I received a poster from Airbnb

[Inna22]

I received a poster (I assume as a present) from Airbnb in the mail. Here are my ungrateful thoughts:

It is a cute map and it says "Pin where you are from " or something like that. I would have to either let guests pin the poster itself which means multiple little holes in my walls or spend $80 for a cork board (the poster is pretty big). I will also need to buy the pins- I guess minor expense but still annoying. These pins will be all over the place an inevitably someone will step on one and complain. Alternatively, I can hang a sharpie. It will have to be taped to the wall and the poster already says "pin" so now the whole thing will look home made in the bad sense of the word. So in the trash it went. I give it 3 stars for communication (I got an email from USPS that something was coming but would have rather gotten an email with a choice of gifts), 1 star for value, 5 stars for location (map was accurate and package arrived where intended), 2 stars for accuracy (a gift should be fully usable and not require additional purchasing and assembly)

[Susan151]

@Inna22  Did you read the enclosed card?

[Inna22]

@Susan151 regretfully I did not! There was a small paper that did not look like a card and I was actually in a huge jam to get ready for next guests as previous smoked in the house so I was frantically fumigating. Only after I thought that I should have still looked at it. Do you know what it said?

[Kath9]

Hahaha @Inna22, I received a poster too! And while I'm grateful for the gift (and was very excited about receiving a UPS package all the way from America), these are my thoughts exactly. I was hoping it would be something useful like Airbnb mugs or towels or slippers or something. Funnily enough, I have previously thought about having a map on the wall with pins, but have just never got round to it. When I got this map, I thought, here's my chance! But, yes, I would need to purchase a cork board (and pins), which I haven't costed yet. It does seem somewhat odd to send a gift that the recipient then needs to spend money on to make it functional. Anyway, will let you know if I ever get round to it.

[Inna22]

If they wanted to send something guest facing, a guest book, soap dish or some pens or even an umbrella would have been so much more useful. But do let me know if you end up putting it together!

[Kath9]

@Inna22 we could come up with all sorts of ideas couldn't we? It could be a branding opportunity for Airbnb too (I don't even think the map is branded). Keyrings, rain ponchos, facecloths, so many more useful things. The map also assumes we have enough space on our wall to put it. 

Anyway, here's a picture of the card:

[Alex-and-Vaughan0]

That should go straight to the Pool Room.

[Kath9]

@Alex-and-Vaughan0 you gotta be Aussie to understand that one! Tell Airbnb they must be dreaming!

[Helen350]

@Kath9 Your thoughts are exactly my thoughts!

[Inna22]

 there is Airbnb logo in the corner @Kath9 . If I knew it was from the community center I probably would not have posted my ungrateful thoughts here. It came to one of my properties not to my house so I assumed it was for being a host for a certain amount of time - that property is the one I started with. I feel terrible now. I hope our moderators will forgive me. I do appreciate a thought that goes  into any gift  @Lizzie  @Stephanie my apologies. Goes to show yet again that if I don’t have anything nice to say I shouldn’t say anything at all

[Stephanie]

It's alright, I've finally stopped crying @Inna22 .... We wanted it to be a surprise, hence the lack of pre-warning and subsequent 3 stars on communication 😛

[Christine1]

@Stephanie   Well, if I get one Ill be very grateful, I  love all my Airbnb souvenirs, and ifirst saw this idea many years ago, but couldn't settle on which map to use.

I  wouldn't ever bin something which could be passed on to someone else either. Maps are so meaningful to school students too, and not cheap to buy. 

Tonight I  had a delightful conversation  with one of my guests as we compared stories about places we had interests and connections to. Together we were pointing out locations on a large  puzzle map of the world. 

One day I hope to receive a gold key and a map.

I'm an Airbnb tragic.  

Congratulations on your good fortune. If you don't  need it, then pay it forward and regift it to an education centre. 

Make it into a puzzle, offer it to a guest,  use it as gift wrap,  turn it into christmas decorations, laminate it and use it as a placemat or a dozen other uses. 

All the best.

[Susan1404]

@Inna22 - I truly hope I receive one.  I will put it in a simple frame with cardboard backing, hang it up and get some little sticky dots for people to use instead of pins.  I really like the idea.  I think maybe you were a bit hasty in pitching it.

[Inna22]

@Susan1404 Sticky dots are a brilliant idea

[Kath9]

@Susan1404good idea! Perhaps some thick cardboard backing would work with pins. Would be cheaper than corkboard and easy to cut to size. I think I'll give this a go.