Cleanliness 2 stars. So I ask the guest what the problem was... sit down for this one.

[Kevin1322]

got a  2 star rating for "cleanliness".

So I message the guest to ask what the problem was.

Them " wood floors were not shiny"

Me: They are not wood, they are porcelain tiles.

Guest "they should be shiny"

Me: They are R12 rated non-slip tiles.  Non slip tiles aren't shiny.  Flattered that you thought they were wood, but they don't shine up. We bleach them daily. That is the point. The clue is non-slip. For grip. So you don't slip on them. 

Guest "you should have warned us, we could have dropped our phones and broken them"

Me: My tiles?

Them: "no, our phones"

This is what we are dealing with in 2021.  

You have to laugh or else you cry  🤣

The Endless Mirth of hosting.

[Inna22]

@Alexandra316 I remember reading in the news that they demanded for the island to expand but the island threatened to terminate their stay

[Ann72]

I'm kind of in love with Barry tbh @Laura2592.  It was that thump that got me.  🙂

[Linda108]

@Kevin1322   I was dying to see the review left by this shiny floor fan, but could not see one.  How come?  I am really interested in your review of these people. 🙂

[Kevin1322]

@Linda108 Their review comments were very complimentary.  They were nice guests, dim but nice.

given how low the star rating was, but with no feedback comment about what wasn't clean, I chased them by message to find out what it was.

Post is the gist of about six messages condensed.

Our review of them was 5 stars. Which they were.

They were perfect guests while they were here.  They were no bother at all to host for, friendly, quiet, very tidy.  I'd happily have them back again, the idiots. Maybe ask them to put their phones on a lanyard or something though.

As we (until covid) catered almost only for hikers on the coast path, muddy boots and all that, it made perfect sense to have something non slip for people coming and going,  and having three dogs who are in and out and walked in all weathers all year whether there are guests or not porcelein tiles made sense from a cleaning point of view - and to be honest I just wanted to put down a finished floor that I would never have to replace. so I did the whole ground floor.

[Linda108]

Like you, I have mostly tile floors due to the desert heat and doggy feet.  I have a greyhound as well. 🙂  Your floors are what I wish I had.  VEry stylish and functional.

I wonder why I couldn't see the review.  While the individual categories can be useful feedback for your consideration, it is the overall review rating that is counted.

[Susan990]

Airbnb requires for you to give a review to SEE a review, that is their bait to gain your compliance with their demands for review data. This entire practice of the corporation will not stand the test of time.. in my opinion.  I do anticipate an evolution to the same type of review system as VRBO which is the platform that Airbnb is modeled upon.  Here is looking forward to the future.

[Elaine701]

@Susan990 

It's actually a good system that encourages honest reviews. You don't always get honest reviews, especially when the guest causes damage or other problems and the host confronts them ("retaliatory reviews") and yes, that's a major flaw in the Airbnb review system, but aside from that, it's rather cleverly designed. 

By the way, VRBO is modelled after Airbnb, not the other way around. And Airbnb's market reach is orders of magnitude more ubiquitous than VRBO.

Also, VRBO support is about equally as detached as Airbnb support. They're both unable to keep up with the load.

[Susan990]

 I believe You are flat out wrong in your statement...I call upon our Community Center ambassador to settle this issue. Hello Airbnb. What are the true facts of the creation of the Airbnb platform and its page layout design, etc. Original or modeled upon VRBO ?  There is no shame in copying.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

  And as for vrbo support, I would not know about that never having experienced  the need  to call upon it for services.

[Louise0]

I had a guest complain that 'the backyard smelt damp'.  It's littoral rainforest.

[Laurelle3]

@Louise0 thats sad, the guest must be city dwellers. Maybe you should give a gift jar of forest air like the bottles of coloured sand that some tourist areas market. The forest air could be your new marketing tool along with environmental tours of the backyard and education information of the cycle of natural forests. I am thinking of the positive side of the complaint. Take care with the Covid bug out their in our state. I think it is slowly walking to the regional areas.

[Louise0]

The extraordinary thing is that I too am a 'city dweller'.  The place is 5 km as the crow flies from the heart of the Sydney CBD and 7.5 km by road.  I would have thought being surrounded by the wonders of nature whilst enjoying the convenience of being a mere 15 mins drive from the city would charm them.  Alas not.

[Lorna170]

The scenario:  1930's cabin in the woods.  

Guest complaint:  Please come and remove the squirrel on the deck.

ROFL.

[Emiel1]

@Lorna170 

Did you catch and remove him/her ?

(I mean the guest, not the squirrel)

[Brian2036]

@Lorna170  I haven’t had that one yet but I have had two guests who walked into my REMOTE ISOLATED MOUNTAIN CABIN, asked if there were any bears around and left immediately when I answered honestly. (Yes, a few, but they don’t want to meet you.)

 I guess I could lie but anyone who normally lives in a place where murders occur daily and is afraid of wild animals is too stupid to be here.

Whenever I get a booking from someone who is coming from a large city I know I will likely be dealing with extreme stupidity.

People have complained because it gets dark at night…they thought they heard a wolf and felt unsafe…they couldn’t see any other houses nearby… I finally added the comment to my checkin notes: If things like this frighten you PLEASE DO NOT VISIT US!

Possibly I could note that wolves have never been known to blow down a house made of logs and stone?

 I doubt that it will help. What part of remote, isolated rural 4WD access do they not understand?

[Sarah977]

@Kevin1322  Not just guests. The brain-death phenomenon seems to be rampant. I just read of yet another  "influencer" who fell to their death this week, posing for the perfect shot on the edge of a cliff. There have been several now.