And just like that, all was well

[Steve2743]

You know, life's funny. Last night I was dealing with my worst guest in the year that I've been hosting, who cancelled their 4 night reservation after only one night, demanding a full refund, claiming that the place was filthy, and stunk of cigarette smoke.

Today I received a last minute booking, and they're my best guest to date! They love the place so much that they insisted that I join them while they BBQed me an amazing meal of steak, lamb, and corn on the cob! And the only cleaning I had to do between them and the nightmare guest was the bed sheets & towels! If you're dealing with a nightmare guest, just remember that an amazing guest is just around the corner. 

That is all,

Steve

[Clara116]

@David1424 you know the saying - the cheap places get the towel thieves!  My neighbor is a host and she was listing for so very cheap and one group stole all 10 towels, another group took all her supplies, everything. She didn't realize she had to ration and lock up the extras.  For some reason she thinks if she is the cheapest in her category she will be booked all the time. She has loads of one nighters and all that cleaning. She doesn't understand the concept of higher price, better guest, and not necessary to book every night every month. Well, that is why I have continued to raise my price and will NOT drop down or give big discounts, etc. Also, I do not do IB Instant Book - I want to have an idea of the person and start the dialogue long before they arrive. So far it has been fabulous. Only one that wanted 2 fresh towels every day - hahaha.....I told her right away I was NOT a hotel. She went to the store and bought extra towels for herself and wrote it up like it was kinda bad. But, I still gave me great reviews and 5 stars -  since I was immediately straight up about it I guess. 

I really enjoy the variety of folks and all this new work has to offer. It is about learning all time and especially NOT taking it all totally personal and serious. Here's to all the great guest who make our world really interesting and fun. Best to you all! 

[Steve2743]

It's actually kinda frustrating. I look at some of the listings in my neighborhood, and I see people charging half of what I do, for a much nicer place (brand new, or newly renovated house). I just want to smack these hosts upside the head, and tell them they should be charging a lot more. That said, I'm still fully booked most months, with fantastic reviews (except for this one guest). And even when I'm not fully booked, I'm making the same amount as I would being fully booked at a lower price, but with a little less work. 

[Steve2743]

I love the idea of offering cancellation insurance. I wonder how we suggest that?

I definitely hear you on the higher prices bringing better quality guests. Airbnb keeps suggesting that I lower my prices to $20 below my minimum price (which is only ever charged in the off-season). That's just not going to happen. There comes a point where I'd rather have no guest than one who's going to cause me 4x more work, for 1/4 of the pay. It's just not worth it. 

[Fred13]

"Things I have noticed; higher prices bring a better tenant that will usually leave the place cleaner than they arrived, lower prices bring poor quality tenants with no respect and filthy lifestyle habits."

People that are used to (or have) nicer things (and thus can afford a higher price) ~tend~ to appreciate and know how to take care of other people's things and/or places. Human nature oftentimes falsely assumes that the fact they are giving some one a 'great deal' by having a low price, will be reciprocated, strange how it doesn't quite work that way oftentimes.

P.S. Excellent perspective Levi+Shaina; easy to forget that most guest do turn out to be a good experience, when the occassional ogre rears their ugly head.

[Angela485]

i have just had a person cancel after the 1st night  of a 4 day booking as he says the toilet isnt working. it is. He never mentioned a problem to me . He did tell me that he wasnt happy with the WIFI service when it states on my listing that i do not have one.  Im sure this is why he left. he just wants a full refund. di you pay your guests back in full?

[Helene114]

My first and only full refund was from a guest who brouht in small dog that they aupposedly found on the side of the road (which would be even more unacceptable). I asked them to leave and fully refunded them. The next partial refund was from a fellow host who tried to book but Airbnb blocked her card (and my room). Since until that time I had %100 occupancy rate I settled with half. The next guest who canceled the same day due to a flat tire, I wished her well and told her the room would be available if she was able to make it. I think its on a case by case basis.

[Steve2743]

They automatically received a refund for 1 of the 4 nights booked, as per my cancellation policy, and issued a request for the rest (including the night they stayed). I received a last minute booking shortly after they cancelled (the guests who cooked me dinner), which made up for some lost income, so as a courtesy, I refunded them another full day, plus half a day for the day they cancelled, which remained unbooked. I insisted that they pay for the night they stayed, plus half a day for the day the cancelled, since I lost income that day. I could have kept it all, as per my cancellation policy, and others on the forum suggested that I should since I'm still going to receive a horrible review, but I'm hoping that issuing a partial refund will keep it out of the resolution center. 

[Angela485]

yes i gave them a refund to keep it going further..in the end thanks 

it feels unjust though

[Angela485]

they havent left me a review yet. so shall i just leave it and not write them one either? So we move on or will airbnb penalise me. ?

thanks everyone

[Atif3]

I hope that everyone make best use of AirBNB as i love them and hope to find the best host in Canada.

Can we get any widget to add on [Link hidden]

Thsnkd

[Roxanne46]

🙂

[Hilda13]

I started hosting at the beginning of this year. I had no experience and was wondering what kind of reviews I was going to have and all of them were such great reviews that soon I was a super host. I was so happy and decided to invest on my property so I bought new bed sheets, covers, decorated the apartment with pictures and even bought a new sofa bed. All of a sudden I started getting bad reviews from almost all guests, noise from the neighbors such as alarm clock going off at 5:30 am, babies crying, kids fighting, loud music, crazy woman next door, etc. Comments like the apartment was super clean but cockroaches come in. I could'n find a corkscrew. The hair drier wansn't working (untrue). Please, help me, what can I do?

[Linda108]

As they say, the devil is in the details, @Hilda13.  Sometimes guests will notice details that other guests will notice and the reviews will reflect that.  It doesn't mean that your listing is bad but you could tweak it a bit.  I still go in and adjust my listing description if inquiries and reviews indicate some need.  I looked at both your listings and experienced some confusion.  Both listings have the exact same name.  One is entire apartment and one is a private room.  You might name them differently and you also might have two separate private room listing because you will put another party in the each bedroom.  In that case the bathroom becomes shared.

I realize potential guests do not always read the full description but most look at pictures and read the tag lines for the pictures.  You could reinforce amenities that way.  

I read your response to the one negative review in which you rebuke the guest.  Not good.  Your public response to a review is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your hosting style for potential guests.  You could have posted something like, "So sorry that  my listing picture of the apartment building was not noticed by you and it impacted your enjoyment of our wonderful island.  I do appreciate your private positive remarks, however."  Remember, the audience for the public response is not the guest but is for potential guests.

Hope you find value in my response.  Take care.

[Ben205]

@Hilda13

Hi. Saw your posting and was thinking there's not much you can do about the location other than give people a polite heads up. Something like 'Be part of this dynamic/ bustling community' gives an idea of what to expect.

'There's always something to see and do'.

'Experience real island life among the locals.'

Maybe this type of wording could give guests a better idea of what to expect? You can't change the walls (though you could add sound insulating board to the blockwork if you wanted and thought it worth the expense). Those windows will always let in sound.

I think you need to manage expectations. It may put some people off but could improve your reviews.

Other than that, lower your prices? People do a mental 'value for money' calculation in their head, and a few $s less might make them less concerned with the sounds around them?

[Fred13]

Like to add one point to what @Linda0 said. Always work on re-arranging your description points; start with the most important at the top and/or the one causing confusion, going on the assumption that potentail guests tend to read only the beginning and skim the rest.

Example: "Where Do We Meet" came up 95% of the time with my listing, was #5 on my information bullet points; I moved it to #1, now I no longer get "Where Do We Meet'.