Over Accommodating for Poor Reviews

Dreya0
Level 2
Springfield, MA

Over Accommodating for Poor Reviews

First let me start off by saying I absolutely hate how much value and power Airbnb gives to our guests. Including reviews, refunds, and whatever else. Guests take advantage of this service like no other. Ask for accommodations they know are not possible at any hotel or motel. Airbnb puts so much emphasis on reviews you are afraid to say no. So in hopes of getting a decent review you over accommodate even when it may make you feel uncomfortable or add extra work. Here's some personal stories as a host(I have a shared space): 

Guest 1 - Wakes me up at 2am to ask for a lint roller that was in the room in plain sight. I graciously act like being awoken from my sleep is no problem at all. Next day I get a 3 star review because guest didn't like the rug in the room. I am not making this up guys it gets better.

Guest 2 - Books room at 9am and wants to check in right away when my normal check in time is after 4pm and I already have a guest not required to check out until 10 am. Then I use the bracket of time in between to get the room prepared for my next guest. So I tell this Guest the earliest I can do is 2pm. He insists on 12pm. I reiterate 2pm if earlier I will let him know. He agrees. At 1:15 he tells me he is already here. The room was just finished so I said okay that is fine. Two days later 3 star review with check in being his major issue. Ha! All that and they still screw you. 

Guest 3 - Asks to leave luggage after scheduled check out time to return later to retrieve. Guest takes keys when asked not to but comes back 30mins before my next guest arrives. To not only get his luggage but shower again and get changed. Then nonchalantly asked for recommendations for the best local restaurant. Next day 4 star review with communication being the issue.

 

Guys I am a host in Springfield MA our market is low and the city here is pretty boring most of the guests are here for all the major hospitals locally, colleges, weed dispensaries, and the new casino. We can't charge more than 40bucks with 20bucks being the lowest charged and 60bucks being the highest but that host calendar is always empty. Anyway. No where else in this area does room and board cost so low. Our guests are getting access to toiletries, TV, pools, balcony views, shared kitchens. You name it at the cheapest price possible and they still even with all your accommodations find a reason to screw you over with reviews. 

 

 

This hosting experience for me has been so-so. Some amazing guests some terrible. Ironically my best guests and best reviews are from guests that need nothing extra, are quiet, and clean. Ha! Irony indeed. Anyway, this experience has been so stressful I can only host every two months. Income is decent but the stress isn't worth it. Anyone else feel how I feel? Can anyone relate? Let's be here for one another... I could use advice on how to make my experience better as a host.

 

Thank you for reading my post fellow hosts. Much Love and Much Respect. 

28 Replies 28
Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Dreya0  I'm sorry you've had such disrespectful guests. I've been lucky- I really don't get guests like this, but I think it can depend on what you offer, where your listing is, and why people come to stay.

According to thousands of posts here on the forum, one theme that becomes clear is that guests who demand special treatment, act entitled, or oblivious or uncaring of how disrespectful they're being (waking you at 2AM to ask for a lint roller?) will never leave you a good review no matter how much you bend over backwards for them and smile through privately gritted teeth. So there is literally nothing to be gained by letting these types of guests get away with this behavior, or enabling it by your niceness or because you are afraid of a bad review.

These types of people are actually inclined to behave better if you make it clear that while you have done everything to make their stay comfortable, and are available to help if need be, you are not a pushover or a doormat or their mommy or their personal valet. Be firm in your hosting style (if you need to go to bed at XX PM so you can get up and go to work in the morning, make sure guests understand this) and house rules and your personal boundaries. (Miss Lint Roller obviously needed a clear message when she checked in as to the hours you are available to guests).

The thing about people like this, and that holds true generally in life, not just with guests, is that these types will ironically respect you more the less you cave to their demands. They are used to getting their own way, either through bullying or a false sweetness, and letting them know that you can't be taken advantage of will often stop them in their tracks. And they may even leave a better review than if you kowtow to their entitled ways.

 

@Sarah977 I wholeheartedly thank you for your response. I can see how I have been a pushover and too lenient. I guess that fear of a bad review got to me most importantly silly me but I desperately want to believe people getting such a steal deal will be courteous. Respectful with some common sense. But I am wrong. Sadly at that. So I will take your advice and be more stern. At least that way if I get a poor review it didn't take extra sweat off my back to get it. It's a shame how rude and entitled people can be. To each its own they say. But believing in the good in others has always been my personal problem. But the stress of trying to be this amazing host only to be let down every other guest is overwhelmingly stressful. I will take all the advice provided to me and begin implementing some much needed changes. No more pushover hosting. Thank you again. 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Dreya0  You're very welcome .I hope it helps you feel more in charge. 

And you really don't have to be "stern", usually. Think if there is or was someone in your family, or a family friend, or a teacher, an older person who you respected- you knew that Auntie X was a good woman and generous and loving, and she did all kinds of nice things for people, but you also knew that she didn't put up with BS and not to cross her or there'd be hell to pay. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry, but use of my washing machine isn't one of the amenities I provide. There's a laudromat just down the block." 

"I'm off to bed now folks, I trust you can all take care of yourselves until morning, because you really don't want to see how grumpy I get when I'm sleep deprived."

" Whoa, whoa whoa- the arrangement was that you were coming back to get your bags- your check-out time has long past- I've already cleaned for the next guests- I'm afraid you'll have to find somewhere else to have a shower now. Happy trails."

 

I'm much the same as you- I used to assume that everyone is basically appreciative and respectful, and trusted them at their word. But I've been burned too many times in life by people taking advantage of that attitude and goodwill, and I've gotten to the point that while I don't naturally distrust people, I also don't just blindly assume they all have good intentions. And there are even people who do have good intentions (or at least self-deluded in thinking that they do), but in fact don't follow through on things, so their intentions are pretty much of no value. There's nothing at all wrong with going out of your way for guests- but save that for the nice guests who'll appreciate it, not the ones who think you owe it to them.

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

I spoke yesterday with my neighbor. His family owns a few Airbnb apartments and rooms and a small cafe next to it. They also live in the same house. I said how great it is to live at the same location, you don't have to drive to the city and wait for your guests on the street. He said yes, that's true... but guests will ring the doorbell for every single thing at any time of the day and night.

Oh... I never thought about that:///

 

The best reviews are from guests who read our listing, our messages with informations and instructions and are easy reachable by phone or Airbnb on the day of arrival and during their stay. By doing so they avoid problems and misunderstandings and their arrival and stay are always smooth. These guests are always happy people and they smile 🙂

 

Others will do everything wrong, will face complications and problems, get angry, tired, nervous and frustrated and the bad review is guaranteed. They ALWAYS blame the host for their own mistakes.

 

look, I knew this guest will leave a bad review even before they checked in 🙂 https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/How-to-recognize-a-bad-guest-at-a-first-glance-part-2/m-p/1...

 

Wow what a relief to know I am not the only one. I thank you for that article. I definitely need to scout better. Thank you for your gracious feedback. 

@Dreya0  I agree with @Sarah977 's advice - as soon as people get the sense that you're a pushover, their worst instincts take over.  Don't be held hostage to the fear of bad reviews. It may seem counterintuitive, but when you radiate strength and confidence people respect and appreciate your hospitality more than when you bend over backward. If you act like a doormat, you'll get treated like one.

 

You ask how to make your experience better as a host. I think you should start by identifying the patterns. Two things jump out at me right away: you accept same-day bookings (like Mr. 9 AM) and 1-night bookings. In my experience, these both have a very high likelihood of being problem guests. The last-minute ones are either poor planners, or they've just been kicked out of somewhere. And while one-nighters can be fine, they're poor value for you as a budget host for all the effort you must put into changing the room over and waiting for their arrival.

 

So my advice to you would be to set a Minimum Stay requirement (I find 3 nights ideal) and adjust your calendar Availability settings to block same-day requests. Put a little more of your personality in the listing so it really sinks in to people that they're staying in someone's household and not just a hotel room. And filter your guests a bit more aggressively in the correspondence before accepting a request; if you get a vibe that the guest wants special exemptions and privileges or otherwise isn't a good fit, ask follow-up questions and be prepared to decline.

 

These choices will almost certainly result in a better hosting experience,  but they can also reduce your occupancy in a low-demand market. So above all, I think it's crucial for homestay hosts that you don't rely on Airbnb for income. When it's just a side-hustle, you have much more freedom to choose quality over quantity.

 

 

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Anonymous 

I don't have an issue with same days or one nighters....in fact I find them great. The problems ones for me are those who think and plan it out like a military campaign. 

 

I mean, have a look at my June calendar! Plenty of one nighters in there and, no issues, smooth as silk!

June stays.png

I just think of all those cleaning fees I am going to get. The only annoyance I have is that ridiculous  message on the right of screen telling me I could increase my June bookings by 57% if I lowered my prices....Gee Wizz when will they stop that nonsense?

 

I find most IB's or, on the spur of the moment, bookings great Andrew. They are what fill my calendar up each month.

I do agree with you and @Sarah977 though, I will never give in to requests.....we;ll I might but I will do it my way, not theirs.

@Dreya0  @Branka-and-Silvia0 

 

Cheers.......Rob

 

 

 

@Robin4  Well, good for you! Clearly you've found the pattern that gives you the hosting experience you want, so there's no need to fix what ain't broken. 

 

But your situation is different in relevant ways. You offer an Entire Home, so you don't have to choose guests you share space with. You aren't limited to budget travelers as guests, and you can charge enough for a 1-nighter to compensate you well for the effort. And with hundreds of reviews, your professional status makes it clear that you're not taking any nonsense. That's all to say, I don't think your parameters would work so well for an in-home budget room host with less experience.

 

 

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Anonymous , Yeah, look once again you are right but, that's the wonderful thing about the CC,  we get to relate and pass on our experiences.

Andrew, there is no way on Gods earth I could host a stranger sleeping through a thin wall in my house. There are a few locked doors and a stretch of garden space between me and my guests. So my way of hosting will be different from those who host in house. I can have as much or as little interaction as I desire with my guests.

As far as making money is concerned, I don't make a fortune out of this. Running an Airbnb is not a fire hydrant to riches!

Profit statement.png

But Andrew, at least I know I make money...I don't guess that I might!

 

Cheers.......Rob

 

 

 

@Anonymous  I'm like @Robin4  in that I say "cha-ching" when I get one-nighters! AND, I am a homeshare host! 🙂

 

For reference, my nightly rate is $45-$65 plus a $15 cleaning fee.

 

For me, the only downside to one-nighters is extra wear and tear from washing sheets/towels.

 

But the upside? They usually don't arrive until late in the day and leave well before check-out time. Aside from the laundry, there is usually less cleaning as they barely touch stuff while they're there. They are usually low maintenance as far as questions/requests. And as Robin mentioned, the cleaning fee is not spread out over multiple nights so it adds up quickly when you have multiple one-nighters.

@Suzanne302  I think of the Cleaning Fee as a supplement for short-term stays, rather than the cost of cleaning. It wouldn't be worth it without one. From a purely monetary perspective, it could be an option. I don't like it, though - from the guest perspective Airbnb already has a hefty extra fee tacked on, so another one levied by the host makes them feel 

 

But in my experience, arrival dates occupy substantially more work than interim dates during a multi-day stay. It would take a lot more than $15 or $20 to compensate for the thorough cleaning of the guest space, and time spent waiting for guests' arrival accounting for possible delays, and giving the orientation to the space - all of which take several hours out of your day. For someone who also has work and other engagements outside of home, it's a lot of extra commitment for relatively little gain, and unless making beds is your real passion in life it can accelerate the burnout. Plus there's the feeling of a revolving door into your personal space, and the fact that having 1-night bookings scattered across your calendar makes it harder to accommodate longer ones.

 

If someone is saying their hosting experience is just "so-so" and feeling worn down after a relatively small number of guests, it just seems plain as day to me that the piddly one-night bookings are not worth the extra bit of pocket change.

 

@Anonymous  I wasn't trying to argue that one-nighters are for everyone. I was just saying they are golden to me, personally, as homeshare host. There are so many variables including what type of space you have and your location that means they are not a fit for everyone. All those things you mentioned are not really an issue for me. I have self check-in so I don't have to worry about waiting around for guests and thoroughly cleaning one bedroom and bathroom does not take several hours.

 

I have a 90-95% occupancy rate so I'm not missing out on anything and I definitely don't consider 1-night bookings piddly! Again, that's just for me, personally. I wasn't trying to convince anyone else they should embrace them.

Andrew! I love your tips and feedback. Couple things so Airbnb is my side hustle as a single mom. I work fulltime and make a decent salary. But to save for trips and a college fund. Airbnb seemed at first like a no brainer. All the other hosts in my area do have minimum stay requirements as this being a business I research my competitors daily. Therefore, I don't and yes this has caused my space to always be booked. The longest I have went without a guest is 2days while other hosts in my area their calendars are awfully open. Yet I am sure they are having a more stress free experience then me. One thing I will do is stop the same day booking. I had a guest book at 10pm last night. Due to the room being ready I accepted and there was no issue at all. I am definitely going to stop being a doormat that is certain. Like Sarah said I can still be kind but with limitations. So I have already implemented the change of my contact hours. Should I make it clear that I am not open for accommodations from the gate? Because usually these requests hit when the guest is already here. & Until I find my backbone I really struggle with saying no. I am truly a very kind loving individual and always have been although it has caused me great pain and stress. 

@Dreya0  Once you change your settings from same-day bookings to at least 24 hours' notice, you won't get those people who are standing at the gate trying to book, because your listing won't show up for their chosen date.

 

One other note:  I never believe hosts who say they "can't" raise their prices.  Why not try it and see what happens?  In my experience higher prices mean better guests and better reviews.  It's a conundrum but it really works.