didn't say if it was normal to have a two day advance notice only for the Carolina listing?