Lack of response from future reservation

[Miriam245]

I need your advice community. I have a reservation coming up, I have emailed the guest several times with no response. Since the guest has not responded, this makes me uncomforatble to host them. I am considering asking Airbnb to cancel the reservation. I am concern about the lack of response from the guest becuase if they dont care to talk to me they will not care about my property.

[Pat271]

I have similar feelings about unresponsive guests.  One thing to keep in mind is that many guests do not have notifications turned on in the app, so they may not even know you have been messaging them.  One thing I try when I can’t contact a guest is to try emailing them using their email proxy in the app.  That often “wakes up” my guests and they respond.

[Jacqueline848]

I am having exactly the same problem right now and I was going to post about the same question. How do other hosts solve this awkward problem? 

[Michelle53]

Sometimes one has to pick up the phone and call. 

Not all guests realize they have to check for Airbnb messages after a booking request is sent, or confirmed.  I had a situation like that early this past week. 

If it's a request-to-book and I haven't heard anything, I get Airbnb to call (although they are not responding very well, at the moment)

If it's a confirmed reservation, and I have their phone number, I call. 

[Linda108]

Call the guest.  Don't trust that the messages are being recieved.  I have had a few poor communicators and agree that often the signal came in the form of early non-responsiveness, but not always.  Call the guest.  Add a system message as well, then contact Air BNB to have them try.   Of course contacting customer service is a bit of a crap shoot at this time.  Good luck!

[Kelly149]

First I text "abb messages await your response"

If that doesn't work I call "it's important that we know that you're real and that we're able to communicate with each other"

if none of that works, then CS

[Debra300]

@Kelly149,

You have to take into consideration un-hip folks.  If I received texts as you've written I would think they are pranks and ignore them.  Primarily, because I wouldn't recognize the phone number, and the messages are written in such an informal fashion.  Also, I wouldn't connect that "abb" is synonymous with Airbnb, and to avoid spam and phishing I surely wouldn't confirm that I am real to an unidentified sender.

When I've had guests who don't respond to my Aibnb messages, I text or call them, and say, "Hello, this is Debra.  Please respond to the Airbnb messages that I have sent to you regarding your upcoming visit so that we can send you the door code (or for the guesthouse, "Please respond to the Airbnb messages that I have sent to you regarding you coming visit so that we can ensure someone is available to greet and check you in").  Thank you."   I usually receive a response shortly afterwards.  

[Emiel1]

@Miriam245 

If a guest is not responding after several messages, i ignore the guest.

No complaints accepted when arriving and nobody is there to welcome.

A guest has a responsibility too, they learn very quickly when they meet problems due to not reading/responding.

Best regards,

Emiel

[Emilia42]

I do like @Emiel1 's approach. This works two ways. How is the guest supposed to check-in with no directions? When the guest messages you with questions/for check-in info you can start the message with "Oh, well nice to hear from you. I have some questions myself . . ." 

[Jacqueline848]

I like the response of @Emiel1 as well but I wonder, what happens next if the guests show up and there is no one to welcome them? How does the script continue from that point?

[Emilia42]

@Jacqueline848 One would assume/hope that the guest would reach out to the host prior to their stay because they have no instructions on how to enter the house. So unless they want to sit outside in their car on the arrival day with no clue where to go, they can message the host and clarify the directions.  

[Jacqueline848]

Thank you @Emilia42 . My guests have my address and they all know how to get here. So it is perfectly possible they just show up at the door, like they do at @Emiel1 's house. We have similar facilities. That's why I was curious how he is handling the situation when a non-communicating guest shows up.

[Sandra126]

Many times Ive had non responsive guests just appear.  Well, welcome! Lucky to catch me here,  I wasn't expecting you at this time! Any way,  guests are sometimes non communicative for various reasons. Ring them if no response .

[Jacqueline848]

@Sandra126 I would be furious if guests would appear as they pleased and leave me waiting for them all day or at least many hours. What tricks do you use to yourself calm down or keep calm & cool in a situation like that? 

[Sandra126]

@Jacqueline848 , two choices: act annoyed, set the tone for a bad stay. Or pretend you are a super professional concierge and get on with it. It has a better result!