Language and religious belief barriers

[Courtnay0]

Good morning fellow Superhosts!

I would like to share and hear suggestions regarding language barriers and religious diversity. 

First let me say, I had a very bad experience with hosting guest from a similar background as my current guest. I am happy to say Airbnb fully supported me and all was resolved in my favor.

So, having faith in the human race to be more good than bad, I accepted a new reservation from a guest with similar background. I know the new policy of not being able to see a photo of the potential guest until reservations are made is to prevent discrimination, however what about the guest that doesn't post a photo ever? I accepted a reservation from my current guest with no photo, and the profile was written in a language that I could not read. There was no translation available and I could not even copy and paste the text into a translation engine to read what it said anyway. Additionally, this guest had no reviews because they are new to AirBnB.

So, I basically accepted a reservation completely blind. When corresponding before accepting the reservation, it was asked if I could keep my pets away from the guest room. I explained that was not possible due to the front and back doors being on the same floor as the guest room I have listed with Airbnb. I waited a couple of days to let that information register with the guest and reached out again to ask if they had found other arrangements. Of course I'm concerned with my response rate, etc. They explained that they had not been able to find another place, so after reiterating I could not keep my dog from passing by the room when taking her for walks... I explained that I did keep her out of the guest room to be considerate of guests with allergies. At this point the guest quickly mentioned they were allergic also and that would be a fine arrangement. So, I approved the reservation.

When my guest arrived, this could not have been further from the truth. They are absolutely terrified of my small, friendly dog and upon the initial meeting the guest almost skewered my dog with their umbrella in a defensive movement that was completely unnecessary! As it turns out, the guest has a very strict religious belief that is against any contact whatsoever with dogs. Not an allergy after all and as a result my hosting ability has been greatly impaired, which I am sure will be reflected in the review unfortunately. I have done my best to still accommodate and be a good host despite these clear deceptions from the guest from the beginning. I'm all about religious freedom, but this restriction has been thrust upon my household without my concent. Is that okay?

Well, here we are 1/2 way through the reservation and the guest has indicated that they may end their stay here 5 days early. Which will leave me with a gap in my calendar. Meanwhile, I have purchased additional dog gates to limit my dog's area for their comfort and have no clear idea if Airbnb will refund the guest...if any of my fellow Superhosts have words of wisdom to lend...I'm all ears! After all, this is only my 2nd year hosting, I know I have lots to learn.

I guess I just wish Airbnb would require more clarity from the guests we must accept into our homes. It seems a common courtesy...right?

Courtnay from The ARSTY SPACE

[Matt682]

Hi Courtney, I can see why this frustration would be worrying for you.

Having read this I can see some things you can do to manage this in the future, but there are things I would say both sides need to accept.

Firstly, if it isn’t already just make very clear in your listing that your home is shared with a particularly furry family member. You can even try signing off your messages with “Courtney & Fido (the dog)”. Be very clear that the dog has full run of your family home, and that you won’t be limiting it. If you then start to limit doggo’s movement after a guest arrives, then you are going above and beyond as a Superhost to exceed guest expectations 😉

As far as I’m aware, and I stand to be corrected, but I don’t think dogs are a religious issue, but rather a cultural one. Either way, Airbnb codes of conduct won’t allow you to choose your guests based on either of those factors, and the policy of hiding photos until booking was designed exactly to stop that kind of filtering. Whilst we can’t pick and choose our guests, they can chose homes that are or are not suitable for thier individual needs - if you’ve given clarity around the presence of a pet it then becomes very much a “them issue” rather than a “you issue”.

In terms of knowing your guest however, you can mandate the presence of a face photograph (to be revealed after the booking is confirmed). If you think it isn’t clear then you can report the profile and cancel the booking penalty free. It’s a great a great filter to help foster trust between host and guest. I don’t use it, but I do require Govt ID which serves the same purpose.

If the guest wants to cut their stay short then I’d say let them. I offer my guests a full refund only if I can re-let the rooms, otherwise I default to my chosen cancellation policy. This seems fair to me, they knew what they signed up for, but if I’m not out of pocket, then I can be flexible in the interest of customer service. Some have got their money back, others haven’t - no negative feedback at all, and all so far have been happy with my attempt to be flexible.

You need to consider what will happen, and what’s in your personal best interests:

Option A) They stay because they have paid and can’t get a refund, in which case the last 5 days are miserable for both parties as neither wants the guests there. This could impact a review, and it won’t be reviewed because it is factual “I wasn’t able to stay with the dog I thought was noises and boisterous and the host refused to let me out of my reservation early”. Is the 5 days revenue worth the negative review and the awkward home?

Option B) They go to Airbnb CS and cite irreconcilable differences with hosts, they get thier money back anyway, you may lose revenue if you can’t re-let, and the review issue above remains. You also have this ability, but they will still provide a refund for the remaining nights. Lost revenue and maybe a negative review?

Or you just go for option C) You let them out early, give that great service Americans (particularly in the south) are famous for, and you keep them happy. Do the refund thing I said above and you can protect your review and your revenue as much as is possible. Hopefully that allows you to work with the guest, and they see that. It also provides a legitimate defence for any negative review, you can simply respond, “I’m sorry you didn’t get on with doggo, it was clear in the listing and in our communications he was here. To try and help you out I did offer to let you out of your reservation early if I could re-book, even though it was outside of the cancellation policy”.

I hope that helps, at least a little. I hope it works out for you, but holla if you have any questions about my response.

Matt

[Courtnay0]

Hi Matt!

Thank you for the amazing response! I had planned on letting the guest out of their stay of course. It would never do to hold someone to a reservation that caused discomfort. I did express that to my guest also and made sure to convey there were no negative feelings on my part regarding the possible decision to cut the stay short. I didn't know how it would be handled by Airbnb regarding unblocking the remaining days of the reservation. It would require a quick cleaning turn around to make the space available to a new reservation...just an unexpected schedule change and expense not planned for yet another week. I'm on a very tight budget. I should reiterate that my guest has not yet informed me if they will stay or check out. Just having this possibility kind of hanging over my head is causing me undue stress...lol. Now I'm complaining. Not my usual attitude. Regarding the missing profile photo, I'm actually not super worried about the lack of one, however, and tell me what you think...the description or profile text that is supposed to introduce the guest...was in Arabic. I tried to capture it to translate it but was not able. 

I am definitely going to review my profile and make some revisions as you've suggested. Highlighting my fur baby as part of my family will be fun and easy! I was not aware of the option of requiring government I.d. with the option to cancel if not provided. You say there is no penalty if done properly? This might not have been an issue if they feel comfortable posting their VISA...but I didn't think to ask... That's a good tool to keep in my portfolio. Thank you.

As far as keeping my dog away from my guest, i would never question a guest's reason...be it religious or cultural. My job as a Superhost is to make their stay as exceptional as I can. I like option C...of your listed scenarios! I especially like the idea of adding Duchess (my dog) to my signature!

You are a wealth of knowledge Matt!

Thanks a million!

Courtnay & Duchess

[Matt682]

Duchess - Love it!

No problems at all 😄

To tackle the language on the profile, there should be a translate button to change it to your defined language somewhere? I’ve had reviews left in other languages and can just click the link and it translates, same in messages. Maybe have a scout for that link?

My profile is in English, but I wouldn’t even consider trying to translate it if I was travelling abroad to any country. Partly it wouldn’t cross my mind, partly I would assume the platform would do it automatically, but also, it’s a lot of effort if I’m not already fluent. Maybe that reflects badly on me as a traveller though - it certainly goes a long way when people make the effort to try and speak the native language.

Regarding, Govt ID, no-one else sees it, only Airbnb; you send them a selfie and a photo of your ID (no privacy issues that way). Then they post a badge on the profile which then allows you to book (check my profile to see what it looks like). When activated by a host, if you don’t have it, you wouldn’t meet the requirements and would be prevented from instant booking. I think you can still request, but gives you a legit reason to decline. I have a message template I send to my guests; I’ll paste it below. I do it to deter scams, improve quality of guests, deter crime, and improve guest safety.

To hurry your incumbent guests a little, I would speak to them and say that the more notice they give you of thier altered departure date, the more chance you have of re-letting the room and them getting a refund. That might help them speed up the decision.

I don’t think you should be out of pocket for additional expenses, so consider just bumping the new dates up a few dollars to cover it. You will just need to find a value that keeps you even without price gouging and keep a clear concience. If you re-let the room, you aren’t out of pocket, and if you can’t, then the previous guest is on the hook anyway so you’re still fine 😉

[Matt682]

Hi there!

Thanks for your request to stay! Really happy to have you.

In order to book, all you need to do is verify your government ID with Airbnb. I’ve done it, and it’s a really quick process, all you do is take a photo of your driver’s licence or passport.

Airbnb do not share your details with your hosts, but they do add a label to your profile to show hosts that you have been verified by them (you can look at my profile to see what it says). As soon as you have verified your ID, you will be able to use the instant book function to reserve your room.

This link will help you with registering your ID...

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/1237/how-does-it-work-when-airbnb-asks-for-an-id?q=Verify%20my...

I look forward to seeing your booking confirmation and to meeting you soon.

All the best, Matt

[Mark116]

@Courtnay0  I'd get rid of them.  They were not honest about their ability to co-exist with a dog, and that is on them.  In a just world, they wouldn't get a refund, but this isnt' a just world.  I'd say a refund could possibly blunt a bad review, but I'd be prepared for a bad review either way.  I would also give them the review they deserve. 

[Kath9]

@Courtnay0, I had this same issue on a number of occasions when I first started hosting (and I know what background you are referring to). Actually, it is a religious issue because I asked one of my guests about why they were so terrified of the dog touching them - he told me that their religion prohibits them from touching dogs and that dogs are considered 'dirty'. Why they would book a place with a dog is beyond me. I have had people run screaming down the hallway, knock a large picture off the wall attempting to get away, etc. And anyone who pokes an umbrella at a dog clearly doesn't understand dogs - this could have been a very big problem for you if your had dog retaliated.

Anyhoo...I have since made it VERY CLEAR on my profile that I have a dog and have included a picture of my dog in my photos.

Under 'Other things to note', I have this:

I have a lovely friendly kelpie-lab cross who goes in and out as she likes, so liking dogs is essential!

Under 'House Rules', I have this:

This accommodation is not suitable for people who are afraid of dogs or whose religion prevents them from touching dogs. Unfortunately, I cannot be responsible for trying to keep the dog from interacting you if you decide to book.

I have everyone who books confirm that they have read the booking and house rules. People who request to book who appear to be from the background you are talking about I specifically message to say that I have a very interactive dog and ask them whether they will have a problem with that.

Since doing all these things, I have had very few issues. Please do not bend over backwards for guests who fail to read the listing (like purchasing dog gates...really???). It is your guests' responsibility to read the listing and book accommodation that is suitable. If they don't, it's their problem. I refuse to try to keep my dog away any longer from people who are scared of them. They booked - their problem.

Happy hosting!

[Anonymous]

@Courtnay0  As a host in a shared home, and especially one with a dog, some screening of guests prior to accepting a booking is necessary. Not for purposes of cultural or religious discrimination, but rather to ensure that they meet some basic criteria, such as:

1. They have read the listing, acknowledge that it's a shared home rather than Entire House, and consider it suitable for them.

2. They've confirmed that they know there is an indoor dog (and preferably communicate that they like dogs)

3. You are able to effectively communicate with them, even if it means some use of translation software.

A softer criterion that is essential if the whole "Superhost" thing is important to you is that the guest comes across in their correspondence as genuinely enthusiastic about your listing and willing to work within your parameters (rather than demanding things that aren't on offer). That detail makes the difference between guests who will leave 5 star reviews and those who are fine but give lower ratings.

In this case your guest didn't meet any of the criteria; despite the pressure from Airbnb to keep up this ridiculous "Acceptance Rate" it really would've been better to either decline him or engage in follow-up correspondence that would lead him to withdraw the request. 

Once the guest is in your home, the fact that it's not suitable for them is no longer just "their problem." It's also yours, and possibly your dog's, and the choices you make will have consequences. You can negotiate the terms of terminating the booking and possibly waiving your cancellation policy, or you can keep the money but be stuck with miserable guests, accept a 1-star review, and lose your SH status. Either way, it is most definitely your problem, one that you willfully risk when you accept a booking without ascertaining that it's suitable.