So I had a guest tell me that maybe she will not a have a phone to let me know when she takes boat to boat stop near our home where we always meet our guests(venice italy). I said ok no problem i think you will take the 12 boat leaving her an hour in airport, usually more than enough time, been doing checkins for work for 2 years now and 1 year for personal home. I gave her directions to closest bar, 3 minute walk from boat stop, so we could meet there in case anything changed or we couldnt speak on the phone, that we if i had to wait i could sit down somewhere, as well as her, also there is food and drinks and wifi, it is a bar! The idea was about 1.20 she should arrive...
My work that day had appointments from 11-12.30, it was perfect i could wait for her from 1.20 and on if she missed the boat, couldnt get a hold of me, no problem... until one of my appoints call at 10.30 that morning to ask for appointment at 1.00, this is on a different island also so it takes me 20 minutes on boat, plus the 20-30 minutes for my work appointment... I asked If i could change it to 2 (thinking my guest would arrive at 1.20 like we had discussed) my work clients agreed, i thought ok great I can put my airbnb in the home and then run to my appointment.
Then my guests airbnb writes me at 11.50, that she is buying tickets for boat in airport which one does she need to buy, which i did already explain in the communication prior.(im guessing she found wifi) I told her and advised that she will not make the 12.00 boat and i maybe late to meet her... because she arrives at 1.43 now and my work appointment is at 2, it would be impossible to do both on time. I said i would still meet her in that bar and offer to pay her drinks while she waited me. I said about 2.30/2.45 i could make it. I called my boyfirend who we do airbnb together to see if he could slip out of work to meet her, he could not even speak on phone he was so busy... I did try to call me work appointment and ask if they could do 1.00, they said they could not make it and that 2.00 was the time...
I write my guest at 2.30, saying im on the boat be there in 20/25 minutes!! so sorry please I pay for whatever drinks you drank while waiting! She responds... "that this is unnacceptable, we have been traveling are tired, i dont want you to buy my drinks, i want a discount on the home!" I was speechless...
i find her there standing outside the bar with her luggage, like she never even went inside to take a sit, have a drink, enjoying vacation in venice, italy, about to go on a cruise the next day! We argued a little, because i said sorry and she didnt care... I breath i take them to the home, i do a full checkin, explain the home, how to get to the cruise ships, tell them they can leave their luggage inside until they leave for the cruise the day after, answer questions to the husband mostly becasue she seemed to have decided not to talk to me... I apologize again and again saying sorry, my work appointmetns got mixed up, my boyfriend was not available i also mentioned that it was not a problem for me to wait for her in the bar if she had no phone and i could not contact her.... she told me i should put a key lock... which does not work in venice, one you can not hang things outside the building unless permission from commune, if they would give permission... we live in a historical island!!!
They were in 3 mom dad and 15 year old... my cleaning lady went next day to find they did not use the pull out sofa.. maybe they all 3 slept together? they did not all use a towel only 2 were dirty, if they took showers and that they hadnt left the luggage inside... weirdest ever....
she just wrote a review... i do not want to write a review for her beacuse i do not want to throw fuel on the fire, but if she writes me a horrible review... for something that i tried my best, she took the later boat then what we had discussed, my work schedule got srewed up, even though i tried to switch it around but in the end made it worse because my airbnb was later than i thought. I tried to offer her drinks while she waited, i was always in contact with her, even called her on the phone to explain i couldnt meet her when she arrrove at 1.43... international phone call... i offered to let them leave luggage inside... we thought to meet at 1.20 at the bar but she missed boat and she arrived at the bar at 1.55 i told her in advance that i would be late about 2.30/2.45 and i arrived at 2.50...
anyone else been late to meet a guest? : ( has happened 1 time in 1 year of doing airbnb(usually it is me waiting for guests who our lost or missed the boat, never once did i get upset or demand something from them)... unfortunately with guests who did not want to drink a couple drinks for free... if it had been me, i would have said it was cheaper to give me a discount cuz i would be drinking the whole bar up, excited to be on vacation with a smile : )
thanks for your inputs!
Adair
