guests not reading listing details..

[Karen965]

I know there have been other similar posts, but just wondered if anyone has any other thoughts about how to be sure upcoming guests have read the listing details, house rules etc. I've just been marked down by a guest as she didn't appreciated that our property is two flights up a spiral staircase.. I mention the stairs six times in the header, description and rules.. what else can I do? Should I copy the rules etc into my welcoming email to guests?

See below for the mentions I give the stairs...

Listing name:  Period Town Flat - 2nd Floor - centrally placed

In the description 'space' :  Does not suit disabled guests as has two flights of stairs.

In the description 'guest access': 3D is at the top of the stairs, 2 flights up

Guest interaction: Someone is always at the end of a phone and we are always happy to assist in carrying luggage up and down the stairs.

Other things to note: The flat is 2 flights up a circular staircase.

Details guests must know about your home:  Must climb stairs

I'm pulling my hair out with people not reading the listing.. how hard can it be!

[Karen965]

I messaged my guest and she passed on that she didn't click on the 'read more about our space' (where all the information is) and despite the fact that I had filled in the Details Guests must know - stating that guests must climb stairs - she didn't seem to receive this information. Is this an airbnb issue? Has anyone else come across it?

Thanks

[David192 · Accepted solution]

Perhaps put this information in the 'House Rules' part of the listing ie. the part that the guest must click 'Yes' to acknowledge that they have read it before they are allowed to book?

I hope you expressed your exasperation to the guest. You certainly have a right to be annoyed.

[Rachel0]

@David192 Good idea, thank you.

[Karen965]

Hi, I did message them and probably annoyed her as she was convinced that she did not have that information. On looking at the listing I have found  that the information that the the guests 'must know' is right at the bottom of the page, below the reviews. It's really no surprise that potential guests don't spot it if they don't expand the 'about the space' section.

[Rob-And-Debbie1]

Not sure that that would stop the host being marked down. The guest could still give unfair feedback.

[Janardhan3]

Hi Karen I am new to this I would like to see you when you have time.  I want to know bit more about airbnb

Thanks

J Prasad 

[Yadira22]

Hi @Karen965 

this is so annoying- we had this exact issue also. 

I would put it in the welcome message as well and also put it as one of the first photos you see.

Upon booking, we also mention this (image below) and say that they have 48 hours as to cancel penalty free if this is a deal breaker for them. 

Finally we also created a composition of the main photo selections and created a listing “feature” photo (below). 

But definitely also try doing what @David192 suggested! 

Main listing photo

Our main listing photo is not the ideal but at least we have not had this issue since.

good luck to you.

yadira 🙂

[Yadira22]

Stairs photo- sorry sent before uploading.

Thanks. 

[Scott-and-Mary-Ellen0]

OK Yadira, now you're just showing off with those fabulous photos! Best of luck to you.

[Sandra856]

@Karen965 🙂

I have added my houserules to the direction guide message I sends to the guests a couple of days before they arrive. It did help as they couldn't remember or didn't read it on the listing. 

I write in the end : This is my home so please kindly respect... Bla bla bla. I have also made sure to thank my guests in my response to their review left on my listing. Thanking them for being such sweet and considerate guests that follow the houserules.. something like that. Guests usually read reviews and the responses before they book. They are then made aware that there is houserules and that they should be followed. Maybe something like that could help? 🙂 

[Karen965]

This makes me smile.. and is good idea too! I will do this from now on.. question is... do I say, 'perhaps you should have read the house rules' to those who obviously don't! 🙂

[Anca11]

No. I think you should not be so accomodating and sweet about it to the guests. They HAVE TO READ the House Rules; it is part of the deal via Aribnb. If they complain about something that was written there, then they are in BREACH OF CONTRACT; they are not allowed to complain and mark you down for no fault of your own. Or should not be allowed and this behavior should have consequences for them. I think you should take up this issue with Airbnb, complain to Airbnb about the guest's unfair and IN BREACH OF CONTRACT marking you down, ask the Airbnb for its correction, and mark down yourself the guest, for unnec essary bitchiness or whatever that is.

[Pamela202]

I have just experienced a client whose wife booked for him. Although he was charming during his stay he left a very critical review.He was bilingual so there was no excuse for him not understanding the listing. I think that he didn't bother reading the listing at all. In fact I think he thought he was staying in a hotel! I was very angry and didn't trust myself to write a reply. 

[Janene10]

Hi Pamela, 

I am relatively new to hosting but in amongst the beautiful reviews I have been getting, one person really marked me down (and it was a host of another Airbnb). The rating was unfair and made me wonder paranoid things like 'was it a friend of a competing bnb in the area deliberately marking me down to prevent my superhost status'. It has taken me quite a few reviews to climb back after that slam and still haven't made my superhost status yet because of it.  I was really upset about it but I took a day or say to reply so I didn't come across as emotional and really thought about how to construct my reply.