Yet more disturbing 'glitches'!

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

Yet more disturbing 'glitches'!

Recently Airbnb removed the 'Guest Resources' from the guest reservation notification. Instead of information the guest required about the property before arrival, Airbnb, in their wisdom felt it was better to fill the void left by this omission with 'Things to do and local attractions' in the area the guest was booked to be visiting!

 

I took this up with people I know in the platform and they stated that the guest resources information was now being held until a day or so before the arrival, and this was put in place at the request of numerous host complaints that guests were cancelling bookings and retaining sensitive information about a hosts property!

 

My last three guests have complained to me that they have not received any information about my property prior to arrival! No check-in key-box code, no address, none of the information I require guests to have that they have previously had.

Here is the latest one I received about half an hour ago for a guest arriving tommorow........

IMG20190505210636.jpg

 

Every day Airbnb seems to be putting yet more 'blinkers' on the contact hosts have with their guests!

Has anyone else struck this problem?

 

Cheers.....Rob 

9 Replies 9
Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

I was having that problem, @Robin4 - guests telling me they were not receiving the address, etc. - so I looked at "Visibility for booked guests" in the edit section of "Location". It turned out that I (or the system) had ticked "Share details after the free cancellation period", which meant people who booked close to the arrival date were not getting the details at all. 

I unticked it, and no one has complained since.

But this sounds like something new.

Did those guests book 48 hours before check-in, or weeks ago? Is that "Share details after..." box ticked in your edit section?


@Lawrene0 wrote:

I was having that problem, @Robin4 - guests telling me they were not receiving the address, etc. - so I looked at "Visibility for booked guests" in the edit section of "Location". It turned out that I (or the system) had ticked "Share details after the free cancellation period", which meant people who booked close to the arrival date were not getting the details at all. 

I unticked it, and no one has complained since.

But this sounds like something new.

Did those guests book 48 hours before check-in, or weeks ago? Is that "Share details after..." box ticked in your edit section?


I am keeping this setting as is, i.e. not releasing the address until the free cancelation period has passed. There is no reason for guests to have my address while they can cancel without penalty. My listing tends to be booked far out, certainly weeks, if not months. They get the address way farther out than required as is.

 

However, as a guest, all the check in instructions that was in my reservation for next weekend has now disappeared. I used to have access to the Wifi codes, front entrance instructions, and the host's requests for arrival time, etc. All gone. Since this host doesn't rent out this space very often, I suspect he doesn't know that I now know nothing at all. I am clearly going to have to send him a message asing for this information. Waste of his time. Waste of my time.

 

I don't use this capability within the AirBNB app, electing instead, to send a comprehensive email a week before arrival. Rather pleased that I chose this route, though it is more effort.

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Susan151  @Sarah977  @Lawrene0  @Jessica-and-Henry0 

Yes Susan, this appears to be now universal. The guest doesn't get the 'Guest Resources' information any more!

I could understand it if it got replaced with something better, but...seriously....."Where to eat during your stay"...."Things to do during your stay" ..."Loved by Locals" ..."Visit the national art glass gallery" ......"Ride a horse along the banks of the 'stuffing' river Murrumbidgee" !!!!!!!

 

Nah, I just want to know the address, how to get in, how many steps does Ade have to climb, when can I check-in....I don't want to know how to blow a bloody glass goblett for Christ sake!

 

Ah...Susan, I have modified my welcome now to make sure the guest gets the information they need, and not how to make an ashtray, or pick up a gourmet pie. I am doing it via the supplied guest phone number.

 

But ah-ha, you know what is coming next don't you......We won't get the guests phone number any more and Airbnb will insist that all contact information will be through the message stream so THEY CAN SANITIZE PERSONAL INFORMATION SO THE GUEST CAN'T SEE IT!!!

 

I really don't know how much more turmoil R&D can possibly squash into the host/guest relationship!

 

Cheers......Rob

I've never relied on Airbnb to send messages on my behalf to guests for critical info. While the guest may get my home address sooner or later and they can put it into google map to get here, our building requires a pass code to enter and good luck navigating our apartment complex without any directions at all 🙂  We've had local Korean friends get lost and not find the right entrance and right elevator in order to reach our door.  

 

It's a bother but I always wait till about 1 week prior to check in to provide detailed instructions about how to reach our home with the least amount of fuss. Plus, we don't allow self-check in. Ever. 

 

I make this all clear to guests as soon as there is a confirmed booking, and it's all in the listing description too. 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Robin4  Yet another example of Airbnb's systematic raiding of the toolbox hosts use to ensure smooth guest/host vetting and communication. Seems they steal another tool on an almost monthly basis now. Soon nothing to be found but a few rusty, bent nails in the bottom.

Hilary79
Level 8
Spokane, WA

I just wish that Airbnb would notify the hosts when they make changes such as this, we could then adjust our processes if necessary.

 

Tanner21
Level 2
Austin, TX

Did you ever get a hold of the trust and safety team?  My case has been "escalated" to them for over two weeks and still no response.  I have called multiple times and no help.  This looks to be their standard operating procedure.  I need their help asap.

@Tanner21  I had an issue for trust and safety. I sent a message to support that read like this :

TRUST AND SAFETY ISSUE!

(Then I wrote what the issue was in clear, concise, one liners. No paragraphs. Just bullet point form)

 

I got a response within 10 minutes from a CS rep, who said she was passing it on. A Trust and Safety rep got back to me within the hour and dealt with the issue, and gave me appropriate responses. 

I'm not saying that wasn't just the luck of the draw, but you could try it.

I never call Airbnb (I've never had an issue that was super urgent, like some guest threatening me in my home), I always communicate with them through the message option. 

@Sarah977 Thanks so much for the advice!  I'll give that a try now!