how to check in to your own home?

[Emily1447]

I rent out a room in my home. I am not getting excellent ratings for check in procedures. I welcome guests at the street or front gate, lead them into the front door, show them the room, and the house rules, towels, table and chair, water and ice, etc. I ask them when they plan to wake up and if they want coffee or tea in the morning. I tell them what I'm doing right now, and then they close the door and do what they want.

What am I missing here? I'd like to hear suggestions.

Thanks.

[Robin4]

@Emily1447 

Emily, you are overcrowding them!

Guests want to rent a bit of your property, they don't want to become part of it!

I also welcome guests when they enter the property grounds, I show them how the bed works, the heating/cooling, Wifi logon, where extra towels are and I then get out and leave them to it. I like them to discover things as they settle in, not make a big deal of them.

If they need to know something Emily, they will ask you, don't behave like a mother hen.....they are probably trying to get away from that in their regular lives. 

Let them ask the questions, don't bombard them with your life/property history.

You sound like a lovely person who wants to share but I can see from what you have written that they are probably frightened you are going to regiment their stay......just back off a bit!

Cheers.........Rob 

[Emily1447]

Thanks! I appreciate the input. I'll try it! However, "property grounds" is a little different than small two-bedroom home. But I'll try to tone down the mother hen! Thanks.

[Kath9]

@Emily1447, do you send your guests a welcome message with arrival instructions? Where to park, etc.? Maybe that could help.

I agree with @Robin4 not to go overboard with your check in - just show your guests the room, where to find towels, how to operate cooling/heating/fans and any other facilities they have access to. Given that you're not serving breakfast per se, I would not ask guests when they plan to wake up and whether they want tea or coffee. People on holiday don't necessarily want to work to a schedule or feel pressured to be up at a certain time. I would simply show them the tea and coffee making facilities and allow them to do it themselves when they are ready.

[Emily1447]

Good points. In fact I do serve breakfast if they ask; I have a menu posted. I don't have separate coffee-making facilities in my small room. Bit I will prepare a check in instruction sheet. Thank you!

[Colleen253]

@Emily1447 I had a quick peek at your lovely listing and couldn't help but notice that you have 5 stars for check in! So, very few guests are rating you low for that. I also noticed that you've responded to some of your very lovely reviews by mentioning things that the reviewers don't. If guests leave you private feedback, respond back privately. Your responses to your reviews are only viewed by future guests, so be careful! By the way, you can ask Airbnb to remove your responses.

[Marie6762]

Thanks for this info BTW - it’s absolutely new to me and I’ve been hosting awhile!  Early on, I left a snarky response to a deserved (in hindsight) criticism that accompanied a 4-star review.  I have regretted it ever since!

[Marie6762]

The above comment was for Colleen.  This is my first time on this forum, so am learning how it works

[Sandra856]

Hi @Marie6762 🙂

If you want Colleen to get notified about your reply to her -  remember to tag her using @ - you can then choose the name (like I did with you here in my response :-)) of the person you want to tag. About the reply you regret you wrote - you can ask Airbnb to take it down. 

[Marie6762]

@Sandra856 

Thanks, for the info, Sandra - I’ll keep at it with the help I’ve received here 🙂

[Emily1447]

Thanks for the input. I respond to public comments; are they only seen privately? But I get your point and will be careful in future.

[Colleen253]

@Emily1447 Go have a look at your reviews - the ones you've responded to - you'll see what I mean. What you read there is what future guests who are browsing your listing see. The guests who left those reviews are long gone and will not read your response to their public review of you. The things you've responded with should be sent to each particular guest through your private message thread with them. 

[Marie6762]

I just spoke to CS who refuted the advice given to “remove your response to guest review”.  The rep reiterated that the rules for responses are the same as for reviews.  

Have you had a personal experience that indicates otherwise, and/ or would you be willing to share your process?

Also, could some kind soul tell me how to respond to someone who isn’t the OP, so that their name is visible?  I’m obviously a newbie and not getting it - thanks!

[Colleen253]

@Marie6762 You type the ‘@“ symbol and  then user name to notify someone that you’re addressing them. Just like I’m doing now. Welcome to the forum!

The thing about AIrbnb CS is, the reps are outsourced third party contract workers who rarely are familiar with even basic policy. When you are the author of something, you have the right to ask for it to be removed, whether it’s a response or a review you’ve written. I don’t believe there is any actual policy regarding that though. If it’s worth your time, you may need to try a couple of times before you reach someone who will understand. 

[Emily1447]

I have requested my response to guest reviews be removed and they did it no question asked. However, I understand that your review of a guest can't be changed or removed after 48 hours and both parties have left reviews. So they seem to be different. I do believe it is a policy, but at least I got my situation resolved.