Post by High Priestess on Mar 29, 2016 4:21:43 GMT
Zacharias shared March 28 2016
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-215016
Zacharias
How available should you be as a host?
A guest or two seem to be under the impression i staff a front desk at my airbnb so i am always around for their needs. Im not sure where they got that idea but it steams my kettle when they write i am not around and i dont respond. I wasnt aware as a host that i have to have my phone glued to my ears and eyeballs should they have a question no matter the time of day or how silly the question is. I usually respond within 5- 20 mins of most missed phone calls and messages.
I've updated my listing to reflect my interaction with guests as its unreasonable to think i staff a front desk or a call center for that matter.
For other hosts that lead an active life have you come across this situation?
12 comments•3 likes
Following
Like
Hilde Mari
Michelle
Ainara
C C
I always respond immediately on the phone unless I'm in the shower, and then it'll be a minute. I respond to inquiries instantly. A guest criticized me for this, saying I seemed "desperate." So you can't win, but luckily, most of my guests don't need to see me. Only one complaint in over 200 guests that he only saw me twice. Good for him--I'm a thousand years old!
Zandra
I think it's important to be responsive; some guests do ask rather a lot of questions though and to be honest that can annoy me
I usually come and rant on here but answer them in the meantime lol
stefania
In Italy, If you want the licence to Host as a professional Job, Even only through airbnb, you need to be reachable h24 (plus other important things like having a fire extinguisher and so on!)
helga
That's great. I'll tell the next guest: I'm nearly perfect as a host. If I don't answer in the second, just contemplate the fire extinguisher for a minute and then try again.
Carol
Carol8 hours ago
I respond within 20 minutes to most unless I need to confirm something else. During the stay I give time for questions and get to know you time on check-in time. I have gone shopping with a guest because I had time and needed to go shopping too. Other than that I have my own stuff to do and I assume they have a program.
Sara
o
How about the other way round guest booked in about 12 days wont give me a clue when he is coming and as he is a professor not on vacation I know he must know I too have a diary and no he is not waiting for a budget flight I can tell as those are booked in advance he needs to answer me what do you all think?
Carol
Last time I wrote the guest a message through ABB, 12 hours later no response. I texted their number and they replied but I hate having to do that. And they admitted they had seen my message but were too busy packing. Always happens with first time ABB users, not communicative at all...and most don't read the listing in full.
Michelle
Sara, I had this experience too and was tempted to cancel, especially because I was new. In the end it worked out just fine (he had an old phone with no email), but I'd say do what you're comfortable with.
helga
Usually I answer fast but if you look up a thing and write a longer mail, that would take time too. If I'm doing something complicated, I would not interrupt that to give a dinner recommendation. - but some people really think they rent a friend. Just accepted a booking for the shared room whilst Shannon and I go to Sète and wrote the girl twice that it will not be shared, she will have the whole atelier. Please confirm that that is ok. She did but I'm not convinced that it improves the rating - usually it gets me lower stars.
Edith
Welcome Shannon, the "famous, late, Shannon"!
Zandra
Yes I think the ratings often reflect what they think of you personally. I.e. How much they like helga plus the facilities available.
Susanne
I've tried to respond right away, but I am not going to chained to my home. I've done a 'Welcome' brochure type thing that gives guests phone numbers and addresses of a variety of local restaurants, bakeries, delis, drug stores, grocery store, and venues for entertainment, etc. ... On the very first page and in the very first paragraph I include "If you have any questions regarding the home, or if we can be of assistance in some way, please give us a call at (phone number hidden) and we will do our best to help you out; please keep in mind that like you, we value our privacy and our ‘off time’, so we may not be at the ranch 24/7." So far I haven't had any real issues (knock on wood). As I've said before, just keep telling yourself 'I'm not Motel Six, but I'm not the Ritz Carlton either' ;-)
Sara
Helga when are you both leaving to SETE?
Sara
My guest is doing weird stuff trashed his phone and SIM card in my bin and has no other roll on the 30 th when he goes
Michelle
That's very strange!
Zandra
Probably just dropped him phone or changed network providers. I wouldn't overthink it
Deborah
I just got back from a 2 week vacation that I took in part because I needed to get away from electronics. There is such a thing as being too responsive, I believe. I dislike myself when I am sitting meditating and I hear my phone ping with the Airbnb sound and I get up from meditating to check the message. I would rather not have my meditation disturbed that way -- or my yoga, or my journaling or music meditation or what have you.
The last two guests who requested to stay at my house, I did not get back to within an hour - it took me 1.5 hrs in one case, 2 hrs in the other. And guess what, both those guests ended up booking with me, so it was okay.
I feel I am better for not being a slave to my phone. I will answer right away (eg within 5 minutes) if I happen to be available right away, but I dont' want to feel that I MUST be available right away. Sure there are some guests you will not get bookings from because they are going to go with the very first response they get from a host, and if someone else beats you by 2 minutes, well then you are beat. But I dont' think most guests are like that. I think those who want to book instantly will pick an Instant Book place and the other guests seem to be content to wait a few hours to hear back from everyone they have contacted.
I do respond to current guests as soon as I can , but I don't think they generally expect me to respond immediately. Actually most seem surprised if they hear back from me in a few minutes -- so I get the sense that if I had taken a few hours to respond they would have been fine with that.
C C
I hear that, Deborah. I think a very quick response can't help but make people think they're important to you. I often get thanked for my response time. Now, where I play hard to get is with the 20-question bit or when they ask for a discount. I make them wait longer for my curt, blah blah answer. The dumber their questions get, the shorter my answers get. I hope they notice that. And quit asking me is everywhere in Memphis a 20-minute walk from here.
Deborah
YEs, it's true -- so I do aim to respond quickly most of the time. And in general I do -- my response time is noted as "one hour or less." But I don't want to have to end up having surgery due to my phone becoming attached to my ear or my hip. And definitely like you with the 20 questions crew or the ones with pets who send inquiries to no pets listings, I take my time getting back....
Carolyn
Hi Zacharias, I notice that, in the "Interaction" section of your listing, you sound like you're very available to guests. You could re-write that section a bit. That way, guests will not expect the impossible from you. It's always good for guests to know what to expect in terms of interaction, just as it is in every other area. So, right there in your listing, in addition to saying that you can recommend places to go, you can say that during a guest's stay if you don't respond immediately you will do so within 20 minutes.
I work nights and sleep in, so I tell my guests that they can come to me with any questions after 10:30 a.m. Of course, I also tell them that they can contact me ANY TIME if it is an emergency (I live on the property.)
Sara
Zandra no he took it out in front of me drop SIM card in bin then smashed phone in front of me and dropped it in bin he has no pad phone or device now hope he doesn't lock himself out
Jose
Hi My name is Jose glad to be in the group. Just hosted my unit n hopefully I m able to get some guidance here on how to promote my unit. Thank you everyone in advance.
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-215016
ZachariasHow available should you be as a host?
A guest or two seem to be under the impression i staff a front desk at my airbnb so i am always around for their needs. Im not sure where they got that idea but it steams my kettle when they write i am not around and i dont respond. I wasnt aware as a host that i have to have my phone glued to my ears and eyeballs should they have a question no matter the time of day or how silly the question is. I usually respond within 5- 20 mins of most missed phone calls and messages.
I've updated my listing to reflect my interaction with guests as its unreasonable to think i staff a front desk or a call center for that matter.
For other hosts that lead an active life have you come across this situation?
12 comments•3 likes
Following
Like
Hilde Mari
Michelle
Ainara
C C
I always respond immediately on the phone unless I'm in the shower, and then it'll be a minute. I respond to inquiries instantly. A guest criticized me for this, saying I seemed "desperate." So you can't win, but luckily, most of my guests don't need to see me. Only one complaint in over 200 guests that he only saw me twice. Good for him--I'm a thousand years old!
Zandra
I think it's important to be responsive; some guests do ask rather a lot of questions though and to be honest that can annoy me
I usually come and rant on here but answer them in the meantime lolstefania
In Italy, If you want the licence to Host as a professional Job, Even only through airbnb, you need to be reachable h24 (plus other important things like having a fire extinguisher and so on!)
helga
That's great. I'll tell the next guest: I'm nearly perfect as a host. If I don't answer in the second, just contemplate the fire extinguisher for a minute and then try again.
Carol
Carol8 hours ago
I respond within 20 minutes to most unless I need to confirm something else. During the stay I give time for questions and get to know you time on check-in time. I have gone shopping with a guest because I had time and needed to go shopping too. Other than that I have my own stuff to do and I assume they have a program.
Sara
o
How about the other way round guest booked in about 12 days wont give me a clue when he is coming and as he is a professor not on vacation I know he must know I too have a diary and no he is not waiting for a budget flight I can tell as those are booked in advance he needs to answer me what do you all think?
Carol
Last time I wrote the guest a message through ABB, 12 hours later no response. I texted their number and they replied but I hate having to do that. And they admitted they had seen my message but were too busy packing. Always happens with first time ABB users, not communicative at all...and most don't read the listing in full.
Michelle
Sara, I had this experience too and was tempted to cancel, especially because I was new. In the end it worked out just fine (he had an old phone with no email), but I'd say do what you're comfortable with.
helga
Usually I answer fast but if you look up a thing and write a longer mail, that would take time too. If I'm doing something complicated, I would not interrupt that to give a dinner recommendation. - but some people really think they rent a friend. Just accepted a booking for the shared room whilst Shannon and I go to Sète and wrote the girl twice that it will not be shared, she will have the whole atelier. Please confirm that that is ok. She did but I'm not convinced that it improves the rating - usually it gets me lower stars.
Edith
Welcome Shannon, the "famous, late, Shannon"!
Zandra
Yes I think the ratings often reflect what they think of you personally. I.e. How much they like helga plus the facilities available.
Susanne
I've tried to respond right away, but I am not going to chained to my home. I've done a 'Welcome' brochure type thing that gives guests phone numbers and addresses of a variety of local restaurants, bakeries, delis, drug stores, grocery store, and venues for entertainment, etc. ... On the very first page and in the very first paragraph I include "If you have any questions regarding the home, or if we can be of assistance in some way, please give us a call at (phone number hidden) and we will do our best to help you out; please keep in mind that like you, we value our privacy and our ‘off time’, so we may not be at the ranch 24/7." So far I haven't had any real issues (knock on wood). As I've said before, just keep telling yourself 'I'm not Motel Six, but I'm not the Ritz Carlton either' ;-)
Sara
Helga when are you both leaving to SETE?
Sara
My guest is doing weird stuff trashed his phone and SIM card in my bin and has no other roll on the 30 th when he goes
Michelle
That's very strange!
Zandra
Probably just dropped him phone or changed network providers. I wouldn't overthink it
Deborah
I just got back from a 2 week vacation that I took in part because I needed to get away from electronics. There is such a thing as being too responsive, I believe. I dislike myself when I am sitting meditating and I hear my phone ping with the Airbnb sound and I get up from meditating to check the message. I would rather not have my meditation disturbed that way -- or my yoga, or my journaling or music meditation or what have you.
The last two guests who requested to stay at my house, I did not get back to within an hour - it took me 1.5 hrs in one case, 2 hrs in the other. And guess what, both those guests ended up booking with me, so it was okay.
I feel I am better for not being a slave to my phone. I will answer right away (eg within 5 minutes) if I happen to be available right away, but I dont' want to feel that I MUST be available right away. Sure there are some guests you will not get bookings from because they are going to go with the very first response they get from a host, and if someone else beats you by 2 minutes, well then you are beat. But I dont' think most guests are like that. I think those who want to book instantly will pick an Instant Book place and the other guests seem to be content to wait a few hours to hear back from everyone they have contacted.
I do respond to current guests as soon as I can , but I don't think they generally expect me to respond immediately. Actually most seem surprised if they hear back from me in a few minutes -- so I get the sense that if I had taken a few hours to respond they would have been fine with that.
C C
I hear that, Deborah. I think a very quick response can't help but make people think they're important to you. I often get thanked for my response time. Now, where I play hard to get is with the 20-question bit or when they ask for a discount. I make them wait longer for my curt, blah blah answer. The dumber their questions get, the shorter my answers get. I hope they notice that. And quit asking me is everywhere in Memphis a 20-minute walk from here.
Deborah
YEs, it's true -- so I do aim to respond quickly most of the time. And in general I do -- my response time is noted as "one hour or less." But I don't want to have to end up having surgery due to my phone becoming attached to my ear or my hip. And definitely like you with the 20 questions crew or the ones with pets who send inquiries to no pets listings, I take my time getting back....
Carolyn
Hi Zacharias, I notice that, in the "Interaction" section of your listing, you sound like you're very available to guests. You could re-write that section a bit. That way, guests will not expect the impossible from you. It's always good for guests to know what to expect in terms of interaction, just as it is in every other area. So, right there in your listing, in addition to saying that you can recommend places to go, you can say that during a guest's stay if you don't respond immediately you will do so within 20 minutes.
I work nights and sleep in, so I tell my guests that they can come to me with any questions after 10:30 a.m. Of course, I also tell them that they can contact me ANY TIME if it is an emergency (I live on the property.)
Sara
Zandra no he took it out in front of me drop SIM card in bin then smashed phone in front of me and dropped it in bin he has no pad phone or device now hope he doesn't lock himself out
Jose
Hi My name is Jose glad to be in the group. Just hosted my unit n hopefully I m able to get some guidance here on how to promote my unit. Thank you everyone in advance.