Your check-in guide – what are your tips?

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

We’re looking for tips regarding check-in guides you send to your guests in advance of their stay. As you know, there can be quite a few things you need to mention to your guest before they arrive, such as guidance on how to find your home, and how they can enter your home.

What are your top tips on what to include in a check-in guide? Are there specific pieces of information you like to highlight to your guests? Perhaps you provide photos and if so, what would you say is important to capture?

We'd love to hear your input for an upcoming article. Thank you!

Lizzie

[Rubén16]

@Lizzie  Below is my check in guide, I send the message a day before their arrival.

Hi,
Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow, take your time arriving and drive safely,there is no rush to check in.

Please read this entire message it is beneficial before and during your stay.

****** Notes about the Cottage*****

1) Fastest and preferred way to contact me is through Airbnb
2) The most common item that guest forget is to pick up food/drinks before arriving.
3) The cottage is at the top of the property, stay to the left of the driveway, normally I keep the lights on for your arrival.
4) Check in is any time after 2:00pm and before 10:00pm.
5) Check out is any time before 11:00am.
6) Please do not re-make the beds before checking out(beds are stripped for cleaning after each guest check out, Ethel thanks you:)
7) There is no need to check out with the host in the main house.
😎 No password needed for WIFI, feel free to log in.
9) In the event that the power goes out do to the weather, there are candles in the bottom of the small dresser.
10) Front door needs to be pushed tight for it to close properly
11) If using the Kitchen please leave it clean before check out.
12) The thermostat for the heater is behind the shutter next to table.
(please do not touch the controls on the heater itself)
13) The shower has a rubber drain stopper, slide it from the drain while showering and slide it back when finished.
14) Keep bathroom door OPEN when not in use, during Winter heat needs to flow into bathroom from stove fireplace.
15) There are 2 small general stores ( Wills and the 110 store) and a local "Watering Hole" called the Wagon Wheel in the town of Chelsea 10 minutes from the cabin, the watering hole is behind Wills store they also sell some fast food Pizza, chicken wings, fries...etc.
16) The Cottage is in rural Vermont, where there is a lot of wild life so please do not leave food or trash outside of Cottage, the wild life will get into it.

[Lizzie]

This is great to read @Rubén16, thanks for sharing this.

In terms of getting into the home, do you provide instruction on that at the same time or do you usually meet them? (Sorry I couldn't see this on the list). 🙂

[Rubén16]

@Lizzie  I normally greet them before they arrive, however if I am not able to I let them know that their Cottage is to the left as they enter the driveway and the lights are going to be on ( all my guests always arrive at night) I also let them know that the door is going to be unlocked and where to find the key inside the Cottage. 

[Lizzie]

Sounds good @Rubén16. 

Do your guests usually find it easy to arrive at your home? I imagine for some hosts if you live in quite a rural area, you have to provide lots of instructions on local landmarks to look out for. 🙂

[Rubén16]

For the majority of guests G.P.S. does bring them to the Cottage, however cell service is not great in rural areas and sometimes some G.P.S. and map service providers do send the guests in circles. So I send my guests the directions the day of their arrival. (See Below)

                                  **IMPORTANT **IMPORTANT** IMPORTANT**

Print or save these directions so you can acess it without WIFI or cell service, GPS will not bring you to the cabin, when you reach the town of chelsea use the written directions not GPS. GPS will take you the wrong way.
These directions are if you are coming from the south.

1. you should be traveling on route 110 North
2.When you reach the town of Chelsea Vermont you will come to the intersection of 110 and upper village road, make a slight right to go onto upper village road.
3. you will stay on upper village road for about 1.5 miles
4. Turn left onto S Washington road
(If you are on Corinth and Richardson hill Roads you are going the wrong direction)
5. S Washington road becomes Scales Hill road
6. Turn left when you reach the intersection of Dudley/Sargent and scales hill
7. Our home is less than a mile on the right hand side

[Montoia0]

Do you email or message this on the App?

[Jill2]

@Montoia0

Always always message ono the app.  If they say they didnt receive it or later have a problem and you need airbnb assistance they will only accept the communication over the airbnb platform.  They will NOT accept emails, texts, or conversation in their decision.  Stay on the airbnb platform,  If i have found the guest is not good at picking up the message then i may text and message over platform.  Easy to copy and paste.

[Jamie353]

Friendly recommendation:

# 9- should be written, “due to weather” rather than, “do to weather” . 

[Ben551]

Taking absolutely no credit (because my wife wrote it and set it all up on Superhosttools)... below is our check-in message.

Check-in message

Hi {{Guest Name}},

I just wanted to touch base and give you some more information about your stay. You are welcome to check-in anytime after {{Check-In Time}} {{Check-In Date}}. Your check-out time is {{Check-Out Time}} {{Check-Out Date}}. If you'd like to arrange different times (i.e. late check-out) please get in touch and we'll see whether we can make it work.

LOCATION:
{{Address}}

KEY:
We plan to be there to show you in, but in case we miss you for any reason, you can grab the key from a small lock box (aka. key safe) on the back of the gate to the cottage (second gate you go through). The code is {{code}}. Please don't forget to return the key to the lock box when you leave 🙂

PARKING:
We are pleased to be able to provide free private parking on the premises. You're welcome to park in front of the white picket fence on the right side of the driveway, nearest the hedge.

BREAKFAST:
In addition to coffee and tea, you will find breakfast ingredients in the cottage such as fruit, meusli, yoghurt, farm fresh milk, and homemade bread for toast along with hand churned butter and various spreads. If you have any special dietary requirements (i.e. vegan or gluten free) please let us know and it’s our pleasure to accommodate your needs. 

WIFI:
The wifi network is {{network name}} and the password is {{password}}

FIRST NIGHT DINNER OPTIONS:
In case you haven’t made plans yet, I can recommend a few choices for dinner on your first night. You can walk 13 mins to Khandallah shops for Hells Pizza or Asian Takaways, or New World to stock up on home cooking items for the next {{Number of Nights}} nights. For a higher class culinary experience, you can book a table at Cashmere Lounge (slightly more expensive) only 15 mins walk. For great pub dining, book a table and drive to the Thistle Inn in Thorndon. Or better yet, for great prices & awesome food book at Coene’s Bar and Eatery in Oriental Bay. Get in early for a harbour view table!

If you think you will arrive late, tired and hungry please let us know.  We can have a small hot snack waiting for you when you arrive, no extra charge.

More information about the cottage and neighborhood can be found in the 'House Manual' on airbnb.com - you’ll find a link to an English version you can read on your mobile device, plus we will put a printed copy in the cottage for you (in your language!).

Please let us know if you have any questions and we hope you enjoy your stay.

~ Ben & Angel

[Mark116]

Is this an actual "guide" that is part of the app somewhere or are we talking about whatever check-in message we send to guests the day of their arrival?

[Robin4]

@Lizzie @Ben551 @Mark116 @Rubén16

I try to keep the check-in information as short as possible. I live on the property and walk the guest through the entry process when they arrive. This works best, they acknowledge everything I point out!

All they get in the welcome message is the address, thanking them for their bookling and how we are looking forward to meeting them!

The problem I used to have was, on the morning of the stay getting an arrival time out of them so every now and then I will throw this one out there......

 Yes, of course it's outrageous but it always gets an immediate response, we all have a laugh I know when they will arrive and the check-in goes on time and without hassle......or croccodiles!

Cheers.....Rob

[Ben551]

@Robin4  I now have an image of you in my head, dressed as Steve Irwin with your arms around a croc.... "Look at this little bugger!" ... I actually really want to visit now.

I like the idea of keeping it simple.  My wife does all the setup of the messages and guests say they're pretty good.  We wondered if changing it to shorter and giving them more "chat" on arrival would work.  But so far the last 4 guests have arrived and kinda given us body language and tone that implied "just tell us where the manual is and leave us to it.. " so we've respected that and casually waved a hand at it before fleeing the scene... I'm sure we'll get better at this eventually lol. 

I think it has something to do with where we live.  Everyone has either arrived after a 5 hour drive from Auckland, or a 5-12 hour journey from Australia, or worse yet a 17-28 hour flight from somewhere further afield... nobody arrives fresh, they're all tired and all want to get in and be left to settle...

[Emily352]

In the days preceding your check-in, it would be good to ask what flight or train your guests are on: that’s the only way to find out if they’re are late or on time.

If they drive a car, get ready to show them where they can or can’t park, on the street, on short-stay parking areas or in a parking garage: in Italy many historic city centres (restricted traffic zones) have electronic eyes on all entrances.

I always asked my guests to send me an SMS when they arrived at the station or at the airport or when they’re just off the highway.

Self check-in is a procedure we do not have on Italy. Before handling over the keys to a house, you must sign a lease agreement and complete all administrative formalities.

Never show up at the last minute. Always arrive half an hour before: a good airing always helps even though it's winter and it's cold. Warm house. Unless you're going to host Elsa from “Frozen”, nobody likes to arrive in a cold house in winter. The same reasoning applies to air conditioning.

Although you have cleaned your house three days before, check the dust on furniture more visible, especially if you have dark furniture: do not forget that one of the rating points is “cleaning”.

Final checks. Lights. Hot water: nothing is worse than a guest calling you from the cold shower. Fast internet connection. Toilet paper. Towels. Empty garbage cans. Remote control batteries.

If you notice that something’s missing, there are always ways to fix that. If something does not work, immediately tell the guest. Be honest and true, my friends.

If it is true that first impressions are everything, it is right now that you should do everything possible to charm your guest and show him that you offer a high-quality service.

Nicely coiffed and dressed. Subtle and understated make-up. No gym clothes. No sneakers. Remember: Superhost AIRBNB PLUS wears Prada!

The guest’s buzzing from dowstairs, go meet him, greet him nicely, help him with the bags. Tell him: “I’ll be your hosting sherpa”.

It’s time you start being cordial. Just reassure him with your best smile, even if the guest arrived ten hours late because the airplane has been rerouted to Munich.

Finally you can take a look at your guest, good and plain, and hear his voice. It’s a fair bet that the traveler is a bit jet-lagged.

A warm handshake, a little hug, pronouncing his name, without mispronouncing it, except his name is “Dzhamaldin Blaszczykosky” or “Wojciech Khodzhaniyazou”, a nice "Welcome to my home" will break the ice with him and contribute to turn the check-in into a meeting among friends.

[Rita662]

Your suggestions were great.

I keep the check in message simple, so the guest don''t wast too much time Reading. I do the check in myself, so I tell all the importante things in person to the guests.

A final check at the house is importante, specially skeeing for dust.

A warm smille and a warm "welcome to my place" always work out.