[Poll] Do you use the guest email feature?

[Stephanie]

Hello everyone,

We haven't had a poll in the Community Center for a while, so we thought it was about time and I'm quite intrigued to see the results! The Product Team would love to hear your feedback relating to the guest email messaging feature. This is the feature which generates a unique and anonymous email for your guest, which would resemble something like this: stephanie-dfsnsns@guest.airbnb.com and is one option to communicate with your guests. 

In order to participate in this poll, simply choose 'yes', 'no' or 'sometimes' in the box below in answer to the question 'Do you use the email guest feature?' and then click 'submit'. Then write a comment below in the thread telling us more about your choice and your experience of the three options - e.g. I don't use the email guest feature, I prefer to use the Airbnb messaging tool, to keep track of my conversation.

It would also be great to hear any additional comments on this feature below. Do keep an eye out on this discussion, as we will be providing the results as more come in. 

Thanks,

Stephanie

[Lawrene0]

@Stephanie , I said "sometimes" because a pdf of the self check-in instructions works best for some of my guests. About half of them? It contains a map and photos, and the text is personalised to the guest and customised to the season. 

The only way to send a pdf is through the email address function. If it were possible to send pdfs through the messaging, I would do it that way. 

I would love it if we could do everything through the messaging. 

[Joy359]

I also do the same, it gives me the ability to personalize their visit. I prepare a personalized news letter of sorts.  But have to communicate by personal email to provide them with this pdf.

[Denise80]

Me too 🙂

[Marit-Anne0]

I use it to send my arrival document with detailed directions.  After some guests claimed the got lost during the 300 meters from the airport coach to the entrance, I found that such a document were necessary. No-one has gotten lost since 😁

[Lisa723]

@Stephanie I do, but to date only because it's been the only way LockState sends their automatic emails to guests. I find that they very often if not always end up in the guest's spam folder, so I always manually send a copy via Airbnb messaging, which is a nuisance to have to do. Now LockState is beta testing a feature to send their emails directly through Airbnb messaging. I hope it works, so I can stop manually sending copies.

I agree with others that it's quite inconvenient not to be able to send PDFs through Airbnb directly.

[Sarah977]

I always have to send my hand-drawn map to my guests as an email attachment, as my place is hard to find. But half the time I use the coded email address, guests get the email but the attachment isn't there. This seems to happen most often when guests are using the app. Then I have to ask the guest for their actual email address and resend it- the attachment always goes through in that case.

It would be very helpful and a time saver if we could add attachments to an Airbnb message. Or at least work out the bugs with the coded email address so that the attachments actually go through.

[J-Renato0]

Answer: Sometimes.

Motive: Once in a while I have to send some file attached.

[Alexandra316]

Once in a while, for my cottage. I have a form that has to be filled in for the resort. I would really prefer to be able to send image or PDF files through Airbnb messenger for traceability.

[Beth80]

No.  At this point I'm able to do everything via  messages. 

[Emilia42]

No, never. I had a third party guest use it once to contact me. It was bizarre and I didn't like it. We should be able to do everything over Airbnb messenger. Pictures, pdf, attachments, etc. It is a little archaic that we cannot, in my honest opinion. 

[Robin4]

No, I did try to use it early in my hosting career, I can't speak for now, but some years ago I found it to be just another sanitized method of contact and really of no value to me. The message stream works well enough for me, and if I need to send an attachment I send it as an sms to their personal phone number which is provided once they have booked. 

I have never struck the situation where I needed to use it!

Cheers......Rob 

[Yoss1]

No. I didn't use this option yet. Most of my communication with guests is done through the website message board. I do see how it could become useful though (sending direction maps etc.).

[Susan1404]

I chose No because I am much more comfortable using the Airbnb messenger system.  I guess I don't quite understand the need for a unique email address and so far haven't needed it.

[Rita662]

Hello everyone,

I choose "No". I make check-in in person, so I talk to the guests about he rules; I also have a guide book in the house, and a few days before the guests come, I send them a few tips for coming to the house.