Guest Communication/Check-in times, and Changes

[Keri26]

I am new to AirBnB and up to this point, all of my guests have communicated through AirBnB's website/messaging.  Except for the one coming tomorrow.  He has been texting me and I never gave him my number.  Is that something that guests are given like the address when they book?  It is kind of creeping me out.  It is frequent.

Also,  he booked when I had my check in time set at 3pm.  Today, I changed it to flexible, not realizing the importance of setting a check in time.  He wanted to arrive at 6am!  

I had assumed that the settings you have in place at the time the guest books, is what that guest is going to adhere to - as the rate definitely does.   So this is not the case?

[Steve143]

Hello @Keri26,

When a reservation is confirmed guests are given the phone number that a host registered with Airbnb, just as hosts are given the number that guests have registered. It's menat to be used only as a last resort by both parties.

If a guest starts to text or communicate by some means other than the Airbnb messaging system I require them to message via the Airbnb system and I copy their messages to the Airbnb system.

When guests make  the reservation they're explicitly asked to confirm that they agree to the house rules and one of the house rules is the checkin time. So yes, I always require them to hold to the checkin time in force at the time they booked. Asking to check in at 6am would not be acceptable when the checkin time was set at 3pm when they booked. 6am means that they are encroaching on the previous night meaning that you couldn't have a booking for that previous night. If they want to do that then change the booking to include the previous night and don't allow them to check in at 6am unless they accept the change. That is, assuming that that there isn't a guest already staying that night, in whch case it's obviously not possible.

Steve.

[Keri26]

Thank you Steve!

That helps a lot.  My other bookings have been exactly what I expected.  This one is a young man and I am sure it is just that he is inexperienced but it has made me uncomfortable.  Originally he booked 6 nights - which is my maximum stay.  He told me he wanted a longer booking but the system would not allow it.  I advised him that I would rather see how the first few days (of his 6 day booking) went to decide if a longer arrangement was possible. I wanted to see if it was a good fit before committing.  

He then changed the booking to 2 nights.  He communicates exclusively through texting.  He told me he was flying into the airport (45 min away) at 4am and would be here at 6am.  I told him that I was sorry, that at the time of his booking the check in time was anytime after 3 and the best I could offer for flexibility was 11am.  I have since made the change on my booking to have checkin between 3 and 8 pm. If someone needs an adjustment I may be flexible, but I would rather they request it.

Thank you for your advice and information!

[Helen3]

Oh dear @Keri26

This is your business. Don't let the guest give you the run around.

I would not have accepted a request to change his reservation. 

It is not your fault he decided to arrive at an early hour.  You should have just stuck to your check in time and advised him of where your local left luggage facilities are.

Keep all messages on Airbnb respond to him once and say that if he wants to contact you he needs to do so via airbnb messaging.

Please change your check in back to post 3 p.m. and your cancellation policy to at least moderate.

[Keri26]

Thank you Helen, 

I agree.  It is a bit of a learning experience for me.  So tell me more about the choices for the cancellation policy.  What has been your experience with that?

[Emilia42]

@Keri, In my experience, I've hosted some single travelers who have been very "talkative." Mostly younger people (20's and early 30's.) I think that some people are drawn to Airbnb for that personal attention/relationship and they tend to over communicate. His inexperience with the platform may be the reason he is choosing to text. I would just remind him to keep the communication to the app and to text only for emergencies. 

[Keri26]

Thank you Emilia, 

I agree.  I think you are absolutely spot on.  Both with the texting and also the request to come so early. It is likely just inexperience and not thinking about it from the perspective of a host who has preparations and a life of their own to work around the hosting.  I am sure his stay will be fine. Thank you!

[Sarah977]

@Emilia42  I've found that people in that age bracket often don't even answer their phones. If you send a text message, they'll reply when they have a moment, but they don't seem to bother to answer a call, or notice that they have a missed call and phone back. They don't use email much either. I even have that issue with my youngest daughter, who's 35. Unless we've already set up a time for a phone call, she seldom answers.

[Emilia42]

@Sarah When they are traveling with a spouse, partner, or friend I find that they don't communicate much. But I have had a handful of solo travelers who have wanted to "befriend" me in a way with many, many text messages. You're right about the phone calls and e-mails and they will never call you back! (mostly thinking about my own friends and siblings) 

[Sarah977]

@Emilia42 There's a long-term renter in a little house that I property manage for friends. She'll send me 5 one line text messages in a row within the space of 2 minutes, rather than just writing it all in one message. Drives me crazy. But if you watch these young folks on their cell phones, they all operate like that.

"What's up?"

"Nothing much"

"Wanna come over?"

"Can't right now"

"Y?"

"Waiting for some 1."

"Who?"

"Johnny"

"Which Johnny?"

"Guy from work. U don't know him"

"Maybe I want 2?"

"LOL"

[Emilia42]

Haha so true!

[Rachel0]

@Sarah977 This made me laugh out loud!  This is exactly what my youngest son (29) does all the time on WhatsApp.  I get 5 or 6 one line messages from him when one would have done, so when I hear my phone going "ding, ding, ding" I just think, "Yup, that's Tom."  However, he is currently wandering around New Zealand and is sending longer messages so perhaps he is learning ....

[Sarah977]

@Rachel0  It's not surprising that they don't read through a full page listing description- "Read More"? Scroll all the way through to the bottom of the page? Yeah, right.

[Kelly149]

@Keri26 Frankly, left to my own devices I’d prefer text as well. But abb CS prefers that the messages are “on platform”. Just blame it on them. 

When guests initially don’t get it, copy/paste their text into the abb messenger & answer back there. They’ll eventually come around.