@Swan Do you require the Pre-Booking message for IB guests? I’ve had less communication issues since I’ve added a note in there about turning on notifications “for easy communication”. It seems to be a good place to tell them about it. I only mention it there but you could definitely double up and mention it in multiple places.
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Part of the reason I ask guests about getting messages & send instructions of how to set it up is guests don’t necessarily check email often & they don’t routinely check Airbnb until check in.
The text notification (if they will use it) helps.
Thanks, that’s a good suggestion thanks
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Thanks, very helpful
The morning of the reservation I send my check in message via the AirBnb messaging and direct text. 80% of my guests respond to the direct text and then communicate that way going forward. I do not worry about keeping it on the Air app.
AirBnb has convinced hosts and guests to keep the communication on the app to protect yourself. I am convinced the reason is to keep AirBnb relevant, to keep the guests and hosts distrusting each other. AirBnb benefits from this distrust when guests or hosts are afraid to do direct bookings.
RR
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Thanks…yes I have now changed my saved message for enquiries to incorporate that suggestion
I get your point, however as I get such large and different groups it really helps me to keep their preferences all in one place so I am less likely to slip up
Feeling calmer today! I really do need all aspects about a group in one place so asking them to choose how they want communication to proceed probably wouldn’t work for me, our listing is big with lots of variables to consider, if they chose text by mobile and then anything happened to my phone I would be sunk.
Yes, you are right…asking people to check the site weekly would be unrealistic, as I too have bookings a year in advance. I’m going with making the message part of my listing being the place to communicate, and I will remind them with a text if they don’t respond after a couple of days
You may want to get a channel manager, to help manage multiple channels with such a large, valuable and complex property. This allows near-instant calendar updates (api not ical), and with Air allows you to force very useful polices like a REAL security deposit (perhaps even a necessity with a stay like yours).
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Most, if not all, channel managers also allow for automated messaging which could end up saving you some time?
So in this case, if there are damages can you withhold w/o Airs approval or the guest’s approval?
Yep. Software connected hosts have more flexibility.
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Security deposit is a good reason to use a channel manager, even if you only have one stay and especially if it is an “entire place listing”, not owner occupied or just across the street.
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Tie that together with some simple boiler-plate contract law language in your House Rules and theoretically, a host has proper control over the situation and the Guest has effectively agreed in writing to various conditions. This isn’t to say that Air will blithely go along with whatever you put there but it certainly gives the host a big leg to stand on - as every Guest AGREES TO HOUSE RULES ON BOOKING. That is their policy.
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Who do you use as your channel manager and have you ever had to withhold deposit money for an AirBnB initiated booking? How does that even work - you’re just directly communicating with the guest?
We decided from the outset that we wouldn’t have a security deposit, my husband has several shops in our town stocked mostly by house clearance items from 2 friends who both do this, inc electrical goods which he fixes himself, he can also fix plumbing, the roof and any electrical fault within the house and actually enjoys it. As we host children babies and dogs and have also accepted large groups of very young people there has a fair bit of damage over the time we have been hosting but we just fix it and move on. It has been nothing like as stressful as when we rented the place out to extended family groups long term for 12 years! The Google Earth picture of street view still shows what it was like in those days, I’m sure our good rating is partly because people arrive a bit fearful that it might still be like that!