Ask guests to specify their arrival time

Ask guests to specify their arrival time

For every guest, I always have to ask them their specific arrival time so that I can be home to meet them. It would be great if when guests make a reservation, there's an option to ask them to specify their intended arrival time.

 

I understand sometimes people don't know the exact arrival time, especially when they make reservation a few months in advance. In that case, we can make the arrival time changeable.


 


Response from Airbnb

Thank you for this Idea. We actually built this and tested this with hosts and guests and have found that a very small percentage of guests actually know their arrival time when they book. Guests generally know when they are checking-in exactly the day before or day of. Instead of requiring guests to input arrival/checkin time during booking we are doing three things:

  1. Requiring guests to explicitly agree to your check-in window when they book, to make sure they will check-in between that range. Host Voice Response
  2. If you use instant book, we require the guest to select their check-in time if they are arriving within the next 24 hours, and if they cannot check-in during your acceptable range they cannot instant book. Host Voice Response 
     
  3. We are going to encourage guests to provide arrival time as part of their message to you when they send a request or instant book.
43 Comments
Dee33
Level 10

Excellent idea.

Lori-and-Peter0
Level 2

Yes!  What to do if guests don't reply regarding arrival time?  We are hosting for the first time, and guests are expected today.  Arrival time on the listing is after 3pm; they are coming from the west coast.  Would like to send a second request for arrival time.    

John231
Level 2

I put requirements for arrival time in my "House Rules". It seems to help a bit because they do have to agree to house rule. However not even a specific, required arrival time field will be 100% accurate. People may just not know. I would say, after doing this for 20 years, that 80% of guests are considerate in specifying, complying with and informing of arrival time changes. The other 20% just don't care and consider you as hotel staff employed to wait behind a desk for arrival at their convenience. These people don't get a very high star rating in communocation or house rules. If I must go out or go to bed I leave a key right by the door bell in an envelope with the guests' name in jiffy marker. That has almost always worked. (Unless the people won't come to the door and stand on the street and text me after I'm asleep but that's another story!)

Lori-and-Peter0
Level 2

Thanks!  We're in a rural area with limited cell service, so I want to be sure we're here to greet them/give a house tour.  I'll add to house rules for future guests.  I did send out a second request.  Otherwise we're on standby.

Huma0
Level 10

Yes please! Putting check in times on the listing and in house rules is all very well, but most guests don't seem to read these properly. I almost always have message guests to ask when they will check in.

 

Many of them want to come well before my 3 pm check in time. Some are polite enough to ask if it's okay to come early/drop their bags off earlier, but lots of others simply expect to turn up hours early and wouldn't even have told me if I hadn't chased.

 

There needs to be a way to bring the check in/out times to their attention.

 

Even at a hotel, you can't just show up and expect your room to be ready at any old time. They have rules too!

Jo86
Level 2

Yes! I would definitely welcome an ETA prompt as a part of the booking process.  9 out of 10 bookings I have to follow up with to get an ETA.  It is interesting that people are not disclosing that information until prompted.

Kent13
Level 1

Getting an ETA from guests is essential, and consumes about 50% of my communication time with them.  Prompting guests to enter an arrival time "no earlier than" and "no later than" while booking would allow everyone to plan their days without having to chase around for information.   

Airbnb
Official Account
Status changed to: Not in Plan - Launching Alternative

Thank you for this Idea. We actually built this and tested this with hosts and guests and have found that a very small percentage of guests actually know their arrival time when they book. Guests generally know when they are checking-in exactly the day before or day of. Instead of requiring guests to input arrival/checkin time during booking we are doing three things:

  1. Requiring guests to explicitly agree to your check-in window when they book, to make sure they will check-in between that range. Host Voice Response
  2. If you use instant book, we require the guest to select their check-in time if they are arriving within the next 24 hours, and if they cannot check-in during your acceptable range they cannot instant book.Host Voice Response 
     
  3. We are going to encourage guests to provide arrival time as part of their message to you when they send a request or instant book.
Daisy14
Level 2

I agree having the guest estimate approximate arrival time.  I use lock box if very late arrival and a map from street to door.  

John231
Level 2

It is funny about the comment "We actually built this and tested this with hosts and guests and have found that a very small percentage of guests actually know their arrival time when they book. Guests generally know when they are checking-in exactly the day before or day of."

 

It is completely untrue. When I ask the guests' arrival time, I only get the answer "I don't know yet." about 5% of the time. Even if they book months in advance. Most guests have booked a flight and know approximately when they will arrive. If they don't, they agree to tell me when they know.

 

I am dissapointed at airBnB's decision.