Getting jaded about how clueless ABB guests are... Help?

[Kelly149]

Below lies the VERY LONG saga of 24 hours in the life of an ABB host when clueless guests invade your inbox with nary a clue about how to travel in the adult world...

Read if your inbox is less exciting. Please advise if you're able. 🙂

Thursday 1233 AM - A guest whose profile says they are in same state/same time zone as me sends me a Reservation Request for dates in November.

Good News: they have to send the request bc they're asking for 3 days in a time when I've set a 5 day minimum.

Bad News: they want to stay for 3 days instead of 5 and checkout at 10am on Thanksgiving Day. They also have a brand new, entirely blank profile, haven't read my listing and their message says "looking forward to exploring the city and enjoying your place"

Thursday 1239 am - I send a message bc 1 - she hasn't read my listing 2- she has a new profile

"Hi there! We've received your message, Thanks for inquiring and Welcome to the Barn!!

We appreciate that you've found us, please read the whole listing including the House Rules. There you'll find the "Hidden Questions" awaiting your response (you may need to click the + Read More button to see the full rules text and a full-size device is always easier for detail reading on the listing). Knowing that you've read the whole listing helps us assure successful stays at the Barn.

Also, this week is currently set to allow longer stays (4+ days) that don't include a checkout on Thanksgiving Day. Were your plans for that week flexible?

Please let me know if you have any questions, we look forward to meeting you! Thank you, Kelly Wheelock

PS...
What brings you to the area?
Who are you coming with?
Do you know your arrival time?
Does your Guest Profile tell us enough about YOU to know who we'll be hosting??"

I also attach links about how to create a good profile & a generic these are good guest behaviors article from ABB Help Center.

Friday 915am - She answers, no they've made flights already (her profile says she lives 3 hours from me, not a location people would normally fly from), can I make any adjustments? She addresses none of the other things I've said.

Friday 1015 - 

Good morning XXXXX! The cleaners charge a 'holiday surcharge' for checkouts on holidays, if you'd like to cover that then I could adjust. ($65)
Also, I'd want you to have read the full listing before I confirm your booking since you become obligated to those terms.
Come back and tell me what you think of that after you read those. Thanks! Kelly

Friday 1142 -

Good Morning Kelly! I dont mind covering $65. Will you be able to do some adjustments on the checkout time on Thursday then? Its completely okay if you arent okay with it.
Also, will we have access to oven by any chance? Because we were wondering if we could bake

Friday 1215 - She still hasn't read the listing!! I know this because we dont have an OVEN!!

XXXX, please go ahead and read the listing on a full-size computer. The kitchen is covered extensively in text and in photos. We’re more setup for snacks & reheating rather than full-size baking. If you’d rather stay throughout the day on Thursday then yes, you can stay as long as you like if you select purchasing Thursday night. With a late Thursday checkout then the cleaners would come at 10am Friday morning so you’d have the room rate for Thursday but not the holiday surcharge. Up to you which you’d prefer.

Friday 1223 - 

Okay Kelly. Got it. I have read the listing and instructions. I would like to go ahead and confirm the booking.

*At this point, I'm ready to give up, hit decline and be done with this girl bc SHE STILL HASN'T READ THE LISTING!!! But I have until midnight, so I just let it sit for a bit

Friday 130 - Second guest hits Inquiry in my inbox and she wants to checkin TOMORROW

Hi Kelly 🙂 I am a tired Momma who is looking for a quiet nature-filled getaway. Does the Barn sound like it fits those parameters? Is there a place to sit outside?

**** Now I have 2 of these girls at once, seriously, does the barn have a place to sit outside? Is the thumbnail photo of a porch swing???

Friday 217

Guest1: Please dont hesitate to reach out if you have any questions/concerns. Looking forward to the stay 🙂

*Oh dear, deep breathing.... I'm still weighing punting this girl or asking a 3rd time

Friday 241, responding to Guest 2

Hi xxxx! I get being a tired Momma right now! Are you looking at the Real Texas Barn listing? I'm concerned that you can't see the photos of the porches, those are usually fairly prominent in the listing.

Friday 509, Good host in me wins out, responding to Guest 1

Hey, sorry! I must have missed a message somewhere. From what I can see on my end: your profile is incomplete, I don’t have an answer back from you about Thursday/Friday and your departure time and that section that says “make sure you answer these questions” I haven’t seen that back either.
Our internet has been having issues today so I apologize if you’ve already sent this info. Please try again. Thanks!

Friday 523

We will check out on Thursday at 10 am and we are willing to pay the cleaning charges of $65 as well

*seriously......

Friday 535

To answer your question in the instruction section, I have not made any prior airbnb booking and there are no roosters in the barn

Please let me know if you need any additional information from my end.

***Hallelujah, we've made it.... At this point I'm seriously thinking that @Robin4  is right, IB is better and this nonsense is for the birds

Friday 601, Guest 1

I say "great, I'll accept your booking now, look for the email to come from me with your rental contract, etc... btw you should add an email to your profile and download the app, yadda yadda, thanks so much" Whew!! Problem solved... have a booking... new guest, but we've managed...

Friday 612, Guest 2

xxxxx, are you there? It takes abb a full 24 hours to prepare/process a new reservation for arrival, so we're running out of time for a Saturday arrival, though I'm happy to discuss Sunday if that's better for you. Lmk how I can help, thanks, Kelly

Saturday 1224

Kelly, we had to change our plans because of which we had to cancel. We are so sorry for the inconvenience caused.

And still no word from Guest 2 AND I got the email from ABB informing me that the guest who spelled out their WhatsApp phone number in an inquiry last week was removed for being a scammer, shocker.

UGH! I have a hair-trigger reaction to clueless already, and days like this aren't helping!! How do you keep your resolve when guests are this obtuse? What would you have done?

[Sarah977]

@Kelly149  I've blocked off the whole Semana Santa week before, because it's just mega party time, the equivalent of Spring Break in Fort Lauderdale. Last year, I was just about to do that when I got a booking request from an articulate, mature man from Colorado coming to check out the possibility of moving to Mexico, so that was lucky. 

[Kelly149]

@Sarah977 that reminds me. I wish ABB would let us choose IB or not by date!!! IB is fine sometimes, other times not so great. 

[Anna9170]

@Sarah977  Um, in Spain Semana Santa is a very family holiday with no problems with parties etc..

[Sarah977]

@Anna9170  Interesting to know it's celebrated differently in different places. There's certainly families who come to spend the week at the beach here, but this is known all over Mexico by young people as a party town and there is an all night rave one of the weekend nights. Literally about 10,000 people descend on this little tourist town for a week. It's crazy. Some of the kids who come with their friends don't even look old enough to travel without their parents. A lot of the locals just leave town for that week.

[Anna9170]

@Sarah977  Semana Santa - it's almost like Christmas, very quiet, family-like, everything around is closed and calm. 🤗
But, there is the San Juan holiday at the end of June, and this is a real nightmare. All night (and in reality a few days) firecrackers explosions, even in earplugs it is impossible to sleep normally, a lot of young people and a continuous smell of smoke from fireworks....😏

[Kelly149]

@Anna9170 this happens with us around New Years and 4th of July, people think 'I'll leave the city and go to country where it's quiet'

nope, nope, nope... the country people around here go out in their giant yards and shoot off fireworks like it's Times Square... for days...

[Emilia42]

@Kelly149 I am sooo surprised you accepted that booking. Do yourself a favor and create a rule set to not allowing checkout on Thanksgiving day so you won't be stuck with these nimwits again!

[Willene1]

@Kelly149   Oh my, what an experience!  I

feel a bit guilty about how amused I was with your story.  I have found that the only people we have ever had issues with are those that ask to bend the rules right off the bat so I have learned to say no. I also ask each guest to verify they have read and understand and agree to the house rules before accepting. I also state that they must have a profile picture of themselves and/or their family.  So far that has worked well.   Some people are just not worth the trouble. There is a bit of satisfaction in that decline button.  Hopefully all roses from here on in and no more thorny bushes. 

[Colleen253]

@Willene1  "I also ask each guest to verify they have read and understand and agree to the house rules before accepting". 

Lol, because 99% of guests will say 'yep we have read and agree!' while clearly NOT having read a lick of the rules. 🙄

[Kelly149]

@Colleen253 Exactly. This guest kept saying. Sure. All good. But if she’d read my rules she’d know that’s not the answer. 

agreeing to the rules not enough. At my house you have to read them first. 

[Willene1]

@Colleen253    I also put the wifi password In with the house rules so to get the password they have to at least scan thru the house rules. 

We are very strict with our gate staying closed as we have a horse that roams our entire acreage including the front yard. It is mentioned many times before booking and on arrival and in the manual. Most guests know our horses name on arrival which supports that they have read the rules which is reassuring and a great introduction too.  She is often one of our favourite features even if I think she’s a pain in the behind at times. 

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Kelly149 

I was doing exactly the same thing as @Linda108 as I was reading your post.  As soon as I saw "Because we were wondering if we could bake" the only thought I had was D-E-C-L-I-N-E 

[Kelly149]

@Jessica-and-Henry0  ❤️

[Michelle1648]

The second I feel a flag, its a solid decline.  You spent far too much time with those people.  Unless you need the money, don't bother as they cannot even be bothered to learn about your place. Hope you have a great thanksgiving. 

[Kelly149]

I guess maybe it’s telling that I just expect my ABB guests to be difficult & clueless at this point....

res.request guest last night: can we checkin 3 hours early

me: please complete your profile

guest: is there wifi

me:please read the listing

......

request withdrawn