Communication-- what is your ideal?

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

Communication-- what is your ideal?

Do you prefer to chat with guests often during their stays? Or would you rather not hear a peep?

 

Should guests tell you when they arrive or when they are checked out? 

 

As a guest yourself (if you use ABB outside of hosting) do you like your host to communicate with you during your stay, or just send instructions and fade away?

 

What are your communication ideals?

13 Replies 13
Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

My guests are buying into an off-grid place, @Laura2592 , so I'm very cool with no communication at all while they are here. They are absolutely welcome, though, to contact me in any way that works for them (messaging, phone, text, knock on the door) if anything at all comes up. I don't have a preference about hearing peeps. I would rather know if guests are having trouble with something, of course, and I don't worry if they are silent.

No, they don't have to tell me when they arrive or when they leave. The place is all theirs from check-in time to checkout time, so no need for notification. 

As a guest, my favourite are the hosts who send clear information, which I confirm I have received, then who leave me to it. I always do tell them I have arrived (and that everything is great -- so far it always has been) and I send a thankyou when I have left. I guess I do put some stock in that, even though I don't expect it of my own guests. 

I did get frustrated with the messages of a host I once had asking every morning of a week stay whether everything was okay. That gets a bit much, but the poor thing had probably previously been broadsided by a review that complained about something she could have handled during the stay. It's not the worst, but I was working some brutal hours then and sometimes had slept only an hour or two when a "how are things today?" message would arrive. That coloured my perspective on it. 🙂

Emilia42
Level 10
Orono, ME

@Laura2592 Good topic 

 

My ideal communication is when guests send a friendly initial message. Then a Hello and Goodbye are always appreciated & helpful but I like it when are self-sufficient during their stay. 

 

As a guest, I want my host to communicate. I have an upcoming stay where the host has not said a word to me. No communication after I Requested to Book (only clicked accept.) I will send a message tomorrow morning asking for the check-in instructions since I haven't received them yet and I like to prepare/plan ahead. It's an uncomfortable feeling. 

That type of host is in all likelihood lacking a personality (aka no people skills). 

@Fred13 I call those "ghost hosts."

Patricia55
Level 10
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Hi @Laura2592 

We're home hosts, so ideally there's some chatting going on, on a daily basis 🙂 Saying that, our guests are on one floor and we're on another, with our own bathrooms. We tend to bump into each other in the kitchen, but if guests aren't using the kitchen, it sometimes happens that we keep missing each other. And if that goes on for a day or two – 'ships passing in the night' – it starts to feel a bit weird, so I'll make a point of sending a quick message to check that everything's OK. (Believe it or not, there've been single guests from whom I haven't heard a peep for ages and I start to wonder if they're still alive! But that's just me 😉 )

I'd definitely expect guests to tell us when they arrive (unavoidable for our situation, but same goes for others) and when they check out.

On the one occasion I was a guest, it was just for one night in an “entire place”. The host purely responded to my messages. I suppose if I'd stayed longer, it might've been nice to get a “hi, hope all is ok” kind of message. But, on the whole, not bothered. (I wonder if this is because, as a host, I feel the need to be communicative at all times, and so, when on holiday, I'd rather not?!)

PS In summary, I have no ideal; play it by ear.

Fred13
Level 10
Placencia, Belize

Ideally we rather not hear peep from our guests during their stay.

Debra300
Level 10
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

@Laura2592,

 

I prefer for guests to clearly state why they are staying with us, and say who is in the traveling party.  I also want them to tell me their flight/ferry details so I can track it for delays, and have an estimated time when they should arrive.  We usually do a personal check-in at the guesthouse.  At our apartment, it's self check-in, and I ask guests to ring me after they arrived so I can do a quick five minute virtual walkthrough.  I point them to the thermostat, discuss how the dishwasher, washing machine, spin dryer, heat dryer, and alarm work.  I remind them to contact our property manager for urgent matters, but they should feel free to contact me if they need assistance.  Otherwise, I don't expect to communicate with them again unless there is an issue or scheduled maintenance (the lawn will be mowed, I see on the security camera that you've dropped your package of celery outside of your car).  If all goes as planned, the next time we message each other should be when I send them the goodbye thank you/checkout checklist the day before they are scheduled to depart, and they let me know that they've left (this doesn't always happen).  Since we frequently have single travelers, I've found that they appreciate knowing that we do have security cameras in addition to the alarm in the apartment.  So, they may think that we regularly see them and have an idea of how they are doing.

 

 

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

For us, its a middle ground. 

 

We do check in before the stay-- we always send a message right after booking with either thanks or follow up questions, and usually a message a few days before the stay to ask about allergies and preferences for snacks. Then the day before they check in they get the email with codes and info. 

 

If we have not heard anything from guests when they check in (and 98% say they got in on their own) we might send a message just saying we hope they arrived okay and let us know if they have questions. Then they hear nothing from us until check out day when they get a brief email with instructions (we also have them in the house guide, but not everyone reads that) and an offer to stay a bit past check out if they seem like they have been good guests and we can swing it. 

 

Guests who communicate A LOT during stays are stressful for me as its often little complaints or things they can't find, but could find if they would just read the house guide. Some are just compliments or questions about where we got things in our space they like-- those are lovely messages. But I do confess that I feel anxious every time I see a notification of a message during a stay. 

 

As a guest I prefer to know the host is alive and responsive. The ghost host syndrome where they send one email with the door code and nothing else creeps me out a bit. I don't need to make pals with my hosts, but I do like it when I know they are real humans and not some automated message. 

What about communication at the time of the booking?  Airbnb policy is that all communication be through the site and not directly to a host email.  What if the host does not read the messages on the Airbnb policy? 

 

For example.

A guest tried to change/modify check in/check out date on their own by following the steps provided on the site.  They were not able to select the check out date because it was blocked or not highlighted.  Guest logged back out and tried to do it again.  Message popped up about cancellation.  Guest assumed this was the only way to re-book the same time but for less days.  Guest ended up canceling the reservation but quickly realized that it was a mistake.  Sent a message on the site to the host to explain in detail what happened.   

 

Host replies back 8 minutes later and tells the guest they accepted the cancellation.

 

Guest sends a message back letting the host know that the intention was not to cancel but only change the check in/check out dates and if they can get a refund to re-book the new dates. 

 

Host says NO because you already canceled it and I accepted it.

 

Guest will you issue me a refund for the trip less the service fee

 

Host says No your trip is not eligible for a refund due to my cancellation policy.

 

Guest says "WAIT, I sent you a message telling you what happened, why did you cancel it instead of declining the cancellation and sending me a message back that I handled the transaction incorrectly.  

Host You canceled it and I accepted it.

 

Trip was booked for May 2022.  

 

Would you issue a refund in this situation?  If not, what do you think is a justified reason?  Guest pointed out that there was an 8 minute time lapse between the message to the Host and the reply.  Guest also pointed out that there is more than 2 months to rebook the space, why would a refund not be processed?

@Andrea5365  This is now the third time you have posted your issue and you seemingly have not listened to the other responses you got,  because you continue to state things which are not true and not how Airbnb works.

I posted this earlier before anyone got back to me.  Apologize for the multiple postings of questions.

Amanda660
Level 10
Auchenblae, United Kingdom

I appreciate a chatty initial message stating who will be staying, purpose of visit, pets, etc.

 

If they’re checking themselves in I ask that they ping me a message to let me know they’re settled in and happy with everything - 50% do this.  If they don’t message I’ll send a message to say ‘hello, hope all is as you’d hoped - gave a great stay’.  It’s just across the street from my house so I can easily see if they’ve arrived. 

I like self sufficient guests who do all the chatting before their trip.

 

I message them the night before departure reminding them of checkout tines, etc and to PM when they’re heading off,  20% don’t.

Elaine701
Level 10
Balearic Islands, Spain

I prefer friendly dialogue, detailed communication prior to arrival, and to keep lines of communication open with guests after they arrive.

 

Yet we keep a light touch. I don't engage much after their arrival, except if they specifically request something, which again, I strongly encourage them to contact us whenever they have questions or need anything, and then we always respond quickly and succinctly. But the ball is left in their court.