Guests not reading the directions... how frustrating!!!

[Tom18]

I am hosting on Airbnb since 4 years and the biggest bug is not in Airbnb, it's in the guests!

I put plently of infos in the House Manual, House Rules and Directions fields, so that the guests will receive it automatically when they book.

I think, they will get it in their Apps and in the My Trips sections of the website, so it will be more confortable for them to have those infos when traveling.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT GUESTS DON'T READ IT!

(sorry my caps but I am quite frustrated, I told to the Airbnb customer care plenty of times and they never listened me!)

At least 50% of times people don't read it! And don't find it... they find just the address and they come using Google maps!!!

Very often I send them a message giving them the link to 

https://www.airbnb.com/reservation/itinerary?code=XXXXXX

and still often they can't find the info in the page or they click the link and don't open it. :((((

I think it will be VERY VERY NECESSARY that, in the moment that the reservation get confirmed, the Directions, the House Manual and the House Rules get copied AUTOMATICALLY inside the message thread between host and guest.

Like a system message from Airbnb!

Something like:

Reservation confirmed!

Address: ...........

Directions: ................

House Manual: ...............

House Rules: ...............

What do you think?

I talked several times to Airbnb customer care and they theoretically forwarded the message to someone... but nothing happened.

And instead I think it will be a great fix!!

Happy hosting everybody!

Tom

[David126]

It really does not matter what format you put it in, I have 5 acres and 2 driveways and am specific in my messages when they arrive after dark. Google Maps shows the building but if they follow the directions they end up at the local Post Office. 

Daylight, well they can hardly miss me, at night well if they drive around a bit after ignoting the simple directions well then such is life.

My building was once a Hotel, small, and I am not sure what I am, certainly not a Hotel but not really a home either.

[Tom18]

Same thing today, a korean guest, I asked her after she arrived much later than normal how she was looking the directions, I showed her the field in the app but she didn't notice before!

They go immediatelly in the map section.
I wish someone from Airbnb would read this thread and finally listen my advice.

I am a quite heavy host, 7+ listings and 100x guests every year...

[Aaron14]

Most of these comments are irrelevant and inane.  If you don't like dealing with the idiosyncrasies of guests, then you might not be the best host-material.  These are simple things that we should anticipate and prevent, or at least take measures to minimize confusion for guests.

The real issue here is that something changed recently with Airbnb's format, but I don't know what because I can't see it from the guest's side of things.  I rarely had this issue come up, until a couple months ago I think, now it's almost every reservation that contacts me a couple days before asking when I will send them the directions.  I think Airbnb changed the format and made the arrival instructions and house manual in a less obvious location.  

Anyone have a productive suggestion for how best to deal with this?

[Marie62]

I'm probably too irrelevant and inane to have a useful opinion about that. And too insulted. 

[Tom18]

@Aaron14

I think as Airbnb asks us hosts to fill up the Directions and House rules fields, then it should provide it to guests in TWO occasions:

a) immediatelly after booking

b) two/three days before the arrival

Airbnb in fact does it, but it does by email that few people look nowadays, because we all have our mailbox flooded from tons of emails.

Is there anyone from Airbnb here telling me why they can't make an automatic message in the message thread with those two infos????

[Marit-Anne0]

@Tom18

Airbnb is not really present on this forum - it is a discussion forum - mainly for hosts.

[Tom18]

@Marit-Anne0 

Do you think that my idea makes sense?

Do you agree that sending automatically directions and house rules in the message thread would help immensely guests?

I think someone should be able to send this product improvement idea to Airbnb.... we are on Airbnb forum after all! :))

[Aaron14]

I completely agree with you Tom.  It would be ideal if we could have an automatic "reminder" email that goes out a few days prior to their arrival date, reminding them about the house rules and re-sending them the arrival info so they don't have to dig around for it (or send me a message saying they never received it.)  

The part that bothers me is that the guests don't know that Airbnb changed their format.  The guests feel that I, as the host, have not provided them with the info, when in fact I've done everything I can to get that info to them.

AND, if I try to copy/paste the directions onto a message to them, much of the info gets blocked by the airbnb message filters.

[Ange2]

@Tom18

I don't understand what is wrong with using google maps. Am I missing something?

I do not mean the Airbnb map of location, which is so not precise by a good few blocks or more.

You can send an URL of the exact address via google maps "share"  to their phones, their email etc.

e.g. Via Tiziano, 14b, 30172 Venezia, Italy

https://goo.gl/maps/S2R1e4T9ju22

They can then put in where they are and get exact directions to your location from their location by car, by bus, by metro by walking.

They do not even have to read anything they just have to click the link and violá

Also it is in many languages, and they can look up nearby bars, restaurants, museums,  etc. etc.

It's a great asset for a traveler who doesn't know the neigborhood.

Of course it would be good if Airbnb incorporated these URL's  in the guests itinery instead of hiding any useful links for guests.

All my links of how to get here from airport etc. etc. are hidden so I have to send them all seperately by mail and text.

 There is also a mapping service that does not need access to internet, will have to look it up.

[Drew10]

If AirBNB was run by professionals they would listen to you.

[Tom18]

They added this feature but in a different way... not automatically but manually, and just via the website, not via the app.

If it was automatic after the booking gets confirmed, it would be perfect.

[Nancy124]

I've had several guests who don't read my instructions as well.. Oh today I just had one asking for my door code where it's right following the welcome sentence and I even quoted it using stars to make it more visible. I don't think anyone can help with that just like you can't fix stupidity. Just live with it. When those people send me messages asking for something like this I just text back asking them to read the instructions in detail. There's nothing else you can do.