How to recognize a bad guest at a first glance ( part 2.)

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

They are late and of course unreachable.

You call, you text, you call again...

Crickets.

You wait.

You call the bus station and find out their bus arrived almost an hour ago ( Bus station is 10 min by taxi or 25 min walk away)

Maybe they missed the bus? God knows! The next bus arrives 6 hours later.

You have cleaned for hours. You are hungry. You are tired. It's hot and you are sweating.

You have other work to do and you have to leave.

They finally arrive and suddenly they are able to text and call 10 times in 5 min.

You call your mum for help.

She leaves the lunch on the stove and jumps in the car.

She needs some time to arrive from the other part of the city.

They are waiting on the street (despite 3 cafe bars within 30 m radius) and they are angry.

Their attention is needed for the lock and keys instruction but they are busy talking to the phone.

They come in and immediately ask for WIfI password and the washing machine .

They immediately turn on all the lights. All 15 of them! Your mum grabs her sunglasses.

They discover 2 lights are not working ( in the room with 8 more lights) and want an electrician to come and fix it tomorrow because they can't be (I quote) IN THE DARKNESS 😄

You find and schedule an electrician for tomorrow and let the guests know (through ABB and WhatsApp)

No answer .Of course.

They will leave in 2 days.

You can't wait 😄

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

ahahahahahaa @Yulianna0  😄 lol 

one thing is for sure, if I would collect all the fur I find in the bathroom, I could knit a sweater  😄

[Marcia295]

Thanks for that story.  

I'm new and just hosted my second guest and already I got "crickets" from an inquiry and so glad it didn't get worse than that.

Your experience is duly noted!

[Casita-By-The-Texas-Bay0]

Oh my...your story is so funny...I can only wish it was fictional     : D

Gotta love super mom!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Casita-By-The-Texas-Bay0@Marcia295 @Lyn3 @Susie111 @Susan151 

The night when my TVs and router died 🙂

This wonderful image is shot last Sunday, during 2 hours and shows over 190 flashes of lightning on the sky over Zagreb. The author is young photographer Lovro Dujmić  https://tinyurl.com/yy7auyow

[Susan151]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 That is an amazing photo of an amazing event! Those guests were lucky that there was power and any lights that worked at all!

[Lyn3]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

Wow !!!!!! Fabulous photography !!!!!

[Lan1]

I have hosted thousands of guests since 2015, and encountered few times this type of situation. It impacted me less and less, no more super pressure and frustration. Yes! Normally they gave you bad reviews after all the efforts. I tried to be super host but after over 320 reviews, 71% five stars, I care less and less with one star or super host. I believe I am nice, fair, providing promised accommodation, and try best to help...that is important!

[Jennifer347]

I am in the same situation and tend to care less and less about the low rating because there is nothing I can do about it.  Airbnb doesn't care whether the review is truthful or not, as long as it is a low rating, they immediately punich the host by pausing the listing from their website and demand you to get better rating.  For instance, I had a guest who booked last minute, came and left immediately and demand for a full refund for the reason that he saw a cat in the backyard.  Although I've mentioned my long term tenant who lives in one of the suites in the house has a cat, he insisted that I didn't mention it.  After I rejected a full refund (the cleaning fee was refunded however), he gave me a one star.  I talked to Airbnb about it they refuse to acknowledge that fact that I was being accused.  I attached my reply to Airbnb here for information:

"Hi ,
Thank you for your feedback regarding my guest, xxxxxx, who posted a very negative review on my listing. I could appreciate that Airbnb wants to stay truthful of whatever the guest may feel, but I think the overriding consideration is that the reasons given must be FACTUAL. Quite frankly, I don't really mind if Airbnb keeps the negative review on my listing because I believe other prospective guests could make their own judgement after reading the views expressed by both sides. However, I am disappointed that Airbnb seems set out to penalize the host for things that are not their fault. Once a low rating is given by a guest — even when the ‘accusation’ has no grounds, the host will automatically be penalized by having his/her listing removed from the website!! I cannot agree with Airbnb on this highhanded policy against the hosts. I sincerely hope you would take a critical look at this policy with an aim to provide a platform that is fair to the hosts and the guests alike."

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

.....

It's today 🙂

They send you a message at 6:00 AM, asking where to leave the keys?

Your check-out instruction is written in 6 languages and is hanging on the front door. Another copy is printed in the house manual.

They ask when will tram start to run? And then IT HITS YOU ! That's why they were late on check-in!  They travel on the other side of the world by plane. It is not cheap. And then decide to use a tram for city transport with 4 heavy suitcases. Not Uber. Not Bolt. Not a taxi. TRAM! They kept you waiting under the tropical sun to save 2€ (maybe)  😮

At 6:00 AM you are sleeping. Blissfully unaware of their doubts.

So they place the key under the carpet in the hallway and send you a message about it. 

it's your problem if you don't check all your email-Airbnb-SMS-Whatsapp... messages early in the morning and you step on the keys. If you are flyweight category and the carpet is durable then there is a chance your digital code keychain wouldn't break.

Ah...

....

QUESTION:

If your next guests are scheduled to arrive at 4:00 PM...

but their flight is delayed for 9 hours..

when should you expect them?

:))))))

[Yulianna0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 , one of my latest groups lost the bus and arrived not at 8PM, but at 6 AM. Good thing, that they told this immediately and apologized million times. They were ready to get “no”. But I am onsite host, it is easy for me

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Yulianna0  6 AM uhhh... but at least they communicated .  I have no problem when it happens, it isn't their fault if the plane or bus is delayed

But when they are late and unreachable and keep me waiting, wasting my time and ruin my plans ... uuuuuh ... it really pisses me off! 

[Ann-Marie7]

I contact my guests a few days before check-in to let them know I will get them check-in info the day before arrival. The day before I send them the info and ask for an ETA. The majority of my guests will respond with an ETA which helps me juggle my busy schedule. My last guests never responded with an ETA after repeated attempts to reach them. Of course, they just showed up. Thank God someone was around to let them in. I'm having the same issues with current guests checking in today. Absolutely no communication from them. I have a function to attend this evening and need an ETA from them to be sure someone is onsite to greet them. I've sent a couple of messages through Airbnb and texted to the phone number on the reservation (I don't even know if it is a cell phone or land line).  Crickets.  Grrrrrr!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Ann-Marie7 

when this happens, I send them my last message : " Dear xx, it seems I still don't have your exact time of arrival, but no problem. Let me know when you arrive at the location and I will do my best to come within an hour to meet you. Remember, my check-in time is until 7 PM. Have a nice trip, see you soon 🙂 "   Some of them respond very quickly. Others have to wait on the street, oh well... 

[Ann-Marie7]

OMG, that worked!  Haha! I told them they may have to wait for at least an hour for me to get there and I make no promises, it could be longer. And they can avoid any delays by sending me their ETA asap. Response was pretty quick after that. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

 @Ann-Marie7  😄 lol 

I'm glad it worked... but it also means they have probably seen your previous messages but just ignored them hyaooo!