Why can't I extend my guests stay?

[Christine455]

My guests booked for ONE night, tomorrow!  Then they wanted to come in today instead.   I want to offer them a 2nd night for $50 and to send a special offer for $170 for both nights including cleaning.

I unblocked today, but, the system won't let me, saying the dates aren't available -- presumably because they are booked for tomorrow. 

WHY is everything so difficult or IMPOSSIBLE to achieve?

For God's sake, I can't be the first host wanting to give one nighters a deal.  The cleaning is KILLING me and I sure could use the extra $50.  

Should I tell them to pay me $50 cash for tonight?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Christine455

I think they should request alteration and then you agree and send them special offer. But you can try to find their reservation and then click on "cancel or change reservation" maybe you can do it too.

Check if your availability settings is set not to allow same day bookings, like if you have "block one day before and after booking" or "advance notice" or "preparation time"  what could make your alteration impossible.

[Farah1]

@Christine455 what preparation time do you set for your place? This might affect it...

[Christine455]

I extra UNBLOCKED today, doesn't that override the settings?   I think it does, looking at my calendar I could book for TONIGHT. 
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/17142006?
They did cancel now, it was very confusing.    

I have had SO much trouble with guests not knowing how to cancel or change reservations.   And what kind of marketing is it to make THEM do all the work?

Anybody who's ever sold anything knows that you want to make it EASY,  one click to ACCEPT the offer.  THAT is how you market!  

Nobody wants to mess with their stupid smart phones while they're driving, trying to figure out Airbnb.  I get so frustrated with this site working on the computer in the comfort of my home and sometimes I just want to quit.  How can I expect people who are TRYING to enjoy their vacation, many from a foreign country, to go through FRUSTRATION and STRESS to stay an extra day?

[Farah1]

@Christine0You do have the option to request the alteration for them, then they only need to do the simple 1 click to accept the alteration request then the reservation will be updated. I can suggest that you also spend more time learning about the system, so you can help your future guests better.

[Christine455]

I'm so desperately trying to learn, but HOW?    HOW do I learn here?

When *** I *** can book a day, but can't offer it to a guest that already booked the next day, there's something wrong with Airbnb, NOT me!

Well, I'm sure I'm just stupid.  

And speaking of being stupid, I'm also too stupid to post a screenshot here.   Next time I'd like to RECORD EVERYTHING I DO and then maybe I can get more than insults here.

[Andrea9]

@Christine455

Starting out can be frustrating. Settings always override manual changes.

When you have a setting like No next day booking f. ex. and want to open up the next day, then you can't just open it up like that on your calendar. You change the setting first, then do the change etc. (see my link below).

Playing with settings to make booking changes

For special things I like sending guests the changes. If a guest wants to change to a single day instead of my two, I'll say, sure but my minimum nights is two to recoup my total expenses, so sorry. But I'll gladly change your booking. Then I'd go through the process explained in my link and send them a change for one night, but overwrite the automatically calculated price with mine.

Here's more on working with the site:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Community-Help-Guides/m-p/23100

(PS: I'm not sure where you saw insults in the tips by my felow hosts, so just want to add that everything I've said is NOT an insult but meant as a helping hand.)

[Christine455]

Andrea, appreciate your suggestions. 

"Settings always override manual changes."

Not only would that make no sense, as it should be the other way around, but it could really screw you up!   If you change your general settings, such as blocking a day before and after a rental, it applies to EVERY day, doesn't it?

And then guests could book when you don't want?

I manually unblocked yesterday and did NOT change my settings.  Then the day was available for booking. 

I can't understand why Airbnb won't provide ANY support whatsoever.   All this SHOULD be clearly spelled out in some instructions somewhere.     But apparently they don't exist or somebody would have posted a link.

[Christine455]

@Andrea9  I followed the link to the instructions:

Change Price, Number of Guests, Check-in or Check-out Dates: A Community Help Guide[ New ]

Dave & Deb

Lizzie

-----------------Update June 5th 2017--------------------

An updated version of this Community Guide is now available, click here to view.
---------------------

When I click on "here", the page does not load.  Tried it three times.

And the old instructions are NOT helpful because they don't address the issue -- the error about the day not being available.

Just don't understand why I can't get on the phone with someone who can resolve that issue and make the website work as it should.  And if that's not possible, at least provide documentation for "work arounds."

[Christine455]

-----------------Update June 5th 2017--------------------

An updated version of this Community Guide is now available, click here to view.
---------------------

When I click on "here", the page does not load.  Tried it three times.

And the old instructions are NOT helpful because they don't address the issue -- the error about the day not being available.

Just don't understand why I can't get on the phone with someone who can resolve that issue and make the website work as it should.  And if that's not possible, at least provide documentation for "work arounds."

[Andrea9]

@Christine455

Strange that it didn't link. Well, I did the search again for you (all for free, haha) and here's the updated link (and it worked just now):

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Contact-Airbnb-A-Community-Help-Guide-UPDATED/td-p/413245

]BTW, if you Google "Community Airbnb contact update" for ex. it'll probably give you info even on your browser (it shows on mine because I use it often to answer on the community)

Call them and complain to them.

And it would be great if you had a tad of patience with us hosts (because like YOU we are NOT Airbbnb) who are ONLY TRYING TO HELP.

FOR FREE.

ON OUR OWN TIME.

If nothing else,  please respect that even if you are completely pissed off with the website and Airbnb. BECAUSE WE HAVE NOTING TO DO WITH THOSE DECISIONS.

Every time I see a host new to the community blasting others I silently wish I (and the other hosts) had never even decided to reply to that host. It becomes extremely frustrating to be met with so much unfriendliness.

[Farah1]

@Christine455 it is hard to learn when you take a helping hand and a suggestion as insults.

[Christine455]

@Farah1Look, you wrote "You do have the option to request the alteration for them, then they only need to do the simple 1 click to accept the alteration request then the reservation will be updated."

And that's exactly the issue, I could NOT.  Essentially,  you accused me of lying.  NOT helpful.

[Farah1]

@Christine455 I am stating a FACT that host DO have the OPTION to ALTER reservation for the guest. As a host, you do have that option. How is that an accusation of you lying? You are thinking way too far in a negative way. I cannot read your mind nor know the situation unless you inform or clarify. How am I supposed to know what issue you're having unless you communicate it? In the post, you did not mention anything about trying to alter the reservation and fail to do that. The only thing you said is you tried to unblock the dates which is completely different than altering a request. Unblocking the date is not altering the request/automatically send the alteration request. I think the community/forum experience will be much better for you if you want to be open minded and not accusing others for insulting you or even accusing you for lying (when clearly nobody is accusing you or insulting you).

I am not apologizing for a mistake that I did not make. You can believe whatever you want to believe in your head, but that is not helping yourself either.

Good to know that the fact that I stated based on the airbnb rules was not helpful. That way, I do not need to waste my time anymore after this post to offer any knowledge/information to you.

[Ken-and-Mary-Lou1]

Well, I have the exact same situation. And no, the documentation is not adequately providing a response.
I am a host. My guest has begun his stay, and likes our Bungalow so much he wants to add a day. The system WILL NOT allow me to change the reservation and generate the request, because "Reservation has already started. You cannot alter this reservation’s start date." It will not allow me to simply highlight the remaining days, or only chose the next available day, because the "Continue" button does not light up, allowing me to continue. I have turned off my two day minimum, and allowed next day reservations. Nothing. I can not continue. I also have no way of sending the guest a new offer for just the one day. That option is not available to me.

Has anyone actually added a single day to the end of a reservation when the guest is already staying at the property? Step by step instructions to duplicate how you did it would be greatly appreciated, since this has got to be an issue that comes up often enough to warrant a solution.

Thank you - Kenny

[Michael-and-Denise0]

I'm experiencing the same thing Kenny, I cannot add an additional night for my guest who wants to stay an extra night.  Any insights from you experts would be much appreciated!  Denise