Help: Guest Complaint - Electrical Issue

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Tom541
Level 2
England, United Kingdom

Help: Guest Complaint - Electrical Issue

Hi Guys

 

New to the forum but I am looking for advice on a current listing I am hosting in Bali, Indonesia.

 

I am Superhost and just been awarded Air BnB plus.  We have 35 reviews overall rating 4.9.

 

We have a guest staying 6 nights.  On day 4 from 6 (today) our area had a complete electric blackout (common in this part of the world) due to local street maintanace repairs. The blackout lasted from around 11.00 am to 15.00pm.  During the time the guest was without electric and water which I understand would be frustrating.

 

I did my best to resolve the issue (even contacing the local electric company) but it was really out of my control.  The electric was off for us and several other villas in the same area so the problem was not isolated to our villa.  I explained I would do my best to get the electric back online asap and update them with more news.

 

Shortly after this I then received a message from the guest telling me they had enough, have already left the villa (checked out by themselves) and booked another hotel.  I then received a Air BnB requets amending the reservation to 4 nights not 6.

 

30 Minutes later all the electric was back online but they refused to return, said they would rather stay in a hotel and the experience ruined.

 

I understand the hard luck but I myself have experienced a blackout and rather than sitting in a hot unconditioned room with no entertainment we went out for the day, had some lunch and upon return everything was back to normal.

 

1.  I am concerned this issue has left a bad taste in their mouth and I would want to avoid any negative reviews.  There is no guarantee that the guests will not still leave a bad review even IF i agree to the refund.

 

2.  I am losing 2 days income and forced to refund money for something completely out my control which is frustrating.

 

3.  Can the guests just request changes like that without discussing them first?

 

If this was an issue related to something in our control which couldnt be resolved I always seek to offer a refund but in this case I feel the guest has been slightly unreasonable and not cooperaative about an issue completely out of my hands.

 

Please advise me how best to resolve this issue?   What are my options here?

 

Thank you kindly for any advice.

 

Kind Regards

Tom

1 Best Answer
Kath9
Level 10
Albany, Australia

@Tom541, that seems very unfair but sounds like you just have to live with it. @Clara116, I see what you're saying, but even if they were working, this still hasn't got anything to do with Tom! I frequently work from overseas (including Bali) and I would never consider for one second blaming my host or moving out of my accommodation because of blackouts in the area. I would just go somewhere else and work for the day - Bali has a multitude of cafes with free Wifi. Anyway, I agree that it is better to accept two nights refund than having Airbnb refund the whole stay, but it still seems grossly unfair.

 

Tom, review them honestly so they don't cause a drama for other hosts - DON'T just say 'better suited to a hotel' as it doesn't really give other hosts an indication of what happened. Stick to the facts and explain what happened. Fussy, picky, unreasonable guests are the bain of our existence and they deserve a thumbs down.

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15 Replies 15
Kath9
Level 10
Albany, Australia

@Tom541, I don't think you should refund them - as you said, this was completely out of your control and any reasonable guest would have understood the situation. 11:00am to 3:00pm is hardly an issue - they should have been out and about during that time. To be honest, they probably won't give you a good review anyway, even if you do refund them. It was entirely their choice to move elsewhere.

Clara116
Level 10
Pensacola, FL

@Tom541 I think this is one of those learning experiences  Tom - these folks are indeed best suited for a hotel if they can not understand the situation - just give them the 2 nights refund and be done - BUT not more than that - they might push for a full refund -and i would fight that big time....... IF you don't give the 2 nights refund they will really be ugly in their review I imagine as they are intolerant folks - which they might still do - BUT you just write in response very nicely that "it was beyond YOUR power as it was neighborhood loss and power was back on quickly, 30 mins after they left! "

You can do lots but NOT magic with community electrically stuff - 

you mention A Plus - so they expect PERFECT I suppose - not sure that's a great thing - as stuff just happens and are the folks picking A Plus the super picky, ugly ones???? just wonder about that.

best of luck, happy hosting, Clara

Clara116
Level 10
Pensacola, FL

@Kath9 I get your point BUT - if he declines a refund he will surely get ONLY Grief from these intolerant folks.  yes, it's all kinda stupid, why weren't they out and about. But imagine they are working with their business/job in the middle of a conference call with others and his computer was low on battery and he was plugged in??? and suddenly his work is interrupted or some such nonsense - anyway, we can probably never know how these folks think except they are high maintainence so I'd make it easy on myself and give the 2 nights change and @Tom541 yes, guests can just go for cancellations, changes, whatever, request refunds, BUT you have to agree - however, Airbnb can override the NO if the CS goes along with their story and still give them a FULL refund which you truly don't want to happen. And now thinking, these folks might push for IF you don't give the 2 night change up. That's what I'm thinking on this one. Best, Clara

Tom541
Level 2
England, United Kingdom

Thank you for the replies.

 

I do understand the point of view however where is the host protection here?!  

 

You are right even if I refund the 2 nights I may receive a bad review?  If I dont agree to the refund I will anger the guests and likely induce a very bad review? So it could be a lose - lose.

 

So to maintain my good feedback and high rating am I forced to agree to the refund for a reason totally out of my control?  Where is the support from Air BnB for the host? 

 

Its all very well to say refund but it feels the guest has all the power here.  If the review wasnt an issue I would argue my pount and decline their refund request.  They just left and went to another hotel without even discussing it with me.

 

This sort of thing disheartens me and makes my lose faith in the Air BnB program.

 

Sadly is you anger the guest they will give you a 1* review and then you avg drops and farewell superhost and plus 😞 If you think about it over the long term, it's easier to just pay up.

 

Airbnb has in someways created a perfect platform to bully property owners. 

Tom541
Level 2
England, United Kingdom

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Air BnB’s horribly automated official response from a person doesnt address any of my concerns and simply requests me to accept the changes and refund the nights?

 

Im undecided - I feel like as a host we need to show some back bone at times like this but from a business point of view the negative fallout could be large.

 

argh dont know!

Clara116
Level 10
Pensacola, FL

@Tom541 I hear you - BUT the Customer Service might go ahead and refund them even without your consent.  AND they might give them a FULL refund.............imagine all of the monies....even for the nights they stayed. Yes, it is wrong - but, the host guarantee does not work like you think it does. Even folks that have had their places trashed $10,000. worth sometimes get very little. or have to go through so much they just give up. ............It is NOT fair I know -and I don't mean to be so negative,  but, this could happen. And so weight the options. When you wrote they said it "ruined their stay" or trip oh, that's a clue to really not nice and so the 2 nights refund might be a really best option for getting off with less from these folks. That's my 3 cents............I know it makes you so mad and it sounds so unfair -but, this is the reality as we have seen it very often lately. good luck, Clara 

Tom541
Level 2
England, United Kingdom

Ive agreed to the refund just now.  Not sure if the review will be good but I feel i have no choice.

Yulianna0
Level 10
Madrid, Spain

@Tom541, may be to write them nice message can help a bit? Just saying that S... happens and you feel very sorry that it affected them. And ask if they were ok with other things, before electric cut. Tell them that they were very nice guests, bla-bla. It can put their anger down 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Tom541 And make sure to write a review for them. If you fail to do this, you will not have the option to respond to any bad review thay may leave for you.

I had exactly the same experience. My advice - give them the 2 nights back - no further communication, write them a review with 1 as communication, 1 for house rules and write only one sentece - These guests are more suited for a hotel. You can give them 6 for being clean and stll recommend them to other hosts - they have to read your review and decide for themselves should they accept such fussy guests. As a Superhost you are - or will be allowed in short time - to withdraw one odd review in a year. ..

Kath9
Level 10
Albany, Australia

@Tom541, that seems very unfair but sounds like you just have to live with it. @Clara116, I see what you're saying, but even if they were working, this still hasn't got anything to do with Tom! I frequently work from overseas (including Bali) and I would never consider for one second blaming my host or moving out of my accommodation because of blackouts in the area. I would just go somewhere else and work for the day - Bali has a multitude of cafes with free Wifi. Anyway, I agree that it is better to accept two nights refund than having Airbnb refund the whole stay, but it still seems grossly unfair.

 

Tom, review them honestly so they don't cause a drama for other hosts - DON'T just say 'better suited to a hotel' as it doesn't really give other hosts an indication of what happened. Stick to the facts and explain what happened. Fussy, picky, unreasonable guests are the bain of our existence and they deserve a thumbs down.

@Kath9@Tom541 yes, I agree Kath also it is unfair - About the review - remember be fair but when I read about super details about guests it can quickly reflect on the hosts and seems to do the hosts more damage if not carefully, thought out and well written. If I read "better suited to a hotel" - I get it and I don't want them in my place, period. I don't need details on them - that's me, I suppose. Doesn't matter to me if they soiled, stole, were a pain in backside, - that line is slogan for me they are unpleasant to host, somehow. I am trusting other hosts to be straight with this. Cause I have also read reviews and responses and I would NEVER stay with that hosts, cause they were totally nit picky, expecting way too much from guests. Like they left trash in the can - didn't turn on dishwasher! Please - 

Yes, give thumbs down and 1-2 stars when they are needed for all of us. 

Guess we ned to remember we never know someones real story and what they are going through, we can only surmise.  my 3 cents.....happy hosting, Clara

Kath9
Level 10
Albany, Australia

@Lilly28, I didn't know that Superhosts were allowed to withdraw 1 review per year - how does one go about doing this?