Dear All, please help me, I am interested in your opinions about this weird case....
This is the story of the past 24 hours, my guests happily taking over the place (i had my friend as a help with cleaning and checking in because we were on a holiday as well) an hour later sending a message that they can't stay because of hygenic reasons (detailed above), leaving the apartment asap to a hotel, next they going back to home country, wanting full refund.... (it was a 5 day booking by my place) please read below my answer.
'Dear .....,
I have been to the apartment today evening directly going there form the airport to check up and investigate what has happened. After receiving your rather serious sounding message regarding the cleaningness of the apartment I have to say that I took the case very seriuosly. I have checked everything you have mentioned in your message, and I would like to inform you about the results:
- I have wiped the floor in the bathroom and the living area with a soft, dry, white cloth to see if any visible dirt stay on it. After wiping both of the areas I have found 1 piece of brown hair, about 10 cm long, otherwise the white cloth was clean without the tiniest mark on it. (sorry about that one hair)
- There is a discoloured, light yellow spot in the bath tube, right under the tap,( it is due to the age of the bath and the high mineral contenct of the water in The Hague) - the bath is made of metal and not acryllic - we are using 2 different kind of cleaning agents to keep it as white as we can, additionally after each of our guests we use bleach and a professional HACCP approved antibacterial spray both in the bath tube, the basin and the toliet to keep it as clean as it is possible.
- I have checked the table cloth, it was smeelling of fabric softener due to the fact that we wash it after every guests just like the tea towels and the bedsheets, also ironing them as steam is the best sanitising agent for fabrics.
I have also checked the rest of the apartment, the kitchen was shiny clean, and the wooden and laminated furnitures were dustless and had been treated with furniture care spray.
After the check up I have called my cleaning lady and I asked her regarding the day of your arrival to hear her part of the story as well. She was informing me about that when you and your partner have arrived and took over the keys and checked in both of you seemed to be happy and satisfied after she showed you everything in the apartment in small details - the cleaner lady's husband who was also there to help to translate asked both of you if you are happy with the apartment and he also confirmed that you and your partner were very happy and had no questions or comments.
So after they left about an hour later I have received your message understanding that there is a 'big issue' happening so I have called you immeditaly on the phone trying to sort out the case, my plan was after hearning and reading you that I check up on the apartment the next morning after your arrival and clean everything that you found not satisfactioning. Unfortunately I was informed by you that you have already left the apartment and would stay overnight in a hotel and the next day returning to your home country.
I would like to point out that it is definately non of my business if you are deciding to leave a 4 nights and 5 days long planned abroad holiday behind because a 'dirty table cloth' and leave back home immediately but it is rather strange - especially because non of your 'big issue' concerns were pointed out by nor you or your partner when the apartment was showed to you personally, - the reason I am insisting on that my guests not only picking up the keys but getting introduced to the apartment is to give them a direct platform to ask and announce their opinions right at checking in.
Regarding the payments: as you can also see Airbnb has adjusted the costs accordingly to your cancellation. My apartment has a flexible cancellation policy, it means that you can cancel your booking anytime for free until the last 24 hours before arrival. In the last 24 hours before arrival full cancellation is not possible, Airbnb charges their booking cost as well as fee for the apartment. The payment details made by Airbnb you can find in your canceled reservation notification if I am right.
I deliberately chose flexible cancellation policy for my guests, understanding that something unexpected can happen any time so it is very important that they can cancel their trip for free before the last 24 hours, but your case is absolutely different from the above mentioned in many meanings as it is obvious for both of us.
I would have been a lot happier to have you as my guests and I am sorry that you refused my offer to meet in person and check the apartment together, maybe there is a reason why you didn't want to do this, I am always open for conversations and as you saw I was reacting immediately.
Best Wishes'
So what do you think, what is going on?
thanks for any opinion:)
