I think you just click on the person’s name and their profile comes up with the option to message.
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I want to go to your place!
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To be honest, this seems like a blanket inquiry.
I only provide this info to conrimed bookings and say this politely to guests who enquire. Once you’ve booked, I’ll provide more information.
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Woo hooo I did it, merci
@konacoconutz
I think you’re right. Only thing is there are only 9 listings on the island and in general most of us are booked with only 2-3 available usually.
I usually tell those kinds of questioners that we have a huge section on local travel, activities, restaurants and more in our Big Book of The Cabana which they can peruse when they’ve arrived.
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If I declined guests based on this only I would be out of business by now. I actually encourage guests to ask me questions about where to go and what to see: I want them out of the house most of the time;)
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This is true, and I do as well. But I think she is talking about guests who ask a lot of questions before booking. I find many of them to be lookie loos who don’t book.
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Yes me too;). I obediently answer all questions. I just stayed in 2 Airbnbs in San Francisco and I asked all kind of questions. I don’t see anything wrong with it. I am happy to help and I don’t see this as a nuicanse
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She did not request to book, only made an inquiry. Of course we cater to guests who book. I also have found that anyone who reassures me that they are interested in or considering our listing never book!
I do have a General Information write up, that includes Things to Do/Places to See I send to this type of inquirer from the outset. They usually follow with many specific questions, which I answer ~some~ with a very brief manner, to keep the impending back and forth (Tour Guide role/waste of time) to an absolute minimum. By the third communique, usually one knows if the inquirer is a typical exhausting ‘brain picker’.
One particular uninteresting inquirer, which I never will forget, ask me why I live where I do, a 3rd-world country (Belize); I forward her to see forums dedicated to that subject. Another was a very paranoid person, wanted all kinds of assurances about her safety, even asking about potential pirates (!!). I flatly told her, the place is not for you with relish because she was now being silly or been watching too many scary low-budget movies (or a fan of sensational media nonsense); next I was expecting to be asked if ‘Nessie’ the lake monster was anywhere near me, but we didn’t get that far.
You are into sales Maggie, as you well know: one thing is to emphasize the positive points of something (that is being a good salesperson), but it is a very tall order to have to sell something to someone that it is contrary to their basic nature.
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Lol I’m not into sales, I’m an interior designer! I just think this potential guest does not get the spirit of Airbnb. We’re not needy.
Hi @Maggieroni There was something in her inquiry that made you feel like she wanted you to convince her to stay. I get it. I sometimes get inquiries that I can try to take apart to find out why, but I just know that they leave me with the feeling that I should give her the big sales pitch and then she’ll go to the next guy and ask the same thing and compare the two. Completely and absolutely within her right as a guest! But still it bugs me. I’ve had inquiries where they’ve asked “what makes you so special” and I’m not sure they get how that reads, or else I am sometimes overly sensitive.
It’s the # 1 annoyance for me - guests who don’t read the listing at all, even after prompting from me, even after spelling out “as previously mentioned, all of that info is in the description and I promise you that it won’t take more than 2 minutes to read, happy to answer anything that isn’t already covered”. Or else sometimes I just shut up, grumble and answer every single thing that has already been addressed.
BTW, going to City Island is one of our favorite days out - we started going there after seeing that movie with Andy Garcia!
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@superhostnyc
Love that movie. Your insights are terrific and right on! And, I’m not afraid to use that decline button., btw Where’s your listing in NYC ?
Just curious…have you heard from her since?
@SuiteRetreat
No, not a peep! I don’t expect to either. All of the potential guests who end their inquiry with “I am very interested or we will consider or are considering your lovely place” Never book!
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Ah. wrong party. Actually many that inquire on my place do try to turn me into a trip advisor, usually I do help, being a foreign country and all, depends on their approach.
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Actually, in my very limited experience, almost everyone who inquires here ends up not booking. Even when it sounds like they are just about to book. I think I’ve only had one exception so far. Except for that one exception, everyone who has booked has booked right away, and in virtually all cases (I actually can’t think of an exception right now) without asking questions. Though in some cases, I did reject the inquiry for one reason or another, so maybe they would have booked if I hadn’t.
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Ok update! I just decided since I heard nothing more from her to hit decline since she only wants two nights and we are requiring a min of 3 for the busy 4th of July weekend. Mind you, this is still an inquiry not a booking request. In literally seconds I get a message, is it still available. So, I say yes but just for a minimum of 3 nights. Now she’s trying to get me to change it for her to two. Interesting when you take away something how much more people want it! There’s a lesson in here somewhere, lol really!
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Send her a Special Offerl…2 nights for the price of 3! But make her tell you something special about herself first. 
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