Bad Review after Cancelled reservation

[Yogita3]

Hey there, my name is Yogita and I have recently started my Airbnb in March 2021. After 10, Five star reviews I had a strange lesson to be learnt.

I got a reservation request for 5 days along with same day early checkin. I agreed and prepared the place for the guest as she was a single lady travelling. Unfortunately she was not kind enough to acknowledge it on the contrary Her behaviour was rude. We don't give complementary housekeeping everyday tough for stay longer than a week we do give one housekeeping complementary. She kept saying that housekeeping should be provided everyday and it's a world wide practice. My staff was unwell and hence I couldn't provide her housekeeping which I mentioned to her and confirmed that I will send the maid as soon as she returns. She asked to cancel her booking and get refund as her mother is not well to which I asked her to cancel through Airbnb. She cancelled her reservation for the next 3 days but was asking for additional refund, my cancellation policy is moderate. Finally she asked for late check-out at 12:00 pm as I had guests coming up next at 11:00 am (checkin time) i had to decline her request to which she said it's a world wide practice to have check out at 12:00 pm. 

So my question here:

Is there anything generalized with relation to checkin and checkout time?

What about complementary housekeeping daily? Is this a world practice?

How is Airbnb different from a hotel then? 

Overall after 10 Five star reviews I got a bad review with 1 star. Link to the review:

https://abnb.me/3g9GTnJO1ib

Regards Yogita

[Lorna170]

@Yogita3   Looking at this traveler's profile, they are very new to AirBnB and in my opinion, she did not have a CLUE about how an AirBnB works.  Her comments would be accurate for a stay in a HOTEL, not a home.  She seemed very entitled and expecting of extra services.  However, you made some errors in your attempts to be a gracious host. 

1.  Never tell a guest that your housekeeper is unwell. 

2.  Be firm about housekeeping cleaning before and after a stay. 

3.  I would remove the daily housekeeping offer from your listing.   

4. You may wish to mention that there are stairs.  I have never seen a listing that offers to carry the guest luggage, but this lady may not have expected stairs and did not travel with small luggage.  She could have arranged for the cab driver to assist her.   

3.  My posted check-in is 4:00 PM and check-out is at 10:00 AM.  Most of the listings AND HOTELS in my part of the world (USA) have check-out at 11:00 AM.  Guests tend to abuse the check-out time the most. 

In my 20 years of hosting multiple properties, I have never provided daily housekeeping or been asked to assist guests with their suitcases while arriving and departing.  I do NOT believe that hosts worldwide offer these services, contrary to your guest's statements.

You have a very nice listing.  I wish you a good future.

[Yogita3]

@Lorna170 Thankyou so much!

Surely will be very clear on housekeeping for my future. Climbing stairs is mentioned in my listing. Best wishes 

[Gianni265]

Hi @Yogita3,

to very good lorna suggestions I would like to add more.

Technically there are no difference from Airbnb to Hotels: in some countries there are hotels in Airbnb and anyway the hosts can offer a lot of services like and more than hotels. And they do: you can book on Airbnb apartments with daily cleanings, breakfasts and more services as rental bycicles, baby sitter, laundry etc.

The check-out at 12 pm is quite normal all over the world.  Usually it is about from 10 am to 12 pm but of course there are not strict rules: a host (such as a hotel) could choose a very early check-out to allow for morning check-in which is very appreciate. I'm sure a lot of apartments in Airbnb are flexible, so it can be normal for some guests to expect flexibility even if they have been using Airbnb for years.

Regarding the baggage help, I think it is normal to offer it. As far as possible: if you are a young and weak man or woman you cannot move heavy luggage but offer yourself for the light ones and to carry the heavy ones together. I don't suggest you sit still and watch your guests as they carry all their luggage home. I'm sure you already do.

I would not concentrate too much on customs and traditions, everyone has their own. I would try to be as polite as possible (for me helping with luggage is politness, not only normal) and to make an announcement as clear as possible, as if all your guests were from Mars, giving additional information that you consider important in communications with them. For example if you only offer cleaning on a specific day or the check-out time is not negotiable, say that clearly immediately after booking and in the ad. Please note that flexibility is what many guests expect most, not only about check-out: so try to organize yourself to offer it a little. And try to be "smart" (=professional) in all your communications, study them well. For example it seems to me that you accepted a check-in at 11 am (very unusual time) because she had canceled the reservation. Not many words: "I'm sorry, the late check-out is no longer possible because you canceled the reservation and I took other commitments, otherwise I would have been happy to satisfy you". Even if for your current organization you couldn't.

Good luck!

[Yogita3]

@Gianni265 

Thanks for your suggestions but I agree with Lorna's reply. Reading your reply I feel, I should refer her to your listing. Surely you can provide her world class hosting she is searching for.

Best wishes!

[Gianni265]

Hi @Yogita3,

thank you for your message. 

From your answer I can see how you relate to others. You have not been very polite, you have shown that you don't understand the meaning of my words and that you want to compete. You probably had the same problem with your guest: when faced with an experience unknown to you and taken personally, you responded with the same witty malice.

Do as you wish: don't make a clear listing, don't clarify the important aspects in communicating with guests, never offer flexibility, and never help your guests carry their suitcases - watch them intently and maybe you'll stop the older ones from rolling down the stairs . Also think that Airbnb users all have the same experience, that there are no apartments that offer many services and that there is a category recognized all over the world as Airbnb.

Dear, here we write in 5 minutes, I bet my b ... that those who say they have twenty years of experience have occasionally helped with at least a small suitcase, especially if the entrance to the house is in front of stairs without a lift, offered some late check-out and probably has an organization that can offer flexibility, if only to solve possible problems such as very dirty houses or late guests.

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@Gianni265 I don't think @Yogita3 was being rude unless I missed something.

I think she's posting in an additional language to her first.

[Gianni265]

Dear @Mike-And-Helen0 

I did never talk about my properties, I proposed a general discussion of what in my opinion was "normal" that guests expected: everyone has to decide what is best. For example, I do not offer cleaning, I can't, and in any case I did never say it's right to offer it but only that if you offer it you must clarify how. Referring to my hypothetical listing is out of place, not very polite If she definitely consider it suitable for a person out of this world and excessively demanding.

Honestly, the previous suggestions did not seem complete to me, too personal perhaps. In your opinion, can we really talk about the Airbnb category? Maybe 20 years ago, it now offers everything and you just have to go and do a search on the site. Do you really believe that flexibility is not important? Are you never flexible? Do you really think that the vast majority of hosts don't help a young girl with her mother to climb a staircase with lots of suitcases? Do you really think that most Airbnb users consider that a service? You have not paid for it and I am not offering it to you?

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@Yogita3 it is a world wide practice not to be a poor guest! Or maybe not.

Our check in is 5-9 pm and check out at 2.

Some people like that and some don't. If they don't like it they don't book.

[Yogita3]

Hi @Mike-And-Helen0 , Thanks for your support! I do agree with you. Best wishes

[Brian2036]

@Yogita3 :

There are no worldwide standards regarding checkin/checkout and even if there were you would have no obligation to observe them.

 I never heard of anyone in the US offering daily maid service or bellhop service. If someone wants that they can go to a first-class hotel and pay for it.

They can get all that at the Grand Hyatt Goa for only $160 per night.

[Yogita3]

Hi @Brian2036 , Cool will surely let her know about Grand Hyatt Goa 😂.... Thanks and best wishes!

[Andrea5302]

test 

[Andrea5302]

i have a GUEST reserved from feb 1 to march 10.  i already received rent for february on 1st, and there is pending funds to be paid out on march 1 for the period of march 1 to 10, however i want to cancel that part of the reservation.   Can i do that?   the money is set aside seperately, so it would seem do-able but maybe not with my credentials.     Prolly need customer service - anyone know how to contact them?   Help!