Gift from guests - where have they gone?

[Ben205]

When we started hosting a year ago, one of the first posts I read on here was a thread about crazy gifts guests had left their hosts. Gifts from guests? Sounds cool. And yes, we got plenty (mustard from Frankfurt, stroopwafels from Holland) and lovely cards to thank us.

But since Christmas, nothing! I'm not complaining, can't expect delicious regional specialities every visit. But I was wondering if this is indicative of a change in ABB guests? I'd like to think we're still giving the same good service (reviews suggest we are).

So, maybe it's a different type of traveller at this time of year? Or perhaps ABB guests have stopped feeling they need to show gratitude to their host for sharing their house (after all, they pay good money)?

What do you think?

[Gordon0 · Accepted solution]

@Ben205 I think you've hit the nail on the head; 'Or perhaps ABB guests have stopped feeling they need to show gratitude to their host for sharing their house (after all, they pay good money)?'

My gifts have long since dried up. 

[Elizabeth429]

 Hello @Ben205,

Nowadays, guests expect to stay at places designated only for guests. And most of the time, guests dont even have the chance to meet the host at all. So it seems to be the fashion.

Every time I show around my home to the new guest for the weekend, they seem surprised to notice I actually live in it.

[Adriano78]

Gifts from guests?? oh my god never receive a simple gift from a Guest.Never receive  a simple THANK YOU for the free bottle of wine, free nespresso caps, one small chocolate on  the top of each pillow.

customers are ungrateful. The conclusion is that the more you give to  customers less thanks (and gift  LOL) you get

[Ben205]

@Adriano78You may be right, but in our case, what we give guests hasn't changed. Whether 2 or 4 people, for 3 or 7 nights, they still get the full snack basket, tea/ coffee, etc.

That's not mentioned in the thanks, though. It's more about the house and the holiday. Of course, winter weather may make people less likely to give thanks than a warm summer's day. It just feels like something has changed since Christmas.

[Adriano78]

@Ben205 i understaend. in my case and other people that i know here in Sevilla we never had a gifts, and the most of time is difficult to have a simple thank you. Sometimes i am thinking to stop to give the bottle of wine, chocolates...... People are poorly educated and i feel does not care about all this things.

[Ben205]

@Adriano78Seems like you're spending time and money without being appreciated. If your gifts aren't mentioned in reviews, maybe try no leaving them 2-3 times and see what happens.

We stayed in France and Spain last year and didn't get chocolates on the pillows. We didn't miss them and we did leave thank you cards!

[Dianne32]

I receive thank yous, and small gifts - must depend upon the nature of the guest. When

I stay at an airbnb when I always bring something for my host.

[Marit-Anne0]

Two years ago some Indian guests asked me what I would like them to bring as a gift.  The brought a lovely piece of hand loomed silk fabric that is going into a wall hanging when I find the time for the next sewing project.  

And last summer (my buiest summer ever) some Dutch guests brought stroopwafels. That would be all since 2012. Some guests even gave me a real tell-off because the NOK 200 I offered to facilitate an early check-in did not quite cover the taxi fare.  I can tell you I spoke some serious Esperanto at that one 🙂

[Linda108]

@Ben205  I am not  sure it is possible to make generalizations about guests or trends with respect to gift giving.  I have a private room and I offer breakfast so there is a fair amount of guest contact.  When I first started over 2 years ago, the guest who stayed with me for 2 weeks  gave me a bottle of champagne and a $100 Trader Joes gift certificate!   A year later, the guests sent me a $100 restaurant gift certificate!  What both guest parties had in common was that they had used Air BNB extensively for travel and preferred the home sharing rather than the separate entire home.   Also, both realized that I was priced way under the market, mostly due to my lack of educationabout the business 😄

I never expect anything other than a nice review, but always appreciate a card.  I have had several guests offer to bring me something from their country.  I wonder if that is more common in Europe?  

[Marit-Anne0]

@Linda108

I had never expected any gifts at all and was very surprised when the Indians asked.  They were a little disappointed that I was not present, but that would not be possible as I offer my second home when empty. I have done a lot of home exchanges and in such cases, gifts are very common.

[Ben205]

@Linda108@Marit-Anne0Perhaps it is a European dimension? I'm not sure that would explain why we stopped getting thanks/ gifts around Christmas, though.

I agree that a small gift is a nice way to show appreciation for sharing a host's house that is likely to be much cheaper than a hotel. We give them when on holiday (not so much for a 1 night stay).

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I see parallels with Ebay. Look how that platform changed from selling interesting, cheap, pre-used goods to being just another shop front. Is something happening to ABB?

[Paul154]

Screw the gifts.

I want cash tips!

🙂

[Ben205]

@Paul154I can understand that point of view!

And, as if by magic, our guests that checked out today left a chocolate Easter egg! Perhaps that means we're officially out of the winter blues and summer isn't far away...

[Sarah977]

My guests often bring small gifts and ask beforehand if there is anything in particular I'd like them to bring from their country. Most of these guests are American or Canadian, coming to my place in Mexico, so it's not just a European thing. The ones who ask if there's anything I'd like them to bring are seasoned travelers, or have lived in 2nd or 3rd world countries before, who know that some things are just not available or super expensive in those countries, or that someone might be jones-ing for some favorite food item from back home.

To tell you the truth, I was actually quite surprised when I first started hosting and my guests brought gifts. Never occured to me that they would do that.