How to deal witha a guest who's expecting a hotel

Christiaan6
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

How to deal witha a guest who's expecting a hotel

I'm new to AirBnB. I've hosted maybe 10 guests. But I've had one recently that really stumped me how to deal with them.

 

I know how important reviews are, so I was hoping to get some advice on how to best deal with this scenario (for the future) and keep my ratings high!

 

The guest arrived, and seemed to think they'd booked a Hotel, rather than an AirBnB. They were suprised that they were sharing the flat with me. I messsaged to check everything was OK on day two, and they thought that leaving dirty towels on the floor would mean they would get replaced. Like a hotel.

 

I took extra steps. Giving them another set of towels. Checking up to make sure things were OK again. But it stumped me a bit how to deal with this guest.

 

Everything I've mentioned above is pretty clear in the listing. So I'd really appreciate any advice on how I can be a better host in these scenarios.

8 Replies 8
Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

In your situation as you are sharing the listing with the guest just sit down and chat with your guests. Clearly if they were expecting a whole flat, then they weren't expecting to stay in a hotel 🙂 If they wanted a whole place then I would have suggested to them they contact Airbnb to cancel your booking and find themselves something more in line with their requirements. @Christiaan6 

 

When you showed them around I am sure you mentioned they were provided with one set of towels for their stay so I wonder how they got the idea the towels were changed daily?

 

I always reinforce these type of issues in my guide book and ask all guests to read it.

 

 

Ah yes, interesting! I think you're right. I'm putting my own opinions on top of what they said, regarding the hotel thing.

 

I really like the idea of sitting down and chatting with them. I think I freaked out a bit when they mentioned the sharing thing. Next time I'll ask them more.

 

Hmm yes. Good point on the towels. I'll make sure I mention specifically it's oen set for the stay next time. And the guidebook is a great idea.

 

Thank you @Helen3 

Kath9
Level 10
Albany, Australia

@Christiaan6, there will always be guests who don't read the listing. It's frustrating to say the least. When guests book, I send a message asking them to confirm they've read the listing carefully to ensure its a good fit for them. Dont pander to guests like this - chances are they will write a negative review anyway, but you can leave a public response to his review. Also, please make sure you review him honestly to warn future hosts. 

Christiaan6
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

@Kath9that's really helpful. Thank you.

That is a great idea. I can't tell you how many guests have not read the listing or even the message I send them with access information. Many guests don't read beyond the first sentence.

Emilia42
Level 10
Orono, ME

@Christiaan6 

My bet is that the guest did not fully read the listing and thought that they were renting an entire apartment. By the look of your photos it appears that way as there are no personal effects that I can see when quickly scrolling through. But don't change a thing; your home is beautiful! It never hurts to remind guests that they are sharing the home with you. Try messaging them with something like "Thank you so much for booking. As a reminder you will be renting a room in our private home. We will be there and available to answer and help with any questions but will also give you your privacy. We look forward to meeting you on the 30th of September!"

Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

@Christiaan6 so this guest wants it both ways- surprised he was sharing the space with yet expects someone to be there to change his towels daily?

Some people will always want more than you offer. I find the best strategy is to please everyone I can and get great reviews so my one off unhappy guest does not lower my rating dramatically.

Big learning curve.  I’ve recently had an experience where the guests obviously hadn’t read the review closely.  Within the first hour I’d received a bunch of complaints (ranging from one of my chicken’s pecking her - my description clearly states that the back garden is private, to covering up the cupola because the light would affect sleep quality ... all of which came as something of a shock given I’d had  15 x 5* reviews on the trot. There were also unreal expectations like a tv which she assured me I had listed (I hadn’t). I’m expecting a damning review now but trying to take it philosophically.  Any suggestions folks (aside from a big g&t)