Guest not been in contact yet and they check in today

Joanne137
Level 2
Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Guest not been in contact yet and they check in today

I have been doing Air B&B for a few months and all guests so far have responded when I send them a message a few days before check in just so we can co ordinate the likely time they will arrive. But the guest due today has not replied to 2 messages sent. I am not sure what to do now. I just wonder if this is common and what other hosts do if a guest doesn't communicate a check-in time. 

 

Jo  

12 Replies 12
Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

Hi,

Your listing says; check-in anytime after 3 PM. It also says: self check-in with lockbox. So it means you don't have to be present at check-in ? So sent guest a message how to check-in. Best regards, Emiel

Joanne137
Level 2
Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Yes, I do have a lock box. What I really like to do is meet the guests as it serves a few purposes - one of which is I get to see who is in my flat which is reassuring for me. I've never had to use the lock box so far, but it is my 'fall back'. But I always assumed, in that case, at least the guest would have contacted me. There are a few lock boxes where my flat is located as this area attracts a lot of holiday lets and there have been rumours of them being tampered with so I have always just wanted to use it as last resort and always try to arrange a physical hand over of keys. 

 

This is just something new to me - a guest who hasn't responded and I wondered if other people experienced this, was it common. The longer I do this the bigger range of scenarios I will face, I just find this particular scenario a bit un nerving as it seems it could so easily be avoided with just a message from them. I have their mobile as well, and will do as the other post suggested - contact Air B&B first to see if they get a responce. Thanks for replying. I am, for the first time, faced with using that facility I have on my listing of 'self check in' and feeling nervous about taking the plunge.     

 

 

 

   

Kelly149
Level 10
Austin, TX

@Joanne137 If you expect guests to be communicative ( I do. Why wouldn’t they??) then call CS & ask them to call the guest and get them responding. 

My view is that chasing an unreasonable guest is not part of what I signed up for and this behavior is attributed to the rush to new profiles & IB. 

Joanne137
Level 2
Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Hello

 

Thank you for replying. That is what I am going to do next. Couldn't get through a few hours a go but going to give that a go now. thank you for the advice and replying to me. It is good to hear other host's take on things when I hit a stumbling block. 

Marie82
Level 10
New South Wales, Australia

@Joanne137 the few times i had guests not answering my messages i found out that they were more guests arriving than the actul booked nbre.

 

 

Joanne137
Level 2
Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Gulp! What did you do then? 

 

Jo

Marie82
Level 10
New South Wales, Australia

@Joanne137 Usually my alarm bell start ringing and i send my cleaner hour before check out time so she see them coming out and we have a right nbre of guests this is one of the way i found out some of the guests bring more guests and they tend to avoid any communication or extremily vague answers

 

Only a week ago i had a business travellers booked for few days with excellent review but strangly he never answer to any of my emails (2) when asking what time he want to check in. So i send my co host 30min before check out time and they were 3 guests instead of 2 booked

 

I provide self check in 99.99% of the time but even though i always asked guests check in time so i can have my phone nearby in case they have any issue

 

 

David126
Level 10
Como, CO

Happens, does not happen that often.

 

I ask for arrival time, my default is 5pm to 10pm so if I do not hear then I make sure I am around during the check in period.

 

Self check in, not brave enough to do that.

David
Edwin57
Level 10
New York, United States

It happen to me to I just wait, what I found out some of my guest cellphone has poor frequency, I don't like texting or calling, what I love about Airbnb is the messaging board is becaus of safty reason and as proof no miscommunication you know what I mean

Barry-and-Lera0
Level 10
Sarasota, FL

We have found that using a digital keypad lock on the door makes check-in quite easy for us and our guests. I know you like to personally meet people at check-in but we have found that check-in is the part of a guests trip that is the most uncertain. Delayed flights, traffic backups etc. We give everyone their own code (the last 4 digits of their phone number) and that way check-in is easy and at their own convenience (after the check-in time of course). It also takes care of the "I lost my key" at 2am phone calls and the risk of someone making a copy of the key.

 

Each Airbnb setup is different so I'm not sure if this works for you or not. We have a guesthouse on our property that is rented so we will eventually see our guests roaming around the property if we do not see them at check-in. That is when we make personal contact. After they are settled and in vacation mode. 

Susie5
Level 10
Boston, MA

@Joanne137, what happened with your uncommunicative guests?  Interested to know how it played out! 

Joanne137
Level 2
Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Hello 

 

I phoned Air B&B and they phoned the guest directly. She confirmed she was coming but didn't give them a time. Then nothing. Eventually I texted her an hour before official check in time and then that was when we had contact. So it was all then done through text and not Air B&B. I think she was ok but just didn't appreciate the need to communicate - even despite Air B&B actually speaking to her. She didn't even have the post code and asked me for that. (But when guests book they get all the details like exact address, so she had that weeks ago. And so a bit of a stretch to think someone would set off to stay somewhere and not bother to ensure they have the address.) I think she was 'disorganised' and just didn't appreciate the need to have contact. I did all the chasing. 

 

Gulp - she gave me a good review.... And I marked her down on communication. There's always that doubt maybe she really couldn't see the information... But my gut says she didn't really bother, so I couldn't possibly give her 5 stars esp as most people are so very good at communicating. And all the faff could so easily have been avoided with a simple message.