Guest from Hell

[Diane509]

We have the guest from hell in our caravan at the moment.  From before she arrived (message after message) and then, when she arrived on the park where our caravan is sited she couldn't find it.  This is despite a map being one of the photos on our listing.  Hubby talked her around site, turn by turn, until she found the caravan.  

Then, the oven broke.  It was working earlier that day but it broke.  When her food was cooking - or not, unfortunately.

We offered to get her and her teenagers a takeaway - no, she didn't want that.  We offered her alternative accommodation - no, she didn't want that, it was too late.

To cut the story short - the cooker is still broken as it's a Saturday and we've been unable to get a Gas Safe Engineer out to it today.  So the emails have started again.  She's been out all day and hasn't received my messages informing her that no-one is available to mend it and therefore there is still no oven.  She's come home from her day out hoping to be able to cook and it's all my fault that she's now having to go hungry.

I've reimbursed her the money from her spoiled food and offered her a 50% refund if she leaves today.  No - she's leaving when she's due to leave.

My magic wand is broken so I can do no more - it's Saturday so I can't get that mended either!

I can see a bad review coming - but I also would like to warn other hosts, as I suspect she's extremely difficult to please.  

My question is - how do I word this in a way that isn't how I'd like to word it but that lets others know to beware?

[Victoria567]

Hi @ Crystal 

I had the guests from Hell last year, but at that time I was green about how to contact air bnb by phone, so I don’t know what air bnb would do....perhaps at least they would block the guests review? And help with getting any monies off the guest for damages?

Im not so green now and the first hint of a guest changing the goal posts AFTER their booking I phone air bnb to get the booking cancelled ASAP without financial penalty to me or my suoerhost status....as I’d rather not let the entitled guest cross my threshold as there is some business I can do without.

[Diane509]

I'm still waiting to hear from them as I reported the guest.  So I'm not sure, but I'm hopeful that they will sort out one particularly important issue I pointed out to them.

[Diane509]

UPDATE:  she has now departed (thank goodness) as she was only booked in for two nights.  The cooker has now been repaired by the Gas Safe Engineer who works on site (his day off yesterday) and our next (regular) guests are now in and happy.  I've reported her to Airbnb and blocked her - so that's the end of the messages from her.  Now to find this telephone number for the London Airbnb just in case I ever have something similar.

[Robin4]

@Diane509

Diane, the way you have responded to this guests review has done you far more harm than good.....and this is exactly what I hoped you would NOT do! "This person will never be staying with us again - she is a total nightmare. Very demanding, very rude and no consideration for others. She had a map, a post code, an address and two other occupants of the car - yet still couldn't find her way. Ridiculous. Thankfully she has gone - for good." Oh goodness me Diane, that is terrible.

The guest criticised the cooking mishap but her review was not bad, she was still conciliatory about it, she even ended by saying ....." I'm sure the owners account/review of the situation reflects very differently. The caravan itself was lovely. Very clean and tidy. Definitely no complaints there. I only hope that the oven is fixed for the next guests "

But after the way you climbed into her, I would not want to book with you,. I would be afraid you would get stuck into me like that if I did something that you felt offended you.

In fact I found Heathers review of you to be far more diplomatic than yours and I feel a bit sorry for Heather that your diatribe now appears on her profile. the saving grace for her is that her public response to your review was still restrained and  probably shows her in quite a good light!

I am sorry you took the path you did, I felt I was giving you good advice but....lets see what happens to your bookings! I don't think you have done yourself any favours Diane! People are going to look at this review, not just on your page but on Heathers too, and what has been stated is going to have a negative impact on you I am afraid!

Cheers.....Rob

[Victoria567]

Hello @Diane509

You have posted an honest no messing, call a spade a shovel style of review.

My heartfelt thanks to you from a fellow host for being straightforward and honest.

I wish there were more hosts like you, Unlike the super apologetic ones who walk on eggshells and do the rest of the hosting community NO favours whatsoever by continually tiptoeing around these entitled horrors who then continue to behave continually in this unacceptable and appalling manner.

Thankyou @Diane509

[Robin4]

@Victoria567

In time it will happen to you Victoria...there will be that guest that things did not work out well for, unfortunately for you but, not of the guests making, and hopefully you will look back on this thread!

You can cane someone who has wronged you....of course you can, but does that make you a desirable host to stay with.....I don't think so!

Love and diplomacy, which in the end will see humanity survive, are the cornerstones of who we are Victoria....you and I!

Calling a Spade a shovel reviews are............! They get the monkey off your back, you look at it and feel better...."there you go, I showed that bitch where I stand"!!

But by doing so, you shoot yourself in the foot....you put future business at risk! Guests do not want to walk into a potentialy hostile environement!

Another old expression Victoria.....'An ounce of diplomacy is worth a pound of muscle"!

If I have a problem with a guest  that I feel will impact on future hosts I will make mention of it.....but when someone has given me a reasonable review but has made mention politely that something did not work....would I start calling a spade a shovel???? not likely...in fact not even remotely likely!

The issue was not one that would affect future hosts, just that particular stay. lets get things in perspective here!

Cheers.....Rob

[Victoria567]

Hi @Robin4

Yes I've just had a guest for whom things did not work out for as she declined to pay for my clearly listed laundry services.

I wrote my very first review, honest, factual and with a touch of humour.....it’s there for all the world to see, and to warn other hosts of this girls entitled behaviour and let this guest know....

that it’s not on, to decline to refuse to pay for use of my laundry facilities.

that it’s not on to promise to write me a glowing review....she didn’t anyway!

that it’s not on for her to assume that I think this type of entitled behaviour is hunky dory.

In fact this type of entitled behaviour is not on by me.....period!

Really hosts who do not write an honest factual review about a guest, just collude in sanctioning their awful behaviour as they are led to believe that wish washy reviews by touchy freely hosts give them free rein to behave in this appalling manner.....not in my family home Im afraid!

@Diane509

I appreciate your honesty....keep it up.....there is some business that hosts such as ourselves can well do without ....I’m not prepared to suck it up either!

These pains in thecstump can spend their money elsewhere....but not in my home thank you very much!

Hey @Diane509

Can you please return my shovel?😉

[Diane509]

@Victoria567 maybe we should go halves and buy a digger 😉

[Victoria567]

Hi @Diane509

No haggling now Diane...you know how much I dislike 

1) entitled guests 

2) cheapskates

3) entitled cheapskates 

[Diane509]

Thank you Victoria.  

[Diane509]

No problems Rob, we have bookings way into 2020.  We're experienced hosts of ten years (not via Airbnb, I may add) and those of us with static caravans do things slightly differently.  If guests are troublesome, as this lady was (and may I add you didn't see the messages she sent, she was extremely aggressive and very rude) we share that information between ourselves and other owners.  It's a sad fact of life that not every guest is polite and respects our property - and it's only fair that others are aware of this.  

You are totally entitled to your views but I'm not going to bow and scrape to bad guests - the review she gave didn't even go half way towards the problems she caused.  She only stayed two nights - which isn't obvious at first glance - but for both of those nights she was continually complaining.

Static Caravan sites are a totally different ball game to (for example) a house, villa, apartment etc.  and Owners of these caravans are at the mercy of the site owners - repairs can not be carried out at will and immediately.

I'd prefer now if you just respected my opinion, thank you.

[J-Renato0]

I got to agree with @Robin4 !

I also have to say:
This statment is unacceptable - " ...and we believe that she complains with the intention of claiming monetary compensation. Be aware"

It is not right to accuse someone because one "believe on something"! To accuse someone it is necessary to have real facts instead of having supposition!

[Diane509]

She mentioned compensation in one of her messages - so I do have an inkling, unfortunately.

[Helen3]

Hi @Diane509

I appreciate how frustrated you were by this guest but I would definitely not fire off a response to her review like the one you posted.

It doesn't make you come across well as a host -  you could have replied while remaining polite and professional.  However the language you used and the insults are likely to be off putting to future guests.

[Diane509]

Hi @Helen0

I can see your point, however the tone of the messages received from this lady were very bullying - and I totally refuse to have someone staying in my caravan act like that towards me.  Throughout the whole of the online conversations I was totally polite and kept her informed at all times regarding the repair.  (I do need to point out that the oven was working prior to her arrival - we clean the caravan ourselves and my hubby, who is in charge of the kitchen, ALWAYS checks the cooker is fully operative).  She simply would not accept that at 8.00 p.m. at night we couldn't get anyone out to repair it - not for lack of trying.  We were let down the following day by our site (but that's another story) and I kept her fully informed and offered to refund her provided she left the caravan.  She refused.  Believe it or not problems with guests staying in caravans are regular occurences, some caravans are even trashed by guests - to date we've been fairly lucky and we've met some lovely people who have become regular guests and friends.  Because of the nature of caravan sites we have to be strict with our guests - otherwise our site will come down hard on US.  I patiently explained everything to this lady - however, her behaviour seriously affected my health (I have very high blood pressure) and that was when I drew the line and told her to either leave and I'd refund her or quit the messaging.   No guest is more important than my health - I am seriously not that desperate.