Booked Guest Walked Out Within Minutes Of Arrival and Wanted a Refund

[Dan-and-Holly0]

We are fairly new hosts...and have loved the experience so far.  I work very hard to keep a clean space and accurately list the private guest room/bathroom.  Our reviews have been great...and we have received wonderful suggestions that we have incorporated in to the room/space.  We are both working full time and often guests check in when we are asleep or at work.  Some of the guests we have not been able to meet as they arrived very late and left really early.  We always have the room ready with clean linens...lots of treats...including my mom's baked goods.  Today I was not able to answer my incoming guest's pre-arrival phone call but returned it within 20 minutes and walked her through arrival as I was returning from a visit to my mom.  The guest was really upset that I was not home...and within 5 minutes of arrival...even after my husband greeted her and showed her to the room...she told me she "just couldn't do this...it doesn't feel right..."  She then stated that she wanted a refund...which I think I provided...although I am not sure because in order to grant it...I had to go through the resolution center.  I was really bummed that she was so offended by our place...and her arrival...as I put so much effort into the listing and ammenities.  I didn't want the hassle of declining the refund...but as I think about it now...I am really frustrated by this behavior...and wonder if any one else has experienced something similar and what they did about it.  Refund?  No Refund?  Now we are unable to book the room for other guests at this last minute. 

[Scott80]

I think you did everything that you can do. The guest was not happy and wanted a refund and you gave it to her. There is nothing else you can do. Your reviews are great so there is probably nothing you need to change. We as hosts are in the hospitality industry. Perhaps the guest was expecting a different type of accommodation or who knows, maybe she got a speeding ticket on her way to the listing. I think some complaints you just have to chalk up as unfounded and move on. 

Looking at her actual complaint, did she give a specific arrival time, you agreed to it and then were not there. If you did maybe her complaint was valid, if that was a case I suppose planning to be away from the property soon before the scheduled arrival time was not the best decision. I personally use a lockbox and offer 24-hour check-in, but my property is a whole place listing in a residential hotel building, so offering unattended check-in might not be an option for you.  

[Annette33]

that sucks, sorry you had to go through this.... I haven't had that experience but I'd like to encourage you to hang tight next time that happens. ( hopefully not, as you got such lovely reviews - so you KNOW you're doing everything right!). live and learn, look forward, some people just have no clue about decency, nothing you can do about it. Not sure you can wrote a review under a cancelled stay. just curious : did this actually count as if you had canceled  her, or agreed to her cancellation request? I would really like to know, thanx for the info.

[Jiw0]

If you're new to hosting, meaning you don't have many reviews yet:  yes, refund, making sure they cancel.  (*they* *cancel*). 

Because that's what's happening: they are changing their minds and are cancelling the booking.  Make sure it's not you who's cancelling on the site because then you get penalized. And make sure it's a cancellation and not a change in booking duration because then they still get to leave a review.

No need for the resolution center either: ask they cancel and offer to refund more than the policy.   Possibly charge them at least one night.  (You have a 'moderate' policy set which I think is the best one, and according to this policy they'd have to pay for the first night at least, and then get a 50% refund for the remaining days.  You could offer to refund 100% of the remaining days which would be extremely generous.  Or make it conditional:  refund them according to policy, but tell them that if you get another guest for the same days then you'll refund more.

Crucially: when the guest cancels they don't get to leave a review, so you don't have to worry about that.  And then you're holding the cards in terms of how much to refund;  I'd be inclined to refund a bit more than by the policy but that's up to you.

To be honest those people sound like they should just book the nearest Courtyard hotel and forget about AirBnB for the rest of their lifetime. 

[Cynthia-and-Chris1]

^^ Agreed.