Booking request = assumed booking?

[Kath9]

I think I just need to vent. Has anyone else noticed the increase in booking requests with zero information except, if you're lucky, time of arrival? More and more, people seem to assume that a booking request is a confirmed booking. It never used to be like this - when I started hosting two and half years ago, people communicated with me as if I was an actual person being kind enough to allow them, complete strangers, to stay in my home at a budget price - they would tell me a bit about themselves, the purpose of their visit, how much they liked the look of my home and how much they would love to stay. I don't expect a thesis, but a brief introduction would be nice. Now, nearly all my requests just come with a 'we'll be there at 5.30' or 'see you on the 5th' like their booking is confirmed and I'm some kind of desk clerk or bot. Why is this? Is there something in the booking process that makes them think that a booking request is a confirmed booking? And where is the common courtesy? I would never do that in a million years.

Anyway, I got one this morning from someone with no reviews, no profile information, possibly a profile photo but I wouldn't know, first time user (joined May 2019) and a booking request with the message 'We'll be there at 5.30' and nothing else - no information whatsoever about who they are or why they're coming. Immediately after sending them my saved 'Assumed booking' message (yes, I actually have one of these now), I decided to decline them (and I never decline guests). Maybe that was a bit over the top, I don't know, but I'm just so tired of it. I really wish Airbnb would do more to educate guests or prompt them to provide information, but I doubt that will happen. Maybe we hosts need to start setting a few more boundaries with guests instead of always bending over backwards for them. The guest did get back to me with some information but it was too late. Hopefully, they have now learnt to communicate properly with hosts instead of treating them like servants. Okay, rant over.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Sarah977 

I agree that Airbnb should prompt more. Maybe a couple of years ago they did @Kath9 . Sometimes as hosts we think guests are ill-mannered when in fact they may just be responding to prompts or searching to ask a question. If you want to know whether the access to the apartment is up a flight of stairs, you probably wouldn't start your question with "Hi we're a family of... staying for... visiting... hoping to.. looking forward to.. your place looks fab.. "

Only because we know what happens on the other side helps us on the enquiry side.

[Sarah977]

@Ian0 And Anne-Marie1 (tagging isn't working here for you).  Just because a guest has a question to ask doesn't preclude an introductory message, because I get those kind of Inquiries and Requests all the time. The guest introduces themselves, says my place looks perfect for them, might say something about why they are coming, and then asks a clarification question or two. So to me, it does come down to a matter of whether someone has social skills and manners, or is only concerned with themselves. 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Sarah977 

Just because a guest has a question to ask doesn't preclude an introductory message

You are lucky.

The Airbnb platform changes depending on your listing settings. The "Ask the host a question" I filled in was curt. IICR it was titled "Ask a Question".

Here are yours Sarah going through your booking process:

After setting dates and starting the booking process this form is shown:

Page 1 Booking process

The messages you are more likely to receive will be from this form... This form is on page 2 of the booking process with the Book Now button

Page 2 Booking process

You will see that the prompts are completely different in these forms and one of them WILL encourage a more personalised question.

@Sarah977 

I've never booked as a guest, so it's interesting to read how it appears from the guest side. But almost all my guests do send a nice introductory message when sending an Inquiry or Booking Request, so I think it gets back to people either understanding basic manners and etiquette or not.

In the light of the construction of these forms I would have to disagree as people will simply react to prompts on the forms. 

1. Ask a Question:
2. Your message here:
3. Hello Sarah! Can't wait to spend 4 nights in your home.

You will understand that completing the above prompts on forms will promote completely different interactions?

[Sarah977]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0  So you're saying the first prompt "ask a question" comes as an Inquiry message and the second comes as a booking request?

Even when I receive Inquiries, the vast majority of my guests have also included a greeting and something about themselves along with their question. So yes, I guess I've been lucky, and I still think that it comes down to whether a guest understands how to communicate politely or not, regardless of the prompts.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Sarah977 

I think what I'm saying is that the attitude of the replys by guests can be influenced by where they reply from and we shouldn't judge them by the way their questions are constructed, Some of that influence will be from where they were sent from. 

Certainly a response of "I'm arriving at 5.30" prompted by:

"Let Sarah know a little about yourself and why your coming WITH THE PROMPTS Hello Sarah! Can't wait to spend 4 nights in your home."

Would be inappropriate... All the guest would need to do there is fill in the blanks.

I'll be making a mental note now to see how this works throughout the site.

[Kath9]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 @Sarah977 

OK I've just gone through the entire 'request to book' process on Sarah's listing (had to find someone who doesn't use IB). It was quite interesting! It clearly shows you the checkin/checkout time and house rules, which you have to agree to. (Case in point: people don't read, otherwise they would know the check in time rather than telling me 'we'll be there at noon'). Then, it shows you the box saying 'Let Sarah know a little more about yourself and why you're coming'. It also prompts you here to update your profile, saying that complete profiles help with communication. So, this is the point where I simply don't get that people would just write 'we'll be there at 5.30'. That is NOT telling me about themselves or why they're coming and also why are they thinking a request is already a confirmed booking? Sorry, but not buying the 'platform doesn't support people being courteous' excuse.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Kath9 

So, this is the point where I simply don't get that people would just write 'we'll be there at 5.30'. That is NOT telling me about themselves or why they're coming and also why are they thinking a request is already a confirmed booking? Sorry, but not buying the 'platform doesn't support people being courteous' excuse.

No, thats completely out of the ballpark. The prompts should encourage courtesy in your message.

The prompts would suggest that they should write something along the lines of "Hi Kath, We're heading out to your place on a family holiday, your place looks fantastic and we really look forward to meeting you..." In your sample the uests would have had that prompt. It obviously didn't work for them.

These prompts do exist. They are not consistent throughout the contact forms on the site so we just need to be aware that guests having navigated their way through a (possibly) challenging payment system (which I encountered) where this question is raised just might not want to be conversational. This is the point where your message would have been generated. 

Just being aware that those prompts might not even exist might explain some of the curt messages but not obviously all.

Just as an aside and pertinent to my original post, the enquiry I made to the Host was via a "Ask Question" form. After asking and being pre-approved, the "Tell Kath why you're visiting prompt etc..." Never appeared, and no opportunity to even explain our 'guests' travelling side even appeared.

[Sarah977]

Wow, @Kath9,  Thanks so much for doing that.

Here's something interesting- my most recent guest, who was quite lovely, did the thing where she sends messages or texts that are one liners, but several one-liners in a row. She was fairly young- late 20's, early 30's, so texting generation. I told her my 35 year old daughter does the same thing, and asked her why they don't just organize what they have to ask or say in one message. She thought about it for a minute and said it was like a stream of consciousness thing- that you just write a line as you think of it, a back and forth thing like people converse in person. I told her that written communication is not the same as verbal face-to-face and that it drives anyone in an older generation than hers bonkers.  She said she'd never considered that. I have no idea if she'll think about that next time, but maybe?

[Kath9]

@Sarah977, BTW, I LOVE your listing and I'm coming to stay with you one day 🙂

[Sarah977]

@Kath9   Oh, please do. Would be so much fun.

My brother lives in Australia, but I've never been. I really don't think I could sit on a plane that long 🙂 I'd just like to be magically transported there.

[Kath9]

I know, it's a long way for sure. I love Mexico though (I lived there for nearly a year many years ago) and have always wanted to go back. You give me a good excuse to do so! It would be so much fun. I might go stay at that guy's place in the mountains in Costa Rica while I'm at it! 🙂

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Kath9 

Now, nearly all my requests just come with a 'we'll be there at 5.30' or 'see you on the 5th' like their booking is confirmed and I'm some kind of desk clerk or bot.

There is a slightly more worrying thought that backs up your ignorant guest claim. I only just realised this but in my test viewing of @Sarah977 's listing I actually input a 4 night stay because a block was available.

The"Hello Sarah! Can't wait to spend 4 nights in your home." Was not just a prompt it was an actual system generated message which would only need to be sent. Those shorter messages you have received would have had to have the niceties removed!

(I'm not sure whether the booking procedure on a phone app would work the same way, and wonder whether increased use of mobile devices and the Apps have anything to do with the type of messages received?).

[Maggie10]

Hi - I'm afraid I dont accept bookings without a polite request to stay. This is, after all, my home turf, and whilst I am delighted to share with strangers, I do expect a minimum of politeness...."arriving 5pm",  just wont do!!

I think airbnb should stress that a potentail guest should at the very leat write a short intro - ie - we would love to stay at your place - or something similar. Glad to say that most people are well brought up!

[Kath9]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0, thanks for sharing this. It's definitely food for thought. I'm a bit confused from the above though whether these are booking requests or enquiries or what. Can you clarify? I'm specifically wanting to know what guests see when they send a request (I find my 'enquiry' messages are quite different). 

[Helen350]

@Sarah977 @Kath9 @Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 @Linda-And-Richard0 @Charlene128  I wonder if we should all include a line or two on our listing pages, saying that we appreciate a brief note of introduction, reason for stay, (etc) at the time of booking.... Or would that put people off?