How to get guests to give you their ETA in a timely manner

[Suzanne302]

Getting guests to provide an ETA on arrival has never been a huge issue but lately there's been a string of guests who either ignore that request entirely, or will send me a message 30 minutes before their arrival letting me know they're almost there.

I have self check-in, but I like to have the info to plan my day because 1) I try to be there at check-in if possible and 2) I have a dog who needs to be put away when guests first arrive. If I'm not at home, I don't want him to be stuck in my bedroom all day long because I don't know when the guest is arriving.

This is my current wording:

"Please provide me with a 1-2 hour window of your arrival time so I can plan my day make sure there are no unexpected encounters with Griffin, the resident dog when you check-in!"

I'm considering telling guests they will not receive the keypad code until they provide an ETA. But that seems rude and I would imagine it would still lead to last minute notifications of ETA. Or let them know if they don't give me an ETA window by the morning of check-in, check-in could be delayed. I'm not asking for an exact time, only within 1-2 hours!

Maybe add "No later than the morning of check-in day, please provide me with a 1-2 hour of your arrival time...."

Suggestions? Is my wording not clear? 

[Robin4]

@Suzanne302 

Suzanne, many guests are travelling and not sure of their travel agenda, they just don't think it is important, or else they think....'I will get around to letting them know  when  I see how the morning shopping goes, once I know what sights we are going to see today'

To them, arrival time is no big deal!

I never have an issue with this....in 340+ stays I have always managed to get a timely response! But I have a protocol that I go through.

I will generally message the guest through the message stream and on their personal phone the evening before the stay.....

Most times I will get an SMS back with a time and that lets me know where I stand.

In maybe 20% of instances I don't get a message back, and that is where I bring humour into the conversation!

If I haven't heard back by 9.00am on the morning of the stay I will send a loopy message like this....

Now that always gets the required response. Some of them see it as a joke, but one that requires a response. Others think I am serious and what to know what the crocodile thing is all about.

But Suzanne I always get a response and that's the main thing.

The ones that give me the sh*ts are the ones that say they will be their at 2.30pm and arrive at 6.00pm....haven't worked out a way to deal with them yet!

Cheers.......Rob

[Emilia42]

Hi @Suzanne302, I find that when I ask guests on the morning of their arrival what time they plan to arrive I get a better answer. I don't send a long message (hidden within my check-in instructions), just a simple when can I expect you? And like you, I make a point of why I want to know, making it sound like it's for their benefit. 

I send the message through Airbnb but if I don't hear back within 30 minutes, I send a text to their cell and almost always receive a response. 

[Susan17]

@Suzanne302 @Robin4 

It's because they think we're all either hotels, or serviced apartments run by huge hands-off "property management companies these days. 

You know the culture has changed irreparably, when they're referring to "the Airbnb", rather than "your lovely home", or even "Susan's place" now. 

[Suzanne302]

@Emilia42  Thanks! I try to leave check-in instructions to the bare minimum because when you read them on the app it feels like a novel and I bet almost everyone skims over most of it and only pay attention to the code that will let them in.

@Robin4  I like your suggestion of sending an actual text message. Most guests aren't as in tune to messages on the app as us hosts and some may not even check it the day they arrive.

[Helen427]

@Suzanne302 
Maybe include a piece in your listing and also in msg to your Guests to advise a mutually agreeable  check in time so you can plan your day accordingly as you also have a life!

It's usually worked fine with me, bar the odd guest.

All the best