Guest just checked in...

[Ann72]

And I got this notification on my phone.  In six years I've never seen this.  Do you guys get these, or is this new?  I assume the guest can note in the app that they've checked in and that most don't do it?  

[Tina183]

@Ann72 If you have check in instructions (the images with step by step instructions) you can get that message.  When the guest goes through all the steps they can "check in" then you get the notice.

[Ann72]

Thanks for clearing that up, @Tina183.  🙂

[Colleen253]

@Ann72  I don't use the check in instructions and I've had two guests click 'checked in'. They both stayed in 2019 so it's not super new. That's all I know about it.

[Ann72]

@Colleen253  I don't have those either, so I guess it is something in the guest app.  I was a guest twice last year and didn't notice it, but c'est la vie.  I'm not sure I need more notifications, being more of a "no news is good news" sort!

[Huma0]

@Ann72in several years of hosting, I only received one of these messages and that was maybe about a year ago.

I did try to use the step-by-step check in instruction thingy on the App but found that, while some guests said they saw it, many said they didn't, so it just seemed more sensible to message them all with the instructions instead. I have no idea if it still works or not. Guests never mention it these days.

[Huma0]

Oh and also, I was never asked to do this when I was a guest last year, so I'm guessing it's not an automatic thing but needs to be set up...

[Ann72]

@Huma0  I also tried to do that step-by-step thing, I think, but since I wasn't there to take pictures I gave up.  

In my first season of hosting I confidently told guests they could find driving directions, house manual, etc. in the listing after booking, but none seemed able to, so I routinely send everyone everything.  It keeps the questions to a minimum!

[Lenore22]

I wasn't sure how secure all of this is... My husband thought if there was a scammer, they could book a few weeks out, get check-in instructions and then cancel and break-in.  Thoughts?

[Lenore22]

Looking through AirBnB I did see this:

"Share address after the free cancellation period

Checking this box means guests won’t see your address, last name, or phone number while they’re able to cancel for free. After the free cancellation window, we’ll send guests this information."

[Colleen253]

@Lenore22  You can choose that ^^ but also it's a good idea to have unique key codes for each guest and only activate them on check in day, not before. 

[Emilia42]

I love those tulips @Ann72 !

[Ann72]

Thanks, @Emilia42!  They cheered me up a lot in the first two weeks of lockdown!

[Carlota27]

Besides the flower pot, looks like a bunch of ashes and cigarets were smoked there.   😞

[Lenore22]

Thanks for this thread.  I did set-up the step-by step instructions, but here's an odd one:  I got the notification a few weeks ago when a guest checked-in. I haven't received one since, but my sister (who co-hosts the property with me) just got a notification for our latest guest and I didn't.  And she's pretty sure the guest hadn't arrived yet...