Demanding Guest Advice

[Diana320]

I would like to get some input from this community.  I have a renter for five weeks.  She has been here for three nights so far.  She has had lots of requests for things....and now, she is asking us to buy her a mattress topper for the bed because she has back and neck problems.  She says the mattress is too firm and she is not getting used to it.  At first, I thought, okay.  But she is so demanding in the way she asks....what do you all think?   Should we buy the mattress topper for her ($120)?   What do you think?  Just got superhost status and don't want to lose it.  

By the way, other renters have told us that they love the mattresses which are about 1 year and 1/2 new.

Thank you for your help.

Diana

[Diana320]

Thank you Susie!

appreciate it. 

[Olga464]

@Diana320  here I am. Just tell your guests you work in police. And meet guests in police robe. All the guests become very undemanding in a second after they see you.

[Diana320]

Thanks Olga. 

Hopefully, the situation is resolved.  Guest was happy and comfortable last time I checked.   

I admire your your strict approach given the environment you are working in. 

My maternal grandmother was from Ukraine. She did not suffer fools as they say. 

Do do you know that expression?

[Olga464]

@Diana320 Of course, I know. But I can from time to time. Especially if they pay well.

[Diana320]

😊

[Thomas-and-Damian0]

Funny how different host prefer different guests. We prefer “older/mature” guests as they seem to appreciate what we offer more than younger guests. Younger guests usually give us o my 3 or 4 stars when in the value category. Older guests don’t do that.

[Nicole360]

Bonjour Diana 
votre guest aurait dù choisir un hotel 5 étoiles !
que d'exigences et la peur pour l'hôte d'être mal noté 
beaucoup de stress dont on pourrait se passer quand tout est fait pour la satisfaction de nos guest .
le "métier" d'hôte est décidémment bien difficile et plein d'ingratitudes ...
heureusement que les bons guest existent aussi ...

[Diana320]

Merci beaucoup Nicole 🙂

[Michel-and-Theresa0]

I think its time you tell This guess to find different accomodations.  This is a home NOT a hotel.  Guests need to learn that and be educated.  I would never put up with a demanding and unrealistic guest.  She should have brought her own darn teakettle if she didn’t like yours!  Ridiculous.  I had 8 adult guests once complain that my humble 1700 sq foot condo with a 40 gallon electric hot water heater couldn’t keep up with 8 showers in a row!!!  Even though our listing says 6 adults is best.  I reminded them we are a HOME not a HOTEL.  Time for you to tell your guests to stop demanding and complaining and move along!

[Jasmine170]

Hi Diana,

I have a demanding guest currently wanting to control different aspects of my home during his stay, like having sign in privilliges to apps I use to monitor my home. I feel it is best that you say no to guests asking you pay for additional items that you may not need to use for other guests regularily.

As host we cannot offer five star hotel features based on what we charge. Our guests do need to understand that what they pay will reflect in the various items they may find during their stay. You like myself and many hosts likely offer a lot of what most guests need during their stay (hence your superhost status) to make them comfortable, but we cannot accomodate everyone, especially when their need is medical/specific.

You sound like you handled the situation well with your husbands help.

Andrea

[Suzanne302]

@Diana320

As @Ben551 said, holy crap! Those are absolutely unreasonable requests, even if she is staying 5 weeks. If something is broken, or unusable, then it should be fixed. Other than that, she can buy her own dish towels, new kettle, etc.

We all want to be accommodating, but that is ridiculous.

I love the response your husband gave her. I think that's a great way to handle it.

[Brandon250]

Me personally and I think it's fair. I would offer to give her a couple nights free maybe. Then after that offer to refund her money if she keeps asking for things. 

[Sion2]

I would joke, "I am sorry to accomendate all this I would have to raise my prices and I know why discerning guests like you love my place it is because of my price." Most airbnb guests are looking for cheaper then hotels. I also do not give discounts for longer stays, I find I make far less money if I do and get more cheepskates.  

[Diana320]

Thanks Sion.   Yes, our discounted price for a month stay is too low and we raised it after this experience.  Thank you for your support.

[Diana320]

So, after we sent her my husband's text offering to refund her money if she wants to leave....but that she will need to buy her own mattress pad for the bed (especially because of the amount of things she had already requested that I'd taken care of...and the demanding way that she told me that she needed us to buy her the pad because she wasn't adjusting to the temperpeutic mattress - said it was too firm for her), but anyway, when my husband and I told them that we understand if the house as is doesn't work for them , we will refund their money (but they would have to leave).  They responded with this:

"We are fine and look forward to continuing our stay here. We appreciate everything you have done to make our stay comfortable."   

So, even though I still feel a little badly not buying her the pad....it does need to stop somewhere and hopefully, this will be the end of her requests. 

Thanks for all the input and support.  I appreciate it alot!!