Guests say they didn't receive check-in instructions, how can I know if its a bug or not?

[Jimmi27]

I have guests who asked me questions that were already in my check-in instructions, including photos attached to my instructions. I politely responded to their question but then I mentioned, "sorry about that, it should have been included in my check-in instructions that are sent 48 priors to check-in." as a way to let them know they probably missed it, but no worries. But they said, "we never got check-in instructions".🤔

While my first inclination is to assume this is false, and they just didn't notice the check-in instructions but didn't want to admit it, how could I be sure and do I need to address this as a bug and report it to Customer Support? They are not new to Airbnb, and have over 20 reviews, so it's not like newby errors. I appreciate how scheduled messages appear in the actual chat for both of us to read, but that is not the case for check-in/check-out messages from the system.

Where do guests receive these automated messages? in-app, email, text, depending on configuration? Is it easy for them to miss/swipe away, never to read again? What does it look like?

The "help text" is inconsistent on Airbnb, but that's just a small problem that arises when maintaining separate codebases, so I'll give that a pass:

in app: Smart Lock details "Shared 24-48 hours before check-in"

in browser:Smart Lock details "Shared 48 hours before check-in"

[Joan2709 · Accepted solution]

@Jimmi27 

This is an ongoing debate. If you added photos to the Arrival Guide under the check-in method, they are available in the App, but guests don't know where to find them! Airbnb has made it hard to find and many guests either don't know where the instructions are in the App, or don't even use the App. We have been asking Airbnb to provide a short code LINK to the check-in instructions, so we can add that to our scheduled check-in message, but so far, that has fallen on deaf ears.

For this reason, most Hosts send check-in instructions in a scheduled message to the guest. Unfortunately, Airbnb doesn't allow us to attach photos to scheduled messages and you would have to attach photos manually to a message. Some Hosts create a PDF document with the instructions and  photos and send that to guests using WhatsApp, but again, that is extra work. Some Hosts create a Dropbox doc or Google Doc and use the link in the check-in message.

[Shelley159]

@Joan2709 @Jimmi27 

You can send the arrival instructions in the direct Airbnb message thread via PDF. Sort of! Just take a screenshot of the PDF and upload as an image.

[Joan2709]

@Shelley159 

Good idea! 

I guess what I wonder is, why make Hosts jump through hoops to make something as important as checkin instructions so difficult for Hosts and Guests alike? Especially since we are rated on Check-in on reviews? 😠

Make it easy

Keep it simple

Add a short code LINK for check-in instructions so Hosts can add the link to scheduled messages.

Make it easier for guests to understand where to find their check-in instructions in the App. Currently, many don't know they need to click the photo of the property in order to see information. Just add a callout to the Trips Tab page that says "click this photo to see important information about your trip", or "Click photo for important Check-in information from your Host"

I don't get it.

@Rebecca , @Bhumika,

[Zheng49]

The link was a nice touch, and was really handy when the article on finding check-in instructions contained misleading instructions.

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/100

Ever since they updated it with correct information, I haven't had a guest yet who couldn't locate the check-in instructions. However, yea that's also a possibility.

If that happens, I guess I'll just send them the condensed version as a text message. 

[Rebecca]

Thank you for tagging me here @Joan2709 - we've been following the conversations around check-in instructions and have been sharing the host feedback with the Airbnb team. 

As always, if other hosts are experiencing this issue, and have suggestions for improvements, we always recommend sharing feedback with Airbnb. 

I hope this helps. 😊

[Joan2709]

Thanks @Rebecca 

[Jimmi27]

Thank you for the photos, so I can see what it looks like (I have no travels booked at the moment and I can't accurately simulate a Booker experience).

A few things:

1) You mentioned there is no Check-in Instructions short code. I see there is a Check-in Method short code link. Can you use that for your needs? Would that be the same? I can not preview it, so I don't know. This might help my issue a bit, where I can add this link to my personal 5-days prior ARRIVAL Scheduled Message. The photo will be in that link then. While not perfect, a step in the right direction? Or am I entirely wrong and Check-in Method only includes a subset of Check-in Instructions?

Now that I think about it more, if Check-in Instructions aren't released until 48 hours prior for security reasons, Airbnb may not allow a link to instructions prior to this date, causing a design flow error in their messaging?

2) Adding photos to Scheduled Messages would help me considerably! I host a home in beach town where numeric addresses don't exist, streets and intersections don't have signs, and Bookers are quite international with varying languages, so I try to use well-designed, language-free photo visuals to relay information.

3) As for WhatsApp, while it is my main chat tool these days (international friends and business), I try to keep bookers on the Airbnb platform, for all the reasons Airbnb recommends. The bookers who want to immediately jump to WhatsApp have been more problematic for me.

4) Maybe Airbnb could move the auto-messages (and check-in instructions) to the chat section (with links if need be). This automatically teaches Bookers that the chat app is a good way to communicate, might encourage bookers to stay on the platform chat, allow the host to see what was indeed sent and when, and continue conversations organically right there about any questions that arise from the platform messages that were sent.

[Andrea8411]

I like your ideas! Makes a lot of good sense to me. Some people never read their emails, or the Airbnb ones go to spam, or people have so many emails that they cannot find the ones from Airbnb about their trip. If guests could locate all the information they need in the Airbnb app it would be more efficient for all.

[Shelley159]

Great point 4 @Jimmi27 and I've said the same thing. It would be great if all messages sent and auto-sent by Airbnb were visible in the message thread. I get the impression that a number of hosts may be duplicating multiple messages without realising what the system sends, while some of us assume (and hope) that things are sent as indicated in the small print, but we never really know what it looks like on the guest side (and when and whether those auto-system messages go through).