Send guest a special offer—is Airbnb resisting this?

[Richard-And-Pauline0]

Hi. Most of my guests make first contact through a booking request, not an inquiry, and so if I want to send a guest a special offer it is almost always in response to a booking request. I contacted Airbnb support and, after much to-ing and fro-ing, asked them directly: "Can you please show me where on the Airbnb website does it say a host can offer a special offer to a guest's booking request ONLY AFTER the host has declined the guest's booking request?" The support person was honest enough to answer that this simple but important fact appears nowhere on the Airbnb website (outside discussion forums, that is). Can anyone shed light on this?

[Steve143]

Hello @Richard-And-Pauline0,

The third bullit point in the article below is about as close to it as they say. It says:

"If you don't see the option to send a Special Offer, check that the dates on your calendar aren't blocked or that you don't have any pending reservation requests for the same dates. If you have a pending request from another guest, you'll need to decline it before you can send a Special Offer."

How do I send a guest a special offer?

Whether there is only one or there are several simultaneous pending reservation requests for the dates they'll all have to be declined before a special offer can be sent for the dates.

Airbnb seems to assume that, as a guest who sends a request is ready to book at the advertised price, there isn't a need to have a special offer enticement, like there could be for a guest who just sends a non committal inquiry.

Steve.

[Richard-And-Pauline0]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for responding.

Yes, as close as they come but still very far from honest, clear instruction. 

I'd question whether Airbnb are making the assumption you mention. Some of our potential guests ask for special offers after they have made a booking request (presumably they've made the booking request to secure the dates); and in some instances the guests are regulars or friends etc. and we ask them to make their booking and say we'll send through a speical offer at a more convenient time.

Either way, it is intriguing that the webpage How do I send a guest a special offer? is demonstrably inaccurate.

The Airbnb website is highly sophisticated and its text is very clear. Wherefore this page? How difficult would it be for Airbnb to change this page to say: If you would like to send a special offer to a guest who has already made a booking request, do this.......If you would like to send a special offer to a guest who has made a booking inquiry, do this......

Why not this simple change?

Cheers

Richard