The first guest never gets forgotten

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

Do you remember your first guest? The moment they stepped into your home, the first opportunity to show your ability as a host – all of this marks the moment you officially became a host.

What do you remember of that day? What were your emotions that day? Any tips for new hosts before hosting their first guest?

Looking forward to hearing your stories!

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Linda108]

WOW!  And yet you continued to be a host...KUDOS to you

[Helen586]

Wow!  nightmare!

[Lizzie]

Oh dear @José70. Well, at least you knew you were prepared to handle anything from then on! 

I hope your future guest experiences have been a little better? 

[Kenneth-And-Lilia0]

Yup, I remember my first guest (I'm on #6 now and the other 5 have been fabulous).  #1 was a trainwreck.  She booked within hours of me posting so I was thrilled and then extended twice out to 8 days.  I was very happy as cash was coming in immediately.  Then she checked out and we went to clean.  OMG!  The place was trashed!  She had a toddler in there even though our rules say no kids (and she only booked 1 adult), she smoked in the condo, broke a bunch of stuff which was all brand new, left mascara or the like all over the bathroon tub and toilet and left a ton of food and clothing in the place.  When I messaged her what to do with it all, she said "throw it out".  There was enough food there that it looked like she was planning on moving in.  Needless to say, my rules now state "no local guests accepted".

[Helen586]

My first guests were a couple with a small boy from Germany, and they were the sweetest family.  We were all nervous, especially as the family had loads of allergies and needed to cook meals from scratch, even needing my food processor (which has stayed in the back of the cupboard ever since).  The little boy was so friendly, kept hugging me and chatting along in a foreign language, and we all laughed a lot, and even ended up going on a little day trip together as it was a weekend.    I have remained in touch with them, and they are moving to the UK in the next few months so we are meeting up again - purely as friends this time - not as hosts and guests.  I have not bonded as well with any of my guests since - maybe that's because I am now becoming more experienced and just used to the comings and goings.  I feel lucky that my first guests may actually become friends for life!

[Susan837]

My frst guests were a father and two young children. He said his wife would arrive that night after she got off work. What he failed to tell me was she had their two GIANT pit bulls with her! So I was pretty scared my dogs might somehow interact with them and die, but thankfully, it didn't happen. I actually really liked the family and they not only left the studio spotless, but the father mopped it! It was a great first experience. And they wrote a five-star review.

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

It is really enjoyable to read all your experiences with your first guests. It sounds like the majority of you all had wonderful first guests and if not, you certainly learnt a few things in the process!

It also sounds like many of you had a few nerves to begin with, which I am sure most hosts would sympathise with you. To some extent I'm sure this feeling still remain, but now you know a lot more about what to expect and you will see from looking back how far you have all come.  

It is great to hear your stories, please do continue to share them. 

Thanks to those of you who already have. 🙂

Lizzie

[Vera-C0]

 Our first Airbnb guest was a fellow from the US (we’re in Toronto, Canada).  He stayed on our couch for one or two nights, and we had breakfast together on our balcony overlooking the lake and city skyline here. 

 He wrote us a nice review, gave us great personal feedback, and we still communicate and see each other a few times a year! 

Since then we have been both guests and hosts many times.

Love Airbnb!

[Lizzie]

Your home sounds idillic @Vera-C0, I can understand why your guest enjoyed his stay. It is really nice to hear you still keep in touch, does he come and stay with you or do you visit him?

[L0]

Oh yes! I remember my first guests. They were 3 older ladies visiting Oahu from the mainland.

i can still hear their suitcases roll across my livingroom floor, while I was on the phone with my daughter, nervously whispering to her, they are here!

it was very weird having strangers in my home for the first time. Almost like an invasion of privacy.

Well, that was 3 years ago, and I have been enjoying hearing suitcases rolling across my floor ever since!

i find that always being there at my guests arrival to welcome them, and also saying goodbye with handshakes and hugs at their departure helps my ratings and leaves my guests with a sense of my being happy that I enjoyed hosting them and glad I was  able to make Hawaii a special place for them, and they are always welcome to return. 

Aloha from Oahu!

[Lizzie]

Aww this is lovely to hear @L0. Do you get a slightly different feeling to when you first hosted, when you hear the suitcases rolling towards you? Or do you still get a few nerves? 🙂

[Colleen177]

Our first guests came in 2013.   A couple from Thailand,  B & D, who were coming to visit his mother who lives in a community close by.  They had a lovely 1 year old daughter named K.  They booked with us for 10 days and I was so excited but also super nervous.  We could not have had a better experience!  They have returned every year for 6+weeks and have become very close friends.  B has taught me Thai cooking and thier warmth and friendship is so precious to us.  However last year they did not plan to come.  They were having another baby!  Before the birth I received the following email from them:

"Hi Colleen: I have just been to see my doctor. The baby and I are doing very well. He told me that I will have a little girl in August. We are all so happy!  Colleen, the name we want to give our girl is Emma Colleen. Is this okay with you? You are my best friend in Canada and I want my new baby to have your name. K and D agree with me. Please say "yes."

Airbnb has enriched our lives many times over in the past five years. Thank you so much!

[Linda108]

@Colleen177 Your post brought tears to my eyes.  Kudos to you for being so open to wonderful experiences and you have been rewarded!

[Debra-and-Robert0]

Our first guest back in around Christmas 2012 , when we got the request I said to my husband  "Are we really going to do this?". It was a young guy from The Netherlands. He was supposed to be travelling with his girlfriend but she had left him half way thru the trip. He only went out for short periods and said he was over being a tourist on his own. We felt very sorry for him. I remember going out and buying a selection of breakfast foods for him and all he ate was his own Dutch breakfast cake and he cooked up a whole cauliflower which he mixed with frozen mashed potato and cheese. Thata all he ate for the time he spent with us. Many guests later and a new house we still enjoy hosting.

[Peter124]

@Lizzie what a great post! I remember our first guests like it was yesterday. When I saw the reservation request I thought someone was pulling my leg -- they were coming from Amsterdam?!

But sure enough, Claudia, her husband, two children and two uncles arrived and after months of research, preparation, startup costs (they were a lot!) we were up and running as Airbnb hosts!

All our nerves and anxiety were put to rest when we met them. They couldn't be nicer and more appreciative and complimentary about our home and the dozens of recommendations I had painstakingly assembled for our guidebook.

The funny thing is Claudia told me the two uncles couldn't stand each other and had to be placed in different parts of the house. Yet they both made very helpful suggestions -- and one of them even got a tool to sand down one of the old bedroom doors so it would close properly!

Claudia gave us our first 5-star review -- and the confidence that we could actually succeed at being Airbnb hosts. It has been a great 4 years!