Are you Airbnb Ready? Step Five: Waiting for that First Enquiry
In this era, people want things now so waiting for a response to an enquiry is agony for most guests. Don’t wait until the evening when you arrive home, make sure your Airbnb account sends all communications to both your email and your mobile phone as a text. This way, you can respond almost immediately if your life permits, and you don’t miss out on a booking that could be for 6 weeks and pay for your next holiday!
The main thing is that you respond as soon as possible and with a personal message. Include questions such as:
- Why are you visiting
- Is there anything I can do for you before you arrive
- How are you travelling
- Do you need directions
People want to feel connected so your response may be the one that stands out so much that they cannot pass your property. Another way of responding is to record a personal thankyou video that you can send. They can then see who they will be dealing with and see that you are human….. or not!
Now, if you have instant booking turned on, this is set up so that you don’t really need to respond, however, it is a good idea to make that connection. The instant booking feature still does not guarantee that the enquiry will turn into a solid booking. Try to connect and get them to talk about their visit but don’t be too overpowering. Remember, they contacted you, so if you send a response back quickly, don’t worry if they don’t confirm the booking for a few hours or days. They may be travelling at the time, in a meeting or just busy.