Hi,We are new hosts, we are in need of a co-host in Fresno, ...
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Hi,We are new hosts, we are in need of a co-host in Fresno, CA to help us with our AirBnB. Any suggestions on where we can fi...
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I'm getting SO many automated reminders from Airbnb, and I'm feeling like some of them are redundant. Why am I being prompted to get in touch with guests over a week before their arrival? This seems like so much redundant work since their trip plan - to my understanding - doesn't get released until 48 hours before they check in. (Along with all of the directions, questions, etc. that will be answered in their trip guide). Am I missing something?
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We've set up a cordial automated response to every booking, which thanks the guest for their booking, and indicates that we will be contacting them one day before their arrival with additional arrival information, but in the mean time we will be happy to answer any questions or special requests. That seems to be quite enough.
From then on, it's only responding to guest questions (if any), and nothing more until the day before arrival - when you give them directions, check in instructions or anything else they need to know, just like you said you would.
Giving them details a week in advance is a bit too early. They'll likely forget and won't be able to find it (or won't bother) and will simply ask again just before their arrival. If they have to ask, it makes the host appear un-proactive and lazy (even if you gave it all to them a week ago), which tends to set a poor tone to start.
It's been widely published by experienced hospitality experts that the first responses and proactive nature of the host, along with helpful instructions - at the time they need it - and particularly the first 10 minutes' experience following their arrival - set their basic impression for their entire stay. And that has a funny way of trickling down into reviews in one way or another.
@Elaine701 That's clever! Thanks. Unfortunately I don't know much about texting etc. as I don't have a phone but I'll keep it in mind if I want to get that precise.
We use WhatsApp when we travel to the Caribbean but not many people here in Canada use it so I would not expect many people here would receive or respond to WhatsApp.
That's unfortunate. I've been told that Americans don't use WhatsApp much, but I have yet to find any guest from anywhere who doesn't (including Canadians).
The problem is really with the airBnB messaging system, which is unreliable and/or many guests ignore. It's not something they use every day, so it's can take a week or more before they even in realise they even have a message waiting, if ever.
WhatsApp is something most people (over here) use daily, so they don't ignore it. And it's obvious that you have a message waiting. Hard to ignore.
It seems a bit ironic that WhatsApp is an American invention, yet Americans are the least likely to use it, while the rest of the world seems addicted to it (?).
i delete the 1 week prior message from Airbnb. It makes no sense. 2 days prior to arrival I message the guest to confirm they now have access to our address and directions. I ask them then if they could give me an estimated time of their arrival so I can ensure someone will be here to show them in. I have never in 5 years had anyone not give me an approximate arrival time which is great! 3 this summer however have been 10:30 & 11:30 pm and one was 2am!! Luckily their flight was delayed and they arrived at 5 the next day. Whew!
- I have since changed our checkout time from 3pm-flexible to between 3pm-9pm. Don’t need another 2am mishap.
@Willene1Yes I agree I'd rather not get those 8-day messages at all. That's a fantastically smart thing to just ask if they have access to our directions shortly before their trip. (I'm assuming they should have the trip guide at that point, but I've had quite a few newbies this summer asking what my address is the day of so I'm sure they're feeling a bit panicked.)
Thankfully we have keycode locks that everyone's been okay with, so if there's a late flight like that we're okay. Still, I agree I like to be there to greet them; I've had several people say it makes a huge difference. Plus some guests just seem to have trouble with our locks so I just want to make sure their arrival's as smooth as possible.
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