Number of Guests Booking: Suggestion for Airbnb

[Dave-and-Deb0]

Please take this poll:  http://goo.gl/forms/7otIJChX7d

I have seen a common issue posted on the Community Center which happens with several hosts on Airbnb and that is with the number of guests people book for and the number of guests who show up at the door.  This is often a result of 1) a guest trying to "sneak" in extra guests because the host charges extra per person over "X" amount or 2) some guests feel that children should or are not considered people/guests.

Airbnb states that, ""You need to disclose the total number of guests accurately when making reservation requests, including infants and children (Travelling with children)." Now most people would not even know where to find this and it is not on the booking page when you choose the number of guests.  

Airbnb needs to change the way guests book when it comes to inputing the number of guests.  By guests showing up at a host's listing with more people than the host is expecting puts the guest and the host in a difficult position.  It is essentially starting the Airbnb experience out as a negative experience.  Any number of things could happen including 1) the host turning the guest away or only allowing the number of guests in that were booked or 2) putting the burden onto the host by now having to charge for extra guests.  This is not good for the Airbnb brand and you can bet the host will not be getting a favourable review even though the situation was not their fault.

I would like to see Airbnb add a box for the number of children that will be staying just like the airlines and hotels have on their sites.  This would also help out for those hosts who have not checked off "Family Friendly" as the search would not even show their listing if the children box is filled out.

What are your thoughts and experiences of extra guests showing up at your doorstep?  Should this be something that Airbnb should implement or leave it as it is?  

Please share your thoughts below AND complete this quick 2 question survey: http://goo.gl/forms/7otIJChX7d (Results of the poll are here: https://goo.gl/9lTWbD)

Here are a couple of examples of what Airbnb could include:

 

[David-Kiran-Maria0]

With my biggest smile I simply charge not booked extra guests or kids over 6 as stated in my description at check-in in cash or by my mobile pos, as by booking and accepting my contract I show them my listing on my iPad what they booked. No way out and never had  probs at all by far... let me knock on wood. 

[Kelly9]

If guests violate Host Rules or underreport number of guests, requiring a host to play enforcer, I think those guests should not be allowed to write a review for the property.  Trying to maintain Superhost status is so difficult that I tend to let things slide rather than confront guests and risk a negative review.  We have had several issues with guests not reporting the number of guests honestly.  One even had the nerve to book a 3 week stay for just herself and her husband in a small cottage with a loft accessed by a ladder (fully disclosed in photos and in writing in our listing).  Then she showed up with 2 toddlers, and demanded a 100% refund because it was unsuitable for her family (she had booked for 2 adults.)   We have a camera with a motion detector at one of our homes.  It is connected via WiFi and we get notifications every time it activates, and we can watch the footage online.  A guest that had booked the home for 2 had a massive party, and we were so thankfull to have the evidence so we could charge them for the additional cleaning required.  I would love to see Airbnb make some big changes regarding these issues. 

[Monica4]

@Kelly, I am having a lot of problems locating a supplier for such a camera that will do the installation. How does it work with wifi? Can you monitor it remotely from your own computer at home and does it have a "memory' that can be replayed? Even if it costs a bundle, it would be worth installing.

[Lizzie]

Hello @Monica4 and @Kelly9,

This sounds like an interesting product, so not to go too off-topic on this feature idea thread, Kelly would you pehaps like to start a new thread about this? We can put a link from you post here to it, so that other hosts can find it from here.

Thank you. Lizzie 🙂

[Dave-and-Deb0]

@Kelly9 and @Monica4,

This is a really good camera that other hosts are using: https://ring.com/

 It turns on with motion and you can see how many guests are there and who is coming and going.  You can also talk to the person and if someone steals it, they replace it for free.  It is also a doorbell and can be hardwired into your existing doorbell or you can just charge it.  The battery apparently lasts about a year for each charge.

Dave

[Helga0]

I'd like to see a a case for number of kids in the booking form. Not a very complicated choice with three or four cases as some suggested. Either only a case for number of adults over 18 and one for bumber of children under 18, with a text field and the suggestion to provide age, gender and first names.
Or else maximum a separation into 0-6 and over 6 years - or 10 or 12? That's the problem, as we all have different expectations concerning the age of reason and the most terrible age a kid could have.

I have had some discussions if kids should pay (yes they must), how many babies a couple can bring into a two persons maximum flat (made the error once to let me talk into accepting two) and if the third person, a son, really has to pay if he only stays part of the stay (yes and I don't make a special offer either for two nights without third person charge as I don't suppose the father and daughter will share the big bed for the last nights and wash the other sheets).
In most of those cases, the discussion was unpleasant, sometimes the "kids" were even adults supposed to stay for free, and most times It resulted in a worse evaluation than they would normally give.

I have the "let's try every bed there is" phenomen nearly every time there are two people or more. A case how many beds they will use would be nice, as I prefer to prepare them instead of having people use them without sheets. And it would then be easy to add 20 Euros per extra bed in a special offer, for the laundry service.

[Edith0]

Of the interest to read the "traveler summary "in the last booking reminder email.

I have yesterday noticed an error in the number of participants that I immediately corrected by the resolution center (it's easy the eve of the arrival  - without writing guests a blah blah about increase or restitution money...).

Furthermore, we find in that "summary" the No. guest's phone and that of the Help Center.

I mark a red flag this last email that I did not print, thinking of the planet!

I'm living home, then I'm not that much concerned with extra guests (I like the "snaked" word), but, see, this error of booking happens however. I rarely have a look at this "traveler summary" but I'll be extra carefull now. I swear!

And yes, Airbnb should definitevely add the number of children.

[Monica4]

@Dave-and-Deb0

That camera only works if you have access to the wifi inside the house that is being monitored. I would of course only have access after they have already left but I would like to monitor the number of guests while they are still in the house.

[Dave-and-Deb0]

Hi @Monica4,

Does your listing not have Wifi?  The camera would run off the Wifi of your house.  If you were at work, it would send you a notification if there was motion and then you could see who is there and how many.  You could also see who is dropping by after your guests have checked in.  If you had it hardwired to the existing doorbell, it would ring for the guests who could answer the door but I believe you would also get a notification as well so you could monitor it.  

Please clarify if I am missing something.

Thanks

Dave

[Monica4]

@Dave-and-Deb0

No, I think I may be missing something.....! I thought that I needed physical access to my listing's wifi. Ah....technologly loses me sometimes. I'll check into it further. Thanks.

[Dave-and-Deb0]

Hi @Monica4,

Check out this 3 minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVH57ho_IT8

Dave

[Amy38]

@Dave-and-Deb0.  

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-XbL4QkMWEQ

A 6 month review fo Ring.  There are others.

anycomments?

[Amy38]

A review which is more germaine to our situation...

no video till after 15 or 20 seconds after motion detector  is triggered.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5xiVIe8SagA

[David-Kiran-Maria0]

Thanks thank you thank you dear @Lizzie, you've just been elected as my personal sins washer lol ;-*

Hey @Dave-and-Deb0 please have a pint and keep calm, say thanks to me as yesterday I gave you the chance to have fun and avoid to pay your weekly shrink which is very expensive in Canada, no healthcare isn'it?? a 30 pounds paypal would be ok, thanks. LOL

[Kelly9]

@Monica4 @Lizzie

There is an existing thread about Security Cameras, so I posted a longer reply there with some details as well.  This is the camera we use. 

http://amzn.to/1P1Mp24

Y-Cam Wireless Security IP Camera with free Cloud Storage