My Instant Book Experiment

[Huma0]

I have always been one of those hosts that has a deep fear of Instant Booking. I am a single woman and host in my own home (although I do currenty have a male housemate). I also have a busy work schedule and travel frequently for work, so managing my calendar can be an issue. More importantly, I'm just worried about the can of worms it might open given that, in my experience, most guests do not read the listing nor the house rules properly and often don't even really know what they are booking (e.g. think they are getting the whole house and not just a room, assume they will have an en suite, are highly allergic to cats and I have three...)

When I first listed a room on Airbnb, I DEFINITELY deselected Instant Booking. Imagine my surprise then when I found out the next morning that people had instant booked my room and at half the price Airbnb told me I was going to get! One of the guests had only booked for one night so I honoured that booking and got my first review. The other guest wanted to book for two people for two months and it worked out to around £15 a night. Please tell me what you can find for £15 a night for two people in London. Certainly not this, which is the room that was on offer!

However, after a year and a half of hosting and being almost fully booked every month, my views and bookings have all but ground to a halt. What's going on? I have tried EVERYTHING to try to push my listings up in the search results, but it is just not happening. So, I am biting the bullet and have put one of my listings on IB. I will keep you updated on how it goes. I only did it today and then received one enquiry with a question. I answered the question within minutes and then, silence...

Would love to hear from other "IB fearful" hosts who have tried it and what your experiences were.

[Susan666]

Thanks @Huma0, I will look at your other thread. I guess the problem never felt as big with non-IB since there was a dialougue before the guest booked. Now they just book and I send a greeting message (that re-states my check in times) and a day or two later they reply and tell me they will be coming later. My current guest has not even responded to my polite notice back that I will be out of town by the time she gets here. I feel like the communication is worse with IB...and communication is what I thought AirBnb was built on...I don't know why anyone would even want to book a spot in someone's home without emailing a bit first...I travel a lot and would not even consider it. But thank you for supporting me in "sticking to my guns"...I will! 🙂

[Huma0]

@Susan666

Yes, I think what you say is true in many cases. I also have IB guests I have to chase over again for a check in time. I have guests checking in tomorrow whom I've now asked no less than EIGHT times (no exaggeration) and still don't know the answer.

However, with request guests, it's still not always that easy to get confirmation of a time in the 24 hours you have to accept/decline their booking. Many don't even know at that stage. You then accept the booking and they can still mess you around over check in. It happened to me all the time before I used IB as well.

[Susan666]

@Huma0 ugh...yes, frustrating for certain.

I was enjoying your other thread and got some good ideas to add to my greeting messages! Funny, I have not been asked for an earlier check-in at all...and I have a job so am really not at home any earlier than 3! Thanks for all the help!

[Pete28]

The only way to make it all work long term is to let guests use a keybox or electronic lock which allows guests to come at anytime - I'd go crazy waiting for their random arrival. Last night said 6pm, arrived after 11pm. I only ask to have some idea so I make sure I have my phone in case they get lost etc etc.

i have also tried to do more to let folks leave bags early or late. Since the unit is out the back, they can drop bags with the understanding they don't enter unit and it's at their own risk to leave bags.

[Huma0]

@Pete28

Yes I'm sure that works for some people, but personally I don't want strangers letting themselves into my house when I am not there. I want to meet the guests and also explain a few things to them. These are things I have learnt are important to spell out, otherwise they do stupid things like leave the front door open.

[Pete28]

We did the meet and greet for a year 😞 then found that we were spending hours trapped trying to figure out when folks would appear. Guests truly don't get it that someone might be waiting around - or think it's like a hotel where someone is in 24/7.

I do go and say hi once they have settled in, but even then figuring out if they actually arrived can be difficult - most don't have the courtesy to msg even though I tell them to. 

[Jessica384]

I've had IB on since day one and honestly I have no gripes with it. I have my restrictions on who can IB and either I've been lucky or people have just been cool.

[Huma0]

@Jessica384

Yes, I have also put in as many of the restrictions as Airbnb allows you to. However, this doesn't filter out all difficult guests, so maybe you have been lucky. I have specified that guests must have positive reviews to IB, but they only need one review to qualify.

As is clear from other posts on these forums, many hosts leave positive reviews for guests despite less than positive experiences. Others are renting separate properities, have minimal contact with the guests and as long as they get paid and the place is left reasonably tidy, they're happy. The same guests could be a total pain when staying in your home with you.

My friends tell me I'm pretty relaxed, but I don't want guests staying who leave the front door open (this was frequent until I started mentioning it everytime in my welcome tour), sending my bills soaring by leaving doors and windows open in the middle of winter, lights on everywhere, taps running, fridge left open, oven left on, etc. etc. or smoking in the guest bedrooms, parking on my neighbour's driveway (damaging a formerly good relationship), late night noise distrubing other guests. The list goes on and on.

As most don't read the listing/rules properly, it's super important for me to explain some of this stuff when I show them around. Of course, I don't go through every little detail, just the ones I feel would be relevant to those particular guests. I get a sense of this when I meet them.

If guests are allowed to check themselves in and then pretty much left to their own devices, a lot of them would behave in ways that would drive me around the bed.

[Amy38]

@Huma0@Huma0@Pete28@Jessica384

My rental is a separate apt, but I want to meet my guests.  I firmly believe a face added to the accommodation engenders more goodwill and respect for the property.

I can be very flexible as I live next door and work nearby.

I request flight details and can stalk their arrival within a few minutes of arrival.  For thos driving, I request a call from one or two major intersctions.  If people are coming in past my bedtime, I just leave the door unlocked....it is Nashville after all.

Ihavent had that many guests ...65 maybe, but only one  played moveble checkin and they just didnt realize the problem it was.  As for the other issues you have Huma, the worst I have ever had was a guest leaving 2 actually dirty dishes in the sink and for what they pay me, I can wash 2 dishes.

How old are your guests?  No grownup would ever leave doors ajar.

[Pete28]

Give it time 🙂

Doors not locked, cars parked badly, drunk guests without checkin instructions, guests go to wrong house, guests get lost in garden, guests cant work a lockbox, guests arrive before others have left. Endless.

One thing I found helpful was a motion detector by the Airbnb door which causes a chime in the main house. That way I have some idea of when they arrive or return. 

I also have equal problems with guests not telling me when they leave so we can clean. Some days you wait until 11 and then find they left at 6am but don't msg.

[Huma0]

@Amy38

My guests have varied from 18 years old (I don't accept under 18s) to people in their 70s. It seems like a really obvious thing not to leave the front door open but it's surprising how many do it. I have learnt not to take for granted the simple things that I think everyone would know.

What is the saying? "Common sense isn't that common anymore..." or something like that!

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Huma0 IB is certainly a great way to increase your popularity among other listings in your area, dont forget that you can actually refuse a maximum of 3 IB guests per year without being penalized.Good luck and enjoy the adventure with IB activated!!!

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

Update concerning the number of IB that you can cancel! Hosts who use Instant Book have unlimited penalty-free cancellations if a guest breaks a house rule, if they intend to break a house rule, or if the host is uncomfortable with a reservation. These types of cancellations are 100% penalty-free, which means no fees, no automated review, no permanently blocked dates, and no impact on Superhost eligibility.

[Huma0]

@Oomesh-Kumarsingh0

A host  can cancel three IBs per year penalty free if the host specifies that they are uncomfortable with the booking or the guest is breaking rules.

However, beyond that three, you have to get the approval of whichever Airbnb CS rep you speak to in order for that to be penalty free (I am pretty certain of this because I double checked this with Airbnb CS a couple of weeks ago and they confirmed it), and, from what I understand, their decision is final, so it really does depend on whether that rep is sympathetic to you or not.

That "unlimted, penalty free" cancellation policy is a bit of a sales speil I'm afraid, because the decision is taken out of the host's hands after the three per year.

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Huma0 I knew that a host could only cancel 3 Ibs per year without any penalty but yesterday i just found out that it is now unlimited.I have also double check.Airbnb is changing policy so fast!