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So I have these guests who did a booking last week, and told me “they are going to arrive at 3 pm”. I told them fine
You agreed to a 3pm check-in, so going back on that is breaking a promise, even if your reasons for doing so are compelling.
Low budget or 5-star, a customer is entitled to what they’ve agreed and paid for.
I fully appreciate the difficulties of changing circumstances, but if you think you can change your agreed check-in time anytime, maybe that should be stated clearly on the listing page - 'Agreed check-in times may suddenly change because of host’s changing schedules.’
The reality is, for someone who is paying to get a service, some of what you say does not ‘go without saying’. You’d have to say it on your page if you feel strongly about it.
Thank you very much for insisting. I think this is very important an issue, which is why I just went back to review what I wrote on this forum, and more importantly, what I wrote to this particular guest, who is due to arrive, next week.
I totally agree with you that guests think that I agreed to the check-in time proposed by them, so your perception is exactly the same as the guests’ perception, which is what makes your contribution so valuable.
In fact, guests wrote to me, quoting literally
We would like to stay in your apartment during our short 1 day transint trip from Paris to Mexico. We are a young couple, friendly and clean :)) We are arriving at the train station at 3pm, so we will check in around 15:30-16.
So to start with, they didn’t ask for a check-in time. They started conversation by stating we will check in around 15:30 - 16. This is just the topic of this thread, guests who assume they can check in whenever they like.
I went on to send guests my standard answer template
Unfortunately, I will not be at home when you arrive. Therefore, you will be greeted by my friend Stefan
At no point did I explicitly confirm their check-in time. I simply acknowledged their booking, telling them that my friend will let them in. Normally, guests should now start to think: “Will his friend be available at the time we wish to check in?” Just as they should otherwise consider “Will host be available at the time we deem appropriate”?
I very much appreciate you taking my points constructively.
I agree with you that it was unbecoming of the guests to simply dictate their check-in time - IF that was outside your standard, stated check-in window. I get annoyed to no end myself when guests thrust their check-in preference at you, and it did as recently as 2 days ago, so I know how you feel.
But the fact that you didn’t explicitly deny them check-in at that time is equivalent to accepting it. Don’t you think?
And this thought-process you outline here is only likely with thoughtful guests who would have asked you for a suitable check-in time in the first place. Clearly these 2 are not, so practically speaking, we have to quite explicit about these things?
I’m speaking from mistakes I’ve made and learned from.
Yes, on second thought, you are right. Guests simply thrusting their check-in preference at you are not likely to be considerate, so I should have taken their first message at face value. The mistake I made was not making clear that I am (or my friend is) not available 24/7 to let them in.
In fact, I am not even always available within the stated check-in window (which is 3 to 10 pm, in my case). This is, for me, only a first rough guide. It means that usually, I am able to make check-in possible at those hours, but sometimes, I have other appointments. Although I love being an Airbnb host, I have a real life, too.
For example, I do accept last-minute bookings, but someone booking at 7 pm on a Friday night (for arrival on that very same night) will have to accept the fact that I might be out on a Friday night, enjoying myself, so he might have to wait until 11 pm for me to come back home and let him do the check-in. This in fact is a real story, which happened not long ago. Mind you, he was pretty drunk by 11 pm, so he was just lying on the stairs in front of the house and forgot about the time.
I’ve managed to solve the problem of ‘late’ check-ins now - with an automated self check-in system, which I strongly recommend you implement if you can. It’s a HUGE relief, believe me. I now don’t have to run back 20 minutes from a pub on a Friday night to avoid the scenario you mention!
As you’ve stated your check-in time as 3-10, it’s natural guests expect you to be able to cater to any timepoint in that window. Any exceptions, it’s on the host to mention on the page, and perhaps even remind the guest in a message before booking confirmation. We cannot rely on the guest to think these out, plus all that clarity will make our own job easier.
@Astaire is absolutely correct. It was a bit of an investment up front, but changing the lock to a coded one with a code has been such a relief. I would say out of 100 guests, maybe 3 have claimed to have “issues” with the door (this was just them not understanding) and yesterday - thankfully I was home but we have some travellers trekking across Canada and “do not have data” on their phone and I had sent them directions via the airbnb app which they would not have received. It does bother me to some degree guests texting or calling me before their reservation vs. using the airbnb app. Maybe I am just getting nit-picky - I will say most guests do not text me saying they “don’t have data”!
I suppose I have to state the obvious… Your price, though it might seem low to you, could be very hard to somebody else. Your check in and check out time while appearing flexible and comfortable to you, may make or break a vacation for somebody else. Using these excuses as reasons for not holding up your end of the bargain is not only unprofessional… it makes all of us other hosts have problems with these guests.
Your standards for flexibility, economics, etc. do not define the interaction with your guests…
I don’t know why you keep insisting on self check in. Or keypads. My room is unlocked for guests but that doesn’t mean I allow self check in.
Just because it works for you doesn’t mean everyone here wants to do it or can. I did it for years and it just led to problems. The same problems again and again. So now, I like to walk them through the room and I have cut down on problems by a million percent. I also get their tax and waivers and give them an orientation to the area, because that is really the last time I am going to have much interaction with them in most cases.
I agree. We have so many guests who don’t understand how to work things in our house that appear obvious to us (the shower, window latches, stove burners, etc.). I don’t know how hosts who use self check in avoid bad reviews and breakage.
I’m not insisting anything! Please, what makes you say I ‘keep insisting’?
Just because it didn’t work for someone doesn’t mean it won’t for someone else. And vice versa.
Reading the plight of @Eberhard_Blocher and having been through similar predicaments myself, I figured I’d recommend what then worked for me.
I understood that this forum is about finding solutions to problems hosts face and learning from each other. Looks like I’m mistaken?
It’s often possible to solve these issues if tried (even if not for everyone and not in all cases), and I’ve managed to solve quite a few of these. And my self-check-in guests have rated me no worse than the others in general.
Still, if the idea here is to simply say something doesn’t work and won’t work, I’m afraid we’re not going far.
My guests yesterday went to the wrong address so I had to go out in the street to show them which one is my house. They didn’t understand the American rules about parking to I had to guide them. One of them got confused about which room was the guest room even though we have a sign on it. She opened our bedroom door. My husband and our dogs (of whom the guest was fearful were sleeping in our bedroom). My windows are all gouged by guests who don’t know how to use a window lock. I’ve had English speaking guests who couldn’t figure out how to work my shower despite the fact that all the knobs are labelled. I’ve had guests ask for the hair dryer when they are looking at it. I think that saying self check in doesn’t work for many hosts is factual not defeatist.
This is so true. Plus, in a shared space, it’s even more important not only to point out where things are, how they operate, but also to allow everyone a level of comfort!
Totally agree. I’ve only had to leave keys and instructions out for guests a couple of times when their flight was so badly delayed I couldn’t stay up to greet them. It was not great… It’s really important for me to show them around and explain how everything works so that they are comfortable and feel at home. Then I can happily ignore them
Things are really getting weird. I received this enquiry today. I am still absolutely at a loss how anybody could be writing this. Are hosts expected to have 24/hour check in like a hotel?
Hello Eberhard,
my friend and me would like to visit [your city] Friday to Sunday. Would it be possible to book your room? Unfortunately, our bus will arrive pretty early. We will reach there at 5:30 am. Would it be possible to leave our luggage in the apartment at 6 am? We’d just drop in quickly, so as not to disturb you. We’d be very happy if you could accept.
Love, L
Now, would anyone imagine that host could possibly be asleep at 6 am? I certainly declined, but I still think it is outrageous even to ask.
(translated by me, original German text copied out below)
My current LTR house rents for $950/month (which comes to $32/day). The daily rate I would rent this house would be $100 base rate to start (planning to go to $120 or so once reviews are in), so I would only need to rent it out 12 days to break even (factoring adding in gas and electric).
I now co-host someone’s house, and even our first month with only partial occupancy (due to start date) and a lower rate to start with and them earning 80% they have made as much as they were with it being a LTR.
It plain and simply comes down to you cant long-term rent place at the same rate as short-term/holiday rates. So even at 50% occupancy you should be able to break even, at least in my market. It’s just more work.
I don’t think it’s outrageous to ask as long as they will gracefully take no for an answer. We had guests who’s flight arrived at about 6:00 A.M. They asked if they could drop their luggage when they landed. My husband wakes up at 5:00 A.M. on work days so it was no problem for us.
To paraphrase, there is no harm in … asking. And they seemed to have asked nicely enough. You are in your rights to decline and you did so. So, all’s well.
On another note, seeing the attached image, should we expose the identity/account of the person on an Internet forum? Especially without their consent?
I’m not sure what the policy is or what forumites think about this.
