Default Notification Settings

[S14]

Some years ago, Airbnb set the default notifications to OFF when getting messages from hosts or guests. This is a problem because most people do not change the defaults and now it is impossible to reach a lot of our guests. They never seem to know when we've sent them a message. Very frustrating.

I feel that the default settings for text and email notifications should be:

--ON for personal messages from Hosts and Guests

-- OFF for promotional messages

Does anyone on here have any idea how to get constructive suggestions like this to anyone at Airbnb who actually can take it further?

I just wrote to Support -- yet again -- to request help because I cannot reach a guest who needs her arrival lock codes. Support wouldn't have to deal with this nonsense if someone could please just change that one little line of code.

Instead, Support is bogged down and everyone is frustrated.

Just one of many little things Airbnb could do to make big improvements in functionality.  Is anyone listening??

[Huma0]

@Cathy463 

Yes, it's true that contacting guests directly via text or WhatsApp or whatever might be an easier way to reach them, but he fact is that we are supposed to keep all communication via the Airbnb messaging system because, if anything were to go wrong with the stay, this is then counted as evidence, whereas messages off system are not necessarily counted.

It might seem a bit paranoid, when you are just sending directions or checking to see if the guest has everything they need, but if you get a guest who later turns out to be problematic and makes false claims to get a refund or whatever, you then have a back up.

I had some awful guests who were very dirty (to the point that it was detrimental to other guests staying at the time) and also caused some significant damage to my house. As soon as I politely asked them to please be more careful (never even asked for money for the damage), they became very hostile and then left me a horrible review with very low ratings, including 1 star for communication.

An Airbnb rep decided to remove that review and the ratings largely based on the correspondence between me and the guest. He said he could see from the messages that I had been in constant communication, responsive to all their needs and consistently polite, so the 1 star for communication was clearly out of line and retaliatory. 

Use other forms to message guests if you must, but it's still preferable to have a record of discussions on the Airbnb system.

[Cathy463]

Thank you @Huma0  for your explanation. 

Our rural internet is erratic so it is quicker and more reliable to use texts for communication but I will keep in mind the need for record-keeping.  

[S14]

@Huma0 @Sarah977 

Oh the notifications definitely work -- that is the email notifications always work and the texts often, but not always work. It's important to set your account to get BOTH texts and emails. 

They never fixed the known (for 2-3years) bug of text notifications being flaky, but I have never had a problem with the email notifications. On the other hand, sometimes the texts come in first.

I live by my Airbnb notifications. I just compulsively check both text and email all day long (and even all night whenever I wake up) to be sure I don't miss any booking inquiries. I think booking a bnb is an impulse purchase, like buying a candy bar. I found that if I don't respond immediately, the guest usually goes ahead and books something else.

As Sarah said, no charge. You just have to fix your account settings.

[Huma0]

@S14 

Sorry, I was talking about the push notifications on the App.

I don't have problems receiving the emails, but since I get thousands of emails a week (literally) because of my job, I can't be constantly checking for Airbnb emails too. However, I've signed up to the text notifications now, so hopefully that will make things easier. The notifications on the App are so sporadic as to be pretty useless.