We do not receive true email addresses for guests. Emails sent to guests go through airbnb and should also be placed on the platform, perhaps in the message thread.

[Robert5458]

Emails sent to guests go through airbnb and in addition to delivery to guests, they should also be placed on the platform, perhaps in the message thread.  We send important door codes through email and some guests claim to not receive them, either due to spam filter issues or perhaps not giving airbnb a reliable address.  Most call, but some don't and then we lose the reservation because airbnb support does not call either and simply refund the guest.  Very frustrating and unavoidable.  I am finding airbnb support very lacking and with no means to dialogue with people that could make the platform better. 

[Emiel1]

@Robert5458 

Emails sent directly to the email alias are also appearing on the message system.

[Robert5458]

we do send to the alias and they do not show up in the message system.  

[Helen744]

@Robert5458 It is important to ask your guest to have a working mobile phone and to have the app on it . Many older people seem not to .I never use email because it gives  guests, who instant book  unnecessary information about you . Always use messages  on the dashboard . send your mobile number to guests and then send checkin information via either/and  the messages and the mobile ,or call them ,but supply your own phone number . this cannot happen until after the actual booking takes place though . H 

[Helen744]

your check in information can be sent automatically via a Airbnb message and people expect this but always text your phone number through when the booking has been confirmed and tell the guest to use this to let you know any delays in arrival or other general info pertaining to the stay.Generally people will start to text as they get close to arrival . Make sure all messages sent via mobile are duplicated on the dashboard messenger system . Emails to my way of thinking are clumsy and a waste of time . The app  and texting is more immediate. H

[Helen744]

I am not sure how you are losing guests as you should be able to see a phone number once the guest has booked. It is important that you use this and open the channels to communicate with your guests before they arrive. Send an initial acceptance message and ask for any extra details or check numbers or whatever is not known . Then close to arrival or sooner send another message with check in details and a welcome message. Ask if there is anything else they need to know about the house. Only by doing this can you figure out if your guests may be problematical or are just the lovely people that you want . There is zero reason for you to lose guests for such a silly reason. H

[Robert5458]

thanks Helen.  we run two bed and breakfast with 15 rooms total.   We use a booking engine that generates emails automatically to guests using templates.  It also programs the digital door locks with a code and includes that in the email.  I really am lazy I guess because I don't want to put hands on each reservation by repeating the info in the email to a text or into the airbnb message system.  It is really a waste of time when 95% of guests get their messages and most of the others call us.  My frustration is that airbnb is lagging behind Expedia, another platform we use, that has a similar messaging system except they include within the messaging system any of the emails sent to their guest alias email accounts. And there is no one to talk to about airbnb to make that suggestion. 

[Helen744]

@Robert5458 I do agree with you  Robert and as we were that style of Airbnb too, we found the opposite problem of guests only communicating via email and an older co hort of guests , who although happy to  email were not so good with apps and always simply expected a code , did not read any rules and were affronted at the idea of talking to a host or appearing as a 'real person '. I realise now that guests expect the 'sytem ' that they are used to. most of our usual guests use their mobiles and apps always and rarely use emails when 'on the road' or 'working ' or travelling and find text messaging and mobile connectivity vital and immediate. they do not have the time or patience while working or driving or attending events to check emails . sometimes they text five minutes out if they are only used to emails to ask , where the adress is , because they have not engaged with the Airbnb messaging system . Messaging is paramount because it shows the communication between host and guest and allows quicker decision making on Airbnb and the hosts side. I get what you are saying about the added efficiency in your day to day dealings, but I do think that day to day dealings with guests , before they arrive , vis a vis ,trouble shooting early , and on route communication , so that you dont spend all day waiting for someone who thinks you have nothing better to do ,and messaging to check in and reassure the guest that , you are available to assist if anything could occur during the stay, remain the main tasks of the host and establishing reasonable channels of communication early remains the hosts task.I would even go so far as to say , if you expect hosting to be 'hands off ' then maybe you should not host. H

[Robert5458]

I am not a hands off host as you suggest.  I am just asking airbnb to step up their game and match what Expedia does and post all emails into the message thread.  Our hotel reservation system is generating door codes and our routers send those codes to the door and automatically send the codes to the guest's airbnb email alias.   It is ridiculous to suggest that we manually go in and copy and paste those into the message thread.  

[Helen744]

@Robert5458 I am just wondering what your guests age profile is as the app and messaging does all that .H

[Helen744]

I love your little hotel My dream  H

[Helen3]

Hi @Robert5458 

Can I ask why you aren't sharing this information through the Airbnb platform using the self check in function .

airbnb then send it to guests automatically 48 hours before .

You can also add to the  guest information  section on your listing for guests who say they don't get the notifications from airbnb.

[Robert5458]

Our hotel reservation system links directly to both airbnb and Expedia.   When a guest looks at availability, both Expedia and Airbnb platforms are communicating directly with our hotel system, giving them our inventory.   During that booking handshake between the two companies, our system receives the guest info including an email alias.   Two days prior to arrival, our system generates a door code and sends that code to the email alias.  There is no way I know of to have our system send that info directly to the self check in function you mention.   In most cases the guest gets the email and they know how to check in.  Guests using Expedia that don't receive the email can log into the platform and go to the message center and the email lives in that location.  Not so for airbnb.  Technically it could very easily live within the message system, but Airbnb does not have that functionality and I cannot find a way to communicate that need to them.   The more we can automate the less chance for human error in my opinion.  We live onsite so hands on with guests is not the issue. But sometimes we are not home.  We just want airbnb to step up and do better with their platform.