Constructive Criticism for guests?

[Tamara725]

I am curious how you all feel about telling your guests the things they did wrong at your property?  In private of course, not a public comment in reviews.  I feel like it will help them in the future be a better guest, at my place or yours.  If they did not follow some of your rules, or did some things that were upsetting, or caused you unnecessary work or cost, do you tell them? Or do you let it go?    

[Anonymous]

@Tamara725   For future reference, some better tips for dealing with residual food odor: https://www.prolinerangehoods.com/blog/get-rid-cooking-smells-house/

Ventilation and vinegar have always done the job for me. Candles and sprays are guaranteed to make the bad situation much worse - take those out of your repertoire at once!

[Stephanie365]

@Tamara725 From what I could see, she had an existing AirBNB account and has used it twice. The last time she used it was her last stay with me.  She has an overall 5* review with 2 reviews.

His account is newer. It looks like he decided to set up his own account so he could pay for their weekends away. He also has all 5* reviews and a total of 5 reviews.

They were overall good guests except the stench of the food.

@Anonymous strangely she is the one who made a fuss about my Forbes article making her feel unwelcome. She also fussed at me because I didn't keep messaging her every 15 minutes with check in directions to confirm she'd received them.

Yet she still gave me 5* and came back.... *shrug*

[Anonymous]

@Stephanie365  I totally feel you here, but you know how it is - most adults know better than to give someone they don't know a laundry list of the way that person got on their nerves unless they're looking for trouble. When that fussy guest made her little fusses at you, I'm guessing your reaction wasn't "Thank you precious guest, for showing me the error of my ways!"  so much as "well that's just a fussy little possum fussin' at me over nothin'." Or whatever the Virginia equivalent is. And you would be totally right.

By the same token, you could go fussin' at your guests about their stank food, and their message received would be: "Who does that @£$&  think she is, fussin' at me about usin' the goddang kitchen that I paid for to mind my own business makin' my own goddang food?"  And she would also be 100% right. Renting a kitchen to paying guests does not appoint you the role of food critic.

I think the bottom line is that if guests' cooking habits make you feel like fussin', you either need a) better ventilation and odor control, b) to stop offering guests a kitchen, or c) to only accept Michelin-starred chefs with perfect butt hygiene. (Yeah, that's a callback.)

[Stephanie365]

LOL @Anonymous  Actually, my mental response to her private feedback was "Meh. Whatever". 🤣 I have come to accept that 2022 is the year of the Kvetch and that guests are just going to complain for the sake of complaining even if there's nothing valid to complain about. 🗣

When I see a guest has reviewed me now, my first thought is, "Ok, what are they going to b*tch about this time?" 🤣  If you look hard enough, you can find fault in someone's home. And if someone is so pathetic as to be someone who does that, who can't feel good about themselves without criticizing someone else? Well, that's their flaw, not mine. But they make for great fodder for when a friend of mine (who is also a host) and I get together and compare notes as to whose guest was the whiniest this week. We both just laugh and shake our heads.

I just found it ironic that someone who claimed a piece of paper made her feel so unwelcome still chose to come back to my home for a second stay over all of the other AirBNBs in Fredericksburg. That being said, I will not be welcoming them back. They left a review giving me a 4* for location and value with no feedback at all. (Still 5* overall) They paid the same price as last time and clearly my house didn't go anywhere. 

Combine that with their vomitous cuisine and they can go stink up someone else's home. I'm old enough now I just don't put up with [poop] from anyone. 🙂

[Huma0]

@Stephanie365 

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@Stephanie365 wrote:

I have come to accept that 2022 is the year of the Kvetch and that guests are just going to complain for the sake of complaining even if there's nothing valid to complain about. 🗣

When I see a guest has reviewed me now, my first thought is, "Ok, what are they going to b*tch about this time?" 🤣  

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I feel exactly the same. Let's hope it's just a 2022 blip and that 2023 will see the return of guests who don't arrive looking to find fault.

[Tamara725]

I am laughing, but it isnt funny dealing with it.

[Helen744]

@Tamara725 there is a button to say 'will not rent again'. stinks are bad and some people only book a house with a kitchen to cook their favourite stinky food or eat garlic laden food in bed .It happens . They love it and are probably oblivious .We are all hyper vigilant on smells and do not want our homes to smell and our noses work overtime . Luckily for all our guests .Its all good , push the button ,move on . H

[Huma0]

@Stephanie365 

It's a tricky one. I think @Anonymous is probably right in that it's best not mentioned. Just don't host them again!

A few months ago, I had a guest who cooked the most vile looking good and made a terrible mess in the kitchen, including repeatedly blocking the kitchen sink, and had to be reminded a few times to clean up after himself. He also let his vile food go off in the fridge causing the whole kitchen to stink to high heaven for about an hour each time the fridge was opened. I asked him to please throw it away (he didn't, but ate the disgusting stuff instead, yuk!). Even though I was as polite as possible when speaking to him about the mess/smell, he left me 3*, marking me down for cleanliness and smells. Go figure.

[Tamara725]

It takes all kinds doesn't it?  I have a 2 hour drive to our retreat, the whole drive I am stressed wondering what I am going to walk into.  MOST of our guests are respectful and appreciate our beautiful place, but it is the 1 in 10 that ruins it for us. And everyone else, the things that are broken, destroyed, missing etc. Just heartbreaking after all our hard work to make it so nice for people. Not even decent enough to leave a note saying. Sorry.......    Very stressful!

[Huma0]

@Tamara725 

Don't even get me started on breakages. It's a rare guest who admits to the damage and offers to pay for it. If you bring it up, even if you don't ask for money, many guests will become very hostile and leave you a revenge review.

Some hosts say you just have to factor the damages into your expenses, but when you have a nice home with nice stuff, it does sting a bit.

[Tamara725]

Yes you are so right!  People are so disrespectful. It is frustrating as an owner. We have NO way to protect ourselves from the rotten guests. A simple note saying I am sorry would make me feel so much better. I cannot believe how people behave. Shows how they were raised.  Some of our worst guests have been through Airbnb. It is frustrating to not be able to read any of their reviews or be forwarned of their behavior.   Since people dont seem to be able to follow the simplest of instructions I am thinking of putting a check list on the front door to remind them. Turn off the lights, lock all windows and doors. I mean COME ON people.  

[Huma0]

@Tamara725 

I have a rather long list of house rules, which some other hosts might say is not a good idea, but it's really important to me that people staying in my own home respect the space. So, I try to make things crystal clear and I ask all guests to confirm they have read and understood everything before I accept their booking. I even have an Easter egg question in the extended house rules which they MUST answer before I accept.

It seem a bit extreme to have to go to these measures, but I learnt over time that you can't just assume that people will either have common sense or that they will respect anything that they are not paying for out of their own pockets, whether that's breakages or energy usages or whatever.