I am sure alot of people have had their fair sure of both good and bad, but what happens if it becomes from a good to a bad one?
I recently had a good guest, stayed relatively quiet and not kill the place but it was after he left that things soured.
From dealing with bad experiences, I grew to have little tolerance for problems caused by guests, this is because I go a mile if I can help but once things are damaged or lost, and after informing them nicely, never accusing them or being hostile that nice polite facade disappears once I mention 'may be financially charged'.Plus my first guest was a drug dealer who was dealing and arrested in my apartment so after that I am not tolerant of crappy bull**bleep** from guests or Airbnb.
I had an experience with a lady , completely wonderful and great but when she left the oven steel covering had come apart. The invoice was huge as it was a bocsh kitchen. I notified her of the problem, she argued it against it and I told her it is fine if she doesn't want to pay but I am proceeding the imbursement process. She was free to argue against it. She did but I also got my money from the guarantee offered by Airbnb. We both didn't leave any feedbacks because we both really were good to each other and treated each well. I like that kind of resolution.
This last guest I had. Complete opposite.
He had 2 good reviews, and his profile SUGGESTED a man of higher learning.
The problem was with the mystery of the spare missing bed sheets I had kept in the cloest as I always have. 2 pillow cases and a queen size bed sheets.
I informed the guest immediately after he left that I could not find them and ask him to know where they were. He informed me that he and his girlfriend had not packed them accidently but have placed it elsewhere. He offered to comeby and look for them but I had to say no as I was pressed for time with other social engagements and I was running late already. Futhermore I had no time to organise with him when to come in considering the other guest was coming the very next day. It was also a Saturday.
All this time we were messaging each other. I was getting really annoyed. I informed him that because I could not find them and I may need to charge him for replacing them. Naturally the guy became defensive and arugementative but it was the manner in which he wrote to me that was insulting and provoking. He acknowledge that he had moved a few items in the apartment around but he was unapologetic and insisted of his innocence and shouldn't be charged for something I could not find and for something he didn't do. He then resorted to this banal repeative useless mental blackmailing.
He brought up into the conversations, remarks that I had called him a thief and a bad guest and was retaliating because he was one hour late from his check out. He also pointed out that it was my own responsibility to finding it and having the 'sufficient' time to clean and have the room ready and this went on and on. BUT not once, could he place where he had moved these sheets to. Bed sheets that had in this same own very spot and has never been moved by any other guests even when they needed fresh new sheets. It was always returned to the same spot.
To make it clear my messages not once said he 'took them', I used the words 'misplaced', and I asked him repeatedly where they would be and I never even said the words thief , or bad guest. I never even said you were late, but merely a reminder, a message sent before I even had gone into the apartment , that I needed my key back soon as he was late already and was more even late after mentioning to me that he needed to move his luggages in two trips. He failed to mention it was another location and was gone another 30 minutes from already another 30 mins of being late from his check out time.
I had informed him that if I can't find them and I will walk the extra mile by cutting my social engagement short , to take pictures of the place and see what I see and hope that something would trigger a memory in him. If this doesn't plan out, I would have to buy replacements and he would be charged for it . I even mention he can argue his case to Airbnb but it is pointless to argue otherwise and stating how innocent he was because I need a solution and this is what I have and am going to do.
He could clearly see that no sheets were to be found even when he said where they should be. I informed him that I have proceeded with reimbursements procedure and he can contest it.
With new guests coming in the next day , I really don't have time to keep this debate on, but in true banal banter again. He resorts to nit picking his arguements now claiming that I had it confused. He actually used that word, CONFUSED. That they weren't bed sheets but pillow covers. That I got it all wrong.
NOW.
Lesson for every host to have.
I take pictures before the guest and pictures of issues after they left.
I have visual proof. I know the ins and outs of my place. This guy has only stayed for one week and a half.
So even in 2 seconds of walking in, I know instantly what has been moved and this guy and his girlfriend has moved alot of things. Little things , like the washing machine outlet hose that leads to the sink , it has a C shaped attachment that I placed around the tap to stop it from moving. He moved even this. He had rearrange all the cups, plates, light stand, extra blankets even the bleach bottle by the laundry area.
So coming back to the issue.
To make a statement that a host is deluded, to not know what my own bed sheets are just summarised what I thought about this guy.
Idiot.
I sent him one final long message about my thoughts. Polite but to the point and brutally honest.
I let him know, I am not in the habit of repeating myself but I seem to be doing that alot because he had a very very hard time comprehending things and focusing on the problem - the missing bed sheets.
I made it known of what the facts were, that he and his girlfriend had acknowledge seeing these bed sheets and MOVED it and where they had moved it was not found there. I have visual evidence that it has been there, and not there afterwards. I also worked with him and showed him pictures of what the current room and even the whole apartment looks like. My terms and condition was stated explicitly that any loss or damage will be paid for and please do not feel insulted as this is the process of making the apartment ready for the next guest. I explain to him why I couldn't have him just come and why I don't have much time and what procedure I was going to take with this.
I made his options very clear, that he can either help me find it, pay for it or he can argue his case but I will not tolerate his useless bantering that goes nowhere. I also highlighted his rudeness of not offering an ounce of apology and not being cooperative and being utterly useless in bringing off topic remarks, but because he brought in the fact that he was late I decided to point out that too. That it he had an answer for every thing that went wrong but never having himself held accountable. He managed to knock on the wrong apartment door when he checked in, this after telling him which number to buzz in, failed to check out on time, his excuse was that my mesage that I sent him " I will be home at 10am" meant to him I had to come to him to the apartment he was staying, ( he knows where I live I made this clear when he arrived). Furthemore was more late after moving his luggage out , actually saying he had to move them in two trips. So I said to him I have come to understand that comprehension, time management and critical thinking is not his best attributes and his current predicament has lead him to this current problem.So I asked him not to message me again, I will consider it abuse and report him to Airbnb.
I called Airbnb to explain my situation that this guest has not worked to resolve the matter and I would like this matter settled now. Airbnb could see that I had good hosting ratings and that I had tried to work all things , provided evidence and paid my reimbursement fee. Finish done.
HOWEVER, in true 'idiot' fashion. The guest sends me another message after me telling him not to and again he protests his innocence and yet again saying if those were really bed sheets and that I have been unpolite and offensive and will report my behaviour to Airbnb.
I reported this final message and blocked him from sending me more messages and put placed a very honest review. Nothing rude and all with the good and the bad. I said he was a good guest when he stayed, but I also said , if any hosts wants to have him and should things go wrong, if he misplaces things around and some problem occurs because of this . Get ready for a tirade of useless, uncooperative , black mailing, and mentally bullying conversation and that any instructions given , he wont' be very good at heeding them. Comprehension isn't something he is capable of.
I have never once in my life needed to have an eye roll at anyone, but it was the first unconscious reaction I had when I could hear him knock on the wrong door after I gave him instructions from what street, to what apartment , to where the apartment was located on the floor. This following another set of funny questions such as the is there running hot water and is the rubbish bins numbered to the apartment number?
I have had guests asking for late check outs but all them all considerate of my time. This guest however thought that because he was a paying guest he had the right to do it on my own time.
So for me , a guest that gives trouble and continues it , no matter how good they were, is a bad guest in the end.
