Some common problems that I have faced......

[Sabrina108]

Hi all, hope you all had a great start to the new year. 

I have been a host for about 8 months now. The experience is mostly good. However, I am facing the following problems on a regular basis. How about you all?

`1) Guests not wanting to maintain you check in and check out time- this is a big headache and when asked about the check out, guests show their attitude and frustration

2) Guests not communicating and turn up without no phone, no internet and getting lost. Then you have to go and find them and then they think it was your fault resulting in poor feedback

3) Guests expecting you to speak their language and ask why you don't speak a particular language? I only speak English and it is mentioned in my Airbnb profile

4) Guests using the washing machine to wash only one Tshirt and 2 pairs of socks becasue I mentioned washing machine is available for every day during thier 4 days stay? Where is the commonsense?

The biggest problem is the guests coming with no phone or internet. I tell them several times to come by metro and give them all sorts of instructions and go to the metro to pick them up. I always tell them to stay inside the metro, but many of them come out and start walking- God knows why!!! 

I try to do as much as possible- like Yesterday 2 guests turned up at 4:30am!!! No internet or GPS- Only gave me misscalls becuase they said its expensive (more than 1 euro a minute). I called them and went out at 4:30am to find them. But, there is no appreciation or gratefulness. 

AirBnB should create a form, which must be filled in by the guest before at least 24 hour before they travel, that should include their arrival time & flight/train/bus schedule, check in time, check out time and they should sign thatthey have understood all the rules of the listing.

May god bless you all.

Sabrina

[Helen3]

Hello @Sabrina108

Your place looks amazing and such a low price too (you might want to increase it if other comparable places are more expensive.

In answer to your questions

1) Guests not wanting to maintain you check in and check out time- this is a big headache and when asked about the check out, guests show their attitude and frustration

ANSWER

You are far too generous with your check in time. Most hosts have a check in from mid afternoon onwards and finish their check in by 10 or 11 p.m. I would suggest you set your check in say from 3 or 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.  Don't accept people who want to arrive before or after this particularly not in the early hours of the morning. I always ask people in advance of booking what time they plan to arrive/leave so there are no nasty suprises.

2) Guests not communicating and turn up without no phone, no internet and getting lost. Then you have to go and find them and then they think it was your fault resulting in poor feedback

ANSWER

Turning up with no phone/internet is rather silly. Is your place difficult to find. I know when I was in Lisbond some of those narrow streets are easy to get lost in 🙂 Do you send them a map? I would advise guests if your place is difficult to find and stress it is important they have a phone that works in Portugal in case they have difficulties finding the place.

3) Guests expecting you to speak their language and ask why you don't speak a particular language? I only speak English and it is mentioned in my Airbnb profile

ANSWER

That is just arrogant and rude. It is good that you speak English even.

4) Guests using the washing machine to wash only one Tshirt and 2 pairs of socks becasue I mentioned washing machine is available for every day during thier 4 days stay? Where is the commonsense?

ANSWER

Don't let guests using your washing machine for short stays. They don't need to for short stays. I only let guest use a washing machine for longer stays ie two weeks. Easiest to not have it ticked as a service you provide.

The biggest problem is the guests coming with no phone or internet. I tell them several times to come by metro and give them all sorts of instructions and go to the metro to pick them up. I always tell them to stay inside the metro, but many of them come out and start walking- God knows why!!! 

I try to do as much as possible- like Yesterday 2 guests turned up at 4:30am!!! No internet or GPS- Only gave me misscalls becuase they said its expensive (more than 1 euro a minute). I called them and went out at 4:30am to find them. But, there is no appreciation or gratefulness. 

ANSWER

Why on earth would you do this? There would be no way I would get up at this time to meet a guest particularly when you only charge £18 a night. Just not worth it.

AirBnB should create a form, which must be filled in by the guest before at least 24 hour before they travel, that should include their arrival time & flight/train/bus schedule, check in time, check out time and they should sign thatthey have understood all the rules of the listing.

As I mentioned I ask for arrival and departure time before guests book and send a message asking how they are getting to my place and any flight details 24 hours before they arrive. You can create your own standard message to give to guests.

'Best of luck with your listing'

[S19]

Thanks for the reply and providing me with some ideas. I have to bring in some changes. 

[Ira4]

@Sabrina108 hello and happy new year!

I really can feel you because I think that all hosts have faced similar problems. 

The idea you gave at the end about the form was REALLY GOOD !!! We could post it in Host's Voice. 

Now, let me answer more specifically to your numbered issues. 

1) Of course, I have experiences with guests that are not accurate with their arrival time. Nobody just appeared earlier, but I receive lots of questions from people who ask if they can come earlier than check-in time. I usually reply that what I can do is let them come and leave their luggage after the previous guest leave. I have a gap from 12:00 to 15:00 to clean and prepare the place. So, I tell them that they can come during that time to leave their baggage and then come back at 15:00 for the check-in. I don't like that because guests see the place unprepared for their first impression, but this action is a kind or extra helping from my side. Most of them seem to appreciate it. Of course, I had some rude guests, but those were a very small percent. 

2) Communication before arrival is many times a problem, yes. What I do: I always send a message after the reservation, mentioning that 24 hours before arrival, they should inform me about the time and maybe flight no. Two day before their arrival, I send them another message with a question about the time. That is my ritual. Almost everyone replies. But repetition is the key, I think. 

If we offer to pick them up from the metro station, I tell them to send me a message from the Airport (where WIFI is free) and inform me about the exact moment that they are heading to the metro station. I ask them if their phone will be active in my country and I suggest them to buy a local sim card from the Airpot. They rarely do this last one. 

3) Actually, I didn't have this experience at all. I think if you send them some messages in English before arrival, they will find out that you communicate only in English.

4) I don't know what they do with the washing machine because I offer an entire home and I am not there when they use it. But you can write a paper or frame above the machine, kindly asking them to make sensible use of the machine due to energy reasons. 

Also, what I do is that I mention about arrival time in my House Rules. It makes the issue seem more serious. I say that I cannot accept arrivals before the check-in time and by no way accepting departures after check-out time.  I am much more strict in check-out and I explain them that I need to clean and prepare the house. 

To sum up, I would suggest you to write about those issues as more time as you can, in your listings and in personal messages to guests. As I said before, repetition is the key. 

And of course, be sure that being a good host will sooner or later be a great benefit for you! 

Best, 

Ira 

[Maj-Britt0]

Hi Sabrina,
I totally understand your thoughts, I have had wonderful guests except my last one, and from her I learned even more, and she was a super host to top it of.

She completely disregarded my check in time. I have the check in times in my house rules in addition guests must let me know when and how they plan to arrive. this way I know if they are stuck in traffic or airport etc are a problem, at least then I have a chance to know, in case phone, internet ect is not working for them.

She spoke not a word of english. In have my listing in english, and speak a few languages but not hers, so I did a google translate, to make sure she understood a few points, like check in, and our location which is not the city centre, which she slammed me on in the review. This should have been my third warning not to take her.

which brings me to my point, try to pre sort your guests, so that they fit you and you them, this way all are happy, ideally. I went against my gut feeling with my last guest and I have lost sleep over her the whole holiday, basically we just did not fit together and she let me know. It was my job to see this before.

Good luck and happy hosting 2017!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

1) write in your prebooking message and house rules and in welcoming message that they have to let you know the EXACT time of their arrival or they will have to wait for your arrival on the street. (it works every time)

Set your check in time from 14-22 h (or whatever suites you)

Send them a message one day before check out to remind them that check out is tomorrow at 11 h

2) Write in your description that the best option to come from bus-train station or airport is to take a taxi or uber. 

3) ... or they could learn at least some basic English...

4) don't let them use your washing machine but leave them a flyer with the closest loundry room 🙂

[Sabrina108]

Thanks