Trying A New Approach To Guests Who Book Without Reading The Listing Info

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Trying A New Approach To Guests Who Book Without Reading The Listing Info

After two bookings (both IB) in a row where the guests showed up and thought they had rented our entire home and not a private room and bath, and obviously not read any house rules, didn't know we had cats, etc......I'm trying a new approach.

 

I have a strict cancellation policy so that 7 days or less before their arrival if a guest cancels I still get paid. So, just under one week before they arrive I am sending the following type of message so they can cancel if they realize they booked without checking the details and it's on them.

 

Let me know what you think! I will try to revisit this thread to let you know how it's going. I recently instituted a hidden phrase in my rules to see if folks read them but these are some reservations that happened months ago before I got savvy.

 

"Hello So & So!

 

Hope you are doing well. Your trip is less than a week away. We wanted to touch base and start familiarising you with our home and area so you can plan your stay. These things are all mentioned in the listing in several areas, but they tend to get overlooked when booking, so we make sure there are no surprises. Our listing is a private room and bath in a shared home which means we will be here. That being said, we are super busy and you will hardly see us. You will probably see more of the kitties, which brings me to the fact that we have 3 rescue cats that have free roam of the house. Note: they do not go into your bedroom unless allowed, so you can keep your door closed to keep them from visiting.

 

It's a large house (3 stories total) so we all have plenty of space. Our offices are on the top floor and our entrance and bedrooms are in the back of the house and basement. These areas are off-limits to guests and there is a layout in the listing photos.

 

Speaking of listing photos, there are photos of your areas of the house and of some suggested activities as well as the nearest places for coffee and food. There is also a guidebook in the listing created by me that lists everything nearby and also tons of attractions.

 

AirBnB requires upon booking that you read and agree to our house rules. Some of the more important ones to us are quiet hours and no shoes on the wood floors, but please read through them (and share them with your guest) to be sure both guests and hosts have a 5-star stay. Alright! Let us know if you have any questions. We will touch base a day or so before arrival to talk about check in.

 

Thank you!

Reese and Todd"

1 Best Answer
Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

I send guests a similar message but on booking. @Todd-and-Reese0 

 

Many of my guests book some time ahead and I don’t think it would be fair to them to wait until less than a week before their stay for them to understand key information which would make them not want to stay and then be faced with losing 100% of their money. 

 

A couple of my guests cancelled within 48 hours and so weren’t penalised and I got replacement bookings within a day or so. 

I offer a room in a shared home and haven’t had anyone think it was a whole listing in the five years I have hosted. 

 

However,  I live in an inner city area which doesn’t suit everyone and I ask guests to acknowledge this as I don’t want guests staying who aren’t a good  fit.

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42 Replies 42
Isabel203
Level 10
Halifax, Canada

Love it! Great idea. Thanks for sharing it!

I like this. We were once given 1 stars for cleanliness because the guest "didn't realise" we had dogs (see our listing!) and this offended his particular faith.  Clearly hadn't read the listing, or looked at the photo.

As an aside, although probably relevant, it was a faceless zero-reviews new airbnb account.

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hello @Todd-and-Reese0,

 

It is great to hear that you are trying a new approach. Have you tried it out yet? If so, how did it go?


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Robin129
Level 10
Belle, WV

I don't use instant book. I do send the following message prior to guests arrival. So far it has helped. I usually add a few nice words first so it doesn't come across too bossy:

 

********

I hate sending "rules" because I believe adults already know how to behave. Unfortunately, I have had some guests that challenge that idea. So, below are some you should keep in mind. I hope it won't scare you off.

- This is a home-share. We live in the home. You are not renting the whole house.
- The bedroom is upstairs and the bathroom is downstairs. (I've had more than one guest give me a look of confusion over that.)
- Etiquette in shared areas: Fully clothed (not half naked, in underwear, bath towels).
- No 3rd party reservations. See: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/427/can-i-book-on-behalf-of-a-friend-or-family-member
- Quiet hours will be observed from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. No additional guests are permitted. Neither Smoking nor vaping is permitted in the house. Designated smoking areas outside are established.
- We have two Boxers, and three house cats indoors. Anyone with pet allergies should consider another location. Known food allergens are kept in-house, these include but are not limited to nuts, fish, milks, eggs, gluten, and others.
- This is a two-story, 1920's era home and is not handicap accessible.

---> That's how I look at most guests, like cousins. And you know, some of those cousins are kooks.

@Robin129,

Do you write "My way or the Highway"? in your emails to guests?

LOL No, that is in the signature here in the forum. But I *have* thought about including it. 😉 

 

 

---> That's how I look at most guests, like cousins. And you know, some of those cousins are kooks.
Melody-And-Peter0
Level 3
Massachusetts, United States

I also send a reminder in our guests check in details, that we rent three rooms in our home and there will be other guests in the house. BUT I recently had a guest who left me 4 stars and complained that they didnt realize they would be sharing with other guests until after they booked!! So, I now have (in caps) in the listing description that we will likely have other guests in the home. People do not read! 😞

We use AirBnB when we travel and there are a lot of hosts that have separate listings for each room in their home and they are a bit coy about mentioning there might be other guests. I have sorted them out usually because they use the same photos for the shared spaces. They should be way more upfront and make sure it's obvious. Not saying you aren't being foreward with this information. If I booked a private room and bath I would be furious if there were other guests in the home. I would actually demand rehoming and a full refund. 

If you booked a private room and bath and got a private room and bath I do not see what you would have to complain about, if you want a whole house the you book a whole house.

 

I have 3 rooms and want potential guests to see my options not sure why anybody else would not. AirBnB this year has an option to aggregate your listings on one page which I use. Very handy if I get a direct enquiry to send them the link to see what I have.

David

I'm with you, David. Being "furious" about shared lodging seems like an overblown response to something which is quite normal. Airbnb has the options for searching for private rooms or for an entire place; users should understand and use those settings appropriately when booking. 

 

I've recently opened a 3rd guest room in my house, and I also like the "business listings" page. I'm quite clear in my listings that my house is shared with other guests, and so far it's gone really well! 

Julie607
Level 2
Catthorpe, United Kingdom

How is the business listing different?  Is it working for you?

We almost listed our individual rooms rather than a single listing purely because we have 3 bedrooms and if one booking comes in for a single person for one night, you can't book any of the other rooms for that same night.  

 

I too just got a 4 star rating becasue my guests expected a full kitchen even though the  pictures clearly showed that I did not. I was down rated becasue I didn't have what they thought I should have! The listing clearly said what was provided. Caps are a good idea.

David126
Level 10
Como, CO

I sort of do something similar, I have had issues in the past with kitchen access and arrival time so a few days beforehend they get my standard welcome message covering where I am, where they need to go for food and asking for their approx arrival time. I am not big into rules, I am on site so do not have as many issues as some.

David