How do you greet your guests?

[Eileen462]

Hello Everyone!

How did you greet your first guest?  My first experience is coming up Oct 27... Im so nervous!  How do you greet your current guests and bid them farewell?  Thank you for replying and liking my questions!  Smiles,  Eileen

[Title updated by Community Manager for relevancy]

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Eileen462 A big smile seems to work for us when greeting guests.

[Eileen462]

@Mike-And-Jane0  Hi Mike and Jane!  Do you greet them at the door or do you have  them self check in?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Eileen462 we meet at the door so that we can show them the apartment and explain how things work. We are lucky that we live next door.

[Eileen462]

@Mike-And-Jane0   What a great idea!

[Iolanda54]

I find that most guest prefer a welcome text messages.  I send out automatically,  when they book telling them about the home. a day prior, I send out the basic home information, how to enter, wifi, etc.

I do not live nearby or I may be out of town when they visit, I do majority  2-3 day bookings. Keep them informed is key.

[Helen56]

@Eileen462 I always meet my guests in person as I rent out one room in my house.  I usually walk down the path to the street as GPS sends them to the wrong building.

I always greet them by name, 'Hi Susan, how are you? I'm Helen, it's so nice to meet you' so that they are confident that they have arrived at the correct address, especially since I only host one guest at a time.

On the walk to the house I make small talk about their flight/drive/weather.

[Eileen462]

@Helen56   Thank you for your reply Helen!

[Melanie318]

We texts our guest on the morning of their arrival with key codes and parking instructions and such.  When they pull into the lot we do go out to the parking lot and just do a brief hello, and welcome and make sure they know which building to head to. Then we tell them to text us if they need anything.  We have found that people like the welcome, but want it brief and to the point. Since Covid so much has changed the way we do this. 

[Philip-Ian0]

Hi @Eileen462 , 
I host but also use my experience as a traveller to inform my approach, so I hope this helps.  It's always nice to be given and friendly welcome. This can be small talk about the journey, offered a drink and/or refreshments, and given initial information about the stay. After that I like to have space but know where and how to approach my host should I need anything - "I think you have everything you need but give me a shout/text/call if you have any questions," etc.
In practice, as a host, I replicate this as much as possible, so communication is key before they arrive - this is where you're coming and how to get there, etc. 

Airbnb is a hosting platform but it doesn't hide anything. I've had stays where I really feel I've joined a family, and others where I move because I don't feel comfortable. We're not going to click with everyone. x

[Ketut50]

Hi Eileen,

You have nothing to worry about.

Just try to be there to welcome them personally with a big smile & a free cold water or juice will make them very happy. We personally give a free welcome bowl of chilled payaya & small cold water, but your personal presence is the most important.

Good Luck

Beno 🙂

[Colleen560 · Accepted solution]

@Eileen462 We have a room in our home.  My first automated message after they book asks their arrival time and we let them know we want to greet them when they arrive.  The day of I send a message to let them know who will be there to greet them.  My husband or daughters or I.  When they come to the front door I always greet them by name.  This helps them know they have got the right house!   I welcome them in and if they have brought their luggage to the door I offer to help them bring anything else in.  I ask about how their trip went.  I make a point of looking at their message before they arrive to remind myself of their name and anything they shared about their plans or family.  Guests will often communicate what they are looking for when they book and when meeting them we get a sense of how much interaction they are looking for.  I ask if they have anything to put in the fridge or if they’d like recommendations for restaurants.  As we go through the house I point out what they need to know about the kitchen, shared spaces, where they can eat etc.  I have a checklist in my mind about all the things - based partly on what I would want to know if I were staying in someone’s home. When I give them the key to their room I tell them if they want more interaction that they are welcome to use the front door.  And they are more than welcome to use the side door so that they can come and go as they please.  I also point out the Do Not Disturb door hanger letting them know we want to give them the privacy they’d like.  Our piano is outside their room and we found it uncomfortable playing it if the guest’s door was closed, but some guests leave their door closed all the time!  So the door knocker was a solution so that we were more confident we weren’t disturbing their sleep or business call etc.   I ask a couple of questions about their family or where they are from or going. I ask if they are light sleepers and let them know when our household usually gets up and who they can expect to be around during their stay.  I always let them know they are welcome to come join us upstairs if they want and encourage them to ask for nursing they need.   

[Eileen462]

@Colleen560  Thank you Colleen you seem very organized.