The booking flow
Understanding how bookings work helps you manage them confidently. Here's the full flow:
- 1Guest submits a request - they choose a date and time and send a booking request. You're notified by email and in your dashboard.
- 2You accept or decline - you have 24 hours to respond. If you don't respond within 24 hours, the request expires automatically.
- 3Guest pays - when you accept, the guest has 24 hours to complete payment. If they don't pay in time, the booking expires.
- 4Booking confirmed - once payment is received, the booking is confirmed for both parties.
- 5Experience runs - you host the experience.
- 6Booking completed - after the experience date passes, the booking is marked complete and your payout is processed.
All payments are handled through the Good Finds platform. Never ask guests to pay outside the platform - by bank transfer, cash, or any other means. Doing so is a breach of the host agreement and removes the protections that the platform provides to both parties.
Response time matters
Guests who request a booking are often comparing several experiences. A fast response - especially in the first hour - significantly increases the chance they'll confirm with you.
Aim to respond to every booking request within a few hours during business days. If you're unavailable for a period, block the relevant dates in your calendar rather than leaving requests unanswered.
Set up email notifications so you don't miss booking requests. You can manage notification settings in your account preferences.
Accepting a booking with warmth
When you accept a booking, send a message that makes the guest feel expected and welcome. You don't need to write a novel - a few sentences is enough.
A good acceptance message:
- Confirms the date and time
- Tells them the specific meeting point
- Mentions anything they should know or bring
- Expresses genuine enthusiasm for hosting them
Example: "Looking forward to having you join me on Thursday. We'll meet at the gate on Ridgeline Road (what3words: ///brave.stone.lamp) at 9am. Bring sturdy walking shoes and a jacket - the morning can be cool up here. I'll have coffee ready when you arrive."
Declining a booking graciously
Sometimes you need to decline. That's fine - you're not obligated to accept every request.
When you decline, be honest but kind. You don't need to give a detailed explanation, but a brief reason helps:
- "I'm sorry - I've had a family commitment come up for that day that I hadn't blocked out yet."
- "Unfortunately that date doesn't work for me, but I'd love to have you in a future session - keep an eye on my availability."
Avoid leaving guests with no response. Even a quick decline is more respectful than silence.
The day before: your most important message
Send a brief confirmation message the day before the experience. This reassures guests, reduces no-shows, and gives you a chance to share any last-minute information (parking, weather, any changes).
A good day-before message:
- Confirms the time and meeting point
- Mentions current weather or conditions if relevant
- Tells them who to contact if they're running late
Use the message templates in your inbox to send these quickly. You can customise the template before sending.
Cancellations
Guest cancellations are governed by the cancellation policy you set on your listing. Guests who cancel within the cancellation window receive a full refund; those who cancel outside it may not. Your dashboard shows the policy terms guests agreed to at booking.
Host cancellations should be avoided. If you cancel a confirmed booking, it affects your host rating and can result in guests receiving a full refund regardless of timing. Only cancel if genuinely unavoidable.
If you need to cancel, do it as early as possible and reach out to the guest directly with an explanation and, if possible, an offer to rebook.
No-shows
If a guest doesn't show up and hasn't contacted you, wait 15–20 minutes before leaving. Send a message through the platform. If you're unable to reach them, mark the booking as a no-show in your dashboard.
No-show guests are generally not entitled to a refund under standard cancellation policies.
Keeping communication on-platform
All conversations with guests should happen through the Good Finds messaging system - not by personal email, WhatsApp, or phone.
This protects you if there's ever a dispute about what was agreed. It also protects guests, who are relying on the platform as a record of their booking.
Once an experience is complete and you've built an ongoing relationship with a guest who returns to book again, that's a different situation - but for new bookings, keep it on-platform.
Hosts who communicate clearly and quickly tend to get better reviews, more repeat bookings, and fewer complications. The investment in good communication pays off in ways that are hard to measure but easy to feel.