Post by High Priestess on Jun 3, 2016 23:24:55 GMT
Supriya
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-124611
Thank you for accepting me in your group
Hi! I am Supriya Chattopadhyaya from Kolkata in India. I listed our two properties on the Airbnb site in February this year and have hosted only 3 guests till date.I receive a number of enquiries and get very excited. I send the prospective guests a welcome note and pre approve them but often I don't hear from them any more.I feel disappointed and don't know where I have gone wrong. I seek your advice on the matter. What can I do so that guests confirm their booking.Thank you in advance for your support.
WarmlySupriya
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Deborah
Deboraha year ago
Supriya, this happens a lot. It actually is very common and happens to everyone. Airbnb encourages guests to contact multiple hosts, so not every contact results in a booking. Many of us do as you do, sending a response message and a preapproval and then never hear back. They have booked with someone else and dont' want to spend the time to let all the other hosts who they contacted know. Sometimes, you will send someone a preapproval, and not hear back, and think that they booked elsewhere, but then 2-3 weeks later they contact you again and ask to book. So you never know what will happen. Just be welcoming and offer to answer any questions, and that's all you can do.
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David
Davida year ago
I booked as a guest recently. And was surprised how often I was prompted to contact multiple hosts. Even after I made contact with 3, airbnb still suggested contacting more. So unfortunately many busy hosts spend hours replying to enquiries and then never hear back. Sometimes guests will let you know,their work trip was cancelled, or plans changed. Often you hear nothing.
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
I wish Airbnb didn't do that. For AIrbnb to push guests to contact multiple hosts is sort of like saying to them that hosts aren't reliable and their calendars don't really mean anything. I would prefer it if Airbnb left guests to use their own common sense and realize that if they don't hear back from one person they contact, or gets declined, they should try another. I mean who doesn't know that!
David
Davida year ago
I was surprised Deborah, also how aggressively i was being pushed to IB or make a firm reservation request. There was an option - that hardly any of my enquirers use - to notify all hosts I had contacted (I booked 1 out of 3), that I had made alternative arrangements. All in all I suppose just Airbnb trying to lock in a potential guest, before they book with another platform?
Andrew
Andrewa year ago
Unfortunately, in my experience as a guest, it is very often true that hosts are unreliable and their calendars don't mean anything - even experienced ones with lots of reviews. At the moment, I'm in the middle of trying to book somewhere for a trip. First, I booked a place using IB that looked great. The next day, the host cancelled it because he said he should have charged more. Then, I put in a Reservation Request for a different place, and 24 hours went by without any response, so it expired. After that, I was so frustrated that I basically carpet-bombed Copenhagen with inquiries. Several of them declined, several more didn't bother to write back, and just one responded positively, but didn't pre-approve. I think NHF members are the cream of the crop when it comes to being thoughtful hosts, but the vast majority of ones that I've contacted as a guest have been total duds. So while I don't like IB being pushed so hard on us, I understand that Airbnb has to do something to get more inquiries to convert to bookings (I would've already given up on Airbnb by now if I didn't have credits that are about to expire). Many of my guests have reported equally frustrating experiences with hosts who cancel bookings or ignore their requests, and I really wish they'd set the bar higher for keeping an active listing.
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
Andrew, that is disappointing to hear. I wish there weren't so many irresponsible hosts! I'm curious about all those dud hosts you contacted -- were they hosts with a lot of reviews, did they seem to be active hosts, or were they new hosts, or hosts with few reviews? Was their response rate percentage low? I am just thinking that there may be some way guests can get a clue about hosts that might be duds....
Andrew
Andrewa year ago
Some have been surprises actually - one very well-reviewed host declined without even sending a message! My one host that seemed ready to approve just wrote back asking me to check out a day earlier. I think my problem here is that the cancellation forced me into finding a new place at the last minute, when all the really good hosts are all booked...but in all honesty, this has been very typical in my adventures as an Airbnb guest. When a booking does ultimately work out, it's usually fantastic - but there's so much frustration and stress in getting one locked down, so I can definitely empathize with those who send lots of generic inquiries hoping something sticks.
Supriya
Supriyaa year ago
Thank you Deborah for your prompt response. Yes, I guess I have to be patient.
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Supriya
Supriyaa year ago
Thank you David for your response. It appears from your responses that its quite normal not to hear from prospective guests after expending considerable time and effort replying to their enquiries.
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Supriya
Supriyaa year ago
Hi! Deborah, I completely agree with you. I too felt the same but did not express it as I am a very new host. The prospective guests have access to all the active listings so when they send an enquiry its because they feel the particular listing fits their requirements. To push them to contact other hosts is both unnecessary as well as counter productive for the initially contacted host.
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David
Davida year ago
Supriya, it is good to hear new hosts thoughts. this is what this group is for and sometimes it is good to see things through 'fresh eyes'...
Supriya
Supriyaa year ago
Thank you Andrew for your feedback. I am dismayed with the experiences you reported. It's indeed very wrong for hosts to behave in such irresponsible manner. In my limited experience as a fresh host I have had only one guy apologise to me after a couple of weeks saying that he had typed the wrong city and thus inconvenienced me by his enquiries. I was both pleasantly surprised as well as pleased to know that there are still some decent people in this world. In most cases prospective guests don't bother to inform that they have booked some other place after a whole lot of enquiries and responses and preapproval from my end.
Reply Like 1 reply Delete
Andrew
Andrewa year ago
Yes, I wish both guests and hosts had the courtesy to send a prompt follow-up. Generally I don't take the inquiries too seriously - the guests who really want to book your place will go straight for the Request button. But remember, you can have any amount of overlapping Pre-Approvals, and the booking goes to the first guest who confirms. What's most important on your end is that you respond quickly to all the messages.
Supriya
Supriyaa year ago
Thank you Andrew. Yes, I respond to my messages within five to six hours if not earlier.
Reply Like Delete
Deborah
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-124611
Thank you for accepting me in your group
Hi! I am Supriya Chattopadhyaya from Kolkata in India. I listed our two properties on the Airbnb site in February this year and have hosted only 3 guests till date.I receive a number of enquiries and get very excited. I send the prospective guests a welcome note and pre approve them but often I don't hear from them any more.I feel disappointed and don't know where I have gone wrong. I seek your advice on the matter. What can I do so that guests confirm their booking.Thank you in advance for your support.
WarmlySupriya
6 comments
Following
Like
Delete
Hide
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
Supriya, this happens a lot. It actually is very common and happens to everyone. Airbnb encourages guests to contact multiple hosts, so not every contact results in a booking. Many of us do as you do, sending a response message and a preapproval and then never hear back. They have booked with someone else and dont' want to spend the time to let all the other hosts who they contacted know. Sometimes, you will send someone a preapproval, and not hear back, and think that they booked elsewhere, but then 2-3 weeks later they contact you again and ask to book. So you never know what will happen. Just be welcoming and offer to answer any questions, and that's all you can do.
Reply Like 6 replies•1 like Delete
David
Davida year ago
I booked as a guest recently. And was surprised how often I was prompted to contact multiple hosts. Even after I made contact with 3, airbnb still suggested contacting more. So unfortunately many busy hosts spend hours replying to enquiries and then never hear back. Sometimes guests will let you know,their work trip was cancelled, or plans changed. Often you hear nothing.
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
I wish Airbnb didn't do that. For AIrbnb to push guests to contact multiple hosts is sort of like saying to them that hosts aren't reliable and their calendars don't really mean anything. I would prefer it if Airbnb left guests to use their own common sense and realize that if they don't hear back from one person they contact, or gets declined, they should try another. I mean who doesn't know that!
David
Davida year ago
I was surprised Deborah, also how aggressively i was being pushed to IB or make a firm reservation request. There was an option - that hardly any of my enquirers use - to notify all hosts I had contacted (I booked 1 out of 3), that I had made alternative arrangements. All in all I suppose just Airbnb trying to lock in a potential guest, before they book with another platform?
Andrew
Andrewa year ago
Unfortunately, in my experience as a guest, it is very often true that hosts are unreliable and their calendars don't mean anything - even experienced ones with lots of reviews. At the moment, I'm in the middle of trying to book somewhere for a trip. First, I booked a place using IB that looked great. The next day, the host cancelled it because he said he should have charged more. Then, I put in a Reservation Request for a different place, and 24 hours went by without any response, so it expired. After that, I was so frustrated that I basically carpet-bombed Copenhagen with inquiries. Several of them declined, several more didn't bother to write back, and just one responded positively, but didn't pre-approve. I think NHF members are the cream of the crop when it comes to being thoughtful hosts, but the vast majority of ones that I've contacted as a guest have been total duds. So while I don't like IB being pushed so hard on us, I understand that Airbnb has to do something to get more inquiries to convert to bookings (I would've already given up on Airbnb by now if I didn't have credits that are about to expire). Many of my guests have reported equally frustrating experiences with hosts who cancel bookings or ignore their requests, and I really wish they'd set the bar higher for keeping an active listing.
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
Andrew, that is disappointing to hear. I wish there weren't so many irresponsible hosts! I'm curious about all those dud hosts you contacted -- were they hosts with a lot of reviews, did they seem to be active hosts, or were they new hosts, or hosts with few reviews? Was their response rate percentage low? I am just thinking that there may be some way guests can get a clue about hosts that might be duds....
Andrew
Andrewa year ago
Some have been surprises actually - one very well-reviewed host declined without even sending a message! My one host that seemed ready to approve just wrote back asking me to check out a day earlier. I think my problem here is that the cancellation forced me into finding a new place at the last minute, when all the really good hosts are all booked...but in all honesty, this has been very typical in my adventures as an Airbnb guest. When a booking does ultimately work out, it's usually fantastic - but there's so much frustration and stress in getting one locked down, so I can definitely empathize with those who send lots of generic inquiries hoping something sticks.
Supriya
Supriyaa year ago
Thank you Deborah for your prompt response. Yes, I guess I have to be patient.
Reply Like Delete
Supriya
Supriyaa year ago
Thank you David for your response. It appears from your responses that its quite normal not to hear from prospective guests after expending considerable time and effort replying to their enquiries.
Reply Like Delete
Supriya
Supriyaa year ago
Hi! Deborah, I completely agree with you. I too felt the same but did not express it as I am a very new host. The prospective guests have access to all the active listings so when they send an enquiry its because they feel the particular listing fits their requirements. To push them to contact other hosts is both unnecessary as well as counter productive for the initially contacted host.
Reply Like 1 reply Delete
David
Davida year ago
Supriya, it is good to hear new hosts thoughts. this is what this group is for and sometimes it is good to see things through 'fresh eyes'...
Supriya
Supriyaa year ago
Thank you Andrew for your feedback. I am dismayed with the experiences you reported. It's indeed very wrong for hosts to behave in such irresponsible manner. In my limited experience as a fresh host I have had only one guy apologise to me after a couple of weeks saying that he had typed the wrong city and thus inconvenienced me by his enquiries. I was both pleasantly surprised as well as pleased to know that there are still some decent people in this world. In most cases prospective guests don't bother to inform that they have booked some other place after a whole lot of enquiries and responses and preapproval from my end.
Reply Like 1 reply Delete
Andrew
Andrewa year ago
Yes, I wish both guests and hosts had the courtesy to send a prompt follow-up. Generally I don't take the inquiries too seriously - the guests who really want to book your place will go straight for the Request button. But remember, you can have any amount of overlapping Pre-Approvals, and the booking goes to the first guest who confirms. What's most important on your end is that you respond quickly to all the messages.
Supriya
Supriyaa year ago
Thank you Andrew. Yes, I respond to my messages within five to six hours if not earlier.
Reply Like Delete
Deborah