Un rated guests - how do you decide?

Toni3311
Level 2
Sunshine Coast, Australia

Un rated guests - how do you decide?

check-in.jpg

Image added by Community Manager

Hi there everyone - new to hosting and wondering what rule of thumb you use to assess if to host people who just joined Airbnb, have no rating and no info.?

38 Replies 38
Marie82
Level 10
New South Wales, Australia

@Toni3311  Don't hesitate to ask for info, the purpose of their trip, and who will be travelling with them.

Ask them to upload ID if not done already, email, phone etc...

 

I never go further with potential guests unless they have uploaded all above.

 

Toni3311
Level 2
Sunshine Coast, Australia

Thank you so much Marie

Pat271
Level 10
Greenville, SC

 

Agree with the above, plus if it is a request from someone local, be extra-cautious.

 

I must say that it might be luck, but my newbies have been some of my best guests - excited and appreciative of the special touches offered vs. hotels.

Toni3311
Level 2
Sunshine Coast, Australia

Good to know Pat, thanks

Trude0
Level 10
Stockholm County, Sweden

Agree with the above, ask questions, then make up your mind. First timers can be great guests, too. 

 

I started hosting this summer, and have had 19 guests. Most have had reviews, but some have not, and this made me nervous, too. Especially if their initial message in the request to book was very short, not containing the info I was interested in. Some would just write ”Hi, I look forward to staying!”.

 

But I decided to give each guest a chance, by asking for more information before confirming/rejecting. I’ll write something like ”Thanks for your interest in my guest house. I see that you seem to be new to Airbnb/have not received any reviews yet. Therefore, could you please let me know a little about who’s coming (family, group of friends...?), and the reason for visiting Stockholm, so I can consider your request to book?”.

 

I realized that some of the guests just had not realized they were supposed to leave this kind of information, as during the booking process, they get an automated message from ”me”*, saying ”Hello! I’m looking forward to having you stay in my home. Please let me know when you expect to arrive. Trude.” 

*) Message written by Aaurbnb and apparently cannot be changed (unless you have Instant Book, which I will never have). 

In all but one case I have received more info and gotten a good feeling about the guest, and accepted the booking, and the guests have all been great!

 

There was only one guest that really didn’t feel ”right”, very reluctant or slow in giving the information I wanted, just kept saying they would drive from Norway to Sweden during the night (= 6-8 hours...), would be checking in the next day ”as agreed”, and that he/she would come back later with answers to my questions. Luckily, this guest had not made a firm booking request, only an ”enquiry”. And as I have a deadline for bookings (midnight day before), and he did not get back with information before the deadline, his enquiry automatically expired, so  I did not have to reject any booking.  I just promptly blocked the next night for bookings, sent him a polite message, and hoped that would be the last of it. It was. 

Donna519
Level 4
Bali, Indonesia

Definitely agreeing with Pat271 - it also depends with the type of Airbnb you are renting (part of your house or something separate).

I tend to give the benefit of the doubt but I am always here to meet and greet.

Never really had an issue that could not be dealt with.

Another point is that people may have a decent rating but still misbehave in your property or definitely are not your ideal guest.

Again benefit of the doubt is an open minded way to address this issue.

Happy Hosting

Yadira22
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Hello @Toni3311 

To all guests, new or old i send this message 

 

« dear xxx

Hope you are well and thank you for your interest in our home.

Before finalising booking on my end would you please answer the following:

 

-you have read the entire listing and rules, are in agreement with these, this helps in managing expectations

-the reservation is for yourself only (if single occupancy) or please can you confirm who will be coming with you 

-the purpose of your visit 

 

 

(Anything to note. Eg all room are only accessible by stairs,  transportation restrictions etc)


(if new profile- to quicken this process please can you update your profile to include a brief  on yourself, selfie, government ID (not shared with host but provides an added sense of security), email and telephone)

 

Do let me know if you have any further questions.

Kindest regards,

xxx”

 

 

This helps us... what you do is up to you.

 

Please reach out again if you have any further queries, people here mostly want to help others... happy hosting 

🙂

 

Toni3311
Level 2
Sunshine Coast, Australia

Hi Yadira, that is a wonderful response -  thanks for sharing in detail, that will be helpful.  🙂 toni

Hello Yadira,

I like your response in that you need to get more information on first time guests. I have been reluctant to host to first time guest after a few bad experiences (all with 0 reviews).

 

What do you do when they do not respond? If you do not except guest Airbnb sends you an automatic response that says they will block these dates. Are there other penalties that accompany not accepting a guest? 

 

  

The dates are automatically blocked if you decline a reservation request, but you can go to your calendar and open up those dates. I believe the system assumes your listing isn't available but forgot to block the dates and that's why you declined. There are no penalties for declining guests as long as they are not the rule, and there is no pattern to it. Now that profile pics are not shown until after a booking has been confirmed, blatant racial profiling has effectively been cut off at the knees and we will be required to evaluate the request based on the communication, which is as it should be. I've been on hiatus for the past year (except for a few returning guests) but there used to be an "acceptance rate." I had asked Airbnb customer service about this in the past and got the response that it didn't count against a host unless they declined a LOT of requests. But I'm not sure what happens if they do.

Hosting since Thanksgiving Day 2012 and over 1,000 stays. May you ever be the benevolent ruler of your own domain--YOUR life. Allow no other to rule over it.
Yadira22
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Hi @Dan11470 

hope you are well and sorry did not see this.

 

note: to tag you need to @ (name) the person, otherwise they will not be notified of it. 

@Fiona-and-Keith-and-Fami0 have answered your question as well as I can. All I would add is that if it’s an enquiry only there is no need to decline/pre-approve (unless you feel comfortable) simply make sure you reply within 24hr.

 

Best advice is follow your gut as this is your home. 

Good luck to you! 
Yadira 🙂

Thank you. 

Thanks for sharing Yadira this is a great way of asking the important questions without being to obtrusive. 

Aviv30
Level 2
Tel Aviv-Yafo, IL

Thank you Tony!
very important question to ask and share idea.
i always ask few question to know a bit more about my gusts.
 and if i have bad feeling about the gusts i ask them to read my house rule and highlights to them the things that matter to me.