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I have started a spreadsheet of guests / dates / rooms etc; looks to me like a fantastic tool for me (repeat guests get their fave ‘extras’ like another soft pillow, for example). I have slots for dates, names, phone info, trip reservation number, etc.
Is there anyone who has figured out a way to ‘suck in’ this info from our airbnb accounts so that this sometimes tedious job can be automated? PS I have a mac and use ‘numbers’ which is the apple spreadsheet system. I can change over to Excel if the ‘magic’ export needs to go into Excel.
Also, comments please on spreadsheets and uses from other hosts - what to store, etc.
Without a listing, I don’t have any way to check it today, but in early 2020, I remember being able to export it to a CSV format and then import it into Excel. I still have the spreadsheets and the fields it exported are
Confirmation code, Status, Guest name, Contact Phone Number, # of adults, # of children, # of infants, Start date, End date, # of nights, Date Booked, Listing name, Earnings Amount
Info on bookings older than 1 year was automatically purged. Also, for cancelled reservations, some of the fields, including contact phone number, were automatically cleared. Maintaining a spreadsheet that spans more than a year or retained all data on cancelled reservations was still tedious.
Not spreadsheet related because I hate them but it is important to keep guest records. When you’re looking for repeat business and referrals, it’s a good idea to keep small personal information and details that you’ve found out about the guests.
When you say to repeat guests:
“Is your son James still playing football?”
“It’s lovely to see your sweet dog Henry again”
“Are you hoping to get a few good golf games in like last time?”
“I bet you’re looking forward to a fishing trip again. You caught so much last time”.
Etc. etc. etc. - they love it.
By the way, in order to collect email addresses use a physical guestbook. Have column headings - name, comments, email.
Food for thought: the text thread will stay. I last week (6/10/21 approx) a guest from 2016 asked if my calendar was really booked for specific dates. Our 2016 Airbnb text thread still existed
For things like this, I use a desktop, not sure about the procedure if using the app.
This may be a basis for what you’re looking to do. This process results in a Excel spreadsheet.
This is a monthly procedure for me, as it allows me to gather the tax numbers for General Excise Tax and Transient Accommodations Tax which has been collected and which I turn over to the state. (with serious help from my accountant!)
I imported the .csv file into Excel when I was working out my tax. If you’re not familiar with csv files there are some formatting options when you go to import depending on whether it is comma delimited or colon etc. Play around with it until you get the imported file looking how you like it. In Excel it will give you a preview in the import dialog box.
I suppose I should be clearer about what i THINK I ultimately need.
I’d like a database of guests that I could (for example) send texts to in case (as it happened last year) a non-bright guest mistook a shower head for a camera (yes, it happened) and my place was delisted for a week.
Perhaps I just need to add the phone info to the .csv that is exported. Can I add to this every month? For example, would I need to export every month and ‘add’ it to my excel? Sorry, not very spread-savvy…
My method is completely non tech. I write the guests name and the number on the Airbnb reservation in pencil on my calendar for times when the app goes down. If I had a different kind of listing, or multiple rooms as you do maybe I’d want a more sophisticated and business appropriate set up. But it didn’t take me any time to figure out how to do.
I do the same. Good old fashioned pen and paper. I have a small notebook (small in dimension, but with lots of pages) that I write each guest’s name, phone number, email address and any notes to remind me of who they are, like maybe their profession, where they live, single mom with teenage son.
I believe you. In May a guest decided my wi fi extender was a camera and/or listening speaker and unplugged it. Then found out because the doorbell was similar, they unplugged it too.
Between my wifi router & ring doorbell are two doors and two walls so I put my extender in the closest outlet-kitchen.
I keep a spreadsheet (Google Sheets - can be accessed anywhere, easily) with Breakfast requirements - filled using a Google Form. I also manually add the phone number (not available after they’ve checked out!) and any other info I want to keep. Retrospective info is availailable as others have pointed out.
I’ve never tried it but I suspect that IFTTT could be arranged to periodically fetch info from Air and pop it into your spreadsheet. It could be tricky though and would probably require an account.
I have an automatic calendar link that updates our Google Calendar with Air bookings.
Google is all to useful with their tools etc, and free - I don’t like feeding them all this data but I’m not aware of other systems that can do the same.
I am asking whether your ‘automatic calendar link that updates our Google Calendar with Air bookings’ sends phone numbers along with other info to your calendar…
Apologies Rolf, I misunderstood. It shows on Google calendar as “Reserved” for the duration, as well as a helpful link to the Air booking - and the last four digits of their phone number.
