Just Annoyed

[Nicole563]

Received this gem last night.

Message #1: Hello, I am coming through town tonight and my budget is $45. Is there any way you could accommodate that?

It was 7:30pm when I received that, felt immediately annoyed. I did not want to entertain and waste my energy. I didn't reply. Half an hour later...

Message #2 :Hello, I am coming through town tonight and my budget is $50. Is there any way you could accommodate that?

I was getting more annoyed, I didn't reply.

Message #3: Or either way can I check in after 9.

Message #4: I'm coming from Nashville and am over an hour away

Message# 5:Your place looks safe and nice. I'd like to stay if possible

To that point, I was so tired of phone beeping. 

My reply: Sorry, we are not able to host tonight.

End of the story.

[Sarah977]

@Sean433  I totally understand hosts upping prices during prime earning potential times. I wasn't criticizing those who do, just saying that it's not necessarily the right thing for all hosts to do. 

I don't think the pricing has that much to do with whether guests leave 5* reviews- the guests who are complainers will leave poor reviews no matter where they stay or how much they pay, I think, and the ones who are more interested in enjoying themselves than finding things wrong will leave 5* reviews whether they stay in a simple, inexpensive place or a luxury listing.

I get the impression that a lot of home-share hosts don't do Airbnb as their sole source of income- many of us have full or part-time jobs, some are raising young children, or are retired. Therefore, there are many other factors that we might find more important than spending time adjusting our pricing with the demand. For sure I would up my pricing if I felt I was working at hosting more than I was being fairly compensated for, but that isn't the case. I have upped my room rate a couple of bucks every year since I started hosting to cover increasing costs of amenities. But it doesn't cost me any more to host over Xmas than it does to host during slow times, so fiddling with my pricing, researching what other comparable places are listed at for certain times of the year, isn't something that I care to spend time on. If my low rates were attracting low-life guests, I'd definitely raise my prices,but that's not the case.

I certainly wouldn't classify running my Airbnb room as a hobby, as there are aspects to hosting that aren't exactly fun, nor do I have a choice as to when I clean and stock the guest room, but I don't host with the same sort of business model as someone like you, who manages a number of listings.

[Sean433]

@Sarah977 

I think it is important to have fulfillment rather then just the money. I get both out of it. And I sort of envy you to be honest, I would love to just have 1 listing later in life and relax. It is very stressful doing what I am doing but also fun at times.

As for the pricing, it is not a hassle or time consuming at all after you have run through a couple of cycles/years.  You sort of know how the pricing is for certain holidays or events and I just price it accordingly ahead of time. Pricing is not a headache of mine, it is the hard to please guests which as you said, present themselves in all sorts of listings.

[Sarah977]

@Sean433  That's good that you are getting what you want out of hosting at the moment. There's nothing wrong with jobs that entail a certain amount of stress- some people actually thrive on it and would be bored if they didn't have some of that in their lives.

And of course, once you get into the rhythm of something, it comes easily, like changing pricing with demand. I feel like that when I read threads on cleaning- cleaning comes easily to me, I'm fast and super thorough. I can never understand why hosts need a cleaning checklist if they do the cleaning themselves (I understand doing it if you employ a cleaner)- I start at the top and work down, one side and work to the other, cleaning everything. I can't imagine "forgetting" to clean under the bed, or checking bedside drawers. Just like you likely can't imagine forgetting to up prices during events or holidays.

Do you already own land in Costa Rica?

[Sean433]

@Sarah977 

You are right, stress can be good at times. I feel like I have gotten a lot better at this because of the stressful and difficult guests. They are usually the ones that teach you the tricks of creative thinking. And it is showing because I am having referrals to other homeowners who want me to host their properties as full on management from A to Z and also co-hosting. I always explain to them that this is a difficult business and one that requires patience and good communication skills. When they realize how difficult it is, they are usually happy to hand it over to me.

And no I don't own land in Costa Rica however I have visited many times - it is one of my favourite countries. Polar opposite of Toronto. That is probably why i like it, it is different.

[Emilia42]

@Nicole563 

I suggest adding a simple one-liner to your saved messages templates: 

"Unfortunately, there are no discounts available. I wish you luck in finding a space that better fits your budget." 

Click 'Use a Saved Message' and send it as fast as you can. Don't look back.

[Nicole563]

@Emilia42 @If I were in a good mood, I would write a full sentence. Otherwise they will have to wait till the last minute after I have my glass of wine, and then “sorry, but no”. 

[Sean433]

@Emilia42 

While I understand it is always best practice to communicate in a courteious manner to actual guests or those who send normal non-price related inquiries, I think being that polite to unreasonable bargain hunters who just copy and paste their inquiry to several hosts is not the best idea. It may just perpetuate their behaviour. I don't suggest being rude or waiting till the last minute because it affects your response time, but I do suggest a short 2-3 word response so maybe they will understand they should probably stop asking several other hosts this question.

[Emilia42]

@Sean433 I actually think my response is quite rude. It suggests that they cannot afford my place so best to look for something more of a dump.