What is reasonably expected of you as a host?

Neil408
Level 10
Sheffield, United Kingdom

What is reasonably expected of you as a host?

Hi guys, just wanted to get some feedback or opinions on what is reasonably expected of you as a host.

 

I had a guest who said he was 'uncomfortable' because I did not fill the kettle in his room with water and he said 'the bedsheet hasn't been ironed, neither has the duvet or the pillowcases and he found some 'bobbles' on one of the pillowcases. He said this also made him uncomfortable and felt like there was no obvious signs that the sheets had been changed. He had booked for 3 nights and stayed for one. I asked him if the sheets smelt clean when he went to bed - he said that was immaterial and dirty sheets could smell clean?? 

 

In addition he also said that he has 'lots of friends who host' and they 'all' iron the bedding and he said I should have run a lint roller over the pillows. 

 

For me I don't iron the bedsheets I just put clean ones on and smooth out any creases by hand - Is it reasonably expected of you to iron the bedding? I only charge £21 a night (23 Euros for my European friends) / $27 US and  I feel he needs to align cost with expectation. I guess he has some points but this is not the Ritz Carlton or Claridges.

 

I've hosted 700 people over 5 years now and this is the first complaint about not having ironed sheets and finding a small bobble on the pillow. Bobbles happen when things come out of the tumble dryer.

 

I make it clear in my check in instructions that if a guest has issues to communicate the issues to me on the day - he simply checked out without letting me know and then sent me a ranty message later on about my place not being 'as expected'. He's also demanding a full refund of the two nights he didnt stay in exchange for 'not leaving me a review' and I feel a little unsure about what to do.

 

 

42 Replies 42
Kath9
Level 10
Albany, Australia

@Neil408, no, at that price, you definitely shouldn't be ironing your sheets. I also offer budget accommodation, but thanks to the burgeoning number of guests who expect the Ritz at backpacker prices, I found myself at one point actually ironing the sheets (which is a major pain in the a*se). I quickly realised that I was buying into guests' unrealistic expectations and stopped. I see that you're in the UK, but if there's a way to hang sheets dry rather than using a dryer, that helps with them not looking so crumpled. And who knows what the deal is with the kettle? Jeez, some people will complain about anything. Don't worry about that guy - he isn't worth your time.

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Kath9 

Kath, the sheets have to folded anyway so, the way I fold them is, length-ways in half then halve that again so my top sheet is a folded 'object' that is 284 cm (112") long (because of the extra length of the bed) by 65 cm (25") wide. All I have to do then is run the iron along one surface from one end of it to the other, turn over and do the same on the other side.

That is enough to have the sheet show 4 length-ways  ironed crease lines top to bottom. And that takes me less than 2 minutes.

 

The way I fold them is slightly interesting Kath. Because of Ade's disability I have had to modify lots of things around the house to make both hers and my life a bit easier.  I have to fold my sheets myself which for Queen size sheets is not easy so, I have made up a bar which clips onto the shelf where I store my linens. On that bar I have mounted three strong plastic clamps. Those clamps are spaced at 1/2 sheet width apart and 1/4 sheet width apart.  I first fold one end of the sheet in half and clamp it, I then fold the free end the same. I then remove the end that has been clamped and halve that again and clamp. I do the same with the free end and, bingo, the sheet is folded ready for ironing, and I can do it in about the same amount of time as if I had someone helping me. Typically it doesn't take more than a minute and a half!

For anyone who lives on their own this can be a wonderful help in what is a difficult task to do alone!

 

Cheers........Rob

 

@Elaine701  @Inna22 @Sarah977  @Neil408  

@Robin4you're amazing. Nice idea to do the folded-sheet iron! I'll try that if I ever open up again (which is looking less and less likely...).

Elaine701
Level 10
Balearic Islands, Spain

@Robin4 

 

Always the practical one 🙂

 

By the way, I wanted to compliment you on your houseboat, but never got around to it. I think it's brilliant, even if a "depreciating asset". I'd book it! 

 

Love it! 

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Elaine701 

Elaine, I don't know about 'practical' but I am resourceful. I come from a farming background.

There is a saying here in Australia....."There is nothing an Aussie farmer can't fix with a pair of pliers and a length of fence wire!".

 

Yeah it was sad to let the boat go but I need to be practical with our money these days, my days of having wish list items is in the past. My parents managed to fritter away an inherited fortune....I don't want to do the same to my kids!

 

Cheers......Rob 

@Robin4 slightly off-topic, but since we all adore you as we do, I'll throw in that I watched my grands sit on a fortune, without "enjoying" it or sharing it, from some sense of worry or control, who knows and now that it's passed to my parents, I'm actively encouraging them to fritter away. I'd rather see them enjoy it abundantly now, rather than count and worry. If I got to see them live well until the end, I'd be quite content for that to be all I get from the estate.

 

I know you're not holed up turning into a miser, just saying, your kids won't begrudge you houseboats or other joys once you're gone, I'd bet, anyway.

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Kelly149 

Thanks Kelly, you are always full of kind words but, the last thing I would ever want to do, or be seen as, would be a 'miser'. We have lived a good full life, and still are.

 

I came from privilege, my mother and father were given a 2,000 acre property with a 50 square homestead on it within 50 miles of our state capital as a wedding present.....as were each of dad's two other brothers. Back in the 50's we had our own private swimming pool just outside the door, not something many private residences had back then.

I took the girls back there 3 years ago to show them where I started out. 

IMG20171021162920.jpg

 

Although coming from a farming dynasty maybe my father wasn't cut out for farming, he ran it during the most profitable time in Australian farming history. Apart from the loss of personnel, Australia was largely unaffected by the last world war. At its conclusion Europe and much of SE Asia was devastated, America was in a state of re-building, the world needed resources and we here on Oz either grew it, or dug in out of the ground, and the rest of the world beat a path to our door for it. I remember during the Korean War dad got a 'pound per pound' for sheep wool........ 240 pence per pound of weight. It was almost 25 years before those sort of returns were seen again!

Anyway he had a breakdown, sold the farm, virtually gave it away in 1958. He realized he had done the wrong thing but it was too late by then. We moved to town and dad took to the booze and over the next 20 years everything disappeared to the point where all I inherited was half a years average salary.

He never really gave me a shot at it Kelly, and I didn't want to ever do the same thing for my kids. We have given them the best life possible, we have built up something of an estate and we are still going to be able to leave them a legacy.

I haven't been great with money either always wanting to have the latest and the best but I have just fallen into a few good decision as well.

 

I am not now from a life of privilege....but I am privileged to have had the life I have had.

 

Cheers........Rob

Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

Ironing bed sheets? That guy will not be happy if he travels to the US. Lots of sleepless nights and puzzled hosts. I will iron his sheets right after I am done ironing my socks

Neil408
Level 10
Sheffield, United Kingdom

Hahahahaha thats a hilarious comment. You probably haven't seen it in the US but in the UK we used to have a sitcom called Mr. Bean and there was a film of the same name and in that there's a part of the film where he's ironing his underwear and socks..... still makes me laugh because its so ridiculous.

@Neil408  I love Mr. Bean!

@Inna22 maybe it's an American thing, but this is in my actual laundry room and I bought it at a mass-market store, so I'm positive it's not just me

 

Ok: Pretend this is the photo that won't load:

 

Laundry Schedule:

Sort - Today

Wash - Later

Fold - Eventually

Iron - Never

 

 

 

 

Elaine701
Level 10
Balearic Islands, Spain

We have all towels, bedding, etc. laundered professionally. It's not cheap, but not prohibitively expensive. It comes back neatly ironed and folded. Problem solved, and less work for me 😉

 

I may be in another reality here, but I don't think it's too much to expect. Maybe a bit petty to complain about it, but that's what guests do. Set your expectations appropriately to avoid this. Have it professionally laundered, and price it in... 

@Elaine701, that's okay in theory, but some places just don't lend themselves to higher prices (mine for example).  My Airbnb room is small and right next to my room, and the bathroom and everything is shared. It's just a simple home.  For me to get the sheets professionally laundered would be prohibitively expensive and there's no way I could factor it into the price.

Elaine701
Level 10
Balearic Islands, Spain

@Kath9 

 

My apologies. You're right. You're doing a very different thing. 

 

I still think Airbnb should set up different sites for home shares and "whole house" listings. It seems that many guests are confused and don't know the difference.

 

But it's the home share hosts that consistently suffer the consequences of guests expecting 5* hotel service from a 27$ private room in someone's house. This difference needs to be made abundantly clear. 

@Elaine701 someone who needs to be explained explicitly that a $27 room is not a five star hotel is beyond help. No site adjustments will change him