what extras do you supply for a two night stay?

David3267
Level 10
Torquay, United Kingdom

what extras do you supply for a two night stay?

Just had a review stating ' Take everything' which seems seems a little harsh, to me.

We provide tea, coffee, fresh milk in the fridge, salt, pepper, mixed herbs, dried chillis, cooking oil, cereals and biscuits We supply washing tablets for the washing machine, shampoo, conditioner and soap. Washing up liquid, hand soap, scrubby cloth, dish cloth and tea towel.

I think she was referring to consumables rather than all the other amenities we supply (linen, towels, irons, hairdryers etc etc.

I'm not sure what more 'everything' people expect?

Any help welcome please

16 Replies 16
Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

@David3267  I am not sure which review you are referring to. Is it the one that complained about parking?

 

Self-catering means just that. So anything you provide is a bonus.

 

Perhaps review your listing and make it crystal clear that you provide basics and then mention shops where they can stock up on their provisions on route.

 

I would also highlight in your listing and when you confirm bookings about parking issues in west country seaside resorts. Those of us familiar with them know they are a nightmare in the summer season, but worth reiterating for those less familiar.

 

I love both your places and am considering a visit later in the season when the school holidays are over.

Hi @Helen3  - you replied about 35 seconds ahead of me. Just for interest Have you had a look at her profile? As a host? (3 cancellations) And as a guest and some of the reviews she has left? Interesting.

David3267
Level 10
Torquay, United Kingdom

thanks for the suggestions, will sharpen up the bit about parking. We've got three places, you're welcome at any of them... and I will supply the sugar!

 

Rowena29
Level 10
Australia

Hi@David,

Comments like that really stick in your craw don't they?

Personally I think what you provide is more than reasonable.

Probably given that you provide coffee, tea milk etc, also providing sugar WOULD be a good idea, but as a guest I wouldn't make an issue of it - I'd just go buy some, especially given everything else you provide.

You dealt with her complaints professionally in your response and future guests will see her as a complaining unrealistic whinger, IMO.

Try not to let it worry you too much - it's a drop in a pile of otherwise lovely reviews.   

Extraordinary given that she is a host herself!

And I notice she cancelled 3 of her own guests  in quick succession.  So she's hardly professionalism personsified! And did you read the review she left for her Spanish host? An hysterical rant.

It's her, not you.    

As  a host , if she tried to book with me, I would decline her, based on her review of you and your response, ( and the Barcelona review) if that's any consolation.  

More experienced hosts will by by later I'm sure to give more advice.

Just focus on your next guests and put her our of your mind. I know it's hard.  

Best of luck!

 

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

You are absolutely right @Rowena29 in your analysis.

 

I always check how guests review other hosts before I accept their booking and certainly in this case this is one host whose booking I would never have accepted having now read her reviews.

 

Great advice from Rowena, David, ignore and move on but please going forward do check the reviews your potential guests leave for others as part of your screening process.

This is a simpleton question: how do you check on how they review other people?

Hi @Erin462 

Not a simpleton question.

Download airreview

Click on the guests profile 

You can see reviews hosts have left them and also what they've left for hosts.

In this instance, you'd need to go to David's profile... then his listings, find the relevant review ( the latest one) click on her profile, then read her reviews - that she's received as a host, and as a guest  - it's there you can see what she's left for other hosts

Hello @Rowena29!

Thanks for sharing the awesome tip. I did notice it doesn’t do it on all profiles, (like it doesn’t try). By off chance, like you asked the question already, do you know why? 

There was a guest who didn’t leave a favorable star rating nor any really helpful feedback and he didn’t ask me to fix or accommodate anything for him. I was curious to see what he left for other people and it didn’t seem to work. (I worked on other past reservations, too.)

Thanks again for your tip!

Hi @Erin462 

Happy to help - I only found it myself from reading these boards.  I think it can be a VERY illuminating tool - it can tell you danger danger - AND it can also put your mind at rest.

I've not much of a tech savvy person, so I've no idea why it's only working for some.( You know you can't see what stars guests have left, right - just the comments?) Have you got the little air review icon showing that it's activated when you're on the guest profile that doesn't show anything? Maybe he just didn't leave a review?  Also sometimes the app glitches or updates. I think I've had to reload once.

  I had a very experienced overseas host stay with me very early on when I was desperate for reviews. She left a  really lovely comment in my visitors books, but no review ( and of all people she would know how important they are). When I checked her guest profile I couldnt' find anything either - but that's because I think she just never leaves any..  (Also took an EXTREMELY expensive designer towel I had left out for her baby, I'd like to think it was a genuine accident......)

@Erin462  If nothing shows up as far as reviews a guest has left for other hosts, it's probably because he didn't leave any other reviews, rather than there being something wrong with it not working for certain profiles.

There's another way to check, aside from using Air Review, albeit more time-consuming. Just go to the guest's profile, click on the profile photo for a review a host gave them. That will call up the host's profile, and you can scroll down the reviews that host has been given to see if there is one that guest left.

@Sarah977 

Thank you! I did what you said (can’t believe I didn’t think of that!) He left the same review for the other two places and I did notice a ding in star rating, similar to mine, on one of the properties that he stayed at.

David3267
Level 10
Torquay, United Kingdom

Thanks Rowena for the helpful comments, not going to get worked up by her. Both Dartmouth properties have 100% 5 star reviews so we must be doing most things right. Will look carefully at guest profiles in the future although not sure if you can cancel if they are an instant booker and meet the criteria you have set? For our Torquay property we set it up at first with the 'they must have at least one review and no negative' bit but we got so many queries which didn't translate to bookings that we took that criteria off. Maybe I should put it back on again? Thanks for your time. Best wishes David

Hi @David3267 

I'm really not all that experienced  - only been hosting myself for about 9 months - you're probalby more experienced than me! but I do read the boards a lot. Theoretically IB gives you more flexibility as you are MEANT to be able to have the option to cancel a guest if for any reason they make you feel uncomfortable.  Just lately though some hosts have reported CS challenging them when they want to cancel and saying NO - usually - I think - because the reason could be seen as discriminatory - age discrimination for example.  I've only had one experience myself - and Cs were terrific - they actually suggested cancelling and were very supportive.  I THINK if you had  to said based on her reviews you felt uncomfortable, you'd be on solid ground. 

And often queries don't translate into bookings - i've had a 0% conversion from queries ( but 100% from booking REQUESTS). I do take newbies though, ( no reviews) I just make sure they are clear on my rules and I reiterate some of the things that might be a problem - eg we have a very steep driveway, the kitchen is old, etc and say they can cancel if they are unhappy...

BTW@David,   all 5's stars on both properties is fabulous.   Obviously you're doing lots right. Steel yourself because you'll probably get an unreasonable 4 star somewhere along the line. BTW did the most recent guest still give you overall 5 stars despite the snarky comments? If so, she's not soooo bad.

Re the stars/reviews you might want to consider ( if you dont' already) "educating" your guests as to how the review system works - there are lots of threads on the boards about how to do this.   Personally in my guidebook/ house rules that I leave out very ostentatiously I have a little section that talks about the reviews and explains that 4 stars is seen as a bad thing for hosts. (A lot of guests genuinely think 4 stars is a good rating.)   after a bit of searching, I've found a thread that gives quite a few examples of how hosts handle it in case you find it useful...

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Explaining-5-star-ratings-to-guests/m-p/882631#M217397