We can no longer ask guests questions before accepting a guest's booking request? Is this true?

[Donald28]

I got this email from airbnb today and I don't think I like it.  Usually people don't read the few pre-booking questions I have for them in my listing as it is. I ask basic things like how many in your group, how many kids and what are their ages, any dog/s coming, what is the breed and are they friendly with other dogs. Very basic stuff that I NEED TO KNOW.

How many times has a host had a guest book for 1 person and then many more show up? It happens to me weekly and sometimes daily. I've had people try to book with kids under 6 years old. I don't host kids under 6. I've had guests say NOTHING about dogs accompanying them and then they show up with a dog. One guy even showed up with 3 BIG dogs! I need to know beforehand if the dogs I'm allowing on to my property (to be near my) dog are friendly. 

Early on the day of the reservation I always use a saved message and ask the guest when they plan to arrive today. Sometimes people forget they even have a reservation or forget the check in time. 

This message airbnb sent me today makes it seem that we can no longer ask any question BEFORE either accepting or denying the booking?! So, if I blindly accept the guest request to book for 1 person and he shows up with his family of 6 (two of the kids are under 6 years old) and his 3 dogs (who don't get along with other dogs), I'm stuck?! I cancel the reservation & lose my superhost status. Airbnb expects the guest to read and respond to questions  in the welcome message AFTER BOOKING?! That's just not going to happen. I just think this is a bad bad bad idea. 

For Tiny House & Huge Arcade just 5 miles To Six Flags, we noticed that you use a feature to ask guests questions about their trip before they book.

On October 02, 2019, we’re consolidating this feature with the welcome message. This will streamline the experience for hosts by offering one place to set your greeting and ask all your questions.

What you can do

If you want to keep asking guests for their trip details, you can copy and paste your original questions over to your welcome message, or add new ones. We’re increasing the character count of that message to fit the questions and everything else you want to say. Nothing will change for guests—they’ll still have the opportunity to respond to your questions before confirming their reservation.

[Donald28]

After reading this part of the email, I don't think so... "we noticed that you use a feature to ask guests questions about their trip before they book."

If I were using IB I wouldn't even have a chance to ask a guest any questions before they booked... only after. 

[Kelly149]

@Donald28  Yes, actually those questions ARE shown to guests BEFORE they complete the IB process. (Shown, doesn’t mean they actually respond to them)

this isnt talking about you not being able to talk/vet prior to booking if you don’t IB, but rather is a step in the booking process during an IB

[Donald28]

I do not think so since I don't use instant book and airbnb would know that. Why send hosts this email if it doesn't pertain to them?

Did anyone who uses IB also get this email recently?

[Keith-and-Marilyn0]

Donald28 - 

Yes, I received this email on Wednesday (Australian time), and we do use Instant Book.

I was somewhat confused, because we only ask one question (tell us what brings you to our area), but that is already in our "welcome message before booking", which was where the link in the email took us. As per the email, this stays the same.

What I couldn't figure out was where we had set any questions for guests about their trip before booking. After reading some posts here, this is not visible on the web interface, but is only on the app. It's under a separate heading for "Questions", just below "Greeting".

Oddly, we don't use it at the moment anyway - possible we did when we first set up our listing.

Hopefully that will all be ok...

 - Keith

[Sarah706]

Can someone clarify where exactly the field is for this new Welcome Message? I can't find it . Is it the box under where it reads:
Guest trip information

When a guest books instantly, they’ll see your greeting and questions while they’re booking.

[Keith-and-Marilyn0]

Sarah -

It is still in the same place as the original Welcome Message - the link in the email takes you there (on the web interface, at least).

On the web interface, under the "Listing" main menu, click on "Booking settings". On that screen, click on the "Edit" button beside "Guest requirements". 

At the bottom of that screen, enter your message and/or questions in the field under:

   Your welcome message before booking
   Guests will see your message before they confirm their reservation.

 - Keith

[John1574]

@Donald28 

It almost sounds like you are claiming that AirBnB is eliminating any way for you to ask a guest questions.

when a guest Instant Books, I uses saved messages to communicate with them through the Inbox or I write directly to them through the Inbox to be sure they are in compliance with my House Rules.

For inquiries, I respond through the Inbox.

It almost sounds as if you are interpreting their message to mean that we will no longer be able to message guests through the Inbox.

Am I misreading something?

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[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@John1574 

Airbnb's email implies that the first communication is after there is a paid booking since the 'welcome message' is sent after a booking. 

@Donald28  includes the message for interpretation.

[John1574]

_

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 

What about Inquiries coming in through your Inbox or Instant Bookings?

Can't you reply through the Inbox when someone make an Inquiry?

And when someone Instant Books you can ask them questions via the Inbox?

I'm wondering where the difference lies.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@John1574 

After having recently booked a couple of stays, my impression is that the booking process is paramount and no faffing around with questions and answers are to be tolerated.

Maybe guests who are experienced and know that they can enquire will know where that (small blue link) is and want to enquire before booking will still be able to, but guests who 'instant book' will have your welcome message automatically sent containing what was previously your pre-booking questions. This puts the decision of cancelling within 48 hours for free on the guest. After that, if they don't read, don't ask, don't disclose... they're booked!

[Donald28]

I think that airbnb doesn't want any booking denied by a host. A denied booking is lost money for them. If they can quelch our pre booking communication and turn all interested guests into booked, paying guests, airbnb is doing much better. If they allow us to communicate at all, it can only hurt the potential booking process... possibly causing a decline instead of an acceptance. think about it. 

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Are they going to eliminate our prebooking communication completely? 

[Donald28]

No thats what it feels like. How does it sound to you? 

[John1574]

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@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 

"This puts the decision of cancelling within 48 hours for free on the guest. After that, if they don't read, don't ask, don't disclose... they're booked"

Are you talking about an inquiry?   I am not following this conversation very well, and I don't believe that I'm that dense.  But maybe I am. 

What if they instant book for one but they intend to bring three?

These types are easily discerned.  When I spot them I send a Message through the inbox Asking them to confirm exactly how many guests will be coming.

When someone makes an inquiry about booking for one guest, I ask them how many guests will be coming.

 How will this change through the new system?

 I'm not seeing how anything will be different. 

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[Donald28]

These types are easily discerned.  When I spot them I send a Message through the inbox Asking them to confirm exactly how many guests will be coming.

When someone makes an inquiry about booking for one guest, I ask them how many guests will be coming.

 How will this change through the new system?

I think airbnb might be stopping prebooking communication between hosts and guests. You won't be able to ask them how many people are coming PRIOR to accepting the booking for 1 person.

Sure, if 1 person books and you message them after the booking and they say 5 people are really coming... and you make a request to change the reservation... which adds more costs to the reservation, the guest can decline or agree and leave you a bad review later. 

It just doesn't sound good for hosts. Go read airbnbs email to me again. You'll see what I mean. 

[John1574]

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@Donald28 

No more Inbox?

So, they will be eliminating the Inbox? No more messaging guests?

That just doesn't sound feasible.