Endless Pre-Booking Questions

[Mary88]

Hi Friends,

I am a bit new to Airbnb hosting and Airbnb is itself relatively new in India. I have been getting lots of inquiries from Indian nationals with endless questions, requests for discounts (we are already priced very low), and then creepy guys wanting to book rooms for sexual escapades. I have tried to put in lots of information about location, house rules, many photos, meals, etc, but no one seems to read the listing! Any suggestions on how to make this a more effective process?

Many Thanks!

Mary storm

New Delhi

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

Endless questions isnt just India....it feels harsh at first, but we now say something like:

"all of the information you need on our location, closest airports, proximitiy to tourist sites etc is included in our description. In addition, our accommodation description and house rules will tell you all you need to know about staying with us.

We have a published discount of 10% for one week stays or more and that is our lowest rate.

The people who ask the most questions are the ones who will never book and who are shopping around on a budget, and will no doubt be a nightmare when they arrive. 

[Mary88]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your advice. It has been very helpful to get a more experienced perspective!

Mary

[Sandra126]

For the creepy escapade: make it a two night minimum, should get rid of those. For the bargain hunters: That is a no. You will negotiate forever, just say ''The price is as quoted''.

[Mary88]

Thanks Sandra. The constant bargain hunting is really becoming tedious.

[Tania-and-Andrew0]

Hello Mary,

Welcome to Airbnb!

I personally prefer guests who ask a lot. I have a very detailed description but have found out that people NEVER read this but it is very important that everything is detailed. I am happy to answer questions as this is a way to meet people and to find out what type of guest you will receive. If they ask something that's detailed on my listing I usually answer something along the lines of "As you can read in my description, there are two beds..." or "There are two beds, you can find this and more in my detailed description...". First timers will ask a lot of questions and it's perfect. Do you buy new unknown things without being informed? Must people don't 🙂 Why should guests do the same? Airbnb is a trust system and communication is key.

The way to make it a more effective process is to just relax and be happy to get inquiries and questions. As you get more booking and reviews the process gets easier. Enjoy the experience.

[Emily140]

I'm happy to answer questions all day but I'll pass on the creepy sexual escapades!!  My goodness... Raise the rate and definitely install a 2-night minimum! I had one inquiry that I was absolutely convinced was Russian Mafia wanting to run a sex-trafficking ring in my City flat.  OK, a bit of drama added, but it was truly an odd request, far beyond "language barrier."  I knew right away to decline.  I require guests to "tell me the purpose of your trip."  Well socialized people do it with flair and a sense of engagement.  A few quick words exchanged and you really get an idea of the guest and whether they'll enjoy the space.

That said, i think people are reading!  Or maybe my photos do enough to show them what to expect.  I don't negotiate price.  But know mine is attractive.  That said, a sweet guy just inquired if his 6-night stay might qualify for a weekly disount.  But of course!  Glad he asked.  So I learned how to "make an offer."  For new hosts feeling confident you're priced right, If you're not seeing action you'd hoped for, it's probably you don't have reviews yet?  When I was experimenting with the idea of hosting with AirBnb, I met a SuperHost at my first stay as a guest; she told me your first review is everything.  Which was true.  It caught me offguard how fast reservations came in, just at a time I wasn't ready for them, after two reviews were up.

If you want to guarantee that first guest, just accept dogs 🙂  I love dogs, so I do anyway, but I think people traveling with dogs have fewer options and more likely to book a property with no reviews. 

Cheers!

[Giorgio-Massimo0]

Hi everybody!

I'm on Airbnb since last March. I have an apartement into a Residence on Tenerifa (Canary Island, Spain): Is it normal that "eventually guests" request many information...you say yes you can... or... yes there are... & so on... but they don't book??? and after 1 ore 2 days I ask them "if they change theyr mind" and they never give me an answer???? .....  Disappear into nothingness..... last sample a guest for 6 months next year ..perfect for me ...perfect for her with mega price discount including everything what she needs, (she is a host on Airbnb too!!) ....  It makes me sick!

I wonder if I'm too kind with them during the pre approval......Did you have the same experience? what are you doing in those cases? Tks in adavance. Alessandra

[Lois-and-Darryl0 · Accepted solution]

@Mary88:  From your wonderful reviews, your room and experience sound so lovely!  It appears you're doing everything right!  I agree with many suggestions:  1) Increase minimum to 2 nights;  2) When receiving lots of questions, if the info is in your listing, remind them of that.  Sometime I get 2 to 4 young men, and they ask me all the questions that are found very easily in the listing (which isn't overly long).  My experience is that these people also do not read the House Rules or the House Manual, and I've learned this after they stay--they didn't read anything, and in my rush to rent, I didn't think it through.  3) Or, advise the potential Guest(s) that you will send them an informational email on area highlights and activities; and - most importantly, 4) Don't rent to locals.  You will find this sage advice smattered throughout the Help Community, with some awful stories from others about renting to people who live in the area.  They want to stay at your place so that their home or room stays clean and neat.  (Our Airbnb is remote, so I don't have that story.)  I'm sure you have a busy life, and will do well with Airbnb (I'd love to know about your breakfast!), so don't waste your precious time and frustration on people who may be seeking out ways to take advantage of you.  The Airbnb relationship is one of trust, honor and mutual consideration.  I spent the first year renting to everyone, got severely burned a few times, and now I'm looking more to experience new friends, while helping them enjoy their trip!  Good Luck!  Lois & Darryl

[Mary88]

Good advice! Thanks so much for taking the time to write. The first year as an Airbnb host has been fun and a steep learning curve

!

[Giorgio-Massimo0]

Thank you very much Lois & Darryl & good luck to you too!

[John-and-Heather0]

@Mary88  Good suggestions from the others. You can also create "saved messages" when you tactfully explain the same thing again and again.

Sometimes, people feel lots of questions are helping them negotiate; and if you are confident of your prices, not playing games may be the best strategy.  If you are tiring of the engagement, try something like "Please read all of our rules, descriptions in the listing and pictures before you book. You can use instant book if you decide my space and rates are right for you. If not, I totally understand."

I often know neighbors cheaper listings, and refer the guest to another if they want cheaper space.

[Daria20]

@Mary88 I am having the same problem, the best solution I could find is to create message templates, as I couldn't take more of typing and retyping the same info all over again, which is also listed in the description.  

However, some of them are writing and calling me upon arrival (even though I check my guests in personally and explain everything in great detail) with some questions. The last one was: do you know if plastic bags in the supermarkets here are free, if not, how much are they? The answer is about 5 cents...  I guess I'll need to copy those templates to my smartphone too 🙂

@Giorgio-Massimo0 What I found out from my experience is that those who ask most questions are those who don't book in the end. 90% of the guests I've had over booked straightaway or asked questions after booking. 
As for them disappearing - usually it simply means they are no longer interested and are not bothered to reply because of that. It doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with your listing or money offer, usually people just change their mind about the whole trip or simply dont have enough money to stay at your place and are just checking the ground. 

[Mary88]

Hi Daria,

Yes, endless petty questions don't often result in bookings! Questions about the cost of shopping bags, don't really seem necessary. 😳😆

Mary

[Giorgio-Massimo0]

ha ha ha in my apartement the guest find even that ... nice day!