Advice please

Nat10259
Level 2
Australia

Advice please

Hi folks,

 

Late last week there were major storms (& damage) in my area, resulting in widespread internet outages. Mine was checked a few days ago & seemed to be fine. Yesterday a family checked in for a 5-day stay & today the internet isn't working. Basic troubleshooting was unsuccessful so I phoned my ISP & added the guest to the call to see if the issue could be resolved- it couldn't. The guest has asked if this has occured before, (it hasn't), so I explained about the recent storms & internet outage. Given that this had been out of my control, my question is: should I compensate them for this inconvenience, & if so, what would you recommend?

 

Thanks so much. Your input is greatly appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

Nat

15 Replies 15
Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

 @Nat10259 : Airbnb customer service has granted guests a 50% refund for a missing advertised amenity. 

It's not your fault, but it is missing. 

If you think that's a bit much, you could proactively offer whatever, up to 50%, you think might do the trick. For a missing amenity, I would probably offer my guests a full refund for their remaining days if they need to cancel and book elsewhere. 

Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Nat10259 It is going to depend the tech profile the guest. I would offer 20% off their stay and see if that works. If they become too demanding then offer to let them change their length of stay and leave with a full refund for the remaining nights.

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

@Nat10259 we had bad storms this summer and suddenly power was going out. In 4 years of owning the place, power had never been out but once. This past summer it happened 3 times, 2 when guests were booked, and one when it was being cleaned. 

 

In each case we offered a free night for the power outage. One guest checked in late due to it and groused the whole time even after the power came back. The other was super gracious and refused the refund. The power was out on each occasion about 2-3 hours. 

 

I think offering half off a day for internet could be a bit high but it depends on what other amenities and activities people tend to do in your space. If they travel with teens who complain all day when their phone doesn't work it may be just right. 

Fred13
Level 10
Placencia, Belize

Oftentimes the best words are the ones not said: I never bring up the words refund or discount  with guests for events that are out of my control - till further notice, meaning till the guest brings it up. If they do we make light of it and maybe (depending on the situation) we find a way to keep them happy: may have a local fisherman drop them some lobsters for dinner as a pleasant surprise.; but no we are not running a haggling bazaar in the Middle East arguing over pennies.

 

If such events happen in their everyday life, do these guests call the power or internet companies for a partial refund? I mean, how tacky. What is next, a refund for lousy weather?

Nat10259
Level 2
Australia

Thanks so much for your feedback people- greatly appreciated. The guests are a young couple wanting a quiet getaway. The property has a plunge pool, + a beach 700m away. I've kept them up to date with information, the latest being that the system is down & they can't get a tech out until Monday, the day they check out. I've offered them to stay longer if they'd like & left it at that for now. They've not said anything since our conference call with the ISP yesterday so will see how they react to this latest news. I was thinking 50% discount for their stay, just not sure how to proceed re making the offer vs waiting for them to respond... new territory for me (thank goodness!!).

Linda108
Level 10
La Quinta, CA

I agree with @Fred13 in that refund is not the best place to go, UNLESS, the reason for the reservation has been substantially comprised.  Lack of internet would be a huge problem if someone had to work remotely.  But having the beach nearby, well...lack of internet could be romantic.  In the spirit of wanting the couple to enjoy their memory of the stay, a little surprise gift support of the romantic get away will be a lovely gesture.

Great idea Linda- I'll see what I can find in the area for them!! Thanks 😊 

Fred13
Level 10
Placencia, Belize

Reminds me of the time when a couple brought  their 3 teenage kids, the Internet went down, I told the mother they are working on it and be back sometime - she said "No, do not bring it back, this is the first time in years we get to finally communicate as a family!". 

@Fred13  Back when there was a "Family" category, I remember a lot of hosts were up in arms because Airbnb, in their overarching, faulty wisdom , had made a TV mandatory for qualifying for the family category.

 

The last thing I would have wanted when my kids were young and we went on holiday somewhere would have been battles over whether they were allowed to watch TV instead of participating in family activities which were the purpose of the holiday.

Lorna170
Level 10
Swannanoa, NC

@Nat10259   Does your ISP offer a mobile router like a NetGear Nighthawk?  I live in an area that has limited service (DSL) and suffers power outages.  With my Nighthawk, I am able to get connected and use my TV and computer along with a battery power source.  I have it for travelling in my motor home to keep my phone connected, and again for accessing the internet while camping.  If I were going to offer it to guests, I could expense it.   Too late in this instance, but something to consider.

 

As to what to do for your current guests, a 50% discount is IMO, too much -- its not as if the bed was broken or the pool was polluted.  They probably did fine with their phone service, eh?  A gift card for a dinner out might do, or a 10% refund.

No, it doesn't, but thanks for the idea. 

Nat10259
Level 2
Australia

Thanks again for everyone's input. I've arranged for them to have lunch at a local Cafe, which they're thrilled about, & have told me "not to stress they're managing fine without the internet". Phew!! 

@Nat10259  Isn't it refreshing to have guests who can manage being adaptable? 

I know right, especially when it's out of my control.