Inconsiderate guest or bad host?

[Lily179]

Hi all,

I have been a host in Airbnb for about 7 months and recently I encountered number of inconsiderate guests where they seems not reading the listing description/house rule before making a booking.

Story 1:

Had a guest booked my AirBnB one month in advance and send in a request for an early check-in. Seeing I have availability the day before, I purposely block one day in order to accommodate her request. Move forward, 17 hours before check-in, the guest demands for 2 parking space. I patiently explained that each unit in the complex are allocated with ONLY ONE parking space and any additional request for an extra parking space needs to go through the Management office. In my best effort to assist the guest, I request the guest to provide the car registration number in order for me to make the necessary arrangement with the Management office. However, it took the guest hours (only replied at 11:00PM) to get back to me with the details and by that time, the Management office is already closed for the day.

After explaining the situation to the guest and offer to apply the "visitor parking" the next day, the guest puts in another request - to do light cooking in the AirBnB. Assuming that they might have overlooked on the House Listing/Description, I once again took the time to explain to them on my house rules. To my dismay, the guest responded unpleasantly to my message. After receiving such response, I politely suggest that if my AirBnB does not meet their needs, they are still able to cancel their booking with full refund. I would rather have guest cancel their booking realizing that my AirBnB is not what their looking for rather than receiving a bad review from them due to their refusal to read through my listing properly. Eventually, the guest decides that they would still want to proceed with their booking and that they would not mind dining out. As a resident who have been staying in the area for years, I've provided them with a list a few places they could go to get some grub.

In spite of this, my effort in "entertaining" this guest did not end there. On the day of their check-in, I receive yet another unpleasant message from them to start of my day. "NO TV?!!!" was the message I get. I had to gather every ounce of patient and grace to once again explaining and list out to them on the amenities I provide in my AirBnB to which if they have had taken the time read through my listing they would have known what to expect.

Story 2:

During booking, a guest made a reservation and state the number of guest that will be checking in to be ONE guest. Though it is not customary for a host to provide amenities, I do offer some complimentary tea, coffee, mineral water, snack as well as towels, and I will provide the quantity of the amenities depending on the number of guest mentioned during booking. Unfortunately, this particular guest fail to properly indicate the right number of guest (booked for 1 guest but 2 people check-in) and left me a not too good review due to the lack of complimentary amenities.

Story 3:

Provided some complimentary tea, coffee and sugar sachets on the kitchen counter for the guest and store the remaining stocks in a drawer (hidden drawer). However, there are few occurances where some light-fingered guest not only "finishes" the complimentatry sachets I've provided on the counter, they even ransack the sachets stocks (approoximately > 50 packs for tea, coffee, even sugar EACH) that I have store away for next guests.

I just wonder, if I am a bad host ?

Thank you! Please share with me your experience! 

[Ava30]

Greetings Lily: No, you’re not a bad host because your guests do not read your listing details. Personally, I do find them a bit confusing as far as no cooking. You say the guests must wash all cups, plates, pots and pans after use. Then you say no cooking. Why would they be using pots and pans if they couldn’t cook? It doesn’t make sense.  You might want to clarify or change the wording. 

The only other thing I could suggest is before you accept a reservation, message the prospective guest with something like “As a Reminder, Please note there is No cooking allowed, there is no TV and only one parking space available. If all of this is agreeable I will be happy to accept  your booking request.”   You can add anything else that has come up as a problem if you feel it is important. Good Luck! 

[Lily179]

Hi Ava,

Good day! Thank you for your advise here and I really appreciate it.

Reason why i put the pot and pan there because i do provide them in the house, where for the guest to put their take away food from outside, similar to big bowl because sometime guest will buy cold drink and the water will be dripping all over the floor. Therefore, I got mini pot and mini pan from dollar store for this purpose.  You're right, i've update the listing description and only put "Wash plate and cup after used:)

I turned on instant book so I do not have choice to to even reject them.I do have guests didnt read through the listing but they never make fuss of it after i explained to them. They were very understanding toward the provided amentities. However, just minority of them out there 😞

Thank you very much! Now i know where to improve and update my listing properly! Have a nice day and good luck too!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Lily179

ah... do not allow them to use you as a door mat.  I realized when I agree to make one exception then the next one will follow. The best is to stick to your guns and just politely but firmly say NO from the begining.

I said this before and I will repeat it again - I often feel like a big mama dealing with a bunch of kids.

[Lily179]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

Good day! 

Yes,  thank you very much!!  You're not alone because i feel you. i think the problem is I give in too much and they will just asking for more special requests.  Sometime they will pestering me for their special request or being very rude if i dont agree with it. Out of coutersy, I will try my best to accomondate their requests but seems like sometime I am taking stone throwing on my own feet. Haha

Just hope that guest outthere will really understand that Airbnb is somekind like homestay but not 5 star hotel. 

P/S: but...there is minority of really good guest staying with my unit and i feel so lucky for their kind gesture or understanding.

Anyway, thank you for your advice! It's very useful for me and it's time to be FIRM. !! Cheers

[Lily180]

I just want to point out that you are not alone and you are not a bad host. Some new guest they are still very easy to communicate with as long as you explain clearly, but some of them you just can't. I just had a guest recently who is not only discriminating but also racist. He left me some very offensive message and saying that is how he will be reviewing me. And in the message it contains a lot offensive (racist) information (which I had to report him). He messaged me saying he is new to airbnb and then kept sending me message asking very everything is so I answered him as soon as possible. I believe the reason he left me the offensive message just because he did not reading the description very well. In the review he lied about everything. For example (this are his exact words) " Laundry: I had to buy my own detergent - which wasn't a problem - it was the fact that I asked when a good time to use the machines was. She actually replied back that they weren't available and, "Since it's your first time using Airbnb, you may not know that some amenities are not available...""   Please see following image, I never said he can't not use it.

another example(exact words again):"Kitchen: no cookware unless you eat what Lily eats which is rice. I had to buy my own can opener. She had exactly enough dishes for 1. Her. She had no cookware. Unless you're making rice. "

Which I find this is a little racist/discriminating, first of all, I have tons plates and bowl in the cabinet and the dish wash (he never asked or looked for it) I don’t even have a rice cooker or even rice in my house so I have no idea where he got that. I do have a can opener when you open the drawers as well. 

 

I just want to share are that you are not alone on this, and everyone is different. You gonna run into some great guest and some aren't. I believe you just need to do the best you could. 

[Lily179]

@Lily180  *hug*  I really appreciate for your story and it does make me feel other host is facing the same issues!  Totally agree on " I believe the reason he left me the offensive message just because he did not reading the description very well"  because my guest just did that to me for something that I have clearly stated on my listing, I do not have TV. She gave me 5 stars for all categories but in overall rating she gave 4 which causing the overall rating drop. I think this is not my problem because of her not read the listing description before she book but I have to take up the consequence 😞 

I think Airbnb should really looking the rating system and the calculation of the rating.  One point is guest always think Airbnb is hotel and requesting for everything! It's fine for me if they ask politely but not think is mandatory. 

Thank you for your words! I'll remember it and take it lightly. I was a bit sad because of my overall rating dropped but I guess there is no fair game in this. Good luck to you and i hope you will have more nice and honest guest! 

[Fred13]

@Lily0 I think your 'problem' is that you are a nice, well-spoken person and expect the same of all others, best not to.  Set your guest parameters (and personal expectations while at it) to be more in line to the average guest you will get. Less frustrating that way. Hosting oftentimes requires a bit of 'role playing'. 😉

[Debra279]

Being a new host I have had very pleasant experiences until now. Shared house 4 bedrooms. My  guest booked for 1 person checks in. I went over next day she checked in late. Another guest had texted me pictures of dirty dishes in sink, and loud music from them (key word more than the one registered) till 3am in morning.  I arrive to the inside of house smelling of smoke marijuana!!  no smoking in house clearly stated in house manual. The girl who registered had a boyfriend with her who she told me just visiting not sleeping there. The house a mess garbage can in kitchen instead of closet pot pans ect in sink. I politely asked her if she read manual , she said no. I explained rules she said I didn’t know anyone else was here, one other guest bedroom door was closed. In a nutshell this is a very long and arduous story. She turned house upside down like it was hers inconsiderate of other guests. I have gotten 5 more complaints and now a 3rd guest slept on couch in living room. Her boyfriend was sleeping there and they fought. I went over and she screamed at me, because I explained the underwear left in shared bathroom countertop was a no no. I also asked them to be quieter. I had full house yesterday they fought again I got complaint. I had asked Air BnB to help with complaints I was told because extended stay they could not cancel . Politely my other host emailed her she lied and said she was sick they would be quiet now ect he said she could stay with her boyfriend. Today after another complaint lodged  for fighting and she invited a third guest who slept on couch in living room , it  was exculated to higher dept of Air BnB because of so many host emails and guest complaints. Why am I not allowed to cancel her reservation? Does Air BnB believes her stories? My other host said he asked her to leave a 2nd time but he couldn’t cancel it. I don’t believe this. I think my other hosts just wants the money but I have to deal these nightmares. I am now afraid she will try to rebook. Anybody help me? There are more things they blatantly disregard but I don’t want drag this on.She has never stayed at a BnB before young girl maybe 22. Help!

[Alexandra316]

@Debra279I don't understand what you mean about Airbnb not allowing you to cancel: you can always cancel a reservation. I would call back and speak with someone else if they original customer service rep wouldn't do it for you, or message @airbnbhelp on Twitter. If you've already spoken with the guest and they're not listening to you, pretty much the only thing you can do is cancel.