Pre-Booking Pet Peeve

[William100]

Does anyone else get bothered by the lack of manners out there?  I get a lot of pre-booking questions -- often really dumb ones, that can be answered by reading the listing: what kind of coffee maker is there?, what are the bed configurations?, can I bring my dog?, etc.  Yes, I know I sound like I have an attitude before it begins, but I really don't.  I take care to thoroughly answer all the questions and often take a bit of time doing so... especially when they ask for tips on things to do while visiting my area.

What drives me batty is that 90% of the time the potential guest never replies at all.  Not even, '"thanks but that won't work for us this time" or even just plain old "thank you."

I am tempted to send them a very flowery reply a day or two later... something snarky like "You are so very welcome.  I hope the information I provided helped you plan your trip."  Or maybe I should just have a beer and forget about it.  What about you?

[Monika64]

@William100 Forget them and move on. As irritating as they are you shouldn't spend your valuable time dwelling over something like this. Because it'll never stop, I can assure you. I have soooooo many non-readers (despite the fact that my listing says IN CAPITAL LETTERS TO READ IT) that I ended up typing up a very polite message and saved it into the pre-saved asnwers for my listing where I point them to the listing details and ask them (politely) to really read it (since most of the time these details mentioned at least twice in there). If I'd loose a potential booking because of this I don't mind because I need poeople to read the house rules and listing anyway for fees/rules. Guests who don't read always end up complaining.

I also saved answers to the most commonly asked questions and answering with these messages only takes about 2 seconds.

[Bruce43]

@Monika64   Guests who don't read always end up complaining. how true!

once I had a sentence that said you will receive a 15% discount if you have gotten to the end.

nobody after 3 months asked me about the discount.

[Monika64]

@Bruce43 Til the end? I'd be happy if they read the first sentence! I frequently get inquires asking what level am I ... I have a picture showing the 20th sign next to the elevators ... and I stated in the 2nd LINE of my listing. It irritates me to no end when someone cannot even read the first sentence of a listing. I understand potential guests look at many listings and it gets boring ... but not even the first sentence?!?!?!?!

[Bruce43]

@Monika64 we have become a nation of what is called the 8-second memory span. 

I'm so old I remember when pizza in NYC cost 15 cents then boom it shot up to 25 cents and I asked my friend how we would survive the future?

does your town start with a B and has a college? 

[Ali40]

Hey William! Your place is not far from mine! I've made an extensive "guidebook" but since that's not avaiable to potential guests until they book, I've tried to list all the vineyards and breweries in the area in my description - which involved a lot of online research on my part since I'm not 21 yet! And even though I've noted **you will need a car to get around, there is no Uber or Lyft service in the area** I still get asked about Uber service to the wineries. And just when I think I've covered everything somebody might ask about the area, somebody asks about something I hadn't thought of. I've never even been to Monticello - and I've lived near it my entire life!

[William100]

Thanks Ali. I've done a really nice guidebook and like you it's in the cabin. 

Great at suggestions thank you!

[Zacharias0]

Join the club. Most hosts in this forum know thats my biggest pet peeve- answering questions which have already been answered in my listing. When I first started I would answer all of them but at a certain point, like you, I felt it was a one sided waste of time.  Not sure if you've noticed but most won't complete the booking after you've answered their question.  Nowadays, I usually approve their inquiry if theyve provided enough information about their trip and just ignore their question altogether. I tell them to read my listing and just wait for the pre-approval to expire. Others I quickly decline because they just come across as irritating as all heck and needy. I couldn't imagine having them in my house. Sorry, but you get one chance to make a first impression.

[William100]

Thanks. You sound like me. It's amazing how much you tell about someone from their first contact. 

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

My favorite is when a guest asks - can my gf/bf/friend stay over a couple nights with me?? 

My listing clearly states it's single occupancy, we do not allow anyone other than the guest in our home and that the room has one super single bed. 

I also have a saved message and most times I send a reply then forget about it.... but still~~~ some days it just  gets to me.

[Doug62]

My pet peeve is the guests do not post a picture of themself.  I am reluctant to accept.  I had one guest who did not look like the picture and brought in a third person when the room only holds two!

[Bruce43]

@Doug62 I agree with you doug.living in Israel I have had 3 Jesus's stay the night when I did the instant booking.

being the wise man I am I asked them for a real picture before I hit accept.

nothing bad happened,  they only stayed 1 night.

I know this sounds like a joke but who knows?

there is a real problem in Israel called "the Jerusalem syndrome"

a well-documented phenomenon where foreign visitors suffer psychotic delusions that they are figures from the Bible or harbingers of the End of Days.

Amalek the goat herder

[Stephanie77]

 As to folks not reading the guide book: try to look at yours through the eyes of someone reading it for the first time.  Would YOU read it, or does it seem too intimidating? Break it into small bites. One topic per page (or section). Mine is organized into:

House rules

Orientation - inside

Orientation - outside & neighborhood 

Places of interest & restaurants within walking distance 

Places of interest a short Uber/Lyft ride away

Some maps showing where my house is in relation to points of interest 

Sample menus

All of these are in a 3-ring binder, in plastic sleeve protecters and printed in a decent sized font. I can update easily as needed. Additionally,  I have placed laminated notes on a few things around the apartment where they can't miss them. 

Remember again to look at your space through the eyes of someone who has never stepped foot inside. 

Happy hosting! 

[Karen147]

Yes I get a little bit agrivated when people want me to do their research for them and then dont respond with a thank you, and generally it  never result in a booking.