How can I stop guests ignoring the check in time?

[Huma0]

I really don't want to have to put it in CAPITALS at the beginning of my listing, as that's not very welcoming, but I am starting to get frustrated that so many guests simply ignore my check in time (3pm). It is in my listing and house rules, which I ask them to read.

Check out (12 pm) doesn't seem to be a problem. Occasionally a guest asks if they can leave bags and pick them up later, which is fine, but most leave earlier than noon with no fuss.

Check in is another matter. I would say that the majority of my guests want to come earlier. Some politely ask if that is an option, or if they can drop their bags earlier. Unfortuntely, a lot just assume they can come straight from the airport/train station and wouldn't have bothered to even communicate this to me had I not asked.

I always message them to ask what time they will arrive (the majority don't offer this information without a prompt). Even when I stress in my message that check in is from 3 pm onwards, they still respond saying, "We'll be arriving at 11 am." So, it's not that they don't know check in is after 3, they just simply don't seem to think it matters.

Even at a five star hotel with 24 hour reception, this is usually not okay.

Any tips for how I can prevent this? What am I doing wrong?!

[Alon1]

@Huma0 

just curious if and how charging late check-in fees affects relationship with Guest? And whether it has any detrimental effect on Star Ratings?

The whole concept is entirely alien to me as I have Flexible check-in & out.

Received a booking today for 10 days time. Flight landing in Luton 1.15 am.

Guests notes I've got flexible check-in times, and politely asks what's a convenient time earliest in the morning?

My response: Just hop on the bus, and call or text me when you're in front the house.

I can easily do this because I predominantly work from home.

I fully appreciate it's a different ball game for those who have a more structured life and need to be up to go to work, etc.

Still, I must confess it makes me feel uneasy to think others charge a fee for this inconvenience.

[Huma0]

@Alon1 

Sorry for the very late response to your post, which I only saw now. I don't even know if you are still active on the CC as I haven't seen you in a while.

But, just in case it's helpful, there was only one time where I felt that the guest was not okay with the late check in fee. The guests had told me they would arriver towards the end of my check in window, so close to 9pm. However, it then turns out they missed their train from Paris. This was not due to any delays or problems they experienced. Simply, they were disorganised and missed their train.

They ended up having to get a flight to London later than night because it was cheaper than rebooking the train. They then got the slowest and cheapest transport (the bus) from the airport to my house. They had no concern about getting here quickly. Their concern was losing less money. I get that, but my time is worth something. I told them, yes, fine, but remember there is a late check in fee, as stated on the listing.

This was reacted to with surprise and I was asked to explain it again which I did. I stupidly did not request the fee until later. The guests arrived around 1am, proceeded to use the communal bathrooms to shower and hand wash all their clothes, blow dry their hair, slam doors and shout at the top of their voices while other guests were asleep until about 3am, when I asked them to please be quite. They responded with utter astonishment.

The guests then ignored my request for the late check in fee and any messages trying to follow it up. They ignored messages and calls from Airbnb trying to follow it up. So, I was never paid. It wasn't a lot of money because, even though they were hours late, I didn't ask them for the full fee, just part of it. Still, it was the principle.

However, these were just bad guests. They didn't leave me a review either, so the fee had no impact on them. They were more concerned about not paying me.

All of the other guests who needed to pay for late check in were 100% fine with it. It was agreed in advance. This was the only occasion where I was surprised by a late check in where it was the guest's fault. If a guest is genuinely delayed by their flight or other circumstances out of their control, then I don't charge, but missing your train because you are disorganised doesn't fit into that category.

I've really not had to charge a late check in fee for years though. The last time a guest asked to check in around midnight/1am, I told her I couldn't do it as other guests would be sleeping. She said fine, and booked a hotel for her first night instead and checked in with me the following day, within my check in window. 

I do feel, having now had a few more years experience since I originally posted about this issue that you have to set your boundaries and stick to them. You can make exceptions, but those are exceptions. Do not allow guests to think that they can walk all over you.

[John498]

As long as it is flagged in advance in the listing blurb- not that everyone reads them- I don't think it is unfair to charge. But it shouldn't be something sprung on guests once they have booked.

Some guests arrival times are GUESTimations anyway as they can't factor in delays in advance and also are usually going to places they haven't been before. I leave keys outside but this could be a security issue. I have a lockbox but appreciate not everyone can have one. I generally prefer guests arriving late and have most issues with what @Huma0 has described perfectly about guests pitching up early without even botehring to read my check in times. I do sometimes charge for early check ins and I am sure the guests resent it and it affects ratings though no on has explicitly mentioned it. I often say if a restuarant has my reservation for 8pm I can't turn up at 6pm and say my transport got me here early and I am hungry so I don;t care how busy it is I am entitled to go in and eat. that would be crazy.! yes we have crazy guest logic where they come with a sense of entitlement packed in their luggage. Another example I get guests asking to drop off luggage and they turn up with barely a rucksack.

Your Luton booking will be interesting. Guests often under-estimate the time it takes to get out of Luton and into London. If the flight is delayed you will have some wait for no extra money.unless you have a key box.

[Alon1]

@John498 & @Huma0 

Thank you both for your detailed explanations. There seems to be negligble damage to Reviews and Ratings. 

Otherwise, just to reply to John's concern with the Luton late arrival:

  Firstly, by way of background, please know that I'm not a novice but Hosting for 6 years, close to 400 bookings, exclusively with Flexible Check-In & Out. As a Live-in Host it is equally best suited to guests and my lifestyle. I've literally had Guests come and go at every hour round the clock. 'Easy-Come, Easy Go' is my motto on this subject.

  I've only ever received one category of Guest that is normally scheduled to land so late. This is the flight from Tel-Aviv to Luton. As a native of Israel we call it the 'TLV Shuttle'. So there is no question of the Guest having to 'estimate' anything, because if they don't already know from previous visits to London, I inform them of everything. The vital details are threefold: a) Flight number that I can track on line for any delay; b) possible delay at passport control & luggage; c) Reliability and rapidity of travel from Luton Airport to my home in Swiss Cottage. 3 bus lines, National Express A1, A2, Green Line 757. virtually a rolling-bus service departing every 15-20 minutes 24/7. Travel time 50 minutes to Finchley Road bus station, and a few minutes walk to my home. -- If all goes to schedule, I'm normally still up by the time Guests arrive in front my house. If there is delay, well, they just wake me up with a phone call, mobile by the bed. I show them to the room, bathroom & toilet, and then go back to sleep, 'See you in the morning'.

Finally, in general, I've had so few problems with Check In & Out that every case is uniquely memorable, worth recording or rather necessary to do so in detail in Review & Response. The last  incident was June 2018, if you care to peruse my listing titled 'Living Room / Bedroom', currently 5th review down, guest name Dan. It's a gripping tale of 1,000 words, virtually all mine, and most coherently read beginning with my Review of Dan, followed by his one liner (strictly speaking two) and my Response. 

[Huma0]

Wow @Alon1  Dan and friend sound delightful. It's not so much that I'm surprised by their behaviour (their previous review said they were 'lively') but that the guy had the cheek to give you 1 star for communication! What a joke.

[Huma0]

PS @Alon1  luckily my listing does not attract this kind of guest (which I'm sure yours doesn't in general either) but I had a similar case early on in my hosting experience, also two young men, although not nearly as bad. As these guests were staying for two weeks and ignored my requests to behave themselves, on day four, I decided I'd had enough and called Airbnb.

To my surprised, the rep called the guests straight away and told them that they had to follow my rules or they would be asked to leave and would not get any refund. Worked like a charm.

[Huma0]

@Alon1 

I don't have that many guests who arrive late at night. It's more common for guests to arrive in the morning and want to check in early.

Of the guests that come late, I have experienced three types:

- The guest who has acknowledged my check in window but already has a late flight booked. This guest will message me before booking the room, politely ask if it is okay to come later and tell me they will pay the late check in fee. They usually offer me cash on arrival or ask how they should pay. I send them a request via Airbnb, which they pay immediately. Or I simply don't charge them at all because this guest has bothered to read my listing and understands that my time is worth something. They always turn out to be lovely guests and they do not rate me down for the fee because they don't resent it at all.

- The guest who tells me they don't know their arrival time because they haven't booked the flight/train yet. The guest is reminded of the 3-9pm check in time but chooses to ignore it and book the cheapest flight, even if it arrives at midnight and then simply announces they will arrive in the middle of the night without any apology. This type of guest sometimes lies about their flight time, telling me one thing when they book and then at the last minute telling me a later flight time. When I remind them of the fee, they seem taken aback, even though it is mentioned in the house rules, which they have already confirmed they have read (i.e. lied about). They agree to it but then conveniently forget about it after they arrive. This type of guest will turn out to generally be a pain in the backside because they are inconsiderate and irresponsible and usually immature. Do they rate me down for the fee? Unlikely, because this type of guest is too disorganised to leave a review or simply can't be bothered.

Now if a guest comes a little bit late, e.g. between 9 and 10pm and has been kind enough to keep me informed, I'm not going to charge them. The fee is there really to deter the third type of guest, who I have encountered a few times, i.e. the one who can easily come within the check in window because they have already arrived in London, but decides to go off and do something else instead and doesn't think to tell me they are not arriving at the agreed time, leaving me waiting around for hours, trying to contact them. Sometimes they only answer the phone when I get Airbnb to call them. I don't want this kind of guest. If a late check in fee can deter them from booking my place, then great, but to be honest, this type of guest is unlikely to read the listing/house rules in the first place.

[Helen3]

Great post @Huma0 

[Huma0]

@Helen3  Thank you! 

[Susanne3]

Thank you for your response and I will definitly take this this approach in the future.

I resently did just this and told the guest I would appreciate it if she cancelled the booking as I wasn't prepared to stay up until 1am to see them in, of cause she never responded so I called Airbnb who were amazing and said I was perfectly in my right to cancel the booking penilty free and they would do it all for me and contact the guest, within minutes my calender was free again and quess what the same guest came back to me to rebook 2 days later but minus the 1am check in saying they would book into a hotel for the first night.

So stand your ground folks, I will not hesitate to contact Airbnb in the future.

[Helen56]

@Robin0 Thank you for saying 'tuppence'. I haven't heard that in years since I moved from the UK to USA!

Sorry couldn't tag you via the @ thing, none of the pictures were you.

[Robin4]

@Helen56

That's alright Helen, most of the time I would like to be a different picture....one about 40 years younger would fit the bill nicely. :-))

Cheers......Rob

PS: There must be some really tangible similarity....I come up as Robin in Ashburn frequently....poor bugger probably comes up as me!

[Amy38]

@Huma0. The NY Times did an a travel article yesterday about a neww service...Several companies have popped up providing random places to check your bag around cities....this is an Uber Abnb model...they get neighborhood businesses  to watch your bags ....what a trip!

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/02/travel/getaway-luggage-storage.html?rref=collection%2Fspotlightco...

[Ange2]

@Amy38   I once paid a hot-dog vendor to store my luggage in his truck  while I went sightseeing.  Where there's a will there is a way. Problem is many guests don't give a hoot, they paid, they want, they complain, Airbnb scolds. Basta!   The million dollar question is:  What's so hard about confirming arrival time with one's host?  It's a complete mystery to me.

[Huma0]

@Amy

Thanks for the article.

Yes, we have these services here and there seem to be more cropping up all the time. They include stasher, luggagehero, nannybag and bagbnb. Prices start at £1 an hour or only £5 for an entire day (24 hours).

I have been recommending these to guests for some time and many use them. If you think that a return tube or bus fare for a short journey costs around £3, unless they have a lot of luggage, it is often cheaper for the guests to do this than come to mine to drop off their bags and then go back to the centre for sightseeing. Plus, it will save them time.

Unfortunately, as @Ange2 says, a lot of guests simply don't care. They see it as 'free' to leave their bags with me and don't want to pay for something they don't think they have to. They are used to leaving bags at hotels and can't understand the difference between that and a traditional Airbnb host. I'd love to explain to them that they have not paid for the full time receptionist, concierge or porter, which are factored into the hotel rates, but we all know that would only make them angry.

So, I just say, sorry I have a job and won't be here before 3pm. It can be awkward though if the guest decides to show up earlier anyway and finds me at home!