You can always send the codes prior to check in, and program the code near check in so they can’t get in early.
I don’t send any info until day of check in, usually not until I have the room ready. And that won’t be changing. But I’m here or nearby most the time and only have a guest arriving from overseas once every two years or so.
I don’t have data on my phone so when I travel I let my hosts know that I can be reached by SMS or with a call. When I have guests I ask them if they need me to send them the check in code via SMS, only a few opt for this option but I know how it feels when hosts just assume you can receive messages through the app.
On the ledge over her not knowing about the app?!
Seems legit that she is willing to down load it.
If you cancel she will probably seem confused as to “why” and would not be a good AirBnB experience for her.
Phew, I’m so glad to see that because until I read it, I was wondering what on earth was wrong with me. I read the OP carefully but couldn’t see anything wrong with it at all and definitely didn’t understand what there was to suspect a forthcoming 4 star review or a high maintenance guest.
But if I was the guest I’d be pretty annoyed by a host instructing me that I need to download the app for her own convenience and satisfaction.
I won’t have any apps on my phone that I don’t use at least once a month - and I just had a quick count, I have 62. I certainly don’t want any more. And every day there are companies telling me to download their app ‘to be kept informed about offers’ blah blah blah…
If a guest only uses Airbnb a couple of times a year or less, then having the app would be pretty much a waste of space.
Me too. Or the day before if the guests are flying in from Europe. Works fine. 
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I realized my reaction was a bit irrational, thus my joke about getting me off the ledge. I would only have really considered canceling her had she continued responding in the same “tone of voice.” I actually haven’t heard anything more from her; I’m wondering if she’s the one feeling a bit sheepish now after reading my reply.
Perhaps she and I both need vacations!
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The app doesn’t work on my current phone so I only use a browser. I have my Air settings so that I receive both a text and an email on my phone.
I guess the only issue for you is that your cleaner needs the info as well. Not sure how that can be managed, maybe there’s a setting that allows you to add another phone number so that s/he can receive alerts as well.
Have to say, I find it extraordinary that you would even consider cancelling over this issue. I guess my “red flag” threshold is a lot lower, plus I need the money. Plus it would be so mean to do it at such short notice - bad for Airbnb’s rep and therefore all of ours too.
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My co-host gets the same notifications from Air that I do. When he’s not “on”, he just turns them off on his phone.
And, yes, I’m appropriately chastened for my overreaction. As I said, I wasn’t really considering canceling; her response just hit me as sarcastic and snotty, so unlike any response I’d ever received that message before.
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I have this in the greeting I send to guests when they book:
My next guest Instant Booked a month ago and is arriving this coming Thursday. No reviews. She never responded to my initial greeting, but her husband called me a few days after she booked and he asked a lot of questions because he had never used Airbnb and his previous reservation had been cancelled by the host. I answered all of his questions and recommended he and/or his wife install the Airbnb app on their phones and told them I would contact them a week before their stay and again the day before.
I sent a message last Friday asking whether they wanted the sofa bed made into a bed or not. No reply. Sent her a text Sunday. No reply. Sent a text Monday to husband’s number that was saved in my phone. Got a reply back Tuesday from both texts.
The guests are in their 60’s and I’m guessing not very tech savvy, apparently, they didn’t install the app and don’t use the e-mail they provided to Airbnb. I told them I’ll provide check-in instructions by texts as well as the Airbnb messaging system. I think it’ll work out OK.
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I like your messaging -a lot!- up to this point:
I really don’t want to encourage guests to contact me off the platform unless it’s an absolute emergency (I provide guests with my home phone number, and my husband’s phone number for that). When guests do text or call, I have to spend time documenting the conversation back on the app, anyway. It’s rather a PITA, when there’s already a perfectly good messaging system available through Airbnb.
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Just text him/her on the phone. Make it easy for the guest.
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Its not perfect if it is hard for the guests to use.
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Not sure how it’s that much harder if they have to log into their account in order to access my telephone number.
YOU can text the guests.
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I understand that, but then the guest is going to message me back that way if anything comes up. THAT’S the situation I’d like to avoid.
Aren’t we continually encouraged to keep all communication on the platform?
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I completely agree with this! I’ve had several situations in which I was only protected because all of the communication was on the platform. In one, very important case, the legal department even remarked, “it’s good that all of this on the messages.”
I will send guests with a reservation stuff through email (lists of breweries, etc) but at the bottom of the email it says “I don’t monitor this email, please only respond through the Airbnb message stream.”
My issue with your @CeeBee OP was just that it doesn’t need to be through the app, that it could be a laptop. It may seem like splitting-hairs but it struck me as unusual because I don’t like the app either.
This is unacceptable. If you are going to use Airbnb to book your accommodations then you should make an effort to communicate through Airbnb as is their recommendation. As a host, I would let you know that I am sending all communication through the message stream but will send you a copy through email also, if you are nice and polite and I feel like it dealing with it.
It’s not hard for guests to use the Airbnb system that have clearly already used the Airbnb system to book their stays. If it was so hard for them to use Airbnb then they wouldn’t be booked through Airbnb.
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Yes we are. And even though hosts mostly talk about how useless CS is, I have personally had several positive interactions where they really had my back. And it was contingent on having all of the communication on the platform.
Also, a couple of times that guests have insisted on calling or texting it is because they are becoming inappropriate. I think that keeping it on the platform has the extra benefit of making guests (as well as hosts) feel accountable to what they are saying and how they are saying it.
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Ah sorry for piling in… Hope it all works out and you enjoy your vacation.
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Nah. If I wanted to have the extra hassle, I would just put a listing on Craigslist. I work within all of the limitations of the Airbnb platform so that I can also work within the Airbnb platform. It makes things easier overall for me.
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Good for you.
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