Changes in the way Airbnb is displayed?

[Alexandra316]

I host a lot of guests with dogs; probably 40 to 50% of guests bring their dogs with them. I've never had much of an issue with people asking about it: I mention dogs in the listing text, photos, and in my house rules. Suddenly, though, people have been specifically messaging me to ask if they're accepted, and I can't figure out why, as it's covered in the listing and no one really asks about it (the odd time, people will verify if they have a very large dog or multipe dogs). Did something change in the way that this info is displayed so that it's no longer clear, or am I just getting a run of guests who don't review the listing?

[Robin4]

@Alexandra316

Hi Alexandra, how are you getting on?

I just had a look at your listings, is it possible you have made some changes to the listing description? In you 'Flat on King' listing you make an obleque reference buried down in 'Guest interaction' about a guest bringing a dog and the pooch photos are the last two out of 34. I can understand guests asking.

But in your 'Sherkston Paradise'  listing you make no reference about pets of any description and you don't show any photos your treasures Bexley and Alonso! It is not until a prospective guest scrolls all the way down to your profile description that there is any hint that you and David have dogs and there isn't any mention of whether other dogs are welcome.

After looking at your listing descriptions Alex I can understand why prospective guests would ask....I sure 'woulf' if I was booking! :-))

Cheers......Rob

[Alexandra316]

@Robin4 it's mentioned in the rules, the body of the listing description, and the about the space section Rob: surely 3 seperate places is enough... We don't accept pets at Sherkston, and that's not where I'm getting the questions for. Again, we never got these questions before, and I'm wondering if anything has changed in the way things are displaying. I have not changed the listing. 

I choose not to put the info front and centre on the flat because I don't want people without pets getting turned off. 

[Robin4]

@Alexandra316

Now this is really interesting. I studied the description for the 'Flat on King' listing and the section for 'Other things to note' did not appear! The hide arrow showed up directly below the guest interaction section. I now wish I had screenshot it at the time. I was searching for any information you had in your description on dogs and the only thing I came across was...."If you bring a dog, you're welcome to use the whole fenced yard."   It may be worth a call to Airbnb and ask why this is happening. Although I knew you had a couple of dogs I could not remember their names and only I only picked up your dogs names from your profile description at the bottom of the listing page.

I am just annoyed with myself that I did not screenshot what I was seeing before. That would have been great evidence for you to approach Airbnb with.

I am going to come back to your Flat on King listing from time to time and if I see the same thing happening again I will be prepared next time.

You are possibly right and there is a visibility issue which has crept in with that 'Other things to note' section!

Cheers......Rob

[Alexandra316]

@Robin Thanks for that.... good to know, and concerning, because there is definitely other info about the heating and cooling that I want people to know under that section. You use a Mac, right? I've only been looking on PCs and Android devices, so it's possible that there is a difference there.

My challenge here, Rob, is that I'm #1 in my market, and have been for about a year. I had a consultant help with my description, and they said not to put too much emphasis on the pet friendliness, because while it's obviously a benefit to some, to others, it's actually a turnoff. This seems to have been effective up until now, but if people aren't finding the info they need anymore, I may need to speak with them again to see what they recommend.

Interestingly, as a pet owner who travels with dogs often, I've found that most hotels tend to bury that information also. I do wish they wouldn't, but maybe it's for the same reason the consultant gave.

[Suzanne302]

@Alexandra316

From a guest perspective even though you would show up under "allows pets" via the search filter, it is very vague in your listing.

I would mention that you are "pet-friendly" in the first paragraph of your listing.

In my listing, I have in ALL CAPS at the top of my listing that I require a $25 pet fee. It's also mentioned in the rules, as well as in two other places. Yet I still had a guest think I was trying to "pull one over" on them when I sent a request for the pet fee. Once I pointed out the numerous places the fee was listed they quickly backtracked and apologized. So, yeah, sometimes even when you put it in their face they still gloss over it.

[Alexandra316]

@Suzanne302 Not really interested in changing my wording: it's been fine up until now, and I don't want to put it in my opening paragraph. Just curious about how listings have changed. 

[Suzanne302]

@Alexandra316

Well aren't you a little ball of sunshine! We are just trying to offer suggestions, but hey, you got this, right?

Okay, no, the listings have not changed other than you have to click on "policies" to see the rules.

Good luck with that and happy hosting! ** 

[Post edited  **[ Community Center Guidelines]

[Alexandra316]

@Suzanne302 so must you be, and I think I'm doing okay 

[Clara116]

@Suzanne302 I too am often surprised that folks ask for advice, assistance and opinions of well versed Hosts and THEN reject it quickly...thanks for the morning laugh you brought to my 2nd cup of coffee. I do so enjoy smiling at how clever some are - like yourself!! 

Oddest part is your suggestions were so right on!! 

Happy hosting from Florida, Clara

[Alexandra316]

@Suzanne302@Clara116 not sure how my answer is offensive in any way, nor was it an attack on you or your hosting. Not sure why you took it so personally that you feel that you need to make a personal attack, but it says much more about you than me.

[Suzanne302]

@Clara116

There are some unique personalities in the CC, that's for sure!

Answering snark with snark is not usually a good idea and completely unnecessary. ** I was just trying to help and I had some extra time on my hands this morning.

**

So funny! And I really appreciate the help I get from fellow hosts when I have questions.

[Post edited  **[ Community Center Guidelines]

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Alexandra316

Clearly you are doing everything very well. Great reviews and lovely properties. I did what most guests would do and when reading a description and I have to be honest, I didn't read it all. There was just too much detail to wade through. So I might be one of those people who would email to say: do you have a high chair?

However - it's clearly working for your audience. Sometimes you just get a coincidental set of requests - we had 3 in a row from people who wanted to bring a young child. We say very clearly in the house rules, no children - they just hadn't read that far. We got a bit paranoid (!) that something had changed in our profile etc...nothing had.

Good luck!

[Emilia42]

The only thing I can think of is that the house rules are now shown at the VERY bottom of the listing page. Not sure exactly when this change took place but when I first started hosting 1.5 years ago the house rules were front and center. Guests quickly looking may not scroll all the way down to look at the rules. Also, when you allow animals it doesn't say "Animals Allowed" under Airbnb house rules. As opposed to 'No animals allowed.' Maybe guests aren't quickly seeing that "We accept pets" so they are messaging to confirm?

[Alexandra316]

@Emila I can't tag you.... Annoying.

Yeah, the rules have definitely been pushed down, but I don't think that's recent. I'm just wondering if there is a more recent change that makes info even more invisible. I'm concerned, specifically, about what other info might be easy to miss now. I've checked it out on a PC and an Android phone and it looks the same to me, but who knows on other devices?