Guests requesting tour booking services before even booking our house!

[Tina707]

We are new hosts on Air BNB in Tanzania through my husband's profile.  We are testing the waters there before listing our Colorado mountain property.  In Tanzania, we are on the main safari route.  Air BNB is recommending ridiculously low rates ($14) for a 3 BD house and then we are getting people who are basically holding a $79 booking over our heads based on whether they are happy with the quotes they've requested us to put together for them using our connections since Air BNB blocks out phone numbers, email addresses and websites until there's a booking!  First, of all, we're NOT a lodge.  It's a private family home that we are renting in its entirety.

Here's the thread

Hello XXXX,
We would like to book your lodge for 3 nights from 9th to 12th of January but we have some questions first. How far is your lodge from Serengeti (southern part) and Ngorongoro. And do you know some local guides who can bring us there? And for what price? (we don't mind to be part of a group if other of your clients wants to do the same safaris). Finally, how can we go to your place from Arusha?
Thanks a lot for your answer.
Best regards,

Hello XXXXX, 
Thank you very much for booking with us. About your question for Guide yes definitely I know some of my guide friends who can take you on safari and they know our place.
Serengeti is only 3 hour from our place.
Do you want to do a day trip to Serengeti and come to our place or you want spend a night at Serengeti?
Spoke with a friend of mine is Guide to told will try find other people to join guys will a little cheaper for safari.
He will get back to me for the price as well.
Where do you guys want to be picked up?
Thank again best regards.

Hello XXXX,
Thanks a lot for your quick answer. We would like to be picked up at Arusha airport to go to your place on the 9th. Then spend the night and start the safari to Serengeti the day after early in the morning. Come back to your place at night. Then the day after to visit Ngorongoro and go back to your place. We will wait for your friend guide prices before booking your place.
Looking forward to hear from you soon.
Best regards,

So, now in addition to having a place cleaned and ready to receive guests, they now expect us to be in the middle helping them to book a safari, which tour companies charge thousands of dollars to do...my husband is too nice and accommodating.   How's the best way to handle this?  Mention that we'd be happy to provide them with a list of safari guides AFTER their non-refundable booking?  via the manual?  or to charge extra for these services?

Or, to just say these people are too much trouble.  Honestly, I hosted on VRBO 10 years ago for several years and NEVER had such demanding guests that were paying such cheap prices.  

Any advice on dealing with expectations? on providing assistance with these type of requests but getting paid for it ?  on pricing the house better?  There's a $1.50/person/night bed tax that we must collect and Air BNB doesn't have a way to add that into the pricing. They've told us to use the listing description or house rules to list these and then go through the resolution center to request extra payments??? surely there's  abetter way to handle it but the Air BNB CS is not so helpful.

Thank you.

Tina

[Sarah977]

@Tina707  For starters, pay ZERO attention to Airbnb's price tips- they are absurd and no experienced hosts look at them for anything but a laugh. Use pricing that is in line with what similar places in your area charge. You will get entitled, demanding guests if you way undercharge.

Yes, your husband is too accommodating 🙂 It's a business and you have to run it as such. replying like he did just led the guests to assume that you'll be their personal concierge.

I'd now reply to them, making it clear that you are not a lodge, but a private family home, that you do not provide services to arrange a tour, but that you'll be happy to provide them with names and phone numbers of tour operators once they have made a confirmed booking with you. Full stop. 

If they keep hounding you for information, just say that you have already spnt as much time on this as you can, that you are too busy to act as a free information center.

Some people are unbelievable, eh? They just expect you to provide them with tons of information, make arrangements for them, all for free.