It was December 24th, 2016 at 2:53pm. I’ve just received a frantic request from a mother and her daughter sitting in a local Starbucks. They needed a place to stay for the next three nights – Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Their profile showed they were from Brazil. I live and host in Canada. What on earth could they be doing in Starbucks at 3p with no place to stay for the next three nights all the way From Brazil??
Like many of you, last minute requests can make me nervous. Especially ones that come minutes before check in time. In the past, I’d thought about not allowing same-day requests to avoid hosting bad guests. For some reason though, I decided to allow them and just closely monitor my requests. The downside to this strategy is having to decline too many guests or spend time on the phone with Airbnb; because same-day instant bookings can’t be canceled without calling in. On Christmas eve, just before 3p, it now seemed evident why I left it on.
I immediately responded to the guest, Thais. I asked her why she had left securing accommodation to such a late date, especially over the holidays. She replied instantly. She explained that they’d booked another Airbnb, but sadly they’d arrived to find that it was not what they were expecting and not guest-ready . She was so disappointed. They’d travelled all the way from Curitiba, Brazil for a mother-daughter Christmas vacation. My heart went out to Thais and her daughter. What a terrible predicament to find themselves in so far away from home. Luckily, my cleaner had just finished preparing the condo and it was now ready. I accepted Thais reservation and immediately shared my check in instructions.
A few hours later, I got an Airbnb notification on my phone. Since it was Christmas Eve, I was with my family and not immediately available to help any guests on-site. Of course, my mind when to the worst: “had something gone wrong with one of my guests?! Why else would someone be messaging me at this hour on this day”. I quickly opened the app, while thinking of what I’d say to my family if I had to rush out. It was a message from Thais. She was simply writing to me to say that my place was perfect for her and her daughter. She thanked me for salvaging their mother-daughter trip to Toronto. She wished me the most Merry Christmas, because I’d given her one. I was so touched and relieved that I could help make a complete stranger’s Christmas.
On check out, my condo was in pristine shape. Thais and her daughter were the kind of guests, every guest should aspire to. Every once in a while, I get confronted with too many last-minute requests from guests I’m not comfortable hosting. And then I think that I should turn off same-day bookings. Then I think of Thais and her daughter. Three years later, my same -day bookings are still on. You never know when you can help a perfect stranger in need, at the worst possible time.
I wish everyone in the Airbnb community a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa or happy holiday season. Hopefully, we’ll hear more about how the hosts in our community have helped to make this Christmas one of the best for their guests.
