Airbnb removed special offer option

[Marc162]

In their apparent quest to strip hosts of all control over a booking, Airbnb has now removed the option to answer a booking request with a special offer. 

Now if say a request is for 1 guest, but the guest actually communicates that they are a group of 5 people, then the host will suffer negative consequences. 

The options are:

1. Accept a reservation with a wrong guests count and price and lose earnings

2. Decline and get penalized with a lower acceptance rate

3. Let request expire and suffer a lower response rate

How do you feel about this new "policy"?

[Sandra856]

Hi @Marc162 🙂

You can also ask your guest to withdraw the request and ask them to send you a new one with the correct numbers of guests. Or tell the guest that you will accept this request and then afterwards you can alter the reservation with the correct number of guests.

But it should be possible to alter a reservation before it is confirmed. I really don't understand why it isn't possible. 

[Marc162]

Hi Sandra. The option to alter the reservation before confirming (via special offer) was removed a few days ago. 

Your solution to rely on the guest may occasionally work. But considering different time zones of travelers and possibly uncooperative or unknowledgeable guests, relying on the guest to react on time is not a satisfactory option. 

[Sandra856]

@Marc162 Ohh, okay. I didn't know that it was possible to alter the number of guests via the speciel offer option before a reservation was confirmed. I have used those options that I mentioned.

[Alon1]

@Marc162 @Sandra856 

Marc, like Sandra, I don't recall the Special Offer option with a Reservation Request.

(I've never done Instant Book, so I've been doing Enquiries & Reservation Requests for over 6 years).

In any case, occasionally I've had to deal with the issue you relate, and there is a 4th option of which you seem unaware, namely to contact Customer Services.

Firstly, I message the person sending the Reservation Request informing that Airbnb will not process a booking without the correct numbers, further citing the Host Guarantee won't be applied in this case.. Therefore, I must kindly ask the person to WITHDRAW REQUEST and resubmit with the correct numbers.

  If the person is obstinate, fails to reply within a few hours, or replies that I should Decline myself, then I respond by informing that I will phone Airbnb Customer Services to contact the Guest and if necessary cancel the RR. 

  CS will always do this because they are obligated to uphold T&Cs.

More commonly I have had to apply this technique to 3rd Party Booking Requests.

[Marc162]

Thanks for your response @Alon1 

I have a no pets policy but occasionally get  booking requests from guests who say they'll bring a dog. If I have to rely on the guest to remove the request even after they should never have sent it, and then have to monitor that they do so in a timely manner, that's not a good user experience for me.

I  am aware of  the 4th option (contacting customer service. )

But having to contact customer service to ask them to remove the booking request (so my decline rate doesn't suffer) is an unnecessary hassle to say the least. 

[Alon1]

@Marc162 

I recognise it's hassle....

However, I just accept it. 

The alternative, Instant Book is supposed to be hassle free.

But the Community Centre is littered with one hassle or another arising connected to IB.

Indeed, show me a system in any walk of life that works perfectly?

[Gordon0]

I have had many occasions when the guest hasn't added the correct number of people, yet I have never used the 'special offer' option. I've always asked them to correct the number and they have complied.

[Alon1]

@Gordon0 

The question is how do they comply?

Do you use Instant Book? (I don't, so I don't know how it works).

In any case, Marc's question evidently pertains to non IB Reservation Requests, and as mentioned I don't recall the Special Offer option with an RR. I only recall having to go an extra step, the 3 options set out by Marc, and the 4th option I suggested.

I would further add, aside insistence on correct numbers, It's even more imperative for those Hosts who charge for additional guests beyond a certain number. 

[Gordon0]

I don't believe it matters whether you use IB or not, @Alon1. 

My pre-booking question asks who they are coming with. Additionally, I follow up bookings with a quick confirmation of arrival time/numbers etc. If the number of guests is above what is booked, I ask them to amend their reservation. Easy/quick and not one of my guests has declined.

To check you can still do this, I looked at one of my reservations (as a traveller). Screen shot below.  You change the number of guests and the price goes up (if extra charges apply).  

[Alon1]

@Gordon0 

Thanks for reply.

However, you have posted the standard post-Reservation option 'Change or Cancel'.

I am well aware of it.

  Only this week I accepted a Reservation Request  from a young lady who minutes following the booking informed me that she wasn't sure about the dates, and required an extra night..      After sending her an Alteration Request for the additional night which she accepted; a few minutes later she sent a second  message  'I and my mom will stay together there. So we are two people.' So I sent her a 2nd Alteration which she also complied with.

Marc's question  clearly relates to before a booking takes place, hence Marc's wording 'booking request...'

[Gordon0]

I'd accept the booking and ask them (as per above) to correct the number of guests retrospectively. It isn't our fault they've done something wrong and Airbnb CS can always step in (and earn their money) should it get messy.

[Jeff158]

I'm with you @Alon1 

I've never seen a special offer on a reservation request. Enquiry yes

[Kenneth12]

I still have "Special Offer;"  what are you talking about?  🙂

[Alon1]

@Kenneth12 @Jeff158 @Sandra856 @Marc162 

I wonder if you read this thread closely?

I note all your listings are Instant Book. And as mentioned I don't IB so don't know how it works.

However, the original question raised by Marc pertains to a non IB 'booking request....' i.e. RESERVATION REQUEST.

- According to Marc until a few days ago an RR would also give you the option of replying with a Special Offer.

- However, three of us (Sandra, Jeff, and myself) do not recall this option with an RR. 

As Jeff stated: 'I've never seen a special offer on a reservation request. Enquiry yes.'

Consequently, if you have read and understood the whole post, it would seem you support Marc.

In that case, it suggests that universally the booking process has never been uniform.