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.

[Amy-and-Brian0]

@Donald28 

It would seem Air is moving the questions but not eliminating them - though the welcome message seems like a strange place to put them. It's not really forcing them to answer anything...just another screen to ignore on the way to the booking button.

To me, it would seem more appropriate to put them in the "Additional House Rules" area where they have to acknowledge them. 

[Donald28]

Isn't the "welcome message" only seen AFTER a guest is approved by the host and has booked? 

And yes, you are exactly right about another screen to ignore on the way to a guest booking. This is why I message them directly with my questions AFTER they've made a booking inquiry but BEFORE I accept or decline. 

If airbnb puts "my questions" somewhere that is easily ignored and not mandatory to answer before my acceptance of their booking request, how will I get the answers I need to feel comfortable with the potential guest/s?

[Amy-and-Brian0]

@Donald28 According to the web page that you can edit, the Guest requirements page, the welcome message is shown before booking. To see it, go to Booking Settings -> Guest Requirements -> click edit.

The message says:
"Your welcome message before booking

Guests will see your message before they confirm their reservation."

So unlike being able to have them answer questions, all they will get are your questions in written form of some kind. What that means, I have no idea. But it sure seems like it's just another section of the booking process for guests to ignore.

[John1574]

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@Amy-and-Brian0 

"Booking Settings -> Guest Requirements -> click edit.

The message says:
"Your welcome message before booking

Guests will see your message before they confirm their reservation."

Where did this come from, site or app?

On my platform, Win10, I don't see "Your welcome message before booking,":

What I do see under Guest Requirements, is "Guest Trip Information" and there is not much room in the box to write.

this is what I see:

• Guest trip information

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

Why is there a difference?

[Eric1372]

we can't see where to message a guest before accepting - can you help?

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 · Accepted solution]

@Donald28 

What looks to be happening is this; Airbnb want to secure a booking right at first sight of your listing. They  assume the guest has read your House Rules in their entirety and they want to take a booking deposit. After that, your questions will be an affirmation of your House Rules and any questions will have to happen  in the 48hr period before the guests free cancellation period ends. (You essentially will be trying to put your guests off carrying on with their booking with you if they are not a good fit).

You pretty much will need to obtain affirmation of those restrictions you have. People, dogs, kids... Basically, if the booking is made and the guest turns up with undisclosed group entities they will need to be cancelled on arrival. Who might do this... Guests or Host? That really will be a problem.

[Donald28]

I agree with this about airbnb wanting the booking to be immediate. That's why they push the "instant book " feature so hard. I don't know the ratio but I do know many hosts do not use instant book because they lose the opportunity to ask potential guests questions to learn if they are in fact a good fit for the hosts place. 

Nobody wants to cancel a request when the guests are at your property and trying to check in. That could get very ugly very quickly. These people are expecting to stay and you're counting on their money in your paypal account the next day. Nobody wants an in-person, ugly, confrontational, uncomfortable cancellation. 

[Jim-and-Marcia0]

We've used Instant Book since we started hosting over three years ago. By being clear in our listing description and photos, guests can self-determine if they meet our requirements and if the place is a good match for their needs. I can still ask them clarifying questions and engage in conversation with them before the date of their arrival if I feel the need to do so.   I do this via the Airbnb messaging system so all is documented. On occasion I may pick up the phone the talk with them ahead of time. I memorialize our phone conversation in the Airbnb message thread afterwards. I can also greet my guests upon their arrival, reiterate our expectations then, and outline them in our orientation notebook at the house.  IB allows me to cancel without penalty if I feel uncomfortable about the reservation, although  I've never had to that.  I understand your discomfort in not being able to pre-qualify guests in a manner you've been used to. I'm just sharing my experience to give you some hope not all is lost. 🙂

[Donald28]

The last line of airbnbs email about this reads...

"Nothing will change for guests—they’ll still have the opportunity to respond to your questions before confirming their reservation."

Key word is "opportunity". The guest will no longer be forced to answer my questions via message before I accept the booking. Or heck, I may not even be allowed to message the guest before booking?! That really seems like what's happening here. They only want host and guests messaging AFTER the booking is confirmed. 

Of course "nothing will change for the guests"... but it will certainly change for the host. Airbnb is too guest focussed. What about the host? 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Donald28 

Is "before confirming their reservation" actually meaning "before the free cancellation period is up"?

Thats the only way they can implement this - after booking - before confirmation, thing.

[Suzanne302]

@Donald28 It's always been simply an "opportunity" to answer the questions. I have questions set up and about 90% of my guests actually answer them, but the other 10% ignore them and I have to ask again after they've already booked. Guests have never been forced to answer the questions.

I don't think this is anything to cause alarm. As mentioned above, they are just consolidating the messages. Instead of two separate messages (and more clicks before confirming the reservation) there is only one.

[Donald28]

This issue really has nothing to do with hosts who use instant book. 

If a host does not use instant book, then the guest is "forced" to answer all questions from the host prior to being accepted... or denied. If my potential guests do not respond to my message/s, I simply decline them. 

If I am reading this email from airbnb correctly, they are taking away the chance for hosts to ask potential guests questions PRIOR to a confirmed booking. 

Once a booking is confirmed, a host cannot cancel a reservation without fairly serious repercussion. 

[Evan-and-Shelby0]

@Donald28  This is what I was hoping to get more clarification on! If we chose request to book for what we'd like our booking type to be - are we penalized for declining their reservation? 

My hubs and I are considering renting out our own personal home and we'd like to have a  more secure 'vetting' process. 

Thanks in advance! 

Shelbs

[Kelly149]

@Donald28 I think that msg they're referencing is for IB hosts

and, yes, most of my IB guests just ignore it anyway

non-IB requests can have as many questions pre-booking as you like