Great Article from Forbes on Why Guests are Turned Down

[Maria758]

Hey Fellow Airbnb Hosts!

I saw this article and wanted to share.  It's geared towards Airbnb Guests, which we also can be, however, I think it's a great read at a Hosts' stand point as well.  I provided the link to the entire article, but I also listed some of my favorite excerpts below.

Happy Hosting!

Izzie, Co-Host

LOV Puerto Rico

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Dear Would-Be Airbnb Guests: Here's Why Hosts Keep Turning You Down

Seth Porges , CONTRIBUTOR

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

“As a longtime Airbnb host, I've turned down my share of potential guests. I've also spoken to a number of would-be users who have been frustrated with their inability to find a place to stay on the site. It seems that, no matter how many hosts they message, nobody is willing to rent them a room.

I hear you guys, and I'm here to set you straight as to why. Thing is, what many first-time Airbnb guests don't quite get is that the site has as much in common with OkCupid as it does Expedia EXPE -4.93%. In order to book a room, a host (unless they happen to have the "Instant Book" feature turned on) has to manually accept your stay. That is, a host has to look at your profile and messages and quickly determine that: "Yes, this is somebody I feel comfortable having in my home."

And like an online dating site, how you present yourself—be it in your profile or the messages you send—makes a huge difference when it comes to other users' willingness to let you into their lives. If hosts are turning you down, or simply ignoring your messages altogether, here's what you're doing wrong, and how to fix it.

You Have An Empty Or Incomplete Profile

Does your profile have a real picture, or did you put up a fuzzy photo of your dog? Does it tell us anything about you and your interests or personality, or is it blank?

Your Message Seems Copy-Pasted

Does your intro message feel like something copy-pasted to a dozen other hosts, or did you take the time to personalize it to me and my listing? …  Still stuck? Here's a cheat sheet for how to write a good Airbnb message: Introduce yourself, clarify what dates you are looking to travel, give the purpose of your visit (Is it to visit family? Attend a conference? Go to a wedding?), and cite something specific from the listing that appealed to you (the decor, location, a specific amenity... anything that shows us you actually read the listing). Then end the message by (and this is absolutely key) asking if the dates are available and if you can stay. The act of asking—as opposed to demanding the dates or trying to push a booking through without permission—shows that you respect the host and their home, and will go miles towards getting you a successful booking.

You Asked For A Discount

Many guests think that, hey, it can’t hurt to ask for a deal. Right? I’m here to tell you that, yes, it can hurt. Pop over to one of the Web’s many Airbnb host-centric message boards and you’ll find that many, if not most, experienced hosts not only won’t negotiate on price, but also won’t book guests who ask. Even at full price.

You Asked A Ton Of Unnecessary Questions [THIS IS MY FAVORITE!!!-IZZIE]

Before you ask your host any questions about their listing, you really should read the full thing first to see if it’s answered within (spoiler alert: it probably is). Worse, asking too many questions may actually cause a host to decline your stay.

Airbnb hosting can be time consuming, and it can be rather aggravating answering the same questions again and again. There’s also a (totally accurate, I might add) perception amongst experienced Airbnb hosts that guests who dutifully read the entire listing are the best guests, are most likely to have their expectations fully met (hey, they know what they’re getting into!), and leave the best reviews.

You Left Nitpicky Reviews On Past Stays

You Ask Us To Do Things That Aren’t Offered In The Listing

If the listing doesn’t mention anything about picking you up from the airport or running errands for you, please don’t treat the host like a concierge and ask them to do it.

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[Linda-And-Richard0]

Hi  ,  Wow, great article.  Yes, I have turned down a few guests over the last 18 months.  Some failed to give me any details about themselves upfront, their profile was blank or they ignored questions I posed.  My first thought was, What are you not telling me?  One request wanted to bring 2 extra people when my listing clearly states an occupany limit.  As hosts, we put ourselves out there with pictures of our listing, past reviews, and many other details of the property.  It's only fair we received information from our guests.  If they can pick and choose, so can we.

Linda

[Tussie0]

Such a good article. I find myself scratching my head over prospective guests who put nothing in their profile!! And well don't get me started on the discount thing! 

Thankyou for sharing it! 

[Christopher245]

As a guest who has been turned down before, and who has rather laudatory reviews as a rentor, I have found the alternative is that hosts either subjectively profile a renter, don't want to rent for the time period requested or decide they can get a better price for the time period than what was originally offered. The first two are certainly an owner's perogative, but the latter is just "bait and switch" tatic. My issue is, if an owner as no intention to rent to a guest, just cancel the request to rent and move on. No harm, no foul. It's everyone's waste of time to enter into meaningful and polite dialogue just to wait for 24 hours for the reservation request to expire. 

[Ange2]

@Christopher245

"It's everyone's waste of time to enter into meaningful and polite dialogue just to wait for 24 hours for the reservation request to expire."

I agree, but hosts are penalized in myriad ways if they allow reservations to expire or do not respond to inquiries:  from the dates being blocked to other guests, to the listing not showing up in searches, to receiving warnings to improve, even with a 99% response rate, and if it's consistently lower the listing may be disappeared.

[Christopher245]

As a host you may know more than me, but I see no penalization or public censure if a host let's a reservation request elapse with or without the host cancelling the reservation request. One can rate the host if a reservation is made and cancelled, but not if the reservation request elapses. Certailnly it is the host's prerogative to not rent to a person, but the system fails when a host is disingenuous about ever renting to an individual. In five attempts to rent an apartment for business, I have had three hosts engage in productive conversations, review my references, only to wait the 24 hours to let the reservation expire.

I will say, much like other seller services, if the host cancels a resrvation without sufficient cause, there should be a financial penalty or a restriction from relisting the property for a set time to the host. Much the same as there is to the guest.

[Ange2]

.

[Natasha-And-Dale0]

From what I've read here we have been extremely lucky. The article was an excellent share but as I choose to use IB and accept the risk associated I take it upon myself to be a guide for new users. I have hosted many first timers who were happy to take my advice on how to build an excellent profile for their next host. I find most guests who are new often overcompensate in cleanliness and adhere to check in etc. It's been great so far.

[Fred13]

All great points made already. I may have missed it, but the first thing a guest without any reviews or background should say is: 'I am new to Airbnb', if they are; sometimes that does help to explain a lot. Most of my applicants just joined Airbnb because it was listed as the booking agent by the media, why only 5% (if that many) have any history with them.

[Weisbrod0]

Ahhhhh! awsome information thank you very much. I turned down guests who think that they are smarter than the hosts. I had a young man from another website last year, who trashed my apartment, booked it for himself and one friend, he checked in on sunday afternoon, and by monday it was about 12 men, fighting and beating up each other, taking out all my sheets and pillows to their car, when it was all over I had to use the police to put them out. Only to find out he lives in the neighborhood, I dont know if this was a set up or what, but it left me with 1200 worth of damage and no pay because the website took the money back from my accound saying it was a frudulent credit card. So I ended up loosing for their stay plus has to repair my place. Now last week I see him trying to book to come to my place through ABNB, he was so smart he called in the same voice, same demeanor, what time he could pick up the keys. I called ABNB to cancell him same time, he tried several other times using other people, but he is always calling for the keys! Thank God for his mercies, but this is the only way I will cancell a guest, unless its something else.