Help! How would you respond to this guest?

What an INTERESTING CONVERSATION! My own opinions were affected by the experienced feedback and dialogue.

My 2 cents: Many people (most?) are NOT overly introspective with the written word.

It is often easy to over-react to a few words written in haste by a busy person - when there is no context or tone that we get on the phone or in person.

They probably had NO INTENTION or notion that their reply would be snarky.

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Couldn’t agree more with you Ken. The one smart phone I had drove me nuts, having to charge it almost constantly after constant “upgrades” drained the battery. I switched to an old Nokia after a work crisis and my i-phone dying mid supporting staff. The battery still lasts for a week, I can get Airbnb alerts and move onto my tablet/chrome book, whichever is easiest in the moment.

I submit as evidence in my argument that apps will be forced upon us this item from New Zealand. I have to apply for this travel document and it’s both easier and cheaper if I use the app. I don’t have to use the app, mind you, but it’s better if I do. Another travel app being promoted is Mobile Passport. A number of platforms have greatly reduced their website functionality in favor of app functionality. Maybe it’s not just ease and cost savings but also a form of age discrimination?

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What you said makes me think of airlines.

Given that airlines now charge for nearly everything they can think of, I imagine they will eventually charge a fee for people who don’t use a mobile phone app for their boarding pass.

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Already the enhanced functionality makes downloading the app appealing. On my recent travels the American Airlines app is telling me flights are delayed, gates are changed, gives me options to change flights and access to inflight entertainment. People with no smartphones or app capable devices are waiting near the gate, standing in lines or waiting on hold on the phone.

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Exactly so. My husband has flown more recently than I am. As soon as he gets off one plane, the app tells him which gate to go to and how long it will take to walk there.

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Yes, we live in an age where these things will become necessary, but let’s not forget that there are people out there who are not tech savvy and still use flip phones. What am I saying? There are people who don’t have a computer. Mind you they probably won’t be staying in an Airbnb any time soon, but if their daughter booked for them and gave them the printed address they will come. I had a couple just like that and they were fine.

For example I once went to see a doctor. He was 80, and when I entered his cabinet I had a revelation: he didn’t have a single computer. His practice looked like what you see in the movies from the 60s, only that they didn’t smoke, but other than this it was full with file cabinets and his receptionists and assistant were in their late 60s also. All of them should have been retired but they weren’t. They never did anything by computer so yeah, there are people like that still.

Smartphones are the future, that’s for sure, but until this happens we need to cater to both generations. Once you get used to the smartphone there’s no going back, just like the microwave or any other appliance when it was first introduced.

Absolutely. As long as they don’t cough all night, right?

I always have and always will cater to everyone at my Airbnb. I’m simply saying that all the anti app people are going to be in the same situation the anti-mobile phone people were in 2002 and all the anti-modem people were in 1996 and so on.

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Air review? What sorcery is this?

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Interesting! Thanks! That can tell you alot about a person.