Heads Up, New Format for Emailing Guests

[Sarah977]

I have always used the email option to send a map to my place to all my guests- without my map they would have a pretty impossible time to find it.

Since the format of our Inbox changed recently, the coded email address that Airbnb assigns to guests, which used to be shown under their photo, along with their phone number after booking confirmation, is no longer visible.

Instead, there is a list of options, one of which is "Email". When I clicked on this, it brought up a box asking me to enter my email address and password, after doing that, it said that my email is already registered, which of course I knew, and didn't go anywhere else.

I was just about to send a frustrated message to support, asking how in the world do we now access email option for guests, when I thought to right click on the "Email" option, which brought up a box of options, one of which was "copy link". When i clicked on that, my email compose screen came up, with the guest's coded email address filled in the address line.

I admit I'm not super tech-savvy, but none of this seems intuitive to me. The email format was changed without notice, notification, or explanation on how to email guests since their coded email is no longer visible anywhere on the Inbox page. What would be so hard about letting us know how to use a new format rather than making us waste time trying to figure it out?

Anyway, I thought I'd post this in case others got bamboozled by how to now email a guest.

[Cathie19]

@Patrizia16 , I also use the key on the ABB App. But I never just rely on ABB to send it, as I’ve heard cases, that it hasn’t happened in this forum.

So I also send my direction/location photos to them, “just in case”!

[Cynthia475]

@Patrizia0

Have you figured out a way to attach a PDF to an e-mail when e-mailing within the ABB app on the desktop or through the phone?  I can only attach a picture and have even called support to ask if there is a way to do this.  I have 6 PDF files that I send the guests when they book that gives them all of the information that they need to know about my condo, rules, directions, local area and FAQ.  It is about 15 pages so sending it as a picture as individual pages would be time consuming and frustrating for the guest.  However I would love to do this within the system so that there is a record that I sent it.  Right now I have to copy and paste address into my gmail account and send it that way.  Then I am concerned that it could go to their spam and they would not have the benefit of all of the information I provide prior to their arrival.

[Sarah977]

@Patrizia16  That second screen you posted didn't appear for me after filling out the blue box. It just sat there, going nowhere.

[Patrizia16]

@Sarah977 

what browser do you use ?? if you do not use it ... try to use Chrome is very compatible with the platform of ABB .. try to clear the browser cache .. if you have the cache full applications are struggling to be loaded..... 

if all this does not work you have to wait for ABB to update the server that manages your area .. 😉

.

[Sarah977]

@Patrizia16  Thank you. You're obviously far more tech savvy than I. I do use Chrome, and it's up-to-date. I clear my cache every time I log out.

Yesterday I contacted Airbnb because there was one reservation on my calendar that had no payment listed in the blue reservation bar. They said they could see it, suggested I use Chrome, and make sure I have the latest version, all of which I confirmed was in play.  I finally was able to see it, not from any solution they gave me, but by significantly reducing the size of the screen. Like really small. Then it became visible- it was off the side of the calendar date, which wasn't visible in the larger format (i.e. not huge,  just easily readable).

And I seriously doubt that Airbnb updates any server here in the boonies of Mexico 🙂

[Kati18]

I can still see the email address for my future guests when I open up the conversation.  From there I just copy and paste into gmail.  Though I'm using Chrome so either it still can be seen on a desktop or I haven't been updated yet.

I usually will send my "Welcome Book" which is a pdf doc which reviews the house rules and gives more details about my Airbnb as well as the neighbourhood. 

[Sarah977]

@Kati18  I use Chrome and desktop as well. They do roll things out in different areas at different times. I could see guest's profile photos before booking for weeks after other hosts reported them gone. But it finally caught up with me 😞

[Kati18]

Well crossing my fingers that my area is the last on the list for this change so I have time to figure out how to work around the system and get what I need sent to the guest.

[Sarah977]

@Kati18  It was actually pretty simple, albeit totally non-intuitive, I just don't think I should have to hunt and peck for 10 minutes to figure out something that they change and don't bother to explain.

I have this vision of Airbnb techies sitting around on their breaks, saying things like "Hey Dexter, I just changed the format of the Hosting Calendar. I bet you a pizza and and a Gatorade it'll take hosts an average of 2 weeks to figure out how to use it, and they'll be at least 8 frustrated posts on the CC about it, yuk, yuk."  

[Raelyn2]

I searched the help section on how to send the guest an email and I still don't understand what's supposed to be the correct method. I see the guest-generated email but I read there is a host generated email as well? Where is it? Do I email through the site or through my normal email address?

[Sarah977]

@Raelyn2   I assume your email address is already registered with Airbnb. What I do is send the guest an email using that coded email address from my regular email. On the guest end, they see a coded email address as well, not your personal email address. Don't know if you're seeing the old format, where the coded email for the guest is visible to you- if so, I just right click copy it, then paste it into my address bar in the email. If the new format, I explain how to do it in the first post in this thread. there may be other ways, but I'm not that tech savvy, and this one works for me.

For confirmed guests who I feel super comfortable with, because we've had a bunch of back and forth friendly and sometimes quite funny message exchanges, I'll often just ask for their personal email address, if they don't mind giving it, and send them mine. I've actually had to do that a couple times when the map attchment I sent to the coded email address didn't show up on the guest end.

[Susan1028]

@Sarah0 

Thank you for mentioning this.  

The changes are happening daily it seems.  Some are helpful, some not.  I do agree some notice other than the little “have you noticed” message in our dashboard is helpful, especially in a situation like the one we share with location not being recognized by gps.  

Cell range is also spotty along the coast where i live, so the app is not dependable, and I must send extra instructions to find my place. Since I can’t attach anything in messaging, all of my instructions are written, but it works.