Is this a red flag?

[Elizabeth2494]

Hi, all.  As a new host, I am trying to be flexible about my minimum stay policy in order to build up momentum.  Last Friday I got a booking for 8 people (my house's max) for one night from a Friday to a Saturday in May, with no note alongside it.  I sent my usual nice welcome note to the guy, with the following addendum at the end: "As a new host, I would love to get a better sense of what bring our guests to us - can you shoot me a note letting me know the purpose of your trip?"  No response.  Yesterday afternoon (Monday) I asked him "Hi - following up on this, can you please let me know the purpose of your trip?" with a little more info on the bed situation given the size of his group (some of the beds are bunks and full-out futons).  No word again.

He does have one review from this past fall and it was a standard "no problems with this guest" sort of thing.

I'm feeling very nervous about this guest, but wanted to run this past you more experienced hosts since I'm not sure if I'm just being new-host-nervous.  Is it normal for guests to not respond to any host messages?  Is a large group for a one-night stay a likely indicator of a party?  Can I rely on one good review?

All that said, what would you guys do in this situation?  I understand that there are penalties for hosts cancelling, and that my concerns about them partying being conjecture, but then again, I don't want them to trash the home and disturb the neighbors either...

For what it's worth, now I changed the minimum nights up to 2 in order to limit this kind of situation in the future.

Thanks!

[Emilia42]

@Ann72 @Colleen253 @Gillian166 @Elizabeth2494 , etc. 

I have a really hard time believing that a person [guest] is deliberately not responding to me. I mean, how rude? I expect communication to be delayed, especially during a workday but I have had guests who didn't respond for weeks (even months) and they turned out to be friendly, kind, great people. So I really think the problem here is the Airbnb platform. Are guests not getting the notifications? Do they have no idea that a message waits in their inbox? I don't know because I manage my inbox every day, but guests don't. 

I really wish Airbnb would drive further into this issue and determine if there is truly a disconnect or if guests really lack the social skills to reply to questions. I would think this would prevent a ton of canceled bookings and frustrated hosts.

[Colleen253]

@Emilia42 I definitely believe the platform is part of the problem. I’m just not sure how much or which issue to assign to Airbnb and which to guest. I never used to have such an issue with silent guests. Something has changed in recent history and I’m blind to what it is. But even when, say, a guest doesn’t respond with the IB info I request, when I do manage to reach them and ask again very clearly for the info, many still manage to get it wrong. It’s not hard, really. I think the pandemic has turned brains to mush. I have other evidence of that…. 

[Ann72]

Lol @Colleen253 - no personal evidence of pandemic mush brain, of course, “just speaking for a friend” 😂😂😂

[Ann72]

I totally agree @Emilia42 that the platform is partly if not largely to blame. The first thing my pre-booking message says is “turn on notifications in the app so you don’t miss vital information or answers to your questions.”  Before I instituted that I frequently had guests ask a question and then not get the answer until they thought of looking at the app inbox.  It works both ways.

It’s just that in this case, too much had gone unanswered.  There is a way to word the cancelation that gets the guest’s attention but doesn’t completely kill the booking.  I firmly believe that in this case it was crucial that the host put her foot down to show she was in control of her listing.  Most situations don’t require such drastic measures.  One learns over time how to maintain control from the very start.

[Colleen253]

@Ann72 I have the same initial message to guests. Many of them don’t even see it, apparently. 😂

[Ann72]

Aaarrggh @Colleen253! 😫 

[Gillian166]

@Emilia42 

yes i think you're right. I find sometimes guests just tell me what time they are arriving and I wonder if they were prompted to do that. 

 

[Colleen253]

@Gillian166 “…sometimes guests just tell me what time they are arriving and I wonder if they were prompted to do that.” 

Yes they are. If you have Request to Book, as you do, then the message to guests appears as in the screenshot below. If you use IB, then your custom message appears to guests if you have one. 

 

[Gillian166]

@Colleen253  well that's annoying, because it sets the tone that the guests are telling me when they will check in. I have way too many who think they can tell me they'll arrive at midday.   

[Lorna170]

I think a lot of guests who don’t respond to messages from Airbnb either do not have the App on their phones or think the messages are the spam “stay here” type emails that Airbnb sends out to everyone who has ever visited their website.  Many of my guests don’t respond to my messages until the day before their booking is to begin because now they want the door code which is sent in a separate email a week before they visit.  It is a fault of the platform IMO.

[Gillian166]

@Lorna170  in my "thanks for booking" message I ask guests to be sure they have the app installed on their phone and to turn on notifications. 

[Christine615]

Cancel. If it's in your house rules that guests must give full names of all adults on the reservation and reason for visit then they're too high a risk. Cancel for failure to communicate and follow booking rules.

(8 people are waaaay too many for an overnight). Sounds like a party.

Also - you should consider switching to a two-night minimum. That cuts down on problematic guests.

[Eleni219]

@Elizabeth2494  I would definitely wait for them to arrive and see. I would not cancel. Some people just don't know how to reply or don't log in offer/are busy.

[Nicki128]

Hi

I have just taken a booking from a couple and child 6 but have just noticed they only have one review which is 4.5 and the host reviewed with not a lot said,  QUOTE " I didnt meet ....... and his family but we exchanged pleasant exchanges before his stay. " nothing more, would this be something of a red flag or ignore and not ask the guest.

many thanks for any comments