Guidelines for guests who are new to Airbnb?

[Claire340]

I am currently hosting an elder couple who are trying Airbnb for the first time.  They are experienced travelers and I'm finding that their expectations are based on their experience with nice hotels.  I'm a 97% 5 star superhost and they are increasingly dissappointed because being in an Airbnb is so different than a hotel.  

They did not read my profile carefully and arrived here with one of them highly allergic to cats (I have two who are prominently featured in my photos and in my description) and expected me to provide benadryl. The next dissappointment was that I didn't have live news available in the room.  They have phones with them but not a computer and cannot watch the news as it happens.  Of course, it is listed in my description that I only provide streaming with Netflix and Amazon Prime.  

This morning we had a conversation because they had expected that I would provide daily maid service and make the bed and change the towels.  I appreciate that they asked and I summed it up by saying that when you rent a room in someone's house through Airbnb It's like staying with a friend or relative.  You are self cleaning through the duration of your stay and I clean up the room at the end of it. I can just see the bad review coming no matter how well I do as host.

What I'm wondering is if there is an article or document that helps new Airbnb guests understand what Airbnb is and what to expect compared to a hotel?

Thanks for your help,

Claire

[David126]

The combination of a very low room rate and high security deposit is unusual, the age of the property is not a factor, I can think of many very high end hotels that are no doubt much older.

[Amecus-J-0]

hmm interesting point @David126.  I guess I would say they are much better and have a budget for more maintanence and adding modern upgrades.  Mine not so much, except for the artwork and kitchen appliances.  And yes, the deductable is no longer charged by airbnb and I am trying to scare away potential theifs with a huge deductable.  When It was charged a had a simple $100 deductable but I also used to charge $35 - 40/night except for Balloon Fiesta.  I have the smart pricing on.  Not sure how that works as I don't think it ever goes up except by $1.

[David126]

Tske the smart pricing off, sounds like you are trying to be too cheap and that has knock on implications with replacing linen etc.

[Claire340]

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to thank you all for your support and helpful feedback.  In the end, I ended up with a 5-star review from the couple I was concerned about pleasing.  It took some work on my end and they adjusted as well.  Staying engaged and positive was the way to go and I feel good about how it all worked out.  

Some of their feedback led to me adding a $10 antenna to get local channels.  Even though it didn't arrive until 2 days before they left, they were thrilled.  It was a simple way to indicate that I was paying attention and willing to try to accommodate them.  I also loaned them my power drill for a project they were working on at their son's apartment. I think that small gesture cinched it and won them over.  You don't get that kind of service at a hotel...

For those of you concerned that other hosts would not be forewarned of the expectations, I did leave an honest review.  Here's what I wrote:

George and Beverly were first time Airbnb guests. I believe that they are seasoned travelers and found that Airbnb was much different than staying in a hotel. We got off to a bit of bumpy start as expectations did not meet reality. It didn't take long to figure out that they didn't know to read the room and host profile before booking, as it was a surprise to them that I had cats, no cable TV or access to news channels and no dresser in the room.

To their credit, they did ask me on the second day what Airbnb was about and what they could expect in terms of services like daily cleaning, beds being made, towels were changed, etc. Once we had that conversation, everything seemed to settle down and we got along well. I appreciated their feedback and learned a bit about assuming that everyone visiting Silicon Valley would bring a computer...

They were kind and interesting guests and if they were to brave Airbnb again, I would be happy to have them back. They left the room in great shape and took good care during their stay.

Take care,

Claire

[Linda108]

@Claire340  That is wonderful news!  What a way to use great hosting to not only turn around the guest but to also add to your own hosting.  It has been my experience as a host that staying open to guest feedback helps me enhance and tweak my listing.

Your story is a great one that exemplifies the hands on host of Air BNB.  Thanks for your sharing.

[Alexandra316]

@Hoda5 I'm not sure what you're trying to do, but this is the forum for Airbnb hosts to support one another. If you're looking for help from Airbnb technical support, I would suggest giving them a call or sending them a message. Here's some instructions on how to do that:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Contact-Airbnb-A-Community-Help-Guide-UPDATED/m-p/413245

[Bob368]

Here is one can a arbnb host throw you out if he ows you money