How do you make yourself available for guest support?

[Marcos760]

I’d love to hear how you all deal with this…  

We all know it’s totally normal for guests to have questions during their stay. But it’s also VERY common for them to ask things that are already in the check-in instructions, houserules, or are pretty obvious 

Sometimes it even feels like the host is expected to be a 24/7 hotel front desk.

How do you handle this in practice:

Do you reply anytime a guest messages you?  
Are you available 24/7?  
Do you set specific hours to respond?  
Do you inform guests about your availability in advance?  
Or do you just respond based on urgency?  
Have you ever ignored “less reasonable” questions? 

My experience:  

I usually reply quickly, even when the answer is already written somewhere and the guest could easily find it.  

But honestly, sometimes it gets tricky…  

I’ve received a message at 1:00 AM asking how to turn off the balcony light (when the switch is right next to the door ).  

Another time, at 3:00 AM, a guest asked whether they should take out the trash at check-out… even though check-out was only at 11 AM.  

So… how do you balance being responsive without feeling tied to your phone all the time?  

[Charles2088]

Hi Marcos,

Thank you for asking this question!

Yes, I make it a point to respond to every guest message as soon as it comes in day or night. In my experience, prompt communication is one of the most important aspects of hosting. Guests feel valued and reassured when they receive a quick response, especially when they are enquiring about a booking or need assistance during their stay.

My approach is simple a guest should never be left wondering. Whether it is a booking enquiry at midnight or a check-in question early in the morning, I respond immediately. This not only builds trust but also increases the chances of securing the booking.

I would advise fellow hosts to turn on notifications and treat guest communication as a priority. A quick response can be the difference between a confirmed booking and a guest moving on to another listing. The few minutes it takes to reply are always worth it.

Happy hosting to all!

[Cathy1312]

I answer questions as long as I am awake. I turn my ringer down so unless someone has an emergency I will not hear it. I think it is good to respond asap after all it is our property that we are renting out. 
I haven’t had any weird messages except for the people asking where more caffeinated coffee is. I responded the next day with, everything there is complimentary. 
I just want to know what’s going on all the time in case of emergency. I think I would screen my messages and if it’s silly like where is a light switch that is obvious, I would wait on that. Some people are more needy than others. 

[Guy991 · Accepted solution]

Hello @Marcos760 ,

I am available 24/7. I’ve had occasions where a drunk guest couldn’t find the keys in the garden and called me at 2:30 AM for help, but that is an extreme situation.

What I do is anticipate their questions and leave a very detailed house manual in the property. I also message guests several times to remind them to check the book.

For example, when a guest once asked me where the switch for the balcony light was, I added it as a separate chapter in the manual; since then, I’ve never had another guest repeat the question.

Regarding checkout, it makes sense to get a message at 3:00 AM because they might have an early flight and are about to leave.

The day before checkout, I send a detailed explanation of where the trash bins are and how I expect the house to be left.

The more proactive you are, the less you will be bothered later. If you automate the process correctly, you won’t even have to think about it anymore.

I hope something here will help. 

[Marcos760]

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us.

[Vahid29]

I answer anytime that I see their message and answer their calls anytime.

[Victor4758]

Normally if i available or wake up already, will nicely to reply any questions. Because i wish my guest can give 5 star reviews for my airbnb business 😆

[Joanna818]

We’re actually in a different time zone to our portfolio (+6 hours), so guest messaging has to be really intentional.

What’s worked well for us is splitting coverage across the day so there’s always someone available during key guest touchpoints, especially check-in windows. That way response times stay tight without one person being “on” 24/7.

In practice, we’re covering most of the day between us, and prioritising check-in days so guests are never left waiting when it matters most.

As we scale, we’ll likely bring in a VA to support evening coverage, more for balance than necessity at this stage.

[Shanna159]

If its a question already within the instructions I screenshot the instructions and then answer their question but let them know it's also on the instructions and to please check them. 

I do not answer anything after i go to bed, i will answer in the morning. 

If there are more than a few questions i would ask them to review the app for any further questions. 

[Yasmin545]

I always respond to guests provided it is within a reasonable time frame. If a guest messaged me at 1 or 3 a.m., they would have to wait for a response the next morning. I always make sure that everything they need to know is in the guest handbook.

[Oriana275]

This is a good approach.

[Uliana1407]

You can write a template message and schedule it to send at the time of booking if you want , something like : “if you have questions regarding the property before or during the stay we are available to answer between hours of 8 am to 8 pm, if it is an emergency call emergency number at”

[Sandra-Lúcia0]

São situações delicadas, mas assim que recebo meus hóspedes me coloco à disposição, digo que se precisarem de algo me enviem uma mensagem e se for algo urgente me liguem. Desta  forma consigo ficar mais tranquila caso eu esteja ocupada, numa festa/evento ou dormindo...

Procuro atendê los sempre! Embora tenham as exceções, pois existem os "sem noções", que abusam - rss). Mas considero que são pessoas que procuram o melhor lazer ou a melhor experiência ou um ótimo local para o trabalho ou quem sabe se sentir em casa numa cidade diferente...e eu como anfitriã tenho responsabilidade em atender essa expectativa.

[Venkata29]

In my case, I’m available 24/7 since I stay opposite my Airbnb property, which makes it convenient to assist guests whenever needed. However, I haven’t faced issues with late-night or unreasonable queries so far. I primarily host families and working professionals, and I maintain clear house rules, including not allowing unmarried couples or alcohol. Because of this, my guests are generally respectful and don’t tend to contact me at odd hours unnecessarily.

[Senthil27]

Hi Marco, 

   I always respond to the guest message ASAP in the normal working hours. If I am engaged in some other work when I cannot attend, I arrange alternative people to attend their needs. But I always ask them to call anytime if there is any issue which have to attend immediately.  Otherwise during off hours like 11 PM  to morning 6 AM I don't reply. It is understood by the guest that we are sleeping during this time. Yes, some guest ask some questions like do we have to keep the trash out, do we have to switch off lights, which we have mentioned in house rules, we have to be patient to reply them to those questions again.

Happy hosting, cheers

[Bamidele7]

@Senthil27 please how can you assist me with co hosting