So now VRBO tells us when and how to communicate?

[Patricia Andriolo-Bull]

Did y'all get the VRBO email on their new Host Communication policy and with it, sale of property?  Not that the communication policy they set forward is outrageous, it just gets tiring of being told what and how to do things from the various platforms.  Most of what they are asking is consistent with what I already do (I may have to change some of my timing) but boy, it makes me wonder what other hosts are doing out there that they have to make this a policy.

Answering critical questions
You must answer critical questions from guests in accordance with the timeline below:

• 5+ days pre-stay: answer within 24 hours
• 2 - 4 days pre-stay: answer within 12 hours
• On the guest’s check-in day and during their stay: answer within 1 hour (for messages received between 8 am and 9 pm in the property’s time zone).

Access or Check-in instructions
You must inform guests how to check in or access your property at least 72 hours before their scheduled check-in time. Use one of the options below:

A. Property access instructions: Provide the guest with detailed access instructions in either your Welcome Guide, listing description, Reservation Manager or through the Vrbo messaging platform
(For example, include guidance in your listing description about picking up a key from the office upon check-in.)

Or

B. Check-in process: Inform the guest when and how they’ll receive the property access details.
(For example, explain in your listing description or a message to the guest that you will email a door code at 9 AM EST on the day of check-in.)

Vrbo’s actions

If a guest contacts us within 72 hours of their check-in time because you didn’t provide information critical to their stay, we may take the following actions:

• Depending on the issue, we will either provide the necessary information or contact you for a resolution so the guest can proceed with their stay.
• If we’re unable to resolve the issue or reach you, we’ll cancel the booking, refund the guest, and help the guest find somewhere else to stay.

[Ken Boone]

What I am wondering is if this is a knee jerk reaction to Hurricane Helene.  Even with all the automated messages in place, we had a ton of guests trying to contact us about their bookings at our cabins in the Smokies. We were without power in a mess here in SC. I already live out in the country so cell service isn't great, but then they lost a number of cell towers and since internet was down just about everywhere, the cell towers were overloaded. We could not respond in a normal time frame that we usually respond in.

So just wondering if guests were trying to contact hosts to find out if their rental was still available etc.. and not getting responses and guests were getting panicky.  I dunno just a thought. I could see how lots of hosts would not have had the ability to respond in a timely fashion. I have a daughter with some health issues and has a strict diet regime of prepared foods. My focus was on doing everything I could to preserve her food, not on responding to guests for the first couple of day while we were without power. I'm sure others in the affected areas were focused on more serious problems as well.

Just a thought.