Airbnb's booking interface's inability to get accurate guest counts

[Bill298]

is anyone else fed up with multi-adult parties booking as a single guest? This happens so often that I have got to find fault with the Airbnb booking interface. There needs to be a follow-up query, before the booking is finalized, asking the guest to verify how many adults are in the party.

I charge $72/night for a 2 bed, 1.5 bath space ($98 for Fri/Sat), plus a $20 add for each additional adult. I don't mind two people booking as one if they use only one bedroom, even though I provide free energy bars, Keurig coffees, bottled water, cold and hot cereals, and a candy dish full of chocolates. But it's annoying to go in a unit booked as a single guest, and find I need to change and launder two sets of linens and multiple bath towels, maybe wash some dishes, and do all the other extras necessary to clean up after two rather than one. 

I do not think these incorrect bookings are due to the guests' intention to underpay. I think it's entirely do to a defect in the Airbnb booking interface.

[Bill298]

It just happened again! In the booking member's introductory message: "*WE* are looking forward to our visit." But under the "Guests" heading: *1*. Please, Airbnb, help me. These guest undercounts are costing me at least $1,000 per year.

[Alice595]

@Bill298 @You can send your guest a message requesting them to change number of guests before the booking is confirmed. Or ask them to change the request by adding appropriate number of guests.

the worst case is to use request money button in the confirmation to get money for extra guests.

[Bill298]

Thank you for your comments, Alice595. Number one, nearly all the bookings with an incorrect guest count do not reveal this fact in the booking message (e.g., with the use of the word "we"). Almost every time -- 95% or more -- I do not learn of the inaccuracy until the guests have departed and I arrive to do my cleanup. Number two, I use Instant Booking, which locks in the reservation without any action from me. So the countermeasures you suggest are not available to me.

I know there are ways to deal with the problem, whether through a contact with the person who booked the space after the party has left, or through a formal Airbnb intervention. However, these are unpleasant prospects and are likely to provoke a bad review. I have very high ratings -- 5.0/67 reviews, 5.0/30 reviews, and 4.98/165 reviews -- and I do everything I can to keep it that way. So in all but two or three cases I have just let it slide.

It would be much better for Hosts if Airbnb would include a fail-safe step in the booking process, asking the Guests to confirm the number of adults in their party.

[Solveig0]

@Bill298 sorry you have these experiences. I've never had guests booking for less people than what have turned up, so I can't say I recognise it as an interface problem. Could it be because the names of your listings say "entire apartment" and "two beds", and people therefore think that they book for those things and don't need to add individual people separately? 

[Bill298]

Thank you for your reply, Solveig. I am afraid I do not understand your logic. My listing titles are "Entire Apartment -- Tower Grove☆Compton Heights," "☆☆Click this listing!☆☆2 beds 1.5 baths☆5 STARS!☆☆," and "2 bdrms 2 FULL baths--Tower Grove☆Compton Heights." I am afraid I do not see how these titles would lead a guest to believe they can enter incorrect guest counts in their bookings.

In fact, in each of my three listings, in the description of the space, this is my second paragraph:

"One thing I'd like help with: Sometimes a guest will overlook the question in the booking process regarding the number of guests. In your answer you should include yourself plus all the adults who will be staying with you. Thank you!"

I don't know how much more I can do. However, if you or any other Host reading this thread can suggest better listing titles, I am all ears.