Guests not using mobile app

Juli-and-Brian0
Level 2
Clearwater, FL

Guests not using mobile app

So after a year being hosts we have noticed on occasion some guests do not use the mobile app. The Aribnb platform on the app is what makes this most effective for both the guest and host.

 

Here is an example of how this is a problem. We send our guests detailed info prior to arrival, this may be when they are traveling and not able to access and computer. We also communicate with our guests as a team and when using the app, my wife and I both are up to date on our current guests needs. Guests who do not use the app are out of touch and end up having a lesser experience such as not knowing parking info or which door to enter. There is nothing worse than greeting a frustrated guest that is confused.

 

We have had call or text one of us for information, although this isn't a big deal in the overal scheme of things, one of us may be tied up and not monitoring like myself being at work during the day. If a guests calls or texts me, I may not be available whereas my wife could be home and able to reply quickly. Other times, my wife may be busy and not able to reply when I can on the app.

 

One solution to this would be to require the use of the app in order to make the trip. This could be by limiting some of the info from the browser so that they would have to download the app to get the rest of the information such as location address. We have had quests go through our rear gate pounding on our back door when their entry was at the front with their own keybox waiting for them. 

 

This is probably true for the common transportation apps, I don't see how it could work without having the mobile app...you would not be able to complete the transactions effectively. 

 

This is a small concern but for the overall experience, can really make a difference for the guest and the host.

14 Replies 14
Cynthia-and-Chris1
Level 10
Vancouver, WA

@Juli-and-Brian0 What about guests without smartphones? Or guests from other countries without internet access/data? 

I am having this now. The guest does not communicate through the app, have not arrived and may have got our wires crossed. 

They originally sent one message to book then rang from USA to U.K. and said not to ring back. They contacted Airbnb and they contacted me via the app to pass on a message saying he was new to site and confused. Then later he emailed asking to come a day earlier and said he was unable to book it on line. Now the time I thought we agreed by email, 12.30 today is 4.5 hours ago and cannot contact him. Now wondering if he meant midnight. My check ins end at 9pm so if that is the case he is going to turn up at midnight and not get in which will not be good for anyone. 

Better suited for a hotel.

Rebecca922
Level 1
Calgary, Canada

I am a 1st time guest. Other apps on my phone stopped working after installing airbnb app - I think because I didn't really have space for it. Airbnb forced me to install it to continue with my booking. I need to uninstall it just so I can use my phone again. The app is not a high priority for me because my bookings are occasional. (once or twice a year) Why would I want to give permanent memory space to an app I use once a year?

(My phone is only 1.5 years old)

I totally hear what you’re saying and see where you’re coming from, I hadn’t really considered that.  That makes sense, no one wants to reserve space for an app they only use maybe twice a year, tops.  Having said that, I think its the AirBnB guests responsibility to let the host know how best to be reached or to go online and check the night before, so they can respond to any questions they didn’t see or ask questions of their own. Just “touch base”, before hitting the road.   Otherwise, I really think you’d be better suited for a hotel. Cause when it’s someone’s home, they like to communicate with the person, not quite to the extent but almost like they would interact with a friend or relative coming to visit a couple times before hand.  It’s hard to describe where I’m coming from if you’ve never hosted for a long time.  It’s just really kind of inconsiderate to book it and then not be open to anymore communication until you arrive.  It’s the worrying of not knowing what kind of person is coming to stay, especially if there’s some info they entered when they booked that’s confusing or if they didn’t answer a question, cause then the host had to just accept them however they arrive, despite your apprehensions. And then there’s the frustration of trying juggle lines of communication, wondering how they want to be contacted, wondering why they’re not replying, or if I should try contacting them a different way, and all the while also trying to predict what an uncommunicative guest is thinking, whether they’re just rudely ignoring you, or they’re shady and choosing to ignore you, or if they’re just really grumpy people in general and don’t want to interact at all.   This is why I think if you’re not going to be communicative, you’re probably better suited for a hotel where there’s not one host consciously aware of you coming and anxiously wondering what the situation .  But  I always tell guest to expect a message through the website/app the night before they arrive just to touch base and give them simple checkin instructions.    

@Rebecca922 can't you install it for each trip then uninstall it?

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

  You want guests to not be able to book because they don't use the app, or in my case, I don't even use a smart phone? There are also many foreign guests who come to stay with me who don't even have their phones set up to use while on vacation here.

It's no big deal to send guests the check-in arrival info several days or a week beforehand- this is what I do. And if I were a guest, I'd want that anyway, as I get stressed with last-minute stuff- when I travel, I like to feel that all is in place beforehand. If I had some issue with the listing, I'm sure it could wait until you were available by text or phone during the stay. 

Just because one has their whole life set up so that they can't exist without their smart phone doesn't mean the entire planet lives like that. 

I think I’m going to start giving them checkin info in advance...And then moving on with my life, lol.

Matthew465
Level 3
Stevenson, WA

Oh, this is a really old thread(am I passing at sounding computer literate?).  But I just couldn’t agree more.  There is nothing more frustrating than having someone book and then never hearing from them again, and then having the  added uncertainty how they’re going to contact you, should I contact them by texting their phone? They’re required to be notified when they receive a message from their host, are they not?  It should be obvious that they keep contacting us through the app.  Instead they have 3 different options,  so I have have all my bases covered in case they decide to grace me with a response. I should not have to guess or ask them which way they prefer to contact me.   I used to always conclude my first response with “you can message me right here with any questions or concerns”, but I get the impression that some people never even read it.  And then they show up unannounced and hour early, and I have to veil my rage with a smile, and say “oh, that’s okay! No, you’re fine.” And then awkwardly clean around them.  OR perhaps if Airbnb  set it up so that if someone decides to text your phone number directly instead of going through the app,   have it automatically copy it to your AirBnB inbox.  Also, I’m wondering what would happen if I went to my notification settings and unchecked the box next to phone notifications(I already have email unchecked, it’s just unneeded and crowds in box).   Would it remove the option for them to contact me by texting my phone?  There are many ways to approach this, lol.  I really wish everyone would read before they book with me,  answer the “required questions”(I.e. What brings you? Who else is in your party? ETA?), and then be mindful and keep just the minimal amount of communication going. When I get no responses, or they ignore my questions, and respond with questions like “how many beds are there?”,  “could you be available for me to call if I can’t find you?”, it’s just completely disillusioning and I don’t even want them to come anymore, lol. Maybe I need to go through the booking process and see if it’s just way more complicated and unclear than I realize.  Oh well, I think every host slowly gets to the point where they have to dig deep within themselves to find the patience to deal with all the guests that just don’t make any effort to engage their host.  They make it my job to keep trying to pull answers out of them or try to guess and get them to at least confirm I’ve got it right.  It also makes me wonder though what kind of guest I’d be if I’d never done this.  Would my adhd make me the kind of nightmare guest of legends? I guess I’ll never know.  So for now, I’ll just keep gritting my teeth and stretching the boundaries of my patience and tolerance, and hope that it doesn’t pop one day.  I can just see myself check sitting in a wheelchair in mental hospital, shaking my head and rambling “Would you happen to have an ETA...you wouldn’t happen to have any kind of ETA would you...If you get a chance, any kind of ETA, and then also please let me know how many people decided to come, that would be great...Hi, sorry to keep writing but I was still wondering how many people are in your party...Oh 5, oh, ok, no, it’s okay, you had just entered 1 and I was trying to figure if I should make the pullout bed, towels, you know, it’s fine though...no that’s ok..well, yeah, it’s $15 per person after 2, but you didn’t...that’s ok, if you didn’t know, that’s ok...Sorry to keep messaging, just wanting to confirm your dog is fully house trained....oh heyyy, no, that’s ok, I just have expensive rugs and can’t risk any accidents inside, no, oh, really?  Well I guess, it’s okay, If you could just try to keep them away from the expensive rugs and furniture, yeah...oh, hi!  Surprise!  I wasn’t sure when you were coming,  I’m not quite finished cleaning, yeah, no, checkin is at 4pm, that’s ok, Could you maybe wait a few minutes in the living room? Oh, no? Oh, that’s ok, just do whatever you need to,  I just have to finish making the bed in there and vacuum, oh, I’m sorry, yeah, I wasn’t expecting you so soon, I’m sorry, I’m almost done, that’s okay, could I squeeze by you, I just need to grab the vacuum, no you’re fine, excuse me...I just need to finish cleaning the bathroom, no go ahead, oh, is there anyway I could get in there before you shower, excuse me, I just need to finish cleaning in there real quick, oh, oh ok, no, go ahead. Noooo, you’re fine, I’m almost done,  you had just said you were coming at 9pm, so I wasn’t expecting you, but that’s ok. What? On, no, there is no stove.  Oh, I thought you said you understood that, and I said you could bring a hot plate.  No I don’t have a hot plate, I just don’t feel safe having it available, remember when when you booked, and I wrote to make sure you knew there wasn’t a kitchen, and you said okay?   Oh, no, I was saying there ISN’T a stove, yeah ISN’T.  Ohhh, no, you’ve got all these coolers filled with fish to cook and you’ve been planning this for years, I am sooo sorry! ohhh, I’m sorry, oh noooo, you shot a turkey and had planned  to pluck it and prepare it and have a whole meal?  Wow, look at that spread, is there anyway you could eat out on the patio? yeah, cause I just see the kids are kind of spilling, and these are like very very expensive Persian rugs that belong to my partner. Oh really?  Oh that I’m, you’re fine, just see if maybe they can be careful,  I’m so sorry you didn’t see my message, no, Yeah, I had said absolutely not, yeah, that’s just something I don’t accommodate here, that’s why it’s so inexpensive, Yeah,  and I tried to call you 4 times and left messages, I was just trying to make sure you knew, that there isn’t a kitchen, no, that’s ok, it’s just now meant for dining, there’s expensive furniture and rugs, oh, well. No, there’s no stove...oh, you mean do I have a stove,?  Oh, yes, I have a stove, It’s not really for guests, but I guess I could do that. Oh, sure I could keep your ice cream in the freezer.  Oh, you just want to let me know when you want ice cream, and have me scoop it up and bring it down?  Ummmm....I’m not sure if I’m going to be here.   When I get back?  Sure, I could when I got back I guess....Oh, I see, wow, that’s a huge turkey, I don’t know if I have a pan that big?  The problem is the oven isn’t for guests, noooo.  We have dinner going, oh when I’m done eating?  Well, ok, yeah, I guess I could do that.  Ok, yeah, I’ve got it , I’ll figure it out, 425 degrees for how long?  Yeah, I’ll find a baking dish, and plates, yes.  I will message you when it’s done and bring it down once you’re ready... Noooo problem...Hey, still waiting to hear back from you, I’ve been knocking on your door, the turkey is ready, and I have 7 plates.  Also curious how many people, cause you booked 2, and it seems like there’s at least 5 of you.  Oh you didn’t know?  That’s ok!  Thanks!...3 stars?  Are you kidding me?   Wasn’t as close to Portland as we wanted?  No where to prepare meals?  Are you kidding me!!! After all that!!”.  As I slowly descend into madness, heh.  Ok, that went on a little too long, ha ha, I think I was venting.

@Matthew465 as @Sarah977 says, although I feel your pain, if they don't respond in a reasonable time frame, have airbnb contact them.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Matthew465  That was hilarious! I'm bookmarking that rant.

I've been pretty lucky with my guests- they all seem to read my listing info, don't expect anything beyond what I offer. And most have been quite communicative, answered my questions, were clear about their arrival time.

Practice politely saying no with the kind of guests you are describing. "Oh, I wasn't expecting you so early. You didn't respond to any of the messages I sent requesting your arrival time. I'm afraid you're an hour before my normal check-in time and I'm not done preparing the space. You're welcome to leave your luggage here and there's a nice cafe down the road where you can hang out in the meantime." "Kitchen? No, I'm sorry, there's no kitchen offered in my listing description." 

One tactic to use when trying to get guests to respond to your messages is to make it sound as if you are concerned about them being inconvenienced. They don't care if they inconvenience you, but they don't want to be. "Hi XX, please let me know ASAP your ETA. I would hate for you to be left standing outside in the cold because I wasn't home when you arrived."

The prevailing wisdom on this forum is don't knock yourself out for these kinds of guests. They don't appreciate it, they take it for granted, and trying to please them won't make them leave better reviews.

The few times I haven't had guests answer my messages, I contacted Airbb, who contacted the guest, and I got an answer from the guest right away.

And no, turning off your phone notifications won't prevent the guest from calling you. That's a separate thing. The guests get your phone number when their booking is confirmed.

Thank you, Sarah! That’s really good advice!  And yes, I need to take a course on saying no, it’s true.  Lol, I’m glad you got a kick out of the venting, ha ha; it’s actually not that exaggerated, ha ha.

Sarah gives some great advice. As a longtime superhost, I've had all types of guests. Most people are decent people, and respectful guests, some are not. Clear communication on your end will help some with guest who don't read listings.

 

When guests book, I ask them to make sure they read the house rules to ensure my home is a good fit for their needs. And I do ask guests to be courteous, make sure they schedule a check-in window of one hour prior to the day of arrival, or we may not be available to check them in when they arrive and they will have to wait until we get home. Yes, I could get a smart lock and let guests check themselves in, but I don't let anyone into my home who's not on the reservation.

 

The other thing I would do is set clear boundaries you are not going to budge on. For example, if they only pay for one guest and bring more. I don't let them check-in until they work it out with Airbnb. Airbnb will not cover any liability issues of people who stay with you if they are not part of the reservation. For my family's safety I need to know who is staying in our home, and for guest's safety they need to be covered should an accident happen. It's a wonderful and crazy world! Be smart and be safe, and you can still have fun.