new booking process that encourages guests to TELL me when they want to check in?

Gillian166
Level 10
Hay Valley, Australia

new booking process that encourages guests to TELL me when they want to check in?

Has there been a change to the guest booking side in the past week? I've had the last 3 guests all tell me they are wanting to check in around midday. This is so tedious, as now I have to respond to them all politely pointing out my check-in time and if we can manage it I'll allow early check-in, but if every guest is going to be like this...... gah!!! I have my check-in time clearly listed, and last time I travelled, which was only last week, the check-in time was clearly displayed and I don't recall being prompted to tell the host what time I wanted to arrive. Is anyone else seeing an increase in this? 

checkin.jpg

31 Replies 31
Trude0
Level 10
Stockholm County, Sweden

This is very interesting…

I agree, it sounds like something has changed in the booking process.

 

I recently received an IB, from a newbie (”no trips yet”), who’s only communication was this: 

 

135FA238-57E3-46F2-B0D6-9C65D2D607DA.jpeg

My check in/out information says ”Flexible” for check in, and ”before 13:00/1 p.m” on check out. And I try to be very flexible on both. But none of my guests have ever taken it for granted that they could check in that early, if they wanted an early check in, they have always asked if ok. This one also took for granted he could check out 4 hours after my check out time. And also weird that he would not write ANYTHING else in his initial message, just ”inform” me of when they would be coming and leaving. 

The bookings right before and after this IB, did not mention check in/out times at all. These were booking requests, I turned off IB after the above IB.

It’s beyond ridiculous. I declined someone who wanted a 3 hour early checkin. Then their husband, using a different last name instant booked and immediately asked for the same thing. I recognized they were the same location and inquired about it. Gave them an slight modification and they were fellow “hosts” who left my house filthy on checkout.

 

So now I don’t make the key available until shortly before checkin because we had people walk in on us while we finished cleaning. One woman said “I told you my plane gets in at 11am!”  I said, “I told you checkin was 3pm.”

 

Airbnb needs a way to rate guests so other hosts know to avoid them.

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

Hi @Christine615 

Airbnb do have a way to rate guests so other hosts know to avoid them. It's called host reviews.

 

Sadly some hosts don't bother to leave honest reviews to warn their fellow hosts or even worse large scale management companies or hosts with multiple listings who use cleaning crews just leave a standard 5 star reviews regardless of guest behaviour.

 

 

I agree, there’s something peculiar going on! 
I received one today just telling me the time they were arriving.

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

What has happened @Gillian166  is about six months ago Airbnb has included a check list for guests reminding them to tell hosts what time they are checking in.

 

What they didn't bother to include is a reference that this should be within the hosts check in times.

 

This results in guests choosing whatever check in time they feel like regardless of advertised check in times.

 

I just reply to guests saying they need to specify a check in time within my advertised check in hours. 

Gillian166
Level 10
Hay Valley, Australia


@Helen3 wrote:

What has happened @Gillian166  is about six months ago Airbnb has included a check list for guests reminding them to tell hosts what time they are checking in.

 


yes, I'm aware that there's a prompt for them to do that, but something else must have been thrown in, because this is different, never before have I had a run of guests telling me they will check in at noon. 

Lorna170
Level 10
Swannanoa, NC

@Gillian166   as @Helen3 pointed out, when a guest books there is some reference to telling the host when they would like to check in.  It probably has to do with their push for hosts to offer a flexible check-in.  

 

I can't find the screen shot that I saw, but I will tell you that it did not show the host's check in times and ask the guest to say when DURING those hours the guest planned to check in.  It was just a generic "When do you want to check in" question.

 

 

Troy252
Level 2
Phoenix, AZ

Try accommodating the guest with a free one hour early check in based on host situation. Notify your guests anything sooner then an hour early will be an extra fee?

@Troy252  we do try to do this, but we have 3 listings on our farm, and we do mostly 1-2 night stays so we do a lot of turnovers, we are busy !  We stagger our checkouts too, so one of our listings gets an automatic "late" checkout anyway. 

 

We get a large number of guests wanting early check-in, it feels like 50% are requesting it lately. but my point is that these latest messages are NOT requests, they are telling me what time they are arriving, and I feel like ABB has some wording that is encouraging this messaging. And given that the review process now includes a field for "how flexible was the host with check in times" we could all be in for some low stars.  

 

I considered a fee but it feels like a nickel and diming situation to me. We already charge a solid price for our listings, I'm happy to offer early check in when I can to add value. 

Laurelle3
Level 10
Huskisson, Australia

@Gillian166 Maybe we have to say a reminder,  that our check in time is..3pm ... when we send our address and the nearest cross road.

           Also at this time I ask for the names of their family members and or guests. I also ask at this time the age of the children.

           I also put in the welcome note on arrival check out time is 10 am on ....... day and date.

           Yes I have also had people asking to check in at 12noon but I have said in reply because of cleaning between guests the check in time is 3pm but if finished earlier I will contact them.No complaints so far.

 

@Laurelle3  Yes I have a confirmation message that I send once the booking is done, and it includes: # people, arrival and departure date, and check in time, even though all that info shouldn't be required, I've found it necessary as people make errors. 

I get asked for early check in a lot, but this latest request with the booking is new, because it's not a request. And that's why I'm wondering if something has changing with the booking process. 

@Gillian166. I havent experienced it recently but then I dont have overnight guests. Its the sort of question motels have been asking guests for years. Perhaps with more larger accommodation listings on ABB they have updated the check in to include those requests. If only we all had 24/7 receptions. 😂

Literally my last 2 requests told me they were checking in at 2pm 🙃

Mariann4
Level 10
Bergen, Norway

Hello @Gillian166 

I was looking into a new host's ad and just wandered around. I went to check out pricing and there was a message over the book now-button: tell the host why you are travelling and when you will be checking in.

 

So yes, guests are now asked about check-in time. I would rather the guests were shown the houserules and asked to tick a box for every houserule they agree upon.... Right now guests are only told that a booking request means they agree to the houserules. They need to click a link to actually read them. Which they don't. So I, like @Huma0 , keep my easter egg question in the houserules. 

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Mariann4 

 

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As for guests reading the house rules, I just looked over my last ten enquiries/booking requests, and only ONE of these had read them and included the answer to the Easter Egg question. Yep, that's right, nine out of ten had definitely not read the house rules.

 

Bear in mind these are all long term guests, so you would think they'd be more likely to actually want to read about the place they would be staying for weeks or even months. But a few of these guests had clearly not read the listing AT ALL, not even the basic description, judging by the questions they sent, let alone the house rules.

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