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.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@John1574 

Inbox will still exist.

[Nutth0]

@John1574 .... I think we panic too much. Inbox still there, I also got an email and this is what it say.

Hi Nutth,

We noticed that you use a feature for 4 listings 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.

We’re excited to continue improving the hosting experience.

Thanks for being a host,

The Airbnb Team

How do I update my welcome messages?

To update your welcome message for a listing on the web or the Airbnb mobile app:

• Go to your listings and choose the listing you want to update
• Go to Booking settings
• Choose Guest requirements
• Click or tap Edit next to Guest trip information
• Add the questions you want guests to answer in the text field for your welcome message

From my understanding, Welcome message still there ( for guests who IB ) a question setup like 

Why you come to a town, What time you will arriving, Who is in your group are gone ... and we have to write it by our self in welcome message.

I believe, Guest will still ignore it ... The best thing we can do is asking them after booking confirm. Most guest will answer but some will not, lucky for me only 5% that I facing a guest who never answers any message.

[Donald28]

from the airbnb email... "This will streamline the experience for hosts by offering one place to set your greeting and ask all your questions."

When a guest gets the "greeting and/or the welcome message" they are already confirmed and booked. Many hosts want to ask questions before we decide to accept their inquiry and before they get the greeting/welcome. 

[Sarah977]

@Donald28  Whenever Airbnb tells us that one of their bright new ideas will be better for us, i.e "streamline the experience for hosts...." it usually turns out to be anything but a host improvement.

[John1574]

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@Nutth0 

 Yes, I received the exact same message. 

 It is not very clear to me.  No changes have been implemented yet as far as I can tell. 

 It does not sound like it's going to change anything for me. 

 I've never had a guest respond to a greeting message. 

 As long as I can communicate with guests through the inbox I don't see much changing. 

 Thanks. 

[Donald28]

I think you will be able to communicate with guests via the inbox but only AFTER they are confirmed and booked. Not before. But I could be reading the email incorrectly? I hope so. 

[Sarah977]

@Donald28 @Nutth0  This sounds exactly like how Donald is interpreting it.

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

So nothing will change for guests. It sounds to me like hosts won't have any message box to message a guest when they send a Booking Request- only an Accept or Decline button.

If that happens, I'm outta here.

The way this is worded is so  typical- ambiguous and leaving more questions than it answers. Why can't Airbnb talk straight? WTF is the matter with them.

[Rachel0]

@Sarah977 The key word is "opportunity" - and we all know that opportunities are often missed  or ignored.  As for "WTF is wrong with them" - well, Airbnb don't like straight talking or straight questions in case some poor little snowflake finds it offensive and has a melt down during the booking process!

[Donald28]

@Sarah977  yes thats exactly how I read the message. Airbnb is eliminating communication between hosts and guests BEFORE the booking. Allowing messages prior to booking could only ever aid in a host weeding out and declining an inquiry... which will hurt airbnbs profits. 

If this happens & hosts agree, it's genius on airbnbs part. 

[Rebecca181]

@Sarah977 I'm with you.

If I am not 'allowed' to ask guests basic questions, when I am already deprived of last names, photos, etc (until reservation confirmed) then I also am outta here. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@John1574 

is this your welcome message?

Welcome. If Instant booking, input the exact number of guests/dates. We don't take bookings for one person with the idea that more guests may join. We visually monitor the property for compliance.

What brings you to the area?

.....

If yes then it's a part of the booking process, third step and guests have to click the "Continue" button to finish their booking. It is visible, on the gray background.  Underneath is the text area where guests can write a message and answer all the questions

So the first step is to set dates and the number of people in the group

The second step is to read house rules and agree to them

The third step is to read our welcome message and answer our questions

( I didn't proceed to forth step .)

I think it is good, at least for iB hosts

@Sarah977  @Kelly149 @Donald28 @Nutth0 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

---

@Branka-and-Silvia0 wrote:

@John1574 

is this your welcome message?

Welcome. If Instant booking, input the exact number of guests/dates. We don't take bookings for one person with the idea that more guests may join. We visually monitor the property for compliance.

What brings you to the area?

.....

If yes then it's a part of the booking process, third step and guests have to click the "Continue" button to finish their booking. It is visible, on the gray background.  Underneath is the text area where guests can write a message and answer all the questions

So the first step is to set dates and the number of people in the group

The second step is to read house rules and agree to them

The third step is to read our welcome message and answer our questions

( I didn't proceed to forth step .)

I think it is good, at least for iB hosts

@Sarah977  @Kelly149 @Donald28 @Nutth0 

---

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

I agree... That step 3 is good. Unfortunately, thats the current system and the question would be whether that message is defined as the 'welcome message' or not? I believe that is the 'feature' which the email refers to and which is going to be removed. In the listing details that field is identified as "Your welcome message before booking".

My interpretation would be that a "welcome message" is sent after a confirmed booking, not before. The only time that can happen is after the guest has booked and paid their deposit. The area for that message would be in your "Saved Messages" in your Inbox, or some "Welcome message" area I don't see on my listing anywhere(?).

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.

[Solveig0]

I don't understand this message as in any way removing our opportunity to communicate with the guest or sending them questions about their booking. That would severely deteriorate Airbnb's value to both customers and hosts. Getting guests to answer...that's a whole different story... 

I'll be using this function as a "thank you for your interest and please contact me if you have any questions" message, and continue aksing the usual questions about arrival time etc. 

[Donald28]

 @Solveig0 "Getting guests to answer...that's a whole different story... "

I do not use IB.

Currently, when I get an inquiry from a potential guest for 1 person named "BOB" (no last name, photo & usually no reviews) and BOB does not include a message with his inquiry... red flags pop up for me BUUUUUT I am able to message BOB and ask him how many are really coming etc etc etc BEFORE ACCEPTING HIS reservation. I think airbnb is about to change this process and all a host will get are "accept or decline" buttons... no way to ask questions BEFORE booking confirmation. 

And, we all know the process of declining a booking is getting harder and longer for a host. The are more button clicks and hoops to jump through than ever before. Airbnb does not want declines. 

[Solveig0]

I use IB for single rooms, but not for the whole house listing as that takes too much prep.  And that works for me - for now!
I've lucikly  never had an issue with guests not responding, but I can see people do, so that's where my comment came from 🙂