Guests endlessly asking me questions that are answered in the listing

[Colleen253]

Even though I state in my initial message to guests "if you have any questions that aren't answered by reading the listing details" please get in touch", I continue to get questions like 'is there this or that amenity', etc etc? Without fail, I'm getting questions that can be answered by looking through the listing. I've yet to receive a unique question. I get that people are busy and want to take shortcuts to answers, but I'm busy too! Even busier because I'm having to take time to answer these questions unnecessarily. 

Has anyone else successfully fixed this problem? 

[Kelly149]

I have a saved message that says “we have a very thorough listing but you’ll only see all the info if you are using a full-size device (not phone, not iPad), please look at all the photos and click on every link that says Read More.

they don’t always know they’re being clueless, the app & mobile sites aren’t doing us any favors

[Colleen253]

@Kelly149 Good point. I hate looking at anything on my phone so I didn't realize how bad the app was for perusing a listing. I'll incorporate that into my saved messages. 

[Jim472]

Haha, not really fixed but cut down on time by keeping a house manual on the listing, on the desktop at the property (translated) , and a printed version on the coffee table. I just tell them page whatever and message me if they have any questions, more often than not I don't get followup questions. 

[Colleen253]

@Jim472  It's not that I don't have the info available, I do have it detailed in lots of places. I just need people to look for the answers themselves. 

[Anonymous]

@Colleen253  I don't think there's a way to totally prevent these questions, especially since Airbnb hides a lot of listing details in easy-to-miss places. Answering questions is just part of the job. But if you see a pattern in the specific things people are asking about (or at least a Top 5), perhaps you can devise some new boilerplate for your initial message that incorporates those details. Or even just paste an FAQ into each guest correspondence. Might save you some time in the long run.

[Colleen253]

@Anonymous  Thanks for the idea. Going to do a 'faq' right now.  I don't mind answering questions, but not the kind people can answer for themselves without creating more work for me. I've done a thorough job of making sure my listing has everything people need or want to know, for the purpose of making things easier and less hassle, for everyone, me included!

[Mikki0]

Like @Kelly149 , I have saved messages to answer common questions already covered in the description or house rules. It doesn't cut down on the questions, but it does cut down on my response time. 

People ask me all the time about check in times, parking, is the place shared. If you're getting many of the same questions, you can create a bunch of saved messages and just scroll to find the one you want. 

[Sarah977]

@Colleen253  It's not just guests- people in general these days seem to have the attention span of a goldfish. If they have to read something longer than a one line text message, they just zone out. And heaven forbid they actually go back to see if the information they want has already been addressed.

I just had an upholstery client like that. First she asked for an estimate-  I sent her a detailed email listing all the materials I'd need to purchase and my labor cost. Then she wanted to change some of what she wanted, so I had to redo the estimate. I told her I'd need the money for the fabric I had to order first, then when I was ready to go purchase the rest of the materials, I'd get the rest of the materials $. So she gave me the $ for the fabric order, then when I asked her for the rest that I needed, she wrote "I don't understand- I already gave you $xx." I said that was for the fabric, as I had previously told her. Then she asked if the rest I needed was part of the original estimate, or in addition. All she had to do was look at the original estimate to see that. She also decided after I did the second estimate that she wanted a couple of single bed size pieces of foam to beef up the thinnish mattresses. I said that would cost an additional $xx, not included on the estimate. She said that was fine, then when I added that to the money she owed me, she asked what the additional foam charge was for. It continued on like that. She drove me crazy. 

[Colleen253]

@Sarah977  I agree! I've been thinking maybe it's covid brain or something. My recent guests have been wearing me down a bit. I've not had so many issues pre covid. They are so bad at following asks and rules (posted on my listing AND in my welcome book at the house) that I've taken to posting back up notes all over the house and they STILL get disregarded. They are all small annoyances, but they add up over time. Don't get  me wrong. No one is putting holes in my walls or throwing ragers, but still...I guess it's time for a vacation.

[Sarah977]

@Colleen253  Maybe in those back-up notes all over the place that they still ignore, you could write the word SEX in it somewhere, in big bold letters. I hear that catches people's attention 🙂 

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Colleen253 

I have a saved reply.

"Hi! Thanks for your interest in our private room (shared home) listing. The answer to your question(s)  is already covered in the listing description along with a lot of other things you need to know. Please read it first, and if you have any questions or concerns about something NOT already mentioned there, I'm happy to talk to you about it after you have read the listing description  :-))) " 

[Colleen253]

@Jessica-and-Henry0  That's nice and direct. I like that, thanks. 

[Gordon0]

There were six questions that came up time after time, so I answered them, @Colleen253, and screen-shotted. It's now one of my photos and the questions don't get asked any more! That said, horses for courses and all that, so it won't work for everyone.

[Colleen253]

@Gordon0  That's a great idea, I might add that if my amended intro message doesn't quite do the trick. Good to have all bases covered!