Lord have mercy !!
I know my alarm system is not the easiest one in the world and so I have made both a a detailed description and a Youtube video … in spite of that these people have set the alarm off 4 times today, the phone number they gave on the profile is not being answered and they do not reply to mails or messages … and I am on the other side of the planet so I cant just go and show them … This is the first time guests have made that much of a mess of it …
Guess you just can cure stupid … (ok I’m done complaining … )
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For starters, report the guests to AirBnb for being incommunicado!
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Don’t you have arrangements in place for local management support? They can go and show your guests how to set the alarm properly.
I agree flag with Airbnb that you can’t reach guests.
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Just what I thought …
If you are on the other side of the world, you need someone on site to help out in cases like this.
I’m another one who had exactly the same thought. And it doesn’t have to be a management company - just a friendly neighbour. A local Airbnb host who knows the ropes would be best.
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As someone who has a place 12000 miles away from where I am currently, I feel obligtaed to chime in 
. While we do have a top notch property manager, guests/neighbors/alarm companys still call the me the HOST first for all sorts of fun questions/concens etc. especially if you are like me and do all the pre booking/booking communication and then hand the guest off to the property manager for actual check in/out. One reason I so this is bc I like to personally vet every guest that books, makes me feel way more comfortable that I wont get a large group of partiers. (Common problem in Barcelona) Also, depending on the situation I am the point of contanct for bills etc, so if there is an issue, I get the call. Lastly, guests dont always take the PM seriously, but if I send a stern ABB message they think shit she may boot us.
That all being said a PM is a must when you are 1000s of miles away.
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I do, I have the coolest cleaning lady on the face of the earth. She is amazing, and she did offer to travel for one hour to go explain it to them … point is, it really should not be necessary … Guess I just had to blow off som stem…
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That’s nice of her, but I would also have a nearby host, friend or management company in case of disruptive guests, problems with your property etc.
I can understand how frustrating it must be…but having someone close at hand that you have agreed will provide management support, can make these situations less stressful. You can leave their contact details with guests.
Hope you have now got hold of your guests.
Really have to wonder how reasonable it is to expect guest’s watch a YouTube video in order to use a alarm. Insulting guests who can’t use a complicated system isn’t the answer, you need to change the alarm, it that it doesn’t require a engineering degree to use it.
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This is true but I’ve had guests who have seemed to have normal brainpower but they’ve asked me how the cafetiere and the waste disposer works!
I know how to use a French press and a garbage disposal, but to people who’ve never used them I can see how they would require instruction as neither is intuitive. Especially the garbage disposal, because if used incorrectly it is destructive and dangerous.
Yes, I see what you mean. We should never assume that guests know how to operate the items in our rentals. I keep the instruction booklets for every single appliance in the linen closet and point them out to the guests during the house tour.
Well, every single appliance apart from our 1950 original cooker! I imagine that the instructions were lost many years ago. But so few guests use it, given the modern microwave. 
No-one has ever asked how to use that!
Listen they get a detailed deskription and a youtube video and it Works for everyone else so no it’s not because I need a new alarm. The problem is her being stupid.
And now I did get in contact with her finally. She gave one phone number on the Airbnb and actually uses another. Problem is … you can’t cure stupid …
Sendt fra min iPhone
Honestly I think I have taken explaining to a whole new level. The instruction letter with detailed pictures ought to be enough but now I added a YouTube video on top so really …
Sendt fra min iPhone
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Glad you got hold of your guest.
Some people just struggle with instructions.
Do make sure going forward you have local management support for guest or listing related issues
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That’s very true. However, I have said this before and I will say it again here: if I only accepted guests who had a University degree and a totally clean criminal record, I would be leading a very lonely life indeed, and not have much of an Airbnb income at all.
What about this suggestion: send each prospective guest a standardized IQ test, and only allow bookings by guests scoring at least 120. Then observe the decline in bookings …
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It’s a good thing you don’t have to interact with guests in person. You mayn’t have noticed but almost all successful technology comes with the briefest of instruction manuals. It’s like that for a good reason, people find instruction manuals unhelpful. Instead technology is designed to be intuitive.
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Be glad they asked instead of destroying them 
Can you explain your comment further?