Disappointing AIrbnb Decision - how to handle guest going forward?

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

Recently we reached out to Airbnb to re-assign a guest who was not 100% happy with her stay. She expressed in her private feedback that our description of the neighborhood was not what she expected.  She is going to be a repeat guest, with 6 total trips already on our calendar.  This guest-pectation resulted in a 3 for location and a 4-star Overall Experience on her first visit (all else - 5 stars).  When we suggested to Airbnb that the guest might be happier in another host home where the location was more to her liking, they responded that if they re-assigned the guest, this would be a host-cancel and we would incur the penalties with a host cancel.   That would mean a cost of $300, our Superhost status for a year, and the loss of future reservations because of the cancel notifications in our reviews and Superhost badge.  Pretty steep penalties.  

So we will be inviting this guest back and hope she does not cause too much future harm.  Airbnb doesn't seem to realize that her scores could single-handedly cost us our Superhost badge if the scores fall further in the Overall Expectation category.  We had reached out to her repeatedly to try and discuss the situation prior to reaching out to Airbnb for help but her worry was the cost to her for cancelling.  Airbnb seems to have ignored this during their review of our situation.  We've expressed our disappointment directly to Airbnb and will reply today or tomorrow to the guest to inform her of the resolution. 

What we could really use some advice on is how we successfully move forward with the guest because, of course, Airbnb has offered absolutely nothing by way of making this right for her or us.  We have come up with a few things and would like feedback from other hosts: 

 (1) We cannot change the neighborhood nor do we feel we can make her feel more safe in the area.  We believed we had sufficiently written about our emerging neighborhood in a way that really set expections, but alas she feels we have mislead her.  I have re-written this part extensively now and it's pretty blunt.  I would love it if some of you would review this, use Google street map and whatever else to see if we have been able to accurately represent the neighborhood and provide us with your feedback.  [BTW, the guest worked 4-blocks from our home for 10 years, currently owns the office building which had been converted from a historical home and is considered a part of our neighborhood, Morehead Hill. We can only assume she never wandered into the neighborhood in any way and expressed her suprise that it was so "rough" and "definitely transitional".]  

(2) She complained that the mattress was old.  While 95% of our guests love the bed, we are seriously considering buying a new one right now.  We had talked about it in the past and no better time than right now.

(a) We are looking for suggestions from you as to a favorite in a reasonable price range (preferably less than $1000).  

(b) We think we would like to inform her of this immediate change since it was one of her take aways for the lowered score.  We, of course, are afraid that we will make the bed "worse".  Can you think of ways that we could let her know, in a positive way, that we are making this change at her suggestion and hope that this detail will improve her stay without it sounding like extortion?  

(3) Besides discounting her stays, which we are unlikely to do since we really feel our $50/night price is accurate for the given accommodations (please check out our competition), is there anything you've done for a guest who has expressed displeasure that has worked to immediately improve the situation? 

Thank you all in advance for reading this and providing any suggestions.  We hope to keep this positive and well-meaning so we can move forward with her without fear.  We would also be willing to provide more details if you'd like them before responding.  Just ask.  

Alice & Jeff 

[Roger17]

Hello Alice & Jeff - I read your entire listing and think it's definitely all-inclusive.  I would not cater to the guest you speak of. Your add details everything accurately based on the pics and if 95% of your guests like the mattress, I would not change that either. Early on someone gave me some good advice and that is to offer the room(s) you have to offer and of course insure they are squeaky clean and have nice towels and linens and describe it appropriately in your ad.  You have done that.  Additionally, NEVER agree to any discount you don't have listed in your ad and do not make exceptions that aren't described in your ad.  The reason being is that once you start that, those type guests will want more and more.  You may lose your superhost status, but it is your home, it appears very nice and is described in good detail, so I would not let this one lady dictate the changes you are proposing.  If she has worked in the neighborhood for that long, I can't imagine her not knowing it well.  I go out of my way for all of my guests and I also live in the home that my two Airbnb rooms are in; however, it's my home first and they are my welcome guests.  Just a thought and hope it helps.  Best regards, Roger

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Roger17 - Thank you for the review and the suggestion to just keep things as they are and keep moving forward.  We agree whole-heartedly that we won't offer a discount for exactly the reason you suggest.  We decline requests for reservations automatically if someone asks for a special price because we don't want to dicker.  We appreciate the feedback.  

[Kimberly178]

It is the person, block her from booking;  messages, her name, report, block. People do this to try to scam a bargain. Those same types always give the same line, how they would be more business etc.

[Vinay7]

Very well said Roger!

[Andrew90]

@Alice-and-Jeff0  Since this guess will be a repeat you might consder a frank discussion (you should have her phone number still from first booking) about how you woudl love to have her stay and find out what you can do to make her feel more comfortable.  Say a memory foam matress Topper (they are not that expensive) and work in how much the the less than 5 star reviews are viewed by Airbnb.  Be clear that you appreciated her feedback but reqeust that she provide it privatly vs publicly. 

If she is really not happy with neighborhood you coudl offer to help her find alternate accomidations. 

Andrew

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Andrew90 - we have had several frank conversations with her about how her ratings surprised us and how they affect us as SuperHosts.  We were able to get some feedback from her in addition and were able to come up with the details that lowered the mark in her eyes - the bed, the neighborhood, and that I was too "chatty".  We were able to resolve, we hope, that she was also warm but admitted that it probably had to do with being sick while she was here and running a low-grade fever.  We reminded her she could have asked us to lower the A/C.  

After these exchanges, when we felt that she might feel better somewhere else where she would enjoy the neighborhood more - her biggest complaint - we reached out to Airbnb and they said no, they wouldn't place her somewhere else without it being a host-cancel.  So here we are.  We have to take her back for 5 more stays.  

Our bed already has both a memory foam topper and a feather bed on it.  She even made a note that we "had done the best with what we had to work with with by adding a foam and feather topper". This means she took the bedding apart to see the mattress and toppers and, probably, anything less than a new mattress will result in another 4-star score.  We've considered replacing them as well since they've been getting so much use but if we go with the bed, well, maybe we won't need those two items in addition right now.  Thank you for the suggestion as it is most definitely a good one!  

[Patricia86]

We all have different situations and have to make decisions according to our business and personal needs.  With that in mind, I will share ours.  

The home we rent beds from is also our own.  We need a harmonious, pleasant place to live.  Anyone who messes with our peaceful home is not welcome.  Anyone who does not appreciate our hospitality, is not welcome.  We go out of our way to provide far more than most ther places.  

Should our guests believe our accommodations to be less than a good value, we want them to be happy... Elsewhere.  We  can live with slightly lowered ratings and slightly less bookings.  We cannot live with unhappy renters.  

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Patricia86 - Thank you for your thoughtful insight.  We are not willing to give up our SuperHost status at this point for the unhappiness of one guest.  We have so many lovely people come through our home, some specifically because we are SuperHosts.  We do want a harmonious situation, so we are looking for ways to make this happen now that we've decided to move forward.  

[James1]

@Alice-and-Jeff0 ask "...is there anything you've done for a guest who has expressed displeasure that has worked to immediately improve the situation? "

Yes, turn off instant book and politely decline any future inquiries from this guest. Don't give a reason or even allow any furthur discussion. I've had hundreds of guests and I keep an NA list (Never Again) so far (5 years) only three names are on the list. Did they actually make six confirmed bookings before even staying once?

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

This was not an instant book issue and we've had no real problems with allowing guests to IB.  We actually prefer it mostly.  

Yes, she made all 6 reservations after reaching out to us about her plans.  She has business meetings set up for those times and will be in town.  We've had other guests do this, especially if they are taking a class at the University and only need to be in town for a couple of days a week.  It was not unusual for us.  

[Danny9]

@Alice-and-Jeff0

If your guest is unhappy with the neighborhood, or with any other aspect of her stay which you as hosts cannot remedy within reason, it is really up to her to either cancel her further bookings and/or raise the issue of her penalties with Airbnb. I would not consider host cancel under any circumstances. I would also review the guest for each of her stays accordingly. 

Superhost status is often massively overvalued. Most guests choose the listing because they like what they see, it is available, they like the price and the location... The fact that you may or may not be superhost is really at the end of their list of priorities. Be as it may, you cannot afford to become the hostages of your superhost status. 

I see every wisdom in maintaining your pricing, and NOT offering any discounts in order to buy her good will. This usually creates nothing else but further requests for additional concessions on your part. 

Last but not least, I would not expect Airbnb to give up on their penalties or fees under the circumstances you described. The fact that the guest has failed to study the nature of the neighborhood she was booking herself in for multiple stays, and now says she is not happy with it, is really not their fault, is it? Why should they give up on their income here?

The same applies to the host cancel issue. Airbnb may understand that you wish to protect your SuperHost status. They also may understand that you do not wish to host a person who is not fully happy with her stays at your place. But they see no reason for them to lose any of their income over such concerns. 

When you come to think about this, the guest does not want to cancel due to the penalties involved. The host feels rightly, even more so. Airbnb does not agree to pick up the tab and make everyone here happy. You can see their point, too. 

Danny

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[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Danny9 - We have guests that actively seek our listing because we are Superhosts.  They have mentioned it when they book.  We feel that it is most definitely an asset for us and we get a better quality draw of guests because of it.  We cannot speak to all hosts, only our experience and activities, and we believe that it definitely makes a difference.  

I can completely understand that you think Airbnb shouldn't lose any money here, agreed,  why should they?  However, by re-booking the guest, maybe in a more expensive property where the neighborhood is more to her liking, they wouldn't lose a cent, maybe even make some additional monies in fees and garner more bookings because of their good will.  The only person here losing money would be us since we would be losing the bookings and revenue. Additionally, they run the risk of losing us as hosts if we repeatedly find that they will not support us.  If we were to simply bail out of anger for the remaining bookings we have through the end of the year, they would lose thousands of dollars. The guest not getting any relief from her mistake can choose to bad-mouth Airbnb over and over which could result in thousands of dollars in lost revenues, guest retention, and guest creation.  Currently they are pushing hard for a business client - well, here's one with many high-powered local clients with business ties to the community. It's not simply about the $300 in penalties they would get from us - the picture and potential issues are much larger than that.  

The point of my conversation here is that the decision making part is over, we need to move forward effectively and with care.  We can certainly use some host support in figuring out what we do next - she's back in 2 weeks.  

[Amy38]

@Alice-and-Jeff0  I  wonder if the way out is to have both agree to alter reservation and then change to a one night  for some very small sum under special offer for which you could send her a check.

choose dates you know you are unlikely to book...Christmas?

I also think it might be possible to tweet the problem to Airbnhelp and mint a way to mutually cancel...she is going to rebook in Durham anyway.

Actually she might find it easier to arrange than you...but tweeting is the only way to go.

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Amy38 - this thread is old.  We had many conversations with this guest and she spent 6 reservations with us.  We had open and frank conversations with her, letting her know that her star ratings affected us negatively.  She never once arrived at our home without some injury or illness but every reservation after the first was 5-stars.  We were in communication with the Help Desk from the beginning since we were Superhosts - they were responsive and understanding and we use Twitter almost exclusively.  However, they made it known that it would be a host - cancel to deny the remaining bookings regardless of the damage it could cause to this relationship for them as an organization or to us as hosts.  In the end it all worked out and, last time I looked, she never booked on Airbnb again. Guess Airbnb are the ones who really lost out here, not us.