Declining Reservations

[Sally68]

I've been struggling with the same airbnb admin problem for the past few years and I'd be grateful for any suggestions. I live in a very remote cottage on the west coast of Scotland. Many folk don't understand quite how remote it is. The first line of my profile reads "This is a truly remote location with access by boat only" but quite a few folk don't read this (or don't realise that it means they will have to organise a boat to get here). My profile goes on to describe, in detail, how to organise access and it notes that I will only accept reservations with confirmed travel plans.

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/12553872?location=Drimnin%2C%20United%20Kingdom&guests=1&adults=1&s=8...

In my first year of hosting I accepted all reservations and quite a few guests had bad experiences where they thought "boat access only" meant there was a scheduled ferry service to my door (there isn't ... my neighbour Andy Jackson will bring you over in his boat but only if you've called him in advance) or that my location of 'Drimnin' meant that you can use this in your satnav (you can't, my post is delivered to Drimnin but it's 6 miles of rough, unlit, unmarked farm track away with no vehicle access).

Now I make sure all guests have made travel plans (generally this means they've called Andy Jackson and booked his boat but we do have people arriving by canoe or bicycle or by foot) before I confirm their reservation. Because of the time limit to accept reservations, this means I sometimes have to decline the reservation. I always let folk know why I am declining it and suggest that they make another reservation once they've confirmed their travel plans.

I don't get any compaints from guests about declining reservations but airbnb has me marked down on their 'basic requirements' because my acceptance rate is well below 88%.

Any suggestions about how I can stop airbnb marking me down? I'm trying to ensure that guests are prepared for what can be a fabulous - but definitely unique - experience.

Thanks

Sally

[Linda108]

OMG, @Sally68, I want to come to your cottage!!  It sounds wonderful and very, very different from what many travelers will understand.  While you have covered a great deal in your description, I wonder if you could add more to your pictures, for example, a picture of your friend's boat with a caption about needing to arrange travel plans first.  I think most guests use the pictures as a way to understand the listing more than they either read and/or understand the description.  Of course the Air BNB system is automated and cannot adjust to your unique situation.  I wonder if there might be another platform more compatible for you.  You might consider listing elsewhere and see if you get better suited and informed guests.  I hope you work it out as your cottage is just what makes travel with Air BNB so wonderful.

[Sally68]

Thanks for checking my listing and, yes, you're right about many folk using the pictures for their travel plans. A picture of Andy's boat is a good way of emphasising how to get here.

Thanks

Sally

[Jeff158]

What a great place @Sally68 its a pity that when you zoom the map in, it shows a road, can you borrow a JCB and give it a scrape for 4x4s to use.

If it was me, 

I would be buying a boat and meet guests at the ferry point, charging a resort fee on each booking to cover the cost of pickup and drop off.

If folks arrive under their own steam you can refund it.

I would also accept every reservation and its upto the guest to cancel if they change their mind.

[Sally68]

Thanks for the reply Jeff. The track that leads to my cottage is on someone else's farm so there are five gates (two of them padlocked) and great swathes of impassable mud over its six miles - my last guests did walk in that way but it took them a couple of days to recover. Like most folk in these parts I have a (small) boat but I'm short on the time and insurance required to ferry folk about: the loch that I live on is tidal so there's only a 2 hour window when I can get in and out. In my first year I did accept every reservation - none of the guests changed their mind but I got some stinking reviews when folk got round to reading my messages and realised that, if you haven't organised your travel in advance, Andy will have to bring you the long way round which costs £100 each way.

Thanks

Sally

[Tif1]

@Sally68  Wow what a great place. Agree with Linda's suggestion of a photo of the boat and you could make it the main photo with a tag line on the photo and first line of the intro something like 'Sail away to our cottage of tranquility' (just an example idea) so that it is immediately intruiging and reinforces the fact that you have to sail to the cottage . Photos of the pick up point,  view from the boat, drop off, have a  wooden  sign that says 'The Sally Line '(sorry couldn't resist 🙂  anything that plants the seed that this is definitely different and is your unique selling point . 

Fingers crossed for you as it looks like a gem of a place to visit

[Sally68]

Thanks for the ideas! The photographs are due for an update so this seems an ideal time to reinforce the "access by boat" message. The pontoons in front of my house have been battered by the winter storms and are currently (slightly) underwater but as soon as we get more photogenic weather, I can get them photographed.

Thanks

Sally 

[Kath9]

@Sally68, your place looks truly amazing - you might find yourself booked out by other hosts after this post! Anyway, iIt is a pet hate of many hosts that they are penalised for declining guests who haven't bothered to read the listing - nearly all of my 'declines' are for people who request to bring children, dogs, extra people, etc. I agree with @Tif1 that maybe you could change the title of your listing as this is what people see first, something like 'Remote island retreat  - boat access only!', then make it clearer in your first paragraph that people need to arrange their own water transport rather than lower down in the listing. @Jeff158 makes an excellent point about picking them up yourself (presumably you already have a boat if you live on an island) and also about accepting all requests based on the assumption that they have actually read the listing. You could accept the request, then immediately send them information about the boat thing, and if they don't like it, it is up to them to cancel - that way you won't be penalised.

[Sally68]

Thanks for the reply Kath. My situation is complicated because I am actually on the mainland, I'm just at the very remote end of a very remote peninsula. It is possible to walk the six miles to get here but my closest neighbours, shops, parking and pubs are all a boat trip away. This is quite a common situation in these parts but although places like Knoydart are also "boat access only" they have a ferry several times a day for the 120 inhabitants whereas, on Loch na Droma Buidhe, there's just 1 house and 1 inhabitant.

It is possible to walk or cycle to my cottage but this is not an easy option (the last guests who walked in had to make the trip twice to carry all their supplies). When I get the initial reservation request it can be difficult to distinguish between folk who are going to borrow their friend's canoe to get here (they had a fabulous time) and folk who think the isle of Mull is as remote as it gets and are then shocked at the cost of hiring a boat to get here at short notice (one couple paid £60 for their accommodation with me and £200 for the boat transport and gave me a horrid review). I get round this now by asking everyone who requests a reservation to confirm their travel plans - nobody objects to this but I do get a number of folk who never reply, hence my high level of declined reservations.

My title, description and photos are a work in progress - thanks for the help!

Thanks

Sally

[Kathie21]

If you go into Booking Settings and Guest Requirements, you can create a message which guests will see before confirming their reservation request - you could re-state the need to check out transport arrangements before booking and ask them to tell you in their booking message how they intend to get there.  Still won't be 100% though.  Maybe have "PLEASE READ THE INFO ABOUT GUEST ACCESS BEFORE BOOKING" as the first line of your listing perhaps?!

[Sally68]

Thanks Kathie ... I didn't know there was a message for guests before confirming their reservation - I'll check it out. I've had sections in my listing in capitals in previous versions but I feel it does look a bit like shouting - there's definitely a fair bit of listing editing to do.

Thanks

Sally 

[Lisa723]

@Sally68 Instead of declining, I would accept with a very strongly worded message that I am accepting only with the proviso that the guests will arrange their arrival by boat. As others have suggested you can also put this in all caps as the first line of your house rules and in amenity limitations. This puts the onus back on the guest, and you will not be penalized if they decide not to follow through.

[Helen213]

I have a suggestion: Add the cost of the boat into your fees and state it in the first sentence that boat transportation is included as this is the only way to access the cottage but they must make the arrangements. I would also include it in your title. " Off the Grid Cabin, Boat ccess Included" This will solve the airbnb issue and weed out the noncommitted  It would need to be in the cleaning fee,and you must make it clear that is why the cleaning fee is so high.

While I live in NYC,so my hosting issues are different than yours but the common issue all hosts have is removing barriers for guests to book.  By taking the issue out of their hands, I bet your booking rate will go up. I would make a bullet point of this information to the top of your description so guests must see it even though it is under Guest Access. These are major points of information in deciding to book you place, that guests need to consider. It should look something like this:

MUST READ

1. The cost of round trip Boat Access to the cabin is included in the cleaning fee - I will refund $$$ if you choose to not take the boat.

2. There is no direct car access to the property and it is 6 mile hike from the closest parking.

3. While we can provide some potatoes, kale, parsnip and herbs from our garden, you must bring your own provisions.

4. The cottage is remote so there is no cell phone service or wifi.  Enjoy the peace!

5. You will be living off the grid as we create out own power & heat.  Go Green!

I would then "talk up" the boat ride as an added value elsewhere.  Speak about the sightseeing opportunities of the local nature and the fun of arriving/leaving by boat. Make it an intregal part of the experience of "escaping" from the modern world.  You do talk about living off the grid without using that term.  But you should for google & airbnb search function.  This is extremely popular in the USA with shows dedicated to this lifestyle and their are many guests looking to experience this for themselves.

I truly think you have an amazing property to offer and with a tiny bit of salesmanship you can have more bookings for more money. Seriously I think the cost per night is low, especially as it seems to not change for the season. Everything that seems like a hurtle needs to be described as an asset, make that the whole point of staying with you.  If you want help with your listing, let me know and I will be happy to help.

PS - I would also add more pictures - Like the boat dock, the garden, the bathroom and more scenary.