I really should have posted the exact message I have. Many assumptions here. Lol
I’m trying find some polite wording that won’t encourage the more entitled ones, and there have been some great suggestions here. Thank you
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This^^^. only ask questions that you know the answer to! Of course they enjoyed the goodies:).
RR
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I wouldn’t overthink it too much. While hosts need to examine how they are doing things if it’s leading to problems, sometimes things seem to unexplainably come in waves. You might have 2 guests out of 4 recently who took your message as an invitation to complain, and never have that happen again for the next 2 years.
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I don’t write to my guests, mid-stay, at all. But my guests are off-grid, so it’s not the same as with most places.
As a guest, I just answer mid-stay messages with something like, “Yes, thanks. Everything’s great.” Haven’t taken such a message as license to complain. Now I will know to ask where were
!
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I truly appreciate it when hosts message me mid stay, some how it feels as if they truly care about our stay and their property. I’d say this happens about 50 percent of the time. I message all my guests, 8 out of 10 respond.
While I don’t have to message, as I have a home share and can communicate this verbally, I quite agree. I tell my guests, “Don’t be shy about asking me if you need anything.” And if they stay for more than a few nights, I’ll ask them how the toilet paper is holding out, do they need more, and are they okay for towels?
Most say it’s all good, because I do put out enough of everything for the average usage and a bit more, but occasionally they’ll say “I wouldn’t mind a fresh washcloth” or something. (Whereas some guests never use the washcloth I’ve left at all.)
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At 9AM the morning after they arrive, I text them the short “Hi, this is (me). Welcome to (our home)! Is everything as you expected?”
I understand people’s expectations will vary, but it gives me a chance to address any disparities at the start of their stay.
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I am a guest at the moment. Things were a little confusing here as the host is traveling and his cohost is in charge.
He sent me a message day of arrival as I’m in the midst of a 5+ hour drive asking me to let them know when I was 1/2 hour away. But, you see, it was pouring rain most of the way and I wasn’t checking messages, so missed the whole thing.
The host normally gives a tour of the property, but… I really didn’t need a tour just some info on how to work the finicky spit heater/ac and how to get to the hot tub. I was emailing them and getting responses from host/cohost, somewhat confusing but it all got sorted.
The co-host offered to come over, but I really didn’t need that just some basic questions answered. Moral of story, if host if not around, better communication on how the bloody heat works, it was cold.
Just completed my stay and did a review. There were definitely glitches.
I said I didn’t get the pleasure to meet the host as he was traveling and when I had issues getting the heat to work he got back to me in minutes.
Said some positives about the hot tub and the quiet.
I was kind of shocked to see a shower liner with mold on the lower part. I privately messaged him about it along with adding a bottle opener/cork screw and knife.
The rental didn’t have a stove, only a microwave, but really you wouldn’t have a knife other than the regular cutlery.
The bed and couch were way harder than what I’m used to, but I got somewhat used to them. Didn’t complain, everyone is different, but will be oh so happy to sleep in my bed tonight.
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I did first-day check-in messages early on, but my experience and the advice of groups like like taught me that it’s more often an annoyance to guests than helpful. I can’t recall if guests were inspired to find complaints, but I know most guests ignored it.
Blockquote Part of the reason is to cover myself with Airbnb. This way guests can’t complain to Airbnb (well they can try
that something wasn’t right. In most cases according to Airbnb that they want the host to try to rectify the problem within 24 hours. My message tells the guest this is their chance to complain.
thank you, this is good advice.
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Since we are self check in - I normally send :
I see you’ve checked in ok - please don’t hesitate to message if you have any questions.
Then about an hour before checkout - if I get alerts that there’s lots of checkout activity ( camera sending people notifications and from the door lock )
I send them a message saying : thanks so much for staying with us. Please feel free to leave a review and send us feedback about your stay.
I too don’t want to leave too much of a hint at - hey let me know if you have complaints at the start of their trip.
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to answer my own question here, with 6months more experience, I’m not having complaints. I send a post-check in msg with “here’s some extra info not in the manual”, and mention new changes about the place that i haven’t yet put into the printed manual. I invite them to let me know if anything is missing and feel free to contact us via the message system during their stay, and that we are on-site if they need any help eg, lighting the fire. Thanks etc etc.
So far, so good. People have not complained, and it’s actually nice to have them say “just checked in, love it!”, and mostly they ask where the firewood is, so i tweaked the welcome message to tell that. I think as a protection method, it’s actually valuable to get them to say upon check in, “no problems here, thanks!”
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I tried this and got dinged for it.
Their complaint: there were no croissants and fresh coffee!
I guess you have to adapt the advice given here to your particular situation.
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As a guest I hate it when I get those sorts of messages, so as I host I don’t send them.
I make it clear as part of the booking process that I am more than happy to be contacted if there are any questions, issues or complaints, so once the guest has checked in the onus is well and truly on them to contact me, not the other way around.
(Sorry, still getting used to this forum and only just noticed that this is an oldish thread from Dec 21, but seeing as I’ve already written the paragraph above I’ll post it anyway!).
it’s my thread, and it popped up for me and I thought I would update it with my own experience.
I am 100% the same, and I also hate the fake cheery “we hope you had a 5-star stay” and other cheesy gushy type messages. Some people can write them and they are ok, but for me, it just feels super awkward. Which was why i was baulking at doing this message (having seen/read some advice about guest messaging).
However, i recently did an overnight stay on a road trip and the very new host didn’t message me at all, and it felt SO weird to me. I guess being a host has changed my mind a little.
I think about 30% of guests hardly respond to my messages, and that is fine, at least I know i’ve done all i can to be hospitable and give them a chance to comment/complain (this could be very handy later, in my favour). I don’t mark them down for communication, they are on holidays, they don’t have to chat with me, so it’s fine. A quiet guest is a great guest!
So I had these multiple experiences where maybe I happened to see the guest as they were leaving, and I’d ask how everything went. I would often hear things like ‘I wish I knew where the broom was’ or ‘I wish I knew . . . .’
So, of course I spelled out whatever I heard. But I also left a message just a few hours after checking-in that says, in part;
Just checking in with you.
If you have any questions at all, please ask.
Things like:
– Have you found everything you need?
– Is everything as you expected?
– Are you able to operate the TV projection system?
– Are the instructions on using the Apple Home Pod minis working for you?
– Please ask if you have any questions at all.
– Is there anything we can do or provide to make your stay more comfortable and enjoyable?
I think we’ve all had the experience where someone on checkout or in a review says something AFTER the stay that we could have remedied at the beginning IF only we were asked.
So I ask them.
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My first Air in AZ, I met every single person either when checking in or shortly there after. So, I never sent messages to them after they’d arrived.
Here, because of Covid, I separated the entry so they have self check in and probably don’t meet half the guests. I send a message after they’ve arrived and then another night before they check out.
This has been a big disappointment for me. I like meeting people and now I feel like the maid and message sender. It seems so impersonal.
I booked a stay for next month about a month ago. The 4.95 average star host has a 5* average on communication and over 450 reviews. But they still haven’t even acknowledged my reservation. I’m about 90% sure I’m not going to be able to take that trip but it’s a non refundable reservation so the only point in canceling would be to give this host a chance to get paid twice for the same weekend. I’d open a dialogue about canceling now for a chance at a refund that I’m not entitled to but they don’t seem like the chatty type.
Messaging between guest and host is definitely in the eye of the beholder.
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Sorry to dredge up an old thread, but I’m trying to catch up with many of these very interesting threads.
Can you give an example of the sorts of items you’re discussing above?
-Bob