Holiday Goodwill

Paul154
Level 10
Seattle, WA

Holiday Goodwill

So it’s New Year’s Day. Happy New Year’s Day to all.

I was 100% booked last night, Yeah!

Not surprisingly, all arose late and all left one hour past checkout.

One group asked politely, but manipulatively ( assuring herself that I had no others coming today…) .

One group claimed  checkout was noon on the written  greeting sheet (it wasn’t so)

The other guy just slept late.  I let him, because I was dealing with the others.

NONE LEFT A CASH TIP!

Is this service over above or not? Is this something guests appreciate or just assume?

In light of Airbnb’s anti-tipping policy, either I have  to accept their behavior,  charge them formally or kick them out.

I know these are the rules, but I’m vexed.

 

So now comes the review:

Neutral? “Guests left one hour after checkout”

Haughty? “Although guests seemed appreciative for an hour late checkout, their lack of a gratuity showed they really did not appreciate it”.

Forward looking? “I do hope guests will show next host a token of appreciation for their hour overstay”

 

 

13 Replies 13
Mark26
Level 10
Melbourne Beach, FL

Diana Krall was once sitting at the piano receiving lessons from her mentor Ray Brown, when he gave her the following tip:

 

Play what you're comfortable with!

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Mark......Top answer and top artist, Mark.....if only she didn't slide into those notes when she sings!

She starts a note below and slides up to the correct note, obviously a manerism of hers but she overdoes it and it gets annoying after a while.

@Paul154, you are a pro mate, you know that guests are going to take advantage of you. I had to check a guest in at 12.30 pm Christmas day, right in the middle of the Christmas lunch virtually everyone in Australia enjoys at that time. I accept it, the're the guest, and they are paying. The money is in my account and I am prepared to put myself out. And don't tell me you don't Paul! I have seen enough of your posts to know that you are one of the most accommodating hosts in the business.

The strangest one I have had was a request from a couple from Melbourne in Victoria (860 Kms from Mt Barker in South Australia where I am based) and their request was to check-in at 2.00 am on a Friday morning. I told them that I wouldn't be waiting at the gate to greet them but, the cottage would be warm, the beds turned on and the key would be in the door.

As it turned out I was still awake when they arrived at 1.50 am. The story unfolded they hopped in their car after work on Thursday and drove through the night the distance to Mt Barker arriving at 1.50 am! They wanted somewhere to put their heads down for 5 hours before they were off again to pick up a particular pure breed puppy from a local breeder, which they did, and then immediately drove the return trip back to Melbourne. They travelled almost 1,800 Kms (1119 miles) in less than 24 hours!!

I hope the dog was worth it!

Paul you do it because you area decent guy, people have always taken advantage of you, and always will and you will accept it because that is just who you are.

 

Cheers.....Rob

Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

Your tags are hilarious, @Paul154. And @Mark26's answer is perfect, so you don't need advice. I'll just chat.

My NYE guests checked out before 7 am. It was minus 23 last night, and it looks like they let the woodstove go out. I would never recommend icy discomfort as a way to avoid late checkouts, but it did work a treat. No tip, of course. 

Michael956
Level 10
Salvador, Brazil

A tip?  For one extra hour on New Year's Day?  And no new guests arriving that day?  Expecting a tip seems unreasonable and frankly strange to me.  

Lauren259
Level 2
Longmont, CO

curious - do you generally receive tips? for regular reservations?

David126
Level 10
Como, CO

I have not noticed much of a correlation between tipping and the work you have put in.

 

I know my guests leaving tomorrow re heading out early so the room will be cleaned and made ready by 8.30am leaving me with the whole day for the first time in a couple of weeks.

David
Marzena4
Level 10
Kraków, Poland

Super tags, @Lawrene0, indeed 🙂

@Paul154 - do review them accordingly, lower the score for house rules for sure. Their reviews for you won't be 5/5 it seems.

You would have to put it in the description that you charge extra for overstay. But I have not seen a single guest offering anything for taking their luggage early or keeping it till late.

// "The only person you can trust is yourself"
Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

“Guests left one hour after checkout”

 

Just curious...... are tips expected by hosts in general?? 

 

Fyi there's generally no tipping at all at most restaurants, bars, hotels etc. in Korea. 

Lisa36
Level 5
Australia

Never heard of tiping hosts!  And certainly not expected in Australia.  

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Lisa36, You are spot on Lisa, but Oz is not a tipping culture! Sure we tip, but it is a reward for service we did not expect, but got. 

Here in Australia people work for their tips, in America they just turn up.....it's 'appearance money' It is an entitlement that bares absolutely no relationship to the work performed...an incredibly sad aspect to what is a lovely country.

The thing that does surprise me though Lisa, I have hosted quite a few American guests and they all seem to subsribe to that old saying 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do'!

They definitely leave their tipping culture behind them when they leave America and they slip into our style like a hand into a velvet glove!!

I have had guests leave me a bottle of wine, a little souvineer, I have even had them take me out for a nice meal, but I can guarantee, none of them were American!

 

Cheers.....Rob

 

Cheers.....Rob

Fred13
Level 10
Placencia, Belize

Interesting thread. If the situation is not back to back guests, I always encourage them to stay till Noon at least. Many of our guests leave a tip (~75%) though it is not expected, I suppose they do for the little extras we do.

Michelle-and-Ray0
Level 10
Kimberley, Canada

I think none of the reviews suggested are good. A simple, "Guests checked out an hour late", is sufficient, in my view.