Troublesome check in

[Jacqueline809]

Hello All, first time on here so please be gentle! Had guests book a couple of weeks ago to book for one night ( tonight) . Messaged them at time of booking to ask for an eta so I could be there to give them the keys. Heard nothing until I messaged them yesterday when they said they would be there around 7pm. I arrived at 6.30pm, opened up, and received a voicemail and a message from them to say they had arrived at 6.15 pm and they were cold, hungry, tired and they could not gain access and to phone them ASAP, which I did. Their phone call was at 6.32pm, I phoned them at 6.39pm.To be greeted rudely by the woman stating the key was not by the door, and why was I not there? I replied that when I had messaged them I had SPECIFICALLY asked for an ETA and they had said about7pm. I am sorry, but 6.15pm is not 7pm! She was SO rude! Then she said they were looking for somewhere else so I said thats fine, I quite understand, and I could only apologise. Then she backtracked and asked if they could collect the key later as they were at least 30 mins away. I said that would be fine.. 5 mins later ad I was getting into my car, they drew up to the house! I have just left them to it.. I am so annoyed! I only started last year but am now a superhost, with 35 excellent reviews, and then this pair come along. Anyway rant over, thank you for listening x

[Yadira22]

Hi @Jacqueline809 

I am an Airbnb host- i have booked a hotel reservation via Airbnb with staff and all. Upon arriving 2 hours later and after telling them about this, my check was delayed by an added hour plus as the staff were not even told of our reservation, they were asleep. I was annoyed but at no point did I swear at them. 

In reviewing I mentioned that they had the potential to be amazing- which is very true but needed organisation and better communication. Staff members even spoke openly to me about the issues they had on this front and my manner was more to highlight this to management.

You can be whatever you want and have gone through hell, I am sorry that this is your reality but at some point people need to realise they are responsible for their own actions and should be held accountable. 

Just as in my personal life if I am late due to work commitments etc I front up the bill even if it’s just for drinks. Self acknowledgement and appreciation goes a long way for both sides. 

Yadira 🙂

[Jacqueline809]

@Yadira22  Aww thank you for that, I’m not much up to this techy stuff! 

[Sarah977]

@Jacqueline809  Hey, I don't think anyone knows how to do that when they first start posting here- I certainly had to be informed by another poster. You'd think they'd explain about that at the top of these forums.

[Jacqueline809]

@Sarah977  Lol, so its not just me then!  Yes, you think there would be something to guide you and let you know what to do wouldn’t you? But then I suppose they rely on nice people like yourself to show others the way.

[Kira32]

You did what needed to be done and her personal issues has nothing to do with you. 

[Christianna1 · Accepted solution]

First of all, definitely write a review telling the truth in a way that makes it clear that they’re trouble without being rude.

Second, do self check-in! It’s so much easier. But if you must pass off a key because it’s easier for you or makes you feel more comfortable, state in your listing that an exact ETA is required in order to assure that your guest won’t be left waiting. Then when you book them and reach out for an ETA, say, “I need an exact time, please, otherwise you may be left outside waiting and I don’t want that to happen.” Be clear, be overly specific, repeat important things in several places and never allow for wiggle room.

[Tricia2690]

I have prevented the key situation by getting a Bluetooth Wi-Fi keypad for my front door. Now I will have no lost keys and no difficult moments if they are late. They simply get the one time key code from me. I can change the keypad code from anywhere in the world from my smart phone.

Give them an “honest” public review as we should and only 1 star rating. So sorry you had to deal with people like this. There’s always one bad apple.

[John3049]

You did not do anything wrong. I'm pretty new too and have realized some guests can be difficult to deal with. Sigh.

[Yadira22]

Also @Jacqueline809 

we do host receives you at my personal home, something that worked wonders was

 « dear guest,

hope you are well. 
when possible we ask that you please confirm your ETA or arrival time by plane/train in the city. Please be advised to let us know at least 20 mins before arriving, otherwise you will be made to wait outside. 
our check in time is strictly i between x-xx PM, due to our super busy schedules we cannot offer times outside of these. If you need a luggage storage I suggest you use xxx company (eg stasher £6/24hours).

Please confirm receipt and agreement to this email... »

a bit of force can go a long way with people. Most are very communicative but if not then you can see them coming from the beginning and adjust accordingly.

thanks,

yadira 🙂

[Sarah977]

@Yadira22  I think you hit on something really useful-  Guests may not give a hoot whether or not they inconvenience a host, but if hosts can find ways to make it sound like it's the guests' convenience that we're concerned about, that will often work better than just asking them in repeated messages to please communicate their arrrival time, etc. If they think you're concerned about them being left waiting outside if they arrive outside of stated or arranged check-in time, they are much more likely to comply. Wording things using such tactics applies to a few things about hosting, like being able to get them to withdraw an inappropriate booking request, as well as conveying arival times and letting you know if they are going to be late.check-in. 

The guests who ignore requests for information are likely to be quite self-absorbed and self-concerned, so appealing to that attitude would work better with those types than presenting what you are asking as something that benefits you, rather than them.

[Steven65]

Yes indeed, this is a common occurrence. Sometimes the guest is at fault (arriving unannounced) and sometimes we are unable to make the rendezvous (requiring grovelling apologies). Guests can become very anxious, fearing that they have been scammed.

Unfortunately i am unable to use a lock box or smart key due to planning restrictions and a shared main door. I rely on an agent for check ins, but this again doesn't always work 100% of the time and i often mediate between my guest arrival and agent. 

As in life, communication is the answer. Phone your guest immediately,  ask whereabouts,  provide assurances. 

[Yadira22]

Hi @Steven65 

phoning is a great option but not always feasible- in my old job I worked 18 hour days and communication via Airbnb was about as much as I could handle alone. Also a lot of guests do not update their numbers and when I did call this was a common occurrence, sometimes messaging them was the only way possible. 

Regarding your check in we use companies such as keynest etc which allows for the guest to collect the keys from a local

business and it’s fairly priced. They also service Edinburgh but this is one of many options. These companies usually allow you to put restrictions on collection and all information can be shared accordingly from their site of yourselves but even though the store is open 24 hours and always staffed, we still have issues with people not reading our instructions even though it says “IMPORTANT- PLEASE READ”. Now we do about 40 guests/month and still face this issue sometimes (1/month).

Might be something worth considering! 🙂

[Jacqueline809]

@John3049  Hello John, I have only been doing Airbnb for a year, and it is a learning process. I  tend to treat everyone how I would like to be treated but sadly some people just take the lend🤨. I am just learning to be a bit more cynical in my old age! X

[Jacqueline809]

@Christianna1  wiggle room! Lol! Thank you for your suggestion and I will definitely word my emails like you say “ or you will be left waiting”. X

[Jacqueline809]

@Tricia2690 @John3049 @Sarah977 @Steven65 @Yadira22 @Kira32 

thank you very much for your input into my “troublesome check in” scenario. Its good to get all your feedback and views on how to handle things, and is very, very much appreciated x