How would you handle this?

[Heather1086]

Hi all... we have been hosting just over a year a 95% of guests have been fantastic.  I always like to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume best intentions.  Over New Years we had guests who had multiple glowing 5 star ratings so felt good about the reservation, especially over the holiday.  The guest during the course of their reservation was communicative and great, until check out.  He messaged me the night before to let me know that a chair had been broken ($130 fix). I let him know that if it was normal use that caused it... like it just ripped out when someone sat on it because it is older no worries but please let me know what happened.  Since that email 2 days ago he has been radio silent.  I haven't filed a claim since I like to have a convo first... what would you all suggest.  Other info is they left the house in not great shape.  It took my housekeeper 7 hours to reset for our arrival.  There were 20 garbage bags left full at the house for a 5 day reservation, we have cameras so we know it was not a party situation. There was a small number of people.  Thankfully we are here so will do a run to the dump to get rid of it all...

I got burned over the summer with a similar situation and the person reported my listing falsely which got me suspended for 2 weeks while I sorted it all out, so I'm a little apprehensive based on that experience.

I want to check my gut against your advice....

[Lisa723]

@Heather1086 I'm confused about what your goal is here. In your shoes, I would either have said, "Thanks so much for letting us know. We understand that accidents happen," or just "Thanks so much for letting us know" and filed a claim later. You presumably know the age and condition of your chair, and you should be able to make a decision about whether to charge for it based on that alone, without inquiring into the details of your guest's behavior. Having a "convo" before filing a claim  can't possibly do you any good. It alerts your guest to expect a bad review, etc., possibly triggering retaliation; and it puts you in the position of judging your guest's behavior and either punishing them or granting leniency based on the story they tell you. I would find that extremely off-putting, as a guest. They are your customer, not your child, and this is a business arrangement, not a teaching moment. 

When I file a claim, which is rare and only if the damage is substantial and clearly not normal wear and tear, I do not warn the guest in advance. If possible I wait until after reviews have posted. I keep all correspondence completely professional and absolutely non-judgmental.

Regarding the extra cleaning, IMO this is within the normal range and you just need to build the expectation of this happening from time to time into your cleaning fee. I would not attempt to charge for it, but would leave less than five stars for cleanliness and mention in the review that cleaning required more time than usual.

[Anonymous]

@Heather1086  I agree 100% with @Lisa723 's comment, with added emphasis on the question of what end result you're hoping for here. Of course if you asked your guest how the chair they broke, they weren't going to say something self-incriminating like "we tried to use it for Sumo Wrestler lap dances," and they probably don't appreciate being asked.

No matter how justified a damage claim is, it always comes with the risk that the guest will retaliate with a report or review. That's something to factor into your decisions about when to initiate a claim, as well as how to furnish the house.  

[Heather1086]

Thank you for the responses...they follow my gut.  Just wanted to check in instinct before proceeding.  Am going to let it go since the chair is older, with how it ripped out wasn't normal wear and tear, but not going to sweat it or pursue with the potential for retaliatory review. Appreciate the feedback... now off to the landfill!