Selecting guests comforts is a pain in the A*se

[Robin4]

Like nearly all of us I like to attend to the finer details when preparing a listing!

I was maybe a bit rushed today having had less than two hours to prepare for the next guest.

I was in the process of showing Cheryl and Tim through the cottage when Cheryl suddenly said to me....

"Is the bowl of fruit trying to tell me something?".....

We all had a good laugh but, how could I have overlooked something like that. I have come to learn recently that some guests could see that as being personally offensive, and I kicked myself for not taking a bit more notice!

While on funny things a host told me a couple of days ago....and, maybe it's an old chestnut, but I hadn't heard it before.

A guest turned up with 7 when the booking was for 4! The host said that Airbnb rules state the number of guests staying have to be declared at the time of booking. The extra guests have to be included in the booking and there would be an additional payment required to accommodate the 3 extra guests!

The main guest said...."Oh no, those three are not guests....they are baggage handlers, they don't have to pay"!

Cheers.....Rob

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

this pear speaks all the languages 😄  lol

[Ange2]

@Robin4  

"Oh no, those three are not guests....they are baggage handlers, they don't have to pay"!

Very imaginative:)  I had a couple once who  said their extra "guest" was not a guest – 'it' was their mother!

btw: Did the guest pay up, nicely?

[Sandra126]

@Robin4: That bowl of fruit only says one thing: GENEROUS HOST.

[Melissa640]

Totally agree!

[Robin4]

@Sandra126

I have learned, if you include very little, the guest will take whatever you offer, possibly feeling they have to get 'value for money'!

If you offer lots, very little actually use very little!

We never have to buy fruit in the house for ourselves. Half our guests won't touch anything on that fruit plate. Half the remainder will use something, but the number of guests who would leave the plate bare over the last year I could count on one hand.

Same with the nuts, the eggs and bacon and the fruit juice! Less then half the guests would eat the eggs and bacon and probably around a third would have the juice.

The thing which is well utilized is the cheese plate, crackers and dips. Guests do really appreciate that and most often the cheese plate will have been consumed. But Sandra that is the one part that has very little expense atached to it! I get all my cheeses from a large local supermarket here, they are all close to the 'best before' date.  The manageress of the deli section puts them away for me and I never have to pay more than 50c per cheese. So that cheese plate is an absolute winner and most of the reviews will make some mention of it in a positive way!

So Sandra, it looks like I spend a lot of money on condiments...... but I don't! According to my monthly profit and loss statements my average spend per guest night is $6.20....it's just a part of doing business!

Cheers.....Rob

[Andreas-and-Anna0]

The plate was telling Cherly that she needs more nookie in her life

[Robin4]

@Andreas-and-Anna0

I don't know...Tim looked as though he was pretty much up for anything!

I am all the time worried about, that kids wet nappy that got thrown under bed, where the cobwebs might be lurking...heaven forbid if a cockroach ever ran across the floor. I have this place sealed up like the gas chamber at San Quentin I am that paranoid about wildlife which we seem to have an over abundance of around here.

I am so involved in attending to details that I completely overlooked this one...and the worst aspect was that strategically placed blemish.....that didn't help the situation!

Cheers.....Rob

[Andreas-and-Anna0]

@Robin4Maybe Cherly wasn't and the juicy pear was a reminder....come hither!

[Victoria567]

I hope you either

a) did not let this bunch of chancers through the front door

b) phoned air bnb immediately afterwards

c) phoned the police to have these entitled people  removed 

d) wrote an honest review detailing what happened as a warning to other hosts 

e) have reviewdcand changed you description/ house rules/ photo headings to make it quite clear each bed room is for a MAXIMUM of 2 adult guests.

f) did ALL of the above!

[Robin4]

@Victoria567

Victoria, that was simply a story that was told to me....it's probably been around for years, that was just the first time I had heard it and it did give me a chuckle because I am sure, there is some guest on this planet that would actually try that one on...

Mind you with the cavalier attitude some baggage handlers have towards guests luggage there no way anyone would take them as being part of the reservation!

Cheers.....Rob

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Robin4

Well.... the only thing the bowl of fruit seems to be saying to me (if anything at all) is "eat me"

[Robin4]

@Jessica-and-Henry0

Jess that is not a bad fruit bowl but it is not one of the better ones, I like to include exotic fruits and fruits that are out of season. I quite often put on there a few 'monkey bananas' because they are so small and cute but taste so sweet. I also like to put on there Mangos, strawberries and golden Kiwifruit.

But in the final inalysis it does come down to cost and as much as I want it to look inviting and spectacular, I can't realistically spend more than $2 AU on it so there are limitations.

I am lucky I have some good suppliers who help me, but every now and then something like the 'bumcrack' pear will slip through.

Cheers.....Rob

[Noel63]

This just shows my own lack of attention to detail. It would not have even occured to me to replace that pear - even if I had noticed. It looks delicious.

[Heather509]

New host here.... if you are not near your property, how do you know when they bring extra people?