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 😄

[Susan1570]

I know if a "guest" is going to be a problem when they send a million e-mails, with demands and Anticipated problems. When they finally arrive, they are already expecting the WORST, so it winds up being a self fulfilling proficy. 

[Norman--Renate0]

I find it amazing when Airbnb guests think it is odd to have to communicate with the host about arrival times, leaving doors unlocked, heat and lights left on all day when they are gone, why they shouldn't stuff food , dental floss and junk down sink drains or toilets, why late night noise in the a.m. hours is disruptive and all after the house rules are clearly stated and reiterated in person by the host? I have a no shoe policy and a no smoking policy. The first thing that happened with my last two guest groups was that they stomped across my kitchen area rugs and asked me where they could smoke! I just about lost it. But  I didn't , I just took the time to tell them that they may not break ANY of my house rules or I would take action via Airbnb.I have kicked two different guests out for this and because my rules are written and clear I can do it. My guests who are nice , normal people make up for the ones who are not.After a bad guest has left I never leave a comment, if I have nothing good to say but I do tell Airbnb about their behaviour otherwise these kind of guests will leave bad reviews unfairly and mess up my reputation.

thanks for letting me unload this unpositive stuff, 

Renate .

[Lilly28]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

Right to the last point - this is so often happening lately with my guests! 

They are unreachable - you call - no answer - and no answer - and no answer

Severeral hours after the time once upon a time - a month ago they have massaged you about the time to be expected - they massage now - Sorry, our plane is with an hour delay...

You check arrivals on the Airport - there is no even one flight with such a delay! There is not even one flight with ANY delay! 

They again are massaging - we just arrived and are queuing to rent a car

An hour later - new message - We got the car! 

It is 1.30 a.m. - and finally there is a ring - they arrived!!! They are happy and expect you also to be happy - They are never telling you - THANK you - only - oh, Sorry - sorry, but hopefully we are here 

They expect you to tell them what to do the next day - to show them the house and how all things are working. You even write them how to find the metro, the tram - how to get back - what is interesting to be seen in the city...

Next day late at night they are massaging how happy they were seeing all the things I advised them at 2 a.m. when they arrived. I read this massage the next morning and the end of it is - We plan to leave before the check-out time

I say them Goog morning at 9.30 - and ask them for the check-out - they answer - well, we are so tired from our last day - we will rather stay an hour more than the check-out

They finally leave, and an hour later they book a day more after 4 days. No review! No thanks, not even sorry! And have in mind they are with a baby and a child - big work to prepare for 2 smalls how to sleep - bringing a cot, the little bathroom, special shampoo...

No massage in this 4 days - just when booking they informed me that this time they will be in the flat before 11.00 p.m. I have a rule - arrivals after 11.00 p.m. - 5$ fee. Did not even think of giving me the money for their 3 hours delay, instead the next booking was done not for an infant and a child - but for 2 adults with 2 infants - as to avoid the payment for the almost 4 years old child.    

I massaged several times the day of their second booking - no reply. Lastly at about 7 p.m. I wrote that I missed the funeral of my friend waiting their answer and not knowing when in fact they will be arriving. We can come either 9.30-10.00 p.m. or in half an hour... at last I had any answer. 

I left them excellent review as the flat was left really clean, although they took 4 little things from it obviously as souvenir at the price of 1 euro/not worth to mention, right?/ - expecting that after so much burden - I will have only 5 stars. Their review was also good, but with 4 stars on location - with writing under it - this was just the place we were in need - and we will book again only this place - but it is not in downtown! It is 2 metro from it and 2 minutes from the station...

Just a story - but the next one was even worsе, much worse because ended with a revange review - but now just in that moment I am waiting the next one - massaging me 2 weeks ago his plane is at 10 p.m. and now I see that it arrives at 11.30 p.m., so I expect again problems. By the way - these guests are not so bad, just so much work and waiting, and waisting your time.

[Sally228]

Joking aside, what is Airbnb's policy if a guest arrives after check-in time? I rent out my two spare bedrooms through Airbnb, but often guests confuse me (a private household) with a hotel and think they can just pitch up anytime.  Does anyone know the policy and whether I can refuse them if they turn up at an unsoical hour / middle of the night?  Thanks, Sally

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

aahh @Sally228

theoretically, you are not obligated to check them in after your check-in time, but..... it is a good question, I would also like to know if someone has the first-hand experience with it.

Currently, I am waiting for my guests, they should have arrived  2,5 hours past our check-in time (I agreed) ... but their flight is delayed so it will be 3,5 hours later. This is exactly the situation I predicted and that's why I have set my check-in time until 19 h. Guests will always push our boundaries + unexpected delays can happen so we have to count on it.

[Rosemarie9]

I did the same with my check in, now it is 4pm to 8pm, got so sick of guests arriving at midnight with no prior request. But then, I just had the lovely honour of hosting a fellow host this weekend, and it wasn't pleasant. They were 40 mins later than check in time, blamed me saying there were not enough road signs,( bear in mind they are Irish so should be well used to the layout of roads here), then rushed into the studio to change after telling me they had to get to the restaurant they were meeting friends to order by 9pm! It was 8.45pm at this stage. Oh, to top it off, he forgot a pair of shoes at check out, I messaged, car races up laneway an hour later, wife hops out, no thank you, nothing. They made my blood boil! Any ideas for a review? Because you know it was my fault that they didn't leave Dublin early enough to get here for their dinner date! I wanted to knock the stupid Lolita sunglasses the middle-aged woman was wearing and throw his shoes in the bin and pretend I never saw them. The gin bottle has been beneficial this evening!!!

[Mark116]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 To add to your list:

-Guest requests to drop their bags off at 8am.

-You reply that they can drop the bags at 10am.

-You remind them that they can cancel for free if the timing doesn't work for them.

-They book.

-You message them a few days before arrival to confirm at 10am bag drop off and a 4pm check in. 

-No answer

-They arrive at 8am to drop off their bags anyway!!

-Thank god they are only here for a short visit.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Mark116 

We have a saying:  "Svakog gosta za 3 dana dosta. " ( Each guest for 3 days is enough)  🙂

[Yulianna0]

@Mark116, in such cases I tell them: you are welcome. See you after 9pm. They are free to organize their time. And it is not hard to find the place to drop off the luggage. 

As for me those who start to ask for early check in/out are already showing no respect. So, my rules or hotel! 

[Mark116]

@Yulianna0  Yes, I know what you mean.  We try to accommodate guests requests of dropping off the bags or leaving the packed bags after check out when we can do it, because since we live on site, it's fairly easy to do.  In this case, we told them 10am since we were fairly sure the previous guests would leave before check out, so they can put the bags in the unit and go out for the day, and 8am on Sunday is too early to put on your host game face.  But, showing up on our doorstop at 8 o'clock in the morning after being told 2x before we accepted the request that NO, you can't come that early is Just.So.Rude.  because as you say, I'm not a hotel, I don't have a bellhop, or a room to store luggage.  So annoying.  At one point we had flexible check in and check out, but that became a nightmare so we changed to a set check out at 11am and flexible check in.

[Yulianna0]

@Mark116, as for me, I just do not open the door before established time. I’m not waiting for anyone at this time, so nothing to complain 

[Linda108]

I don't believe there is an Air BNB policy about refusing guests that arrive outside the check in window, but of course I would imagine you have one.  I must meet guests to introduce my dog so there is no self check in option.  I engage the guests from the very beginning about check in and there are times in which guests rerquest to arrive late.  I usually flex the window, but if there is no communication about check in from the guest, I would not be flexible.

Some hosts are very committed to the my house my rules approach to hosting other seem to roll over with all guest demands.  Somewhere in between is ideal, but it requires a willingness to deal with negative reviews.

[Lilly28]

@Sally228 

You set a window for check-in, my window is 3 p.m. - to 11 pm. I never leave a guest outside waiting, and I always meet them - even if it is 2, 3 or even 4 a.m. But as this became a practice - because the cheapest flights are lending late at night - I have copied the house rules of a host who had a payment for late arrivals. If you do not tell them of the charge beforehand - they refuse to pay it. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Lilly28  smart move 🙂

but we are off site hosts so no way I would drive to the city in the middle of the night for any amount of money.

[Susie111]

Reading all of your storys, makes me glad I can solve all of my guests check ins with a simple lock box.

It works great, I just let them know the time and the code and that's it.

And I go about my life for the day, and so far it has never been a problem.

But it's easier to do that if you have as I do entire guesthouse...

And I do get it @Branka-and-Silvia0 there is other important reason it doesn't work for everyone.

Personally for myself the lock box has solved heaps of issues and given back some of my free time 🙂