Demanding guests requesting for longest stay

[Stacy57]

Hello

My fellow hostess I have currently have 2 guests that booked a stay from November 11- November 25. Before confirming their stay I cheked their reviews they has 3 great  reviews and was also verified. So of course I thought this should be great.  I cheked him in no problem explained all the rules and as I tell with all my guests told him "please feel free to contact me should you have any questions. 

Okay so the very next day he send me a text first thing in the morning telling me that my frying pan is no good and I need to replace it. Apparently it is not a non-stick,  its buringing the food and the handle heats up when using it. He also tells me I need to replace it with a non-stick preferred. Mind you it is a high quality stainless steel fry that I have used my self plenty of times with now issues. He then goes on to complain that my bed is too soft and asks me what can be done? alomst implying that i repalce it as well. 

Ok no problem I say sorry for your trouble. perhaps the fry pan is doing what he says and maybe the bed is coming of age. Anyway I hurried over to Walmart picked up not one but two brand new frying pans. I also took some time to figure out some options to help make my guests feel more comfortable when they sleep. However all options  I explored in terms of mattress toppers would only make my mattress even softer then what is is, because that is the purpose of a mattress topper to make it softer. 

Okay so I dropped off the new fry pans and explain to my guests that I looked into other options however it would not solve the problem. He looked at me as if he was implying that I need to get a new matress immediately. I simply expresed to him thats not an option. The only thing I could think of was to flip the mattress over on the firmer side.  I did just that.

Two days go by and he contacts me again via text saying that he would like to discuss  few things. So I call him right away. He tells me he would like to extend his stay unit Dec 2nd and possibly  to January or February. Also that him and his wife have just moved to Toronto  however he did not take into account how expensive Toronto is.. Lolol not my problem have you ever hear such a thing???  who moves to a  comletely new country and doesnt do their reserach?.. Anyway he would like to know what my monthly rate is. 

okay so I tell him what my monthy rate is and he because he is staying longer I will make arragemets for the bed. He agrees and sends me another long text telling me he needs a rice pot, that my dish rack is too small  I need to get a bigger one as it can not fit all the dishes. So I take a deep breath because at this point Im really starting to wonder when does this end and why is he calling me to ask me for things specific to his liking.  I really dont understand. 

Anyway I send him a nice text explaing to him I will not be able to accomidate the following requests. He texts me back asking to speak on the phone to further discuss. I speak to him on the phone he still telling me that I have a small dish rack blabla bla Again I simply explain to him I can not buy items only to your liking if you wish to have the items your requesting you must purchase, as all items are funtional in the unit. Am I wrong here?? Am I being to nice??

he says okay and still wants to stay longer.. insteresting right?

Me being optimistc I thought I set him straight I sent him a special offer to stay until jan as per his request, and he accepts. Now  tonight he send me anoher request tonight asking me if I have can bring him another complete sheet set. Mind you I have an extra comforter, sheets provided there to use..

This guest is getting really annoying always asking me for stuff... what is your advice? should i charge for bringing him extra things? I never had anyone demand soo much. really tinking to cancel his booking for january at this point. Everyday every week its something esle

I want to be a great hosts have great rating but this doesnt seem like it will be getting a 5 star rating.

what are you suggestions?

[Ute42]

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@Stacy57

If a frying pan burns the food, just turn down the temperature.

How old is this guy?

[Stacy57]

lol clearly he doesnt know how to cook.. and ive even provided a a variety of oven mits. Oh hes a grown adult in his 40'sfor sure if not his 50's

[Sarah977]

@Stacy57  Yes, I wasn't suggesting you go out and buy a new mattress just because one guest, who has endless complaints and demands, finds it too soft. I was just using it as a example. I remember a post here not long ago where a guest had had a bad experience- part of it was that the room was so hot they couldn't sleep, but the windows wouldn't open, they were painted shut or something. The thing was, this host had exactly the same complaint in 3 past guest reviews, but hadn't bothered to do anything about it. So sometimes it pays to listen to what guests have to say and try to remedy the situation, if it seems valid, but some guests will just find something to complain about no matter what.

Handle on frying pan heats up? Gee whiz. Use an oven mitt.

[Stacy57]

@Sarah977Oh yess I understood but on my behalf I was like okay maybe it’s time to change.  he complained and of course as a new host I can only thing of my ratings accommodating my guests. And I told him initially that it’s totally out the question. However the only reason I even said I would make arrangements is because he extended his stay.

Which I’m kind of kicking my self in the ass for now. Simply just the hassle but I said I would and I have to followthrough but never again though.  But it’s nothing expensive trust me it’s 100 bucks for a new really good mattress a friend is giving me 

[Deb125]

So odd,   i would tell him, that he needs an apartment not a short term rental spot.. that may wake him up.   he'll probably take the items you bought with him.. beware

[Stacy57]

@Deb125Yes i was thinking that’s exact same thing but I’ve taken account of each time one and I’m ready on button to make a claim. 

[Helen3]

@Stacy57 Airbnb says keep all communications on their platform so why are you calling and texting this guy. Keep all communications via the platform.

Don't engage in discussions about providing things that are not in your listing description.

In your shoes I would call Airbnb say the guest makes you feel uncomfortable because they are constantly contacting you asking you for equipment not in your listing. Say you are new to Airbnb and didn't realise you didn't have to give into these demands and now they are constant.

Ask them to cancel the booking.

Change your listing so that you take bookings of no more than a week until you are more confident with managing your listing. 

[Stacy57]

@Helen3 Thank you for your imput.. I know I know I was trying to be nice.. my gut is lashing out at me inside wile im trying to keep it togther dealign with the couple. 

Yes Ive advised ABB and of course they want to try to resolve the situation. Ive also sent him a mesage via ABB platform telling him this behaviour needs to stop. Otherwise the next step is to have his reservation cancelled. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

That's the spirit @Stacy57 🙂

[Fred13]

Great advice above and great of you @Stacy57 to accept the fact hosting is a learning process. It does get easier once you learn the ways.

P.S. After a few years in this business, if a guest has the guts to ever send me a message saying "that he would like to discuss  a few things." he would have been totally ignored if I was having a great day, summarily thrown out if I wasn't. After reading your story, the first thing I checked is how much is this clown is indeed  paying - $49 a night!  You got to be kidding. 🙂

[Stacy57]

@Fred13 hHAHHAHAHAHA i literally busted out laughining reading your meesage as soon as you asked how omuch is this clown paying hahahaha... hilarious Anyway yes all jokes aside its deifeintely a learning lesson as it goes on. thought this whole convertion thanks for all your input, Ive learned that saying no its fine. Cant be running around liek a chicked for these entitles guests. 

I did however send his a very detailed messged on the ABB platform for lack of beter words i put him in his place. I let him know this type of behavoiur will not contuinue as I wont be tolerting it.  It seemed as those they uderstood but any other peep  from this couple and they message me bout  some silly request I wont hesitate to let them know im eneding their stay pronto!. His reponse was sort of a brush off pretty much as he put it hes making small requsts but ened with saying him and his wife really like my accomidation and would like to stay.  

I really appreacite your input thank you

[Mel101]

Your guest certainly seems like a bit of a Goldilocks, @Stacy57. I absolutely agree that the majority of his demands are entitled nonsense. I wouldn't be accommodating new pans or a rice cooker either, let alone a mattress. However, the one request that I can understand is the one that, understandably, seems to have been the straw that broke the camel's back for you. This is the request for a second set of sheets. I'm not sure what your set up is, but if I were staying in a place for a couple of months, I'd want to know I could wash and change the sheets regularly. That said, he doesn't seem to be the type to be willing to clean up after himself, so you are right to be cautious.

I have a relative who behaves in a similarly entitled manner, and makes unreasonable demands all the time. I have learned that I don't owe her any explanation when turning down her unreasonable requests. I can be polite, and use phrases like "I'm afraid I can't do that", or "unfortunately that won't work right now", which give her a clear no. If I try and give reasons for my no, like I might for any reasonable person, then it just gives her wiggle room to try and argue that my reasons are wrong, or that they don't apply to her. I suggest you try some similar tactics with this guest, then you will come across as more firm, and the requests will probably dry up. Good luck!

[Stacy57]

@Mel101 Hey Mel thanks for your comment.

Yea to me honest,  when he asked for second sheets it was literally the staw that broke the camels back. Ive never had a guests request soo many things and expect me to keep running back and forth to the apratment like Im a Molly maid. However yes I agree with you and i said this to my self ok maybe hes staying longer so okay.

But honestly if i show you these text messges its the way he requests it very entitled and comes across very demanding. Yes I know call me crazy but to date Ive brought them 2  new non-stick fry pans, extra sheets and yes  a new mattress ( friend gave to me for 100 but brand new, and yes looking at my old mattress looked like it needed to be changed, didnt have to be now, but i did it.) But long story short this couple not once even turns around and says thank you so much for accomidating we really appreciate it. 

Not even a text messge hey we really appreciate what youve done blabla nothing. 

As a matter of fact I went and chnged the mattress I had my boyfriend and brother  to help make this process quick and easy (literally with in 10mintues it was changed). The wife was there and not the husabnd and she had the nerve to ask my boyfriend if this is the FOAM mattress she asked for!!!! my boyfriend said you will have to ask Stacy  about that. Mind you my boyfriend told me when we got home that night.

I spent 5min making up the bed she came in the room asking me if i needed help. I smiled back at her and no no its okay I got this.   However she insisited and still helped anyway Okay do you think she bothered to ask me anything??? Shes very lucky she didnt ask me anything she wouldnt have liked what I had to say. I would have been very straight up with her as in why are even asking that?  

This whole mattress change was done last night. But not even a follow up messge to say thank you very much. And maybe im expecting to much. But i guess its just what I was taught, show gratitude, say thank you.  But a simple thank you would have been great. 

As I was  telling @Fred13 any other silly request messge and they will be out im not tolerating this anymore. 

Thanks for your input I will use these tactics

[Fred13]

Aye @Stacy57, you really offer so much for so little;  how dare he try to abuse your genuine good nature.

[Stacy57]

@Fred13 I know just sad how people act. But a learning lesson indeed.