What is the best piece of advice to give to your fellow hosts?

Delphine348
Host Advisory Board Member
Achères-la-Forêt, France

What is the best piece of advice to give to your fellow hosts?

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Hello everyone,

 

The strength of the Community Centre lies in the hosts sharing their knowledge, advice, and experiences in a spirit of caring and caring. Together we are stronger! And we feel less alone.

 

Although many tips and tutorials are already present on this forum, I really like to discover new ones during a more fun general discussion.

 

What better advice could you give to your fellow hosts in our community? And why? Do not deprive yourself of making us laugh by sharing your experiences!

 

My advice: communicate!

On every occasion: request for information, booking, before arrival, at the reception, etc. show the traveller interest. I’m almost able to tell you about every group that came home.

 

My funny experience: a massage! 😂

the organiser of a group that came home for a Zen weekend, offered me a massage on a chair to thank me for the good time spent at home. I came to start laundry and I enjoyed 20 minutes of relaxation in the sun!

Delphine

(Sauf indication contraire, mes contributions sont issues de mon expérience en tant qu'hôte)
52 Replies 52

Well said, @Debra300. Hosts should rely on Airbnb for no more than large market outreach and speedy payment transfers.  

Delphine348
Host Advisory Board Member
Achères-la-Forêt, France

Hello @Debra300 ,

 

Yes, yes, yes! Too often we see some hosts that don’t really realise that they give their home keys to almost strangers and don’t think twice about it !

Then they think that Airbnb will sort any problem out for them.

And we are often helping them with advice to make progress for the next time at least .

The same hosts are so angry, in fact because they realised they should have addressed the situation as you tell.

 

There is so many Tips and advices on the Community Center to help us to progress on our hosting journey !

I know I learned a lot and I still am through all our discussions and shared experiences .

 

Have you a fun fact with guests?

Delphine

(Sauf indication contraire, mes contributions sont issues de mon expérience en tant qu'hôte)
Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Delphine348 @Debra300 @Emilia42 

 

Actually, I would probably change my answer to the best piece of advice being 'vet, vet and vet your guests'. In my experience, the majority of problems (and this includes poor reviews) happen when the listing is not a good fit for the guest and vice versa, or they have simply not read/understood it and the house rules.

 

That is why I have an Easter egg question in my rules and insist on guests answering before they book. This has greatly helped, but some guests were still instant booking before doing this, and there were also some guests I would have been reluctant to accept had they sent a request booking instead, without having further communication to identify if they were a good fit or not. So, I have turned off IB too and will try to be even more vigilant about spotting red flags as early as possible.

 

You certainly can't rely on Airbnb for any of this. Their vetting process is minimal, they make the booking process rather too easy for guests, the review system is flawed and they don't really educate guests well on how to behave in a listing. It's up to the host both to vet the guests and to make sure they have understood what they are booking.

Debra300
Level 10
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

@Delphine348,

 

Before the pandemic, we would occasionally meet some guests at the Gros Islet Friday Night Street Party, and have a few rum punch drinks or eat some fresh grilled fish with them.  The street party is an event that's been going on for over 40 years, except for a 2 year period during the pandemic.  It is a big attraction that has been greatly enjoyed by both locals and visitors.

 

https://youtu.be/BF3aeZkT8mk

 

God's peace to you

Most of our guests seem busy here in SF, mostly spending their time with work related go to's.  So, we have a husband and wife team nearby (on the same residential block) who clean after each guest.  Other than that, our guests just receive a lockable bedroom and public use of a remodeled bathroom and kitchen including new appliances.  Other than this, each guest treats the bedroom much the same as one might treat a hotel room.  Seems to be working fine.  Any comments?

Delphine348
Host Advisory Board Member
Achères-la-Forêt, France

@Huma0  Vet is also a excellent advice, particularly to avoid mismatch guest indeed. I started with Instant Booking and stopped it after reading a lot of discussion on French CC about bad experiences with guest.

 

I love your easter egg question!  How do you manage it?

I always send a first message after receiving a request for information or booking. I insist on the main points in my home rules and my cancellation policy. I ask to confirm that they have red the home rules and accept it.  

In your case, if a guest doesn't answer to this question, how do you do?

 

@Debra300 oh I want to come and join you tomorrow night!!

So far I have only been in Guadaloupe and Dominican republic (Punta Cana), I don't know Saint Lucia!

 

Glad that this event is starting again, it's a very warm welcoming!

Delphine

(Sauf indication contraire, mes contributions sont issues de mon expérience en tant qu'hôte)
Debra300
Level 10
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

@Delphine348,

 

I don't want to digress the focus of this thread too much.  A common Caribbean holiday for many Europe based French travelers is to visit Martinique, and then take the 1.5 hour ferry ride to St. Lucia for the weekend to attend the street party on either the Les Express des Isles from Fort de France to Castries, or the Capo Rosso from Le Marin to Rodney Bay. 

 

https://www.express-des-iles.fr/

 

https://www.transports-express-caraibes.fr/

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Delphine348 

 

I used to just ask guests to confirm that they had read the full listing and house rules and were okay with this, that or the other. People would tell me they had but there was often something in their messages which made it clear to me that they hadn't at all! Or, they would check in and then I would realise that they lied. 

 

I had one guest who wanted to leave after the first night and be refunded for the second (it was a two night stay) because she was a very light sleeper and you can hear the road from the room. I told her sorry, but no, that is mentioned clearly on the listing. She insisted it wasn't, so I showed her. It was under 'guests must acknowledge' which, at that time, was in the house rules section, which she had confirmed she had read. She told me, "I don't read the rules because I'm not a rule breaker." Of course, that's completely illogical. How can you know whether you will break the rules or not if you don't know what they are? 

 

Anyway, I eventually decided, after reading the suggestion many times here on the CC, to introduce the Easter egg question. Some guests send the answer to me without being asked. With others, I ask them to confirm they have read the full version of the house rules and if they say they have with no mention of the answer, then I know they haven't. I politely suggest that perhaps they didn't find the full version because they haven't answered the question that is there?

 

If a guest simply won't answer the question (and I have had a few of those in the past few months), I simply will not accept their booking. This included one guest who IBed. I had to get CS to cancel it. 

 

The problem though is some guests who are a bad fit still slip through because they read enough to find the Easter egg question but ignore the things that should make it clear that the listing is not right for them and then complain about it afterwards. I had two of these recently. It was really not enjoyable hosting either and both left me low ratings for things that were clearly mentioned on the listing. 

 

In hindsight, I should not have hosted these guests. One asked me lots of specific questions but ignored my questions and went ahead an IBed anyway. I told her I was surprised that she had done that and only then did she send the answer to the Easter egg, claiming that she thought she had sent that message but must of made a mistake. I should have cancelled her booking, but I didn't. I turned off IB straight after that.

 

The other one sent a request to book, but didn't respond to any messages, so I declined him. He then got back apologising and saying he didn't realise his notifications were turned off. He answered the questions at this point so I accepted the booking. I wish I hadn't.

 

Both guests had lots of great reviews and a 5* rating, so I guess that's what swayed me. This was a mistake as I'm going to lose Superhost status after maintaining it for 5.5 years straight because of these two guests. I really wish I had trusted my initial gut instinct because you really can't rely on the guests' reviews alone.

@Huma0  That review from Thomas is a doozy.  What a jerk.

Debra300
Level 10
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

@Mark116,

 

I disagree with you assessment of Thomas based upon his review.  Some of the points he made may be very important to travelers, and is a good way to vet out anyone who may not be a good fit for Huma's place.  Personally, I don't like the smell of wafting cigarette smoke for extended periods, and depending upon how the little box is camouflaged and deodorized, I also would likely be put off with it being in the kitchen.  Although I am not sure what he expected regarding insulation when he rented a space in a Victorian house.  Dude was in London during Spring time.  Put on a jumper, have a cuppa and some biscuits, and chill.

@Debra300  Why did he book?  If he is bothered by smoking, why did he book a place where smoking is allowed in some places when there are thousands of no smoking listings?  If he is bothered by a liter box, why did he book a place where the host has 3 cats noted in the listing and so there is going to be a liter box somewhere in the house?  And if I had to guess I would guess @Huma0  scoops the box more than once a day.  And then, the 3 story Victorian house is 'drafty'?  No s****.   It seems really passive aggressive and I would venture to guess he never complained about any of this during his stay, so he's blindsiding the host with these complaints in the review.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Debra300 

 

For sure, I can see why these things would bother some guests. Absolutely. That is why the listing states:

 

Under house rules: smoking allowed

Under detailed house rules: • Smoking is not permitted in guest rooms. However, it IS permitted in communal areas. Please do not book if you are uncomfortable with this.

Under other things to note: I have three very cute cats, and smoking IS allowed in some communal areas, so please do not book if this bothers you. The guest bedrooms are strictly non-smoking.

 

Obviously, the cats are also mentioned in other parts of the listing, e.g. house rules: 

• Guests are not permitted to bring pets under any circumstances. We have three cats. Please do not book if you are allergic to, uncomfortable with, or simply don't like, cats.

 

Also, in the description: The house is large and very old with Victorian windows and it therefore does get a bit chilly in winter. I am happy to provide extra bedding etc.

 

Thomas wrote in his first message: "The cats and smoking areas won't bother me," but did not send me the answer to the Easter egg question. So I asked him again to make sure he had read the full house rules. He didn't answer. I chased. I chased again. I declined his booking, explaining why.

 

He then got back to me apologising and saying he didn't realise his notifications were off and answered the Easter egg and also said, "I read the house rules, and they are all perfectly acceptable." The correspondence after that seemed to go smoothly overall, which put my mind at rest.

 

However, as soon as he arrived, I sensed something was off. He was withdrawn, edgy, and just a bit weird, but polite. I put it down to him being tired after a long flight, but this didn't change during his whole month long stay. One of my other guests later asked if he had a problem with women. I don't know, but this guy clearly had an issue with communication. He was one of the most socially awkward people I've ever met.

 

@Mark116  is correct to say that Thomas never once complained about anything during his stay, even when asked if everything was okay. In that sense I was blindsided by his complaints, but it didn't surprise me at all that he complained about something or gave me a low rating because he was just weird and uncomfortable (not just around me, but everyone). Although he never said anything about it, it was pretty clear that he was not a fan of cats. He wanted nothing to do with them and they must have sensed it because they kept away from him even though they are friendly with almost all guests.

 

@Debra300 RE the litter tray, it is a covered one, not exposed. I do not know of a better place to keep it. All areas in the house, excepting the bedrooms, are communal. The kitchen/diner is the largest space in the house and, during the milder months, the back doors to the garden are always open, so it is also the airiest. Of course, with three cats, I make an effort to keep it clean. I am not just talking about scooping. It is emptied and thoroughly disinfected and deodorised regularly and not a single other guest has complained about it. That's not to say that some didn't like it being in that area, but why book a listing with three cats if you find that sort of thing so offensive?

 

Likewise with the smoking. Thomas's room is two floors above the smoking area. So, he must have been sensitive to the smell of smoke. The only time I have ever smelt smoke near his room was when I had some guests who were breaking house rules by smoking in the bedroom. I noticed it straight away. It was obvious. I can tell the difference!

 

As for the draughts, I don't believe he was complaining about the cold. It was late spring and we had doors and windows opened. He told me that he prefers to sleep in a cold room. His argument was that, since the house was draughty (makes no sense when you have your window open to comment on draughts), the smell of smoke travelled more within the house (also makes no sense as a draughty place would be more airy, not the opposite).

 

I am not saying my listing is right for everyone, but I do really go out of my way to be clear about stuff like smoking, cats, the house being draughty (in the winter) etc. and to try to ensure that guests have understood this. As Thomas stated in his review, the listing description was 'accurate'.

 

There are many, many other listings in London that he could have chosen instead. I assume he chose mine because of its convenient location and good value, which were the positives that he mentioned in his review. He chose to disregard the aspects that he didn't like and only complain about them in his review. He never once communicated any of this to me during his stay, nor left any private feedback.

 

PS He wasn't a great guest. There were real issues with cleanliness while he was here, which I had to address with him a few times, as well as other problems. He wasn't really terrible though and I felt kind of sorry for him as he clearly had some issues, so I ended up being quite generous in his review and marking him down a bit in the ratings.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Debra300 

 

PS I do agree with you that it's a good way to vet out guests that are not suited to my listing. If this helps to deter guests who ignore what is listed/explained to them, then great. Sadly, if they ignore very direct questions about this stuff, will a review or two mentioning it make those types of guests pay attention? I am not sure. 

 

People sometimes believe what they want to believe rather than what is clearly stated and glaringly obvious.

Debra300
Level 10
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

@Huma0@Mark116,

 

I agree that Thomas should have talked with Huma about any issues he may have had, but I know a lot of people who are uneasy with expressing their discomfort, especially when they are not in their own territory.  They will not verbally state anything is wrong, because they are fearful the other person will be contentious.  Or, they may feel trapped in their current situation due to finances.

 

Personally, I would not choose a space where smoking is allowed, but I still think that Thomas' review has the potential to be helpful to Huma in the long run, because it will likely weed out folks that usually disregard the written description and house rules.  It's been my experience that my cat-owner friends place their pet's litter box in their laundry room, bathroom, garage, patio, etc., but not in an area where food is being prepared or eaten.  So, his comment was enlightening to me, because if I were ever to choose a homeshare with a cat-owner/pet owner, I will now ask where the litter box is kept and how frequently it's emptied and deodorized, or where the animal does or is taken to do its business.  I would continue my search if the host replied that the animal waste location was in the kitchen or dining room.

 

@Huma0, do you inform prospective guests that the litter box is in the kitchen?  Just curious, but who has litter box duty during the times you are traveling while you have guests?  When you found out about the smoking rule breakers, did you tell Thomas what had occurred, because a more intense smoke smell was then in an area that he wouldn't have expected it to be?  If I were your guest, and you didn't say anything to me, I would just think that you're not enforcing the smoking house rules, and may think that it's a moot point to mention it to you, because you're a smoker, also.