Advice please - private guest feedback

[Rowena29]

So - I'll say stright up   up front   I really struggle with the wording of anything less than glowing in my guest reviews.

I agonise over it.

I worry I will sound abrupt, arrogant, patronising etc

So would appreciate some wording advice from more experienced members

Guests - party of 7 - stayed 2 nights.

Just the one guest made the booking.

He was on the whole a very good communicator. He let me know well in advance check in time

He messaged me a few times and asked some questions which clearly showed he hadn't read the listing ( do you have a BBQ?) but that didnt' really bother me.  

IN teh frenzy of getting the house ready, I came downstairs to find him standing on the porch half inside the house trying to get my attention. He knew he was early, he had a favour to ask. He had a large present for his girlfriend, could I hide it now before she arrived.   Then he wanted to have a bit of a chat,  Dont' get me wrong. In principle I was delighted to be part of the subterfuge, but perplexed why he arrived withouth warning. We'd only spoken the night before and he bought this present several weeks ago.  I didnt' get the house QUITE as ready as I would have liked - clean but I felt really rushed as a consequence.  

At proper arrival  time more evidence of not reading messages. he said he HAD read the checkin info but "couldnt' remember the code" ( it was  that day's date. He had the grace to blush. This didn't really bother me, after all, he knew I'd be there waiting for him to show him)

ON the WHOLE they were good guests. ( older teenagers, very young adults. They seemed nice kids) Nothing dire. Not incredibly clean and tidy but nothing awful. EXCEPT 5 of the 7 white Sheridan bath towels were pretty heavily stained with foundation and mascara and the kitchen tea towels with curry and tumeric.  Yes I got the stains out. But it took a lot of extra effort and multiple washes.   I supply MOUNTAINS of paper towels, sponges  and cleaning products. I point these out at checkin.  I supply facial makeup remover wipes in the bathrooms.   I specifically ask in the house rules NOT to use the good linens for things such as this.

Guest has already left feedback which I imagine will be reasonably positive ( but you never know do you?)

I don't plan to ask for extra money for cleaning  even though I charge a security deposit.

I dont' plan to say anything in the public feedback becasue I think on the whole their intentions were good

But I'm thinking I might say something in the private feedback about the makeup on the towels. More as a way of letting them know for future stays. I mean it's not really OK is it?

What would you say? or would you leave it?

Appreciate your thoughts and  any comment suggestions

Cheers

Rowena

Ps they had a big tray of breakfast  goodies on arrival and got a  3 hour later checkout

[Ana1136]

@Rowena29 just simply let them know that they were good guests bit next time to be more careful with the towels and linens. It is not that big of deal in my opinion, it happens and it gets cleaned. If not, I would advise you to use cheaper towels and possibly not white, they are easier so clean and replace. 

[Rowena29]

Thanks for your advice @Ana1136.

Though I have to say I think white is easiest to keep clean personally - when you stain remove it doesn't suck the tint out and leave a discoloured patch. We're all different I guess.

Cheers

[Ana1136]

@Rowena29 maybe, I've never had a discolored patch before. I just wash my towels at 90° and there is nothing left on them after one wash, and the colour doesn't fade. Maybe just a bit after the first wash but they remain the same after that. 

[Rowena29]

@Ana1136 think you've just got a much better washing machine than me.  I have a fabulous one at my own home ( a Miele) which I'm confident would get the staind out first go,  but I live 90 mins away from my listing..  Only a  reasonably good machine there, and it didn't get the stains out first time around, even with sard wonder soap stain remover pre applied and rubbed in MInd you, there was a LOT of it. (I'm used to dirt - my husband is a tradie and gets filthy, along with everything he touches).

[Sarah977]

@Rowena29   The private feedback I'd send is "Thank you for booking with me and I hope you enjoyed your stay. You are likely not aware, but the bathroom towels were heavily stained with the women's makeup, and it took me a long time and multiple washings to get the stains out. As the booking guest, you are responsible for the behavior of all the guests on your booking. I'm not inclined to charge you for the extra cleaning required, but other hosts might, so in the future, you should make it clear to all your party of guests that they should take care to respect the host's property provided for your use. Makeup should be throroughly removed with make-up wipes, paper towels, etc, not smeared all over the towels. Perhaps you could educate your female friends about this."

The tea towels? I can't keep those clean myself. I now use black tea towels 🙂

[Rowena29]

Thanks@Sarah977,

Thought you'd have some ideas.

Never seen black teatowels, but I'll keep my eyes peeled

I do have black bath towels which I leave for groups of men - I have 4 tradies staying currenlty and they got the black ones.   IF i'd realised in advance this group was so young they'd have got the black ones too, - BUT the profile pic was a bloke scuba diving underwater so I was working blind.  

Thanks for your advice.

Cheers

[Sarah977]

@Rowena29   The black tea towels came in an 8 pack of tea towels from Costco. There were others in the pack as well- grey and a grey/black/white plaid. But those towels appear in cycles- sometimes there's other color combos- the same ones aren't always available. 

[Rowena29]

aaaah - Costco - never been there. I do pass one on the way to my listing - it's an hour from where I live. Costs $100 a year to join out here. I might pop in sometime - (but I'd need an awful lot more than black tea towels to justify the joining fee!!)   Bit of a TK Maxx addict myself - and they're a lot easier for me to access. But thanks for your tip, black tea towels DO sound like an excellent idea.  I had been trying to "lift" the kitchen which is pretty old and tired with some good quality linens that blended with and complemented the colour scheme. But with 20 year olds I'm clearly wasting my energy. Overnight I received a booking for 2 weeks for 2 more amture aged people - up here for work. Fabulous reviews from other hosts. i'm absolutely delighted.  Think I can safely leave out the white towels etc with them - they're more the sort of guests I thought the listing would attract....

Anyway in the scheme of things its not earth shattering, but I DO like to hear others opinions and tips and get a reality check sometimes...

Thanks again for all your suggestions and taking the time

Rowena

[Sarah977]

@Rowena29   What's interesting is that Costco membership costs are quite different in different countries. I got mine here in Mexico, and they cost the equivalent of about $30US. But I can use that card at any Costco anywhere in the world. Also, a membership gives you 2 cards, which can be in different names, so I actually split a membership with a friend, so it ends up costing me $15/year! So you might see if anyone wants to split a membership with you.

I don't really buy too much stuff there, but there are some things worth shopping for there if you host. I bought 2 huge bottles of liquid bathroom soap (they come in a 2-pack, like many things there), which I use to refill my pump dispensers. I just used up the first one, which lasted for a year and a half between me and the 1 guest at a time I host. Also big bottles of dish soap. Mattress pads. Coffee is a good deal there, and I buy my big bags of dog food. 

[Rowena29]

@Sarah977 

I did reply to you the other day BTW - but via my phone and it didn't send.

Costco here is $60, and can't be shared.  Also the reviews on the one closest to me  ( an hours drive away) are dreadful.

Supposedly you can go in for a look around first before joining, but they  reportedly make it very difficult - 30 min wait to get a visitor pass and a big interrogation.  Lots of reports of very rude CS.   Apparently  often 30 mins wait at register.  No thanks. I need a valium after being at Ikea - this sounds even worse - and to have to pay for the privilege?? ( I do understand in principle)

Anyhow picked these up at my fave store TX Maxx - and eco cloths no less.   so lint free and streak free.  would have bought more if they'd had them

Thanks for the idea - wouldn't have occurred to me ( although I've got black hand towels and bath mats as well as regular towels)

Cheers

Rowena

[Rob185]

‘Feedback is a gift’ I would most certainly in the ‘private feedback’ let them know 

it’s not what you say but how you say it. If you don’t mention it they won’t know and you’ll probably carry some resentment 

I personally ask my guests on arrival if they have read the ‘house rules’ and make sure they understand them even though they have supposed to when they book

i also leave a printed copy in their room 

[Rowena29]

HI @Rob185 

Good advice - but I did do all that and also leave a printed copy of the house rules ostentatiously on teh table next to the welcome gifts. Pretty sure they did read them as they followed up on several things - eg messaged me when they checked out and assured me they'd locked the front door.  I think they thought they'd been great guests and on the whole they'd been pretty good - so yes I agree with you  - they basically just need a bit of educating.

Cheers, and thansk for taking the time to answer

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Rowena29 

How about something like this for the private feedback.

-------------------------------------

Hi GUEST. Thanks again for staying with me. I hope you and your friends had fun. I thought about whether or not to message you about this but decided it's better to tell you so you can take care the next time you stay at an Airbnb.

The guest towels I provided were stained with a lot of make up and I had to wash them several times to get all the stains out. I have no intention of charging you since there was no permanent damage but this may not be the case for other hosts.

As you've experienced, Airbnb is not like a hotel so for any future stays please make sure you and all guests treat the home and items provided for your use with care and respect - like you would if you and your friends were staying at an aunt's or grandparents' home. As the account holder, you are responsible for making sure all guests respect the home and the house rules.

I really enjoyed hosting you and your friends and wish you all the best and hope you will continue to use Airbnb for your future travels.

[Rowena29]

@Jessica-and-Henry0 

Unlike me you are obviously skilled in diplomacy!

Thanks for your tips

Regards