Someone has my guests!

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

Someone has my guests!

A friend found these all over her rental condo when she went to clean.  She's flabbergasted.  But this is no surprise to me  lol! My guests must be visiting her.  These are 2 she allowed me to post. There are literally dozens with complaints.

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30 Replies 30
Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

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@Laura2592 Farrrrrrrrr...k

Colleen253
Level 10
Alberta, Canada

Looks like they are serious about their critiquing business. They travel with a supply of post it notes. Must be the guest who brought her white gloves to your place @Laura2592  🤣

@Colleen253 lol it must be. Some of the notes are really hilarious. My favorite is the loud sliding doors. I don't know if anyone watched Twin Peaks but it just makes me think of Nadene and the curtain rods. 

 

 

Ann72
Level 10
New York, NY

Maybe she's stayed at too many Airbnbs that were covered with notes @Laura2592 😂 😂 😂

@Ann72must be!

 

My poor friend is so upset and I totally get it. But its so absurd you just have to laugh.

Honestly I'd be ballistic @Laura2592.  I looked for a youtube about passive-aggressive notes, because it's a trend that drives people crazy.  People can't just focus on the positives and ignore one or two minor annoyances.  They're pretty sad, in my opinion.

@Laura2592 this is the insane monster guest created by the Airbnb review system . thinking they are a cross between a building inspector ,a health official and a reality tv contestant on Jim Carys 'home detention'.Its alive. Change this stupid review system Airbnb . the guests are revolting . aghhhhhhhh. H

Suzanne302
Level 10
Wilmington, NC

I would not be able to hold my tongue with a guest like that. I would message and point blank ask: "Can you explain why you thought it was appropriate to leave all those post-it notes? I'd like to understand exactly what you thought you were trying to accomplish?"

 

What an entitled....fill in the blank. Geez.

Kitty-and-Creek0
Top Contributor
Willits, CA

@Laura2592 @Ann72 @Suzanne302 

At the risk of being the odd one out in this session - I would do my best to not be defensive and look at this from another perspective. The guests may have a skill set and a collaborative attitude that means to help a non resident host with issues that would likely not be noticed unless the host was in residence. Also, even if resident, these small things are the type that one gets used to, over time. It is entirely possible that they wanted to be part of improving the experience for the next guests and the next, knowing how little things can add up and cause someone to leave you a lower rating. The vast majority of people are well intentioned. Looking at this from a different perspective, I doubt that these guests meant any harm or insult. As a guest, I have often noticed maintenance issues that I considered worth mentioning to a conscientious non resident host. I could have shined them on, and did take care of them myself as much as I could, but wanted - out of compassion - to spare the next guests from finding them. No offense to any of you taking offense yourselves - I would want to know these things, ones that only a guest would find. As a host and a former resort manager I can guarantee you that these things do jump out at me. I've done many years of inspecting between cleaners working and guests arriving. As a guest I would feel very OK with letting the host know about things cleaners overlooked. I've also learned a lot of skills from professional cleaners. eg: How many of us sit on the toilet and see what the guests will see? This is a business we are in. We can all improve and fine tune. Our guest spaces get a lot of wear and tear. I would swallow hard, smile, and take the notes in the spirit they were undoubtedly intended. And, yes, I grew up with a mother with white gloves, who showed me how I could improve. I hated it, but I did learn. I consider that my guests deserve no less from me than white gloves. Keeping up a home is very different from a sterile hotel room. I once hired a cleaner who works at the top local hotel. She did not last long, here, as her training was vastly different and the place was set up to pay her by the room, so she went about doing a 2 hour job in 20 minutes. You can already see that she missed all the important things. A lesson for me. I'm old enough to not consider well intentioned critiques to be insulting. It's not about us, it's about them, and their sharp eyes for detail. An objective, second set of eyes, often sees clearly what we miss. 

Thank you, ladies, for taking this commentary in the manner which it was intended.

@Kitty-and-Creek0  I totally get your point - and I always want to hear about issues from my guests.  I don't want them to try to fix anything themselves without telling me, but if they tell me of the issue and say they want to fix it, I say go for it.  In this case, I didn't like the lady's delivery method.  She could have made a list with a nice and friendly note to the host.  She could have messaged that list through the Airbnb inbox.  She could have picked up the phone.  Going around sticking post-it notes everywhere isn't something one would do to anyone one liked or wanted to have a good relationship with.  Communication takes many forms and the form this lady chose was sub-par.

@Ann72 Yes it’s more about the delivery, not the message.

 

Although, that ‘bed skirt size’ ranks high enough on the issue list to be on a post it note…well….

 @Kitty-and-Creek0 

 

@Kitty-and-Creek0 I have actually stayed at this space and can say objectively that 99% of this feedback is absurd. I definitely am open to feedback that is actionable or helpful but nitpicking because the space doesn't meet your requirements for a longer bedskirt or a west facing living room (another post it suggests opening up a wall for more light) is frankly silly. Not all feedback has merit. There is a difference between having eyes on a maintenance issue a host might not be around to notice, and requesting the space be set up to your exact preferences just because.

 

 

The space is not designed around one person unless it's the owner of said space.  Guests need to understand that if their needs are so strong for silent sliding doors that they feel compelled to complain, they should purchase and modify their own space with the appropriate features. It's kind of like my mom saying  "when you get your own house you can do whatever you want! But until then, my house, my rules." (Or my bedskirt as the case may be.)

 

And the sticky note thing is rude, period. I would definitely be mentioning this in the review .

 

 

Did I read somewhere where a guy broke up with his girlfriend via sticky-note?  If so, he’s only a little bit ruder than this guest! 😉😂