Tips for getting a guest to reply to messages?

[Bob40]

Hello fellow hosts,

Most guests are communicative but every year i come across one that never responds to messages sent via the Airbnb system. My usual way round this is to track them down with their phone number on Whatsapp. This usually works but now I have someone who apparently doesn't even check their Whatsapp.

I know I can phone but given the time difference between Italy and the US and the cost of the call, it's very much a last resort. When i do phone, I usually have to leave a message, which goes nowhere.

Any other ideas??

Thanks and Happy Monday!

[Till-and-Jutta0]

My last guest replied after I sent him a text message (SMS).

[Pat271]

@Bob40  Some guests don’t have their Airbnb notifications turned on. They decide this at account creation time and often just say “no” without knowing that they are really going to need it. You might add something in your booking confirmation message asking that they make sure they have notifications turned on, so that they will receive important messages from you and from Airbnb.

[Bob40]

@Pat271good point!

[Fred13]

Here is a good one, talking about minimal communication.  We have guests supposedly coming in 2 weeks which we have not heard from for 3 years. They rolled their reservation in early 2020 to 2023 and never have answered any messages since.