general venting

[Evelyn743]

Getting a tad weary of hosting.  What is wrong with people?  Why are some guests so miserable?  Why book an airbnb just to look for reasons to complain?  Had a guest recently who started complaining five minutes after she arrived.  She sent me a picture of something the housekeeper missed on the rug in the kitchen.  And then went on to complain about other small things.  I saw where this was heading and offered her the opportunity to cancel her reservation.  She declined.  I offered on multiple occasions to have the place touched up.  She declined, but talked about how she used to own a cleaning company....  

She has now written a review which I am sure is negative.  I will write a short review indicating she likely would have been more comfortable in a hotel and leave it at that.  But I think all of this stemmed from me not being able to accommodate her entire request as another guest was checking in the day she was checking out (which was the day she wanted to extend her stay).  

I had another guest who saw a centipede and wanted a refund.  She said, "there's an animal in here."  Geez.  I assured her that no one would guarantee that she would never see a bug.  

And then there are the guests who never complain about anything - thus, not giving you the opportunity to resolve any issue - who then write negative reviews.  Airbnb should require proof that issues were brought to the attention of hosts and hosts did not respond or make an effort to resolve the issue before allowing negative reviews.  

This is exhausting and Airbnb does not seem to fully support hosts - without whom there would be no Airbnb.  It is no wonder they are advertising for more hosts....  Think I'll be taking a break, too....

[Mike-And-Helen0]

Oh dear, maybe you need a break, @Evelyn743 ?

Be sure to mention in your review of the first guest you mentioned that they'd asked for late checkout and you were unable to allow it since you had another guest coming in.

I would also reply to their review (if negative) saying the same, politely. 

[Evelyn743]

Yes, I need a break, for sure.  Thanks for your feedback!

[Laura2592]

@Evelyn743 I get this way from time to time. We are often fully booked so if we do have a cancellation, sometimes I just keep the days blocked. It really does help to keep your sanity. Our place is also somewhere that we stay once a month ourselves if we can-- when we are the guests, we really get to see what runs out, or needs replacing. And then when people complain about that thing, we can truthfully say "we just refreshed that" or "I know-- we noticed that during our last stay and have a repair scheduled/a new one on the way." Many of the little nagging things people ping you on (you don't have a lemon zester in the kitchen, a bug got inside, etc) are just attempts to see if you will offer a discount. Responding with "thanks so much for letting me know!" and ending the conversation is the best way to go.

I would leave honest reviews for guests. I see some of your responses on your own profile, but that won't help me if your bad guest books my place. If you have a complainer, saying "constant communication about small issues in the space. Pleasant but would be more suited to a controlled environment like a hotel. Unfortunately not a fit for what we can offer." lets me and all other hosts know that this person is a pain in the behind. We might not cross reference the guest profile with all the other stays they had and see what you said on your listing.  Make sure to rate under 3 stars and "would not host again" as well if its deserved. That prevents guests from using Instant Book and they have to send an inquiry instead.

I might also raise my prices. If you break down your cost per night per the number of people you allow, its not very high. We learned the hard way that raising prices lead to better guests. Ironically the people who booked at a lower rate wanted the moon and stars. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

Soon after we start hosting I've noticed that happy people leave good reviews and those who arrive unhappy and miserable will stay unhappy and leave bad reviews. It's not me, not the property... it's just them, blaming us and the whole world for their miserable vacation and lifes in general.

[Anonymous]

@Evelyn743   One thing that's surprised me when observing conversations between veteran hosts is that the ones who employ housekeepers experience much higher degrees of hosting burnout than the ones who do their own cleaning. That seemed counterintuitive to me, since I've always done my own cleaning and found it the most tedious part of the job. But then again, I also know that the more individuals you have in a business situation that have potentially diverging interests, the likelier it is that a minor complaint will metastasize into a crisis. Hotels have trained people to think of housekeepers as subhuman, and a certain subset of guests just assume that you as their employer view them the same way. 

You have a good read on those people describing them as miserable. Who wants to spend a vacation with someone who flips out over a spot on a rug? Obviously nobody who lives in Chicago - if they had friends there who really wanted to see them, they wouldn't need an Airbnb. On the other hand, it looks like you started hosting in the middle of a pandemic, so it's not surprising that your guests were the kind of people who take unnecessary trips during pandemics.

[Susie0]

I let a guest know recently that if they had told me their daughter was having issues with humidity during their stay I would have bought an a/c the same day. She was nice but I also don't understand why people wait to write in reviews. After all in a hotel you normally talk to the front desk if there is an issue. Airbnb hosting is a free PhD in human behavior!

[Laura2592]

@Susie0 were you planning on buying an AC unit anyway? Seems like a lot to spend in a single guest who perhaps does not understand that the weather is outside of a human beings locus of control. Just saying .

[Debra300]

@Susie0,

Have you installed an AC after the guest's comments?  The guest must have stayed in your Maine property, because I can't fathom getting an AC unit for a house in Rockridge where it rarely ever gets humid and the temp is warm for about two weeks in September/October.  

[Sarah977]

@Evelyn743  Sorry you are getting unappreciative complainers. I think it has a lot to do with many factors- location, the nature of the rental, the price.

Really, there are tons of lovely guests out there. I have not been open to bookings since March 2020, due to having a home-share in a pandemic. But I always got great guests until then, not one bad guest. I think guests tend to be more respectful and less demanding in a home-share situation than with entire place rentals, which seem to gave them some sense of entitlement.

When I open back up, it remains to be seen if I'll get the same level of good guests, or whether I'll also be contending with those who seem to be more easily disgruntled and miserable since Covid changed everyone's lives and free movement.

[Brian2036]

@Evelyn743 

One of the best things about this business is that you can take a vacation whenever your calendar has an opening by simply blocking a few days. Or weeks. Or months.

That is if the calendar feels like working that day. I have repeatedly blocked specific dates only to find that they have been unblocked when I wasn’t looking.

 I have found several groups of people who seem to take great joy in writing negative reviews.

One would be people who are hosts themselves who are saying “My rental is much better than yours so I’ll have to prove that by complaining about trivia.”

Then there are those who get some kind of thrill out of abusing people who cannot defend themselves. You can see them in any restaurant, screaming at the wait staff for things that are not their fault.

And those who probably have jobs or home lives that are abusive and they are looking for any opportunity to show that they have the power to abuse someone even less fortunate.

And those who are bitter because you have made a successful business through grit and determination, which infuriates them because they are too lazy to do the same.

 I would recommend that you raise your prices until you have fewer bookings and use the money to treat yourself to something nice.

Your apartments are much more comfortable and attractive than any hotel and people should have to pay for that.

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@Anonymous 

"Who wants to spend a vacation with someone who flips out over a spot on a rug?"

Or who flips the rug to find the spot!