That one guest!

[Robin4]

I have been lucky, always had a great bunch of guests...struck a Malaysian family once who didn't quite understand how the system worked.

But I just struck the one I keep responding to here on the CC. Everyone else gets them, now I have!

My most recent guest ruffled me a bit though, best she gave me was a 4 star, major reason in her comments......'the polished concrete floor was cold'....room wasn't, neither was the bed....just the floor.

She was a first in almost every respect though, she gave me.......

A 4 for Accuracy, now that is a first for me, in 160 guests not copped that one before. I would defy any other guest who has been here to tell me what wasn't accurate!

A 3 for cleanliness...she found a cobweb, God knows where, but she found one!

A 4 for location....that defies any sort of logic....she booked it and I can't move it!

A 4 for value...................??

I charge $85 AU ( $63.37 USD, 49 pounds) per night, with, at that point, no cleaning fee and this is what every guest gets thrown in....

Plus all the regular condiments like tea, coffee, jams, spreads, soap, toilet paper.

And I get a 4 star for value! Some guests really are loonies. If I had given this woman the listing for nothing for the two nights....it still would not have been acceptable value!

But guests like this have a negative impact on all users because, I have now set a cleaning fee. Not much of one, but obviously I am not doing the job properly and it will enable me to get a cleaner in once a week to make absolutely sure there is not a lurking cobweb.....period. Every future guest will pay a bit more because of this one woman. My 'Alice in Wonderland' image of Airbnb guests is just a bit tarnished and I hope that doesn't show through to future guests

Never mind....I knew I would cop one sooner or later, just been lucky till now but, this is the job we are in, sink or swim!

Rant over!

Cheers......Rob

[Chuck34]

(i learned this at the Airbnb open in Los Angeles a couple of years ago...)  No matter how much you  try,   even the best Airbnb super hosts get judgemental pessimistic guests...it's part of the program...don't take it personally...some people are just raised by critical parents or  in negative toxic environments..and so they unconciously take their learned childhood thinking with them everywhere they go....some people always have something to complain about...I've had my share of gloomy guests who (if He appeared before them) would try to find something wrong with Jesus Christ .    

[Gordon0]

After a volley of communications in which I confirmed to my guests that they would not be able to get in at 8am (as the incumbents would still be sleeping) they ungracefully accepted an early bag-drop and a check in at 11:30 (2.5 hours before the norm).

They turned up at my door at 7:50 on arrival day with smacked-ar5e faces. Needless to say, I smiled  as I hauled their ridiculously large suitcases in.

We agreed that they could come back at 11:30 and I duly handed over the key.

At 10:55 they let themselves in and barge past the cleaner who has to get out of their way.

Fast-forward two hours and they head off out (but leaving EVERY light on their floor on, and a hair-straightener thing still running).

I turn these all off, albeit hours later when I cotton on that they’ve gone out.

I message guest to say that it’s not OK to leave all this stuff on and am me with ‘it’s for security, to put off burglars’ message. Urgh!

They then (repeatedly, despite it being warned against in the house manual) double-lock the front door (on two locks) making it difficult to get out.

The no eye contact throughout their stay I can live with, sort of, but their rating - and talk of spider web (the size of a very short hair!) has now meant I won’t budge on my check in time again.

Oh, and the first review in 200+ that mentions a lock. 

Millennials? Kep them!

[Dallas9]

In my case it was 2.  A middle age lady and her mom.  Ive only been on airbnb 5 months and they were my fourth rental.  Came and stayed in my 1400 sq foot 3b/2b with garage house for 25 a night. Just getting started, drumming up business.  Aitbnb told me start low.  Like an ex biker chick and her mom.  Mom was ill and left alone all day with phone to call 911 if she fell.  Mom had exima and shed skin all over the house and furniture!  Moved all my furniture to suit moms needs, didnt move it back!  Dug hamper out of storage and left it in my den.  Basement was off limits! Jimmied the lock!  Left the stove covered in bacon grease splatter.  Left a soiled tampon and turd in the back bathroom toilet.  Claimed to have traveled all over and been airbnb host in florida.  This was week after my mom died in the nursing home.  I asked for hosting advice, they told me to take down all the pictures, it mad the house look sad.   Then gave me a 2 rating on cleanliness.  House was cleanest it had been since it was built, and advertised as a “grandmas house” with grandma motiff.   Ok, a four i agree with, but a two?  Everybody else but one has given me a five.  Still rated as 4.2 on cleanliness with 5 across the board elsewhere.