Millennials

[Inna22]

Now that Millennials are 22-40 years old, they make up the bulk of my guests and I am yet to master how adjust my hosting style to their needs.

Messaging style

You cannot just answer the question asked, no matter how simple. It cannot be “where do I park?” Answer “in the garage, instructions are in the welcome message, please look through”. That would be rude. I first must start by appreciating them, followed by appreciating them reaching out. I then must apologize for not making it clear enough that parking is in the garage. If it did not make sense to them, it must have been a very poor architectural decision or I did not do enough to make it clear. I also need to explain how I will make things better in the future so others do not have to go through the same ordeal. I should technically also offer to park the car for them but this is just a gesture and they would of course say no and I must remember how generous they were in doing that.

Reuse and recycle

They would take the time to rip out the plastic window from an envelope to properly recycle it but they would throw a towel in the trash after a smudge of makeup gets on it. It would not even cross their mind that I may try to salvage it.

Communication

It is all about them. If something is not how they expect it or to their liking, they will read every word of what I wrote, advocate for themselves and demand what they feel is right. Otherwise, it is my job to make sure they have what they need. They need a door code and it is my job to make sure they have it. They will not read a message I sent them, particularly if it is more than one paragraph.  If I did not make sure they got it, it is on me to be available when they do decide they are ready for it- by phone, in person or whatever other way is convenient for them

Technology

I now rarely have to deal with guests who cannot log on to Wi-Fi, cannot figure out the TV or automated door lock. Plunge the toilet? No can do. Manual labor. Hard no.

I hope I did not offend any millennials here with this post. If I did, please get in line behind my millennial guests for your apology. You can use the garage to park while you wait. If you need to use the bathroom, plunger is behind the toilet and please put all used towels on the floor even if you think they are trash.

[Inna22]

@Ute42 SO TRUE

[Ann72]

@Ute42  I mean, really, how very dare @Robin4, or anyone, say kind and friendly words to a newcomer.  Even if they mean them!  They really should learn to restrain themselves.  Stick to the facts.  Eradicate all words expressing warmth and welcome from their vocabulary.  Hugging, even virtual hugging, is so pre-pandemic.

But I don't understand where you get the idea they're offended.  Most pop on, ask a question, get a ton of answers, and never say another word.  I assume they just forgot all about it and don't have notifications turned on.

My millennial guests are self-sufficient, but when they have a question, many of them would rather die than ask it directly.  Here's tonight's exchange (edited for brevity):

"We’ve arrived and the place is wonderful!  Quick question— should we be setting the alarm at night?"

"There’s really no need unless you’re worried, in which case I can give you the code."

"Thank you maybe we will! Again, thank you— your home is beautiful. The books alone, what a phenomenal collection!"

"So you’re saying you would like the code?"

"Yes thank you!"

After I walked her through it, I relented and told her I totally understood why she felt better with the alarm, it's so dark up there, blah blah blah, I get it.  But come on, millennials, "Should we be setting the alarm?" is not the same question at all as "May I set the alarm at night?"  You would be amazed at what you can get in life by just asking for it.

[Ute42]

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@Ann72 

You should all be glad that english isn't my mothertongue.

I'm much more mean in the german CC. 😋

[Ann72]

@Ute42  I will learn German just to experience that.  😂

I find it much more entertaining when people kill with kindness or use humor in such a way that the victim has no idea what has hit them.  (@Robin4 is a pro at this, by the way.)  When reading this forum, I find it helpful to channel PG Wodehouse, to wit:

To the person who comes along and makes a rambling incoherent post:

"If he had a mind, there was something on it."

To the unremittingly negative host:

"It has never been hard to tell the difference between a Scotsman with a grievance and a ray of sunshine." 

To the hosts who blather on about being FULLY BOOKED and know to the day how long they've been a superhost and exactly how many guests they've had:

"His manner had the offensive jauntiness of the man who has had a cold bath when he might just as easily have had a hot one."

There are some hosts of whom one thinks:

“He had the look of one who had drunk the cup of life and found a dead beetle at the bottom.”

But I just go back and read my Wodehouse instead of quoting him at these public moments, because, as he pointed out, "The object of all good literature is to purge the soul of its petty troubles.”

And if that doesn't work, Jeeves comes to the rescue:

“If I might suggest, sir—it is, of course, merely a palliative—but it has often been found in times of despondency that the assumption of formal evening dress has a stimulating effect on the morale.”

[Ute42]

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@Ann72   

Thank You for the english lesson. I will work on Your post over the weekend.

I know You're sitting on the egde of Your chair waiting for my thread on bad reviews. I haven't forgotten about it but I have to deal with other issues first.

Right now I'm working on my 2019 tax declaration. 2019 was my best year in business ever, $50k revenue with one (l)only building in a secluded area in Bavaria, that is something. How much profit is left from the 50k remains to be seen, but from that profit I will have to pay 44% incometax. Yes,  44% incometax in Germany, that is also something.

By the way, only 8% from the 50k revenue are airbnb reservations. Why? Well, I don't like their terms and conditions and I don't like some of these „another host got thrown under the bus“ posts on here. Their guest centric policy draws guests to the platform but it scares hosts away. Hosts who have options use them. If I would rent all my available dates through airbnb, they'd make $7k in service fees but they don't. No problem, I'm ok, I'm just stirring the pot with them.

[Ann72]

@Ute42  Well done on your good year!  But sad face on that 44%.  Where does it all go, or rather, where do they say it all goes?  I'm really curious.

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Ute42 , I found the Germans to be pretty straight forward in the early 80's in the Ansbach area, they sounded more harsh than they truly were but mostly because Americans are so used to everything that could be considered less than positive be delivered with a sugar coating and a kiss on the forehead, sugar was reserved for cooking not conversation and kissing between the cultures wasn't really a happening! 

I grew up with 2 generations of Wilhelmina's as our family Matriarchs (RIP Mom And Grandma) and while neither were cruel in their delivery, they certainly told you straight from the brain not the heart what they thought and no sugar coating ever.   I think it helped prepare me well for Basic training where "Feelings" and "Opinions" were neither asked for nor accepted and please wasn't part of the vocabulary.   Although nothing prepared me for the greeting we received  at 200 in the morning by our Drill Sgt that was exactly like this,

"I need you to know, my heart pumps pure "S4it" for my dead grandmother, WTF do you think it pumps for you?   I didn't ask for you and I sure as "F4ac" dont want you, Get your nasty "A33es" the "F4ck" off my bus right now, move, move, move" , SFC Boseman, Fort Gordon GA, Oct 3 1980

I remember it like it was yesterday, how can you forget something like that, he had endless things just like that to motivate us with if the average of 500+ pushups a day and grass drills wasn't enough?   Feelings of the heart were left on the bus that day and were quickly replaced by Feelings of pain and tiredness.   Ive since recovered most of the feelings I began life with but also ensure they are tempered by a little thing like reality.   Stay well 

[Robin4]

@Ute42 

I have just dropped back after a few hectic days away from my computer and feel I do need to respond to this post Ute.

We take liberties with our own version of our language that other language speakers do not understand because, every language has its own colloquialisms. We in Australia have expressions which we treasure which mean nothing to other English speaking people let alone those who speak other languages......

"If your Auntie had balls she would be your Uncle"!........You can't change the obvious!

"Wrap your laughing gear around that" ..........Here, have something to eat!

"Six of one, half a dozen of the other".........Hard choice, make a decision between the two!

There are hundreds of these expressions which all mean something to us Aussies but sound like total gibberish when translated into another language.....or even another version of English.

I try to use expressions that other language speakers will relate to....sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't .

There are many types of Australians, there are 'dongo's, there are 'tools', there are 'turkeys', there are 'dipsticks', there are 'Galahs', there are a*seholes, there are F*ckwits, there are 'Mugs'.....

But if I call someone a 'Mate', I respect them, I regard them as someone I would like to know, someone who would make my life better! 

You Ute are a mate! 

Cheers.......Rob

 @Melodie-And-John0 @Ann72 @Emilia42 @Debra300 @Sarah977 @Susan1404 @Helen350 @Lisa723 @Mark116 @Lawrene0

[Patrick568]

Do the best you can. I think trying to lump everyone into this big a group doesn't necessarily work. Good luck.

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Patrick568 , you wouldn’t happen to be a millennial would you?

[Helen350]

🤣 😂 😆 🤣 😝 😂 🤣

[Patrick568]

@Melodie-And-John0 Actually, no. I'm not.

[Melodie-And-John0]

I was just wondering @Patrick568,  Age is timeless but time is not Ageless, otherwise we would last way too long and the planet couldn't support us!   To be sure, Im not a big supporter of all the generational labels that have been created to try to color code everyone and file them somehow, the Venn diagrams for every generation shows that we are physiologically much  the same as that sample group (and those before and after) but that's where the sameness ends, humans are diverse by nature even if we act clique 'ey often.   

As one of the "last Boomers", I don't particularly identify with them any more or less than I do folks before and after but I do recognize our differences when it comes to communication styles and methods, that can really Pidgeon hole folks inextricably linked in other ways even to the point that they cant co-exist. 

Peter Frampton had a song that promoted the Idea that the way to get along is to start by speaking the same language hence he taught his guitar how to talk and they are now best friends for life.  Its fantastical but in ways its not cause when we do learn how to communicate in the same way, we find out were not so different after all!

Peter Frampton Do You Feel Like We Do Midnight Special 1975 FULL - Bing video

[Ann72]

@Patrick568  You have a really cool house.  

Inna comes along with a story or a post every once in a while to try to make us laugh (and always succeeds).  @Helen350 is lively and very funny and her posts are short, witty, and to the point.  @Melodie-And-John0  has not mastered the backspace button many of us use to delete words, but he means well, is essentially very kind, and does the best he can.  Nobody's perfect, not even a whole generation of people 🙂

[Patrick568]

@Ann72 Thanks. We have a huge interest in Mid Century Mod homes. It does pretty well.