HELPFUL TIP: How I Go About Choosing the Right Guest For Us

Momi0
Level 10
Honolulu, HI

HELPFUL TIP: How I Go About Choosing the Right Guest For Us

Hi Fellow Hosts....

 

I was asked to post this on the CC by Airbnb to show other hosts how I go about choosing which guests gets a CONFIRMED BOOKING.  (I decline about 20% of my booking requests every month as I am sure you can understand why) - plus some people prove to me they will not be a great guests just by choosing to ignore my 10 questions but continue to ask me questions that are easily answered had they read my completed listing....and we are totally ok with that, because other hosts need bookings too and not everyone is gonna be a good match.  Our listing is for a PRIVATE ROOM in our 4 bedroom 1600sq foot home. 

 

To date, I have helped over 100+ hosts compile their own 5-10 questions.  Each one loves how its working for them already.  And so do the guests.  One host even showed me the answers she received from her first guests which included the guests gratitude towards this host for taking the time to find out what the guests needs were prior to their arrival with her 10 questions, (which of course are different but some similar to mine)

 

The answers I receive are also very telling about who has read my listing, looked at my photos, and how respectful they will be in my home.  (yes, some guests have even written back saying...."Wait, What?  You have a Cat?" - still shaking my head over those.  

FYI - In my listing, I talk about our awesome cat in 3 places and even have a photo in Position #5).

 

 

 

************Momi's 10 Questions for Potential Guests************

 

Thank you  __guest name____  & __guest name____ for taking the time to fill out these questions. I'm sure you can understand that we have to be very careful about who stays with us in OUR HOME.  These questions are meant to help us get to know you, find out your needs, and to ensure that we will be the best fit for each other as host and guests.  Honest answers are required, but humorous replies are welcomed too. 

 

1. Pls tell us ONE reason why you chose our place.


2. What are your plans during your 6 night stay? (Day & night)


3. Do you like dogs and cats?


4. You will be receiving our HOUSE MANUAL from Airbnbs' confirmed booking through your email. (after your booking is confirmed)
PLEASE be sure to read it as soon as possible. Let me know if you have any concerns or questions. I always reply very quickly. (This is not the same as our House Rules)  


5. Are you interested in my "Real Hawaii" private tour? Need airport pick up and/or drop off?

 

6. Are you planning to drink alcohol at our home? Which is totally fine, but no excessiveness will be permitted.

 

7. Do you need a rental car?
I have fantastic idea that will save you significant money. Just need your email address to send you the link to the app PLUS $25 of free promo money to help you get started.

 

8. Have you stayed in a PRIVATE ROOM inside a Family Home before with Airbnb?  If so, how was the experience?

 


9. Do you consider yourself a neat and clean person? And your husband? girlfriend? partner? friend?

 

 

10. Do you enjoy a gorgeous Sunsets? I know a secret spot near my home 😉

(if you would like to borrow some comfortable chairs to watch it, just let us know, I even supply wine glasses & corkscrew)

 

 

Mahalo for getting back to me. I would like to receive these answers very soon to move forward in your booking request. Should only take 1-2 mins. Unless you write a lot like me - lol, - Aloha, Momi

 

If you feel that me or another host have helped you, feel free to click on the "thumbs up" button at the end of any post. Thank you so much.

Aloha, Momi

Great way to contact Airbnb or via Twitter at AirbnbHelp / Facebook


32 Replies 32
Lois-and-Darryl0
Level 10
Rochester, WA

How wonderful to rent a room in a beautiful home in Hawaii.  I feel the helpful, appropriate questions are 2, 3, 6, and 8.  As a potential Guest, I recommend you putting yourself in the shoes of someone looking for a room in Honolulu, and coming across the question, "Do you feel you are a clean person?"  How would I answer that question?  I'm sure you know that there are a LOT of choices on the Airbnb platform, and searching for the right place to stay on vacation is very time-consuming.  Personally, I would not choose a home that had so many questions, particularly one that asks me if like sunsets.  A few of your questions should be saved for after the booking is secured, IMO, such as the House Manual.  I'm sure your place is beautiful and I, too, would be very cautious of guests entering my home.  However, I personally would recommend trying to be more efficient in your words and questions.  You may be scaring excellent Guests away.  I suggest you assessing your Guests first before you tell them all the help and information you can provide them.  For me, personally, when I travel to Hawaii (I've visited Maui and Hawaii 5 times), my time is SO valuable, I want to be in control of my vacation time, and I'm afraid that all of these overly personal questions give me an impression that I may be stuck in a house with someone who won't let me get on with my vacation.  I do think there are inappropriate questions for assessing if the booking request is something you can approve.  For example, "Do you need to rent a car?"  The questions for booking should focus on getting to know them personally so you feel comfortable, such as, "What brings you to Hawaii?"  After your booking is secure and you're still talking back and forth, you can write and say, "BTW, I have an excellent source for a reasonable car rental, if you're interested."  Good Luck Momi, and thanks for sharing and asking for feedback.  I've looked through Airbnb for staying in Hawaii (we have a condo), and I'm amazed at the number of bookings that most of the listings have.  This is the best place to garner an income from Airbnb, but people are super busy with their lives, and my thought is that an economy of words may prove fruitful.  Aloha!  Lois

@Lois-and-Darryl0  First I would like to say MAHALO for taking the time to read my Helpful Post and responding with your thoughts.  You actually made me realize that I did not copy and paste the most up-to-date version of those 10 questions from my Airbnb account which I meant to do.  I have asked @Lizzie to help me edit the word 'Clean" to "Tidy".  Thanks. 

 

Second, I would like to point out that while your opinion is yours, and you are sharing it, I feel like you missed the most important thing about my post and that was the POST TITLE.....I am definitely not missing out on some Excellent guests as you have mentioned because I am turning away 20% of my booking requests for the simple reason that they are NOT the right guests for us.   I feel like you don't get the point in WHY I do what I do. And that's ok.  But when I read what you wrote, it simply tells me that you didn't read my post in the genuine manner in which it was written.  I was asked to share this because I do host EXCELLENT guests...that's the point.   And those 10 questions are not the first thing I sent to my guests for crying out loud.  I actually send them a wonderful Aloha greeting message thanking them for choosing our home and our family and to ensure them they will have a fantastic experience for choosing me as their Superhost. If a guests feels that I am intruding on their vacation with my questions, then THEY are NOT the right guests for us.  And I believe that my 74 reviews with a 94% Overall 5 Star Rating proves I am doing exactly what I need to do to get the RIGHT guests for me and my family.  

 

Its funny that you would say that these 10 questions lead people to think I would not allow them to enjoy their vacation....you couldn't be more wrong.  I actually had to remind my guests after they checked in, that I am very busy working in my home office, homeschooling my child, taking care of my foundation, helping other hosts, running my 3 companies, and making breakfast for my guests, etc..and I don't have time to be their full time concierge even though in 2015 so many thought that's exactly what I was for them....a FREE 24 hour concierge service.   The guests who book my home actually thank me for sending these 10 questions which leads me to know they are the RIGHT guests for us....key word....US!

I would never begin to think that everyone is the right match for us and that's the beauty of this world...so many choices.  

 

And the guests who write back and say....."Thanks Momi, we were actually not going to rent a car because of the huge expense, but your idea has made it possible for us to rent the entire time!"  - Those are the guests who get a confirmed booking and spoiled with Aloha Spirit after they arrive. 

 

Oh before I forget......the reason for the #10 Sunset questions is to get a feel if the guests woud like to take the time to sit and enjoy one because I do something very special for them (that's always a surprise) and every guests has been blown away by it.  Please don't judge unless you understand the whole BIG picture. I'm planting a seed in their mind to envision about our gorgeous hawaiian sunsets, too bad you won't find out what that is since you are staying in a condo.  😉

 

Thank you for your kind words about our beautiful home.....and yes, we are blessed to have the opportunity all year round to host amazing people from all over the world...(just hosted my 32nd country) , and with 10,000 listings in our Hawaiian islands, we as hosts need to stay on top of our game to make sure we get chosen for those potential bookings.....but like I said, I still turn down 20% of the booking requests that I get, my home stays booked the exact  # of days that we want, and I still host one EXCELLENT guests after another.  Seems I am doing exactly what I need to do to protect my family and host the grateful guests that we want in OUR HOME. 

 

By the way, the type of guests that become our FAVS are not the ones just looking for a "private room" (yikes boring)....they are looking to meet, enjoy, learn, eat and have fun with a local family...which is another reason why I have already had 6 different guests (in 20 months) come back and rebook our home.  Because it was so great the first time, they wanted their family and friends to enjoy our Aloha Spirit.  Guests coming back are better then the 5 Star reviews I get each time.  

 

Speaking of fruitful.....guess who makes an incredible margarita for the guests with fresh mangso from her tree?! haha

 

If you feel that me or another host have helped you, feel free to click on the "thumbs up" button at the end of any post. Thank you so much.

Aloha, Momi

Great way to contact Airbnb or via Twitter at AirbnbHelp / Facebook


No he is right.   You have too many questions but as I can see from your response you are not interested in hearing from other hosters on airbnb who have had nothing but wonderful guests.  Have a great day.   Curt  (why should any of us reply to your question when your mind is already fixed.)

***  WRITTEN BY MY CURRENT GUEST***  w/ my Approval.

 

My name is Andrew F. from New York City.  I am sitting here in Momi's garden enjoying another delicious breakfast and reading all of your comments because my host Momi asked me to.  I have stayed at 14 Airbnbs around the world and she is by far the best host i have ever had.  all of you are missing the point in this post.  Its about choices. And it was my choice to stay here. i think there was at least 500 available airbnb rooms i couldve chosen. Most were cheaper too. Because she is here next to me, i asked her if i could reply to you all because i am the actual guest who chose her listing for many obvious good reasons.  And i had no problem whatsoever answering her 10 Q's.  as a matter of fact, i find her to be the most caring host i have ever stayed with and her asking those q's makes me feel from the get go that she is trying to get to know her guests.  Personally, and this is my opinion, i think many hosts should take whatever advice she gives because she knows what she is doing.  i have been here for 6 nights already and staying another 2.  As a matter of fact, yesterday while I was in the home working, Momi was helping a host from Canada who was brand new to airbnb for over 45 minutes on the phone and this host found her from this very post. I could overhear the video chat and the host kept thanking Momi over and over for all the guidance she gave. Shows me that Momi not only cares about her guests but helping other hosts expecting nothing in return. While she does welcome your feedback, its important to note that she did not ask any questions for hosts to answer.  So we are both quite perplexed as to why one of you wrote saying that her mind is made up and she doesn't welcome your answers. I can even see that she took the time to thank a host in this post.  

 

still eating the best banana pancakes i have ever eaten. And amused that most of you think she is going about this all wrong. Id say she is doing everything right, but that's my opinion, and i am the guest who is being spoiled by my airbnb Super host. :]

 

 

 

If you feel that me or another host have helped you, feel free to click on the "thumbs up" button at the end of any post. Thank you so much.

Aloha, Momi

Great way to contact Airbnb or via Twitter at AirbnbHelp / Facebook


@Momi0 , for transparancy it would be much better if your current guest Andrew F. would come to the forum himself and post his comment under his own name. I am surprised that with your fine coaching skills you haven't shown him how to do that. 

 

 

@Annette33   Always so good to see your positive uplifting remarks on the CC when it comes to my posts.  haha

 

1.  thanks for being so presumptuous, yet again.  

2. Of course he could have signed in and written from his acct. duh.

3.  It was HIS choice not to. Hence why I wrote it was approved by me. 

4.  Again, the beauty about our country.......are the choices we get to make.

5.  After he checks out, I'll be writing his 5* review.  Be sure to go to my acct later and read his review. You will find the transparency there that you wrote [would be so much better].  

 

Off to the gym now. Caio.

If you feel that me or another host have helped you, feel free to click on the "thumbs up" button at the end of any post. Thank you so much.

Aloha, Momi

Great way to contact Airbnb or via Twitter at AirbnbHelp / Facebook


@Curt0  I didn't ask any questions within my originial Topic post to be answered by other hosts. But I will reply to the question that you asked. 

 (why should any of us reply to your question when your mind is already fixed.)  ----->  I didn't ask any questions for anyone to answer. But host feedback is always welcomed.  As long as its done with respect and kindness. Sadly, that is not always the case here on the CC.

If you feel that me or another host have helped you, feel free to click on the "thumbs up" button at the end of any post. Thank you so much.

Aloha, Momi

Great way to contact Airbnb or via Twitter at AirbnbHelp / Facebook


For heavens sakes.  Now Moni you have your guests replying to your input.
Actually this is kind of neat.  I just at this point do not know what you
would like from this forum.  Look all of us great hosts with great ratings
and reviews want our format to continue.  I am so looking forward to greet  guests
again this summer in Traverse City Michigan.  We have had nothing but 5
star guests and also when we travel (New Zealand,  Winston Salem NC, upper
peninsula of Michigan, we have been also nothing but 5 star guest ratings).   So
again you start this topic with a 10 to 20 question list to your potential
guests that sounds so condescending that if I ever saw that I would just
totally walk away.   No I would RUN away.  The host is going to be so intimidating that I would
have nothing to do with this.  So your guest today is happy: great.  And
apparently where you are you have no problems with people answering the
questions so good for you.  But the fact that you had your guest reply to
this is exactly the point.  I would never want to stay with a host that is
so intimidating.  Just saying.  Ok I am done with this because you are not
listening whatever to other 5 star hosts who have had nothing but wonderful
experiences with ALL of our guests who are offering you opinions.  Your
mind is made up.  So stick with your plan.  Apparently it is working.   Have a great day.   Curt
Peterson Traverse City, Michigan  Ok so I just want to say we are still friends because I am guessing  you have 5 star ratings.

Is that correct?  And we want our fellow hosts to be top notch.   Just curious how did you get a phone number to help a fellow host?

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hello @Momi0,

 

Thank you for creating a topic sharing some of your tips. It is always fantastic to see community members creating guides and encourage anyone else who would like to also create one. 🙂

 

It is also great that here in the CC we can also share our thoughts and support one another, together we can all grow in experience and knowledge. 

 

Thanks again,

 

Lizzie

 

 


--------------------


Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

@Lizzie  Can you do me a favor.....after reading the comments of @Lois-and-Darryl0 on my thread, I realized that I copied and pasted the wrong edited version of my 10 qeustions... meaning that the qestions should have read: "Do you consider yourself a neat and tidy person, not clean. I am glad she said something bc I dont' want other hosts to perceive my question in the wrong way.....as it was edited months ago to be saved in my Airbnb "saved" documents but I grabbed the wrong one from my NOTES in my Iphone.  If you could please change that word to read Neat and Tidy, that would be great since the system is not allowing me to edit that question. 

 

Thanks for the ongoing support....its appreciated much more then YOU will ever know.  I am happy to help and I am so glad you encouraged me to come back to the CC to help other hosts by uplifting them, encouraging them, supporting them and hopefully proving some insight on how to handle certain situations surrounding hosting.   YOU are truly someone from the CC I hope to meet one day.  Wait....aren't I making YOU breakfast some day?  haha  My guests this morning from NYC wrote on Instagram it was the BEST Banana pancakes and bacon they had ever had...just made my day!  😉

If you feel that me or another host have helped you, feel free to click on the "thumbs up" button at the end of any post. Thank you so much.

Aloha, Momi

Great way to contact Airbnb or via Twitter at AirbnbHelp / Facebook


@Lizzie & Kirstie

 

I can see that you both have given kudos to the main post - as well as Lizzie's comment post.

But I can also see the confusion in several responses to this thread regarding the apparent official Airbnb request for this post to be made. Is this part of the new community center change/development - that you will be asking certain hosts to write on topics in order to recommend and encourage certain processes and procedures to hosts?

Would you be able to clarify please?

 

Best Wishes.

 

Roz4
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

I don't Think any amount of encouragement could get me to write a helpful guide on this CC @Lizzie.... Too much negativity! 

 

As a host I read posts on the CC and take what's useful for me and my hosting situation and style and discard the rest. I see no point in berating other people's advice, because what works for some won't work for all, there is no right or wrong. 

Hi All,

 

I think the problem here is that @Momi0 has been asked to submit a post that does not really apply to 95% of hosts out there today.  @Lizzie would you be able to provide the statistics on how many hosts opt to have full interaction with guests as opposed to leaving it up to the guest or no interaction at all?  I would guess that the mainstream is the 2 latter options.  Is this a tentative push by airbnb to try to regenerate the now almost obsolete "become my friend for life" syle of hosting?

 

I think the concept of this post is good but it should be presented by a more mainstraeam host who is more current with the 'today" style of hosting.  I agree that questions typically shift the brain to another level of engagement but would limit to 3 with a max of 5.  Perhaps another host could make a constructive suggestion on how they impliment this concept with their listing.  We have an entire listing so this does not apply to us at all.  I wanted to comment as it seems hosts are missing the overall basic point as it is addressed in a bit of an irrelavant fashion - but - there is still a good point here.

 

I would personally imagine that it may be more constructive to use this as an opportunity to advise guests of drawbacks to the listing.  For example:

 

We love hosting guests and strive to make sure that our listing is the best match for you.  From previous feedback, I would like to draw your attention to a couple of points.

 

- we have cats sharing the common areaas

 

- our street parking has a 2 hour limit from 8-4 after which you are free to park for the night

 

- kitchen use is only until 4pm after which time access is restricted unless you are booking for one month or more when you can use the kitchen 3 times per week

 

- we prefer to chat about your day at breakfast time and are happy to offer suggestions and answer questions in the morning, however we reserve evenings for family time

 

- please advise if you are here to visit somewhere specific in our area and we will be happy to advise on whether this location is perfect for your needs

 

And so on.  Whatever is out of the ordinary should be mentioned for the guest and for your own needs.  This does not apply to us as we have entire listings and find that our guests do not really want us to be a focal point in their holiday.   @Momi0 you would be lost hosting an entire property as you are obviously the star of the show and guests would flock to you even if you were in the middle of a desert because they love your interactive hosting style.  I think this is becoming a lost art and you should be proud of what you have acheived.  It is not a criticism to say you are not mainstream - you are just not.  

 

For us, we host about 75 sets of guests a month and in 5 years I have only met about 3 guests by accident so I am on the opposite end of the spectrum to Momi.  This by no means says that I care any less - only that our styles are different.  

 

For those with shared accommodation, I agree that some questions are in order but you must select carefully according to your own hosting style and needs.  I would look at feedback where guests were suprised because they did not read the listing and reiterate these points here.  

 

I think the main aim of this post is to just make guests aware of what you expect of them and what they expect of you to source out if they will be a good fit and that is a good thing!  Please try to focus on the positives.  Let others have their own style as this is obviously working for them and create one that is unique to your circumstances.

 

I would personally also not advocate recommending that new hosts send these questions to their guests and would not be comfortable with this style of hosting as a guest but there is obviously a market for it so just pick out the good advice and find what works for your style and take it from there.

 

As a side note @Momi0 we just bought a 230 acre property which is bordered on 3 sides by a creek and the other side by a state forest.  This would be a glamping venture.  We are having 2 train carriages with 14 bedrooms that were decommissioned a couple of months ago delivered next week.  The track was laid yesterday.  We are considring Argo (amphibious vehicle) tours.  What did you have to do to register your tour business?  Was it fairly easy?  Our insurance would only be $4000 a year if we include "extreme" sports which we felt was pretty fair.  Can you elaborate on your tour business?

 

Thanks kindly, Lisa

 

 

Karen-and-Will0
Level 10
Maryland, United States

Interesting and thought provoking post especially in light of the push for instabook. @Momi0 I have seen many of your other posts in the past and it seems that you offer a variety of lovely things to your guests.  Perhaps offering an Airbnb “experience” might be another avenue to show your creativity.