Accepting reservation requests

[Sabrina1384]

When someone makes a reservation request, I look at their reviews. If they have fewer than 3 reviews, or they are negative, I would like to send my house guide to them, and ask that they kindly read through it and make sure that it is acceptable to them before I accept the reservation. The only time I have had negative hosting experiences has been when I have accepted a reservation with someone new to Airbnb. This way we align expectations. The problem is that my house guide is a PDF with lots of picture and arrows, pointing to things, since the vast majority of people staying in my Airbnb are people speaking different languages than I do. This makes it easier for them to attend to things like turning on the heat and water, using the washing machine, the hot tub, etc. This type of information is difficult to put in the format of the Airbnb house guide. I have spent a lot of time designing a user-friendly easy to use house guide and I have no way of sending it to people making a reservation request. Does anyone have any good ideas about what I can do?

[Joan2709]

Hi @Sabrina1384 

Before Booking

You can't send PDF documents via the platform (or even after) that I am aware of? This in an ongoing issue and many Hosts would like to be able to send PDF documents to prospective guests (or even after you have accepted a booking). However, you don't have any contact information (phone or email) for a trip request. You may have to come up with a revised, shorter "Cliff Notes" version of your house manual (without graphics) to send and ask them to review the abbreviated version before accepting the booking?

After Booking

You only have a phone number (no email) via the platform. You can aend images via the platform, but not PDF documents. You can send URL links after booking on the platform (some Hosts use Google Docs). I have heard some Hosts send a PDF document to guests using via WhatsApp, but that would mean you'll need their phone number (so, only after booking). Sigh. 

Maybe some other Hosts can share here if they have found a solution?

[Sabrina1384]

Thank you, @Joan2709 . I appreciate you taking the time to respond. It is very "anglo" centric to not allow graphics and images to be uploaded. A lot of lost in translation with guests who are not comfortable in English. A picture can make things much clearer, especially when you have "self check-in" and there is nobody at the Airbnb to assist guests onsite. *SIGH* I hope that Airbnb will make their own Host Guide feature much more user friendly in the future. 

[Sandra856]

Hi @Sabrina1384 

You would be able to send a lot of information to the guest - including how to book off platform if it was possible to attach documents pre booking. It would most likely also be easier for scammers to scam guests that way. So I think it could be why and one of the reasons it isn’t possible. 

[Sandra856]

@Sabrina1384 I forgot to mention that it is already possible to make a direction guide with pictures and text that guests can see and use after they have booked. I use the airbnb app a lot and it is very easy to make the guide 🙂

[Fred13]

You can state all relevant information in the 'Notes' section of your Airbnb listing.  If allowed to include pictures, surely the hustlers wanting to advertise via Airbnb but not having guests book through them, will have build-in information in those pictures to get people to book with them direct.