How can you keep response rate when needing more info?

[James165]

As happens often, I got an inquiry from someone with no information and no reviews. I am not a hotel, so I want to know more about someone, so I ask for more but hear nothing. Meanwhile the threatening response rate clocks ticks, explicitly saying accept or decline. If I decline, none of the reasons given applies since they don't allow for "lack of information". Plus I know too many declines will penalize me. I realize Airbnb increasingly just wants to generate transactions and seems to have less concern for owners. I get that - it's where they make their money. But any suggestions on how others are handling this? I see one post saying a response is a response, regardless of whether you accept or decline, but NONE of the Airbnb help screens back that up and I don't want to try it and lose my superhost status.

[Suzanne302]

I think this is a common issue and yes, that "ticking clock" is annoying. I've had requests that come in after I've gone to bed, and then I get this "urgent" reminder from ABB in the morning that I need to respond soon! Ugh.

It seems unfair because suppose you respond with a question, and they don't answer withing the time allotted, now YOU are penalized for not accepting or declining. 

I wish we could TAG! But I know @Jessica-and-Henry0 usually has some clever ways of getting people to respond or withdraw requests.

[John-and-Tim0]

@James165, We've experienced this same issue.  In "Saved Messages" we have a stock response saying that in order to stay with the Airbnb hosting guideline we will need to accept or decline your inquiry within 24 hrs.  Please completely fill out your profile within this timeframe.  If not, we will have to decline your request.  We have declined a few already since they do not meet our booking guidelines.  When we decline I mark "Not comfortable with guest" as there is no choice fitting blank profiles.

So here's the pickle: do you risk losing SH status declining booking or losing it due to bad reviews from nightmare guests with blank profiles?

[James165]

Exactly my dilemma. 

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@James165

This came up in a different post as @Suzanne302 mentions..... I didn't want to write the same thing again so here's the link. I think reading thru the various replies will help you determine the best way for you to manage undesirable booking requests 🙂 

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Guests-debating-house-rules-No-pets-or-children/td-p/730...

[Cathie19]

Hi @James165

If a guest doesn’t want to put profile image and details up, then they are not in spirit, recognising what makes Airbnb different as a STR community. I thank them for their enquiry and state I personally require a profile image and information. 

——-

Maybe something like:

”You look like you have just joined Airbnb, is this the case? I usually like to see who is booking, and a little information about you.  As we are not a commercial hotel, the cultural way with the Airbnb community is to get to know something about one another, so as hosts, we can be assured of meeting your needs.

I see you have no profile information up for hosts to learn a little about you. Where are you coming from? Are you travelling internationally or domestic? 

Also, as part of my prerequisites, guests need to have had more then one point of ID verification, including a Government ID, such as a drivers licence.

———-

Maybe you could also add some of the following=

- These would be the reasons you could not instantly book. 

- If you could provide more personal information, I would be most grateful as I am unable to pre approve your enquiry without this information.”

———

Finally, remember YOU ARE THE BOSS of YOUR Airbnb Homestay, and will not preapprove anyone you’re  not sure about. Respond quickly, then let the clock tick away. Generally they will let the time expire if they don’t want to complete the information.  At that point you are better without them. 

OR preapprove with these provisos, then state if not completed within the 24hours, you will request Airbnb to cancel the booking. 

🙂

Cathie

[Jeff158]

Not sure what you are all chatting about ?

An enquiry and a booking request are different.

Enquiry's you have the choice of pre-approve/decline or send a special offer. you only have to send a message within 24hrs and the clock disappears when you refresh your screen.

Booking requests you have to accept or decline within 24hrs

[Claudiu-Nicolae0]

If it is just an inquiry, not a reservation request, choose "Other" from the options. You are not penalized for rejecting inquiries. But, yes, it is not ok to reject reservations requests. If it is a reservation request, the first thing I would do is to politely ask the guest to complete the profile information.

[James165]

No, it is an actual reservation request. So I did exactly what you suggest, I politely asked the guest more ab out himself and his plans, but heard nothing back and the 24 hours was almost up. So either I had to accept someone without knowing anything about them or reject. And even the rejection doesn't list as an option "need more information". It seems if a guest doesn't have any history or any profile, Airbnb might consider extending the response period or even not penalizing for a decline.

[James165]

OK, my bad. I said inquiry but I should hae said "booking request." My guess is that many guests end up doing an booking request when they really mean to inquire - Airbnb funnels people into doing the booking so they may not even see how to have a discussion without the request!

So, yeah, I get if someone sends me a message I only need to answer back. But when I get a booking request, but want more information, I feel stuck if they don't respond. If I let it expire, according to everything I see on Airbnb, I will be penalized. If I reject it due to lack of information, Airbnb doesn't give an option to express that on the reason. The only choice that remotely works is "I don't feel comfortable". That IMO is way too vague. I just want more info and I'm glad to host!

[Mariann4]

I have decided to decline any requests that don't answer within a timely manner. First I warn the guest that if it does not respond I will decline. And then when I decline I do it from the not comfortable section. There I write to Airbnb that this guest is not replying to my messages and I'm therefore not comfortable with them. Please educate the guest.

And then i get dinged for not accepting... So I went to feedback section and sent feedback to Airbnb that it is not my fault that guests don't read my add closely enough, that guests don't answer my questions. I think if enough hosts DO USE this feedback button Airbnb at least would see that they only stress out their hosts with all these rated responses. No I'm not blue-eyed! I know they don't listen. 😄 But please use the feedback button...

Mariann 🙂

[James165]

Good ideas. I will give the feedback, although as noted, I think Airbnb is moving from being a hosting / home sharing site to being a booking site, so they really don't want us interacting and screening, but just booking sight unseen.

[James165]

Very frustrated. They tell us we can screen guests. Then they give us a 24-hour period to accept or decline a booking request. So a guest requests a booking - he has ZERO reviews and no information about himself - ie, nothing on which I can screen. So I write him with a few simple questions. He never responds and the 24 hours is almost up. So I decline, and now I am being scolded for dropping below an 88% accept rate. This is one of 2 declines I've ever done!  WTF? I am not running a hotel and I didn't think Airbnb was trying to become Expedia!

[Letti0]

@James165 So now you do not met the Basic Requirements for AirBnB. I have found no where though that states whether or not this will effect Super Host status, since the requirements of Super Host do not include the Accepted Reservations be above 88% category. They really need to clarify this.  

As to the declining. I have called AirBnB a few times about this issue. What I do now is apprive the request. Tell them my conditions to be allowed onto the property, to re-read my rules and that they have 48 hours to get a full refund if they do not agree to my terms and conditions otherwise my Strict canncellation policy will be in place. 

HA/VRBO also has hits on your ranking for declines. Around the end of May, some cleaning service requested to book 1 night trying to solicate business. I got pissed that they would do that and hurt my ranking, so I acccepted the booking. I have a no refund policy there, so they were charged the one night, my cleaning fee and taxes $543.27 the $500 security was refunded as soon as they cancelled. It's been about a month now since I recieved the money, I am just waiting for the chargeback to happen anytime. At least they will think twice about doing that to another host again.

[James165]

Thanks. That is a good idea since they can cancel within 48 hours. My problem is that if the guy is planning a keg party, I really don't want them in my house, but have no way of knowing those are his plans. It is just so frustrating since it was the host focus that gave Airbnb success and they are basically now seeing us as a commodity.