Guest who cancel because of pet allergies - Looking for your opinion as a host

[David2189]

I have a place where we allow pets in our house - My first line in my bio is "I love Dogs" and my profile pic is holding a Dog and it states that the place is pet friendly.

I always message the guest to let them know that the place is all set up and ready to go and to have them contact us when they get there to make sure everything is good as we are remote hosts. We get around 20% of people with pets and 80% of people without pets. 

Guests ended up checking in at 11pm and didn't message us and in the morning they sent a message stating that the house had pet hair and their son was allergic so they had to leave. I told them that we have cleaners each time to clean and I was there to clean as well as I was painting the attic. I told them we have a strict no refund policy and let them know I could send the cleaners back to clean and they rejected the offer. 

They were upset and then said the house was full of pet hair and now it smelled. 

We are superhosts which means you have to be pretty much perfect as you know with Airbnb's star rating system. We are upset because the cleaners and myself put a lot of time preparing for the guests. I started reading the posts in this community and its getting pretty obvious there is a ton of issues with their system and now we will get a bad review. 

What would you do in this scenario? 

Thanks

[Ann352]

I agree. One bad review is not good... I was looking b/c I had someone with a dog allergy (my first customer) they were so nice about it. I have a dog and I know that dog and cat allergies are different. So I am going to use dog freindly instead of pet freindly... I think these people should be always on alert if there child has allergies and ask... its not a hotel, its a house-they are probably unusually PITA. But give the fact that you want to leave the customer alwasy happy I would give some type of refund... Good luck and thanks for the help.

[David2189]

No, the guy did message me to ask if we had coffee but no other questions about son having a pet allergy. 

[Willow3]

So, I just checked your listing and NO WHERE does it mention that dogs have been on the premises.  Sure your bio and profile pic show and mention dogs, but it's a "entire house" listing... doesn't mean animals are on site.  I love cats, I don't have one.  There are none on my property.  My listing and home are pet free.  Loving something and having them are different situations.   

I didn't search by pet friendly - I just clicked your listing from your profile - so it's very possible that your guests had no idea it was going to be a pet friendly space.  

And I'll add... pets leave evidence cleaners can't see.  I had a long term renter in my home many years ago and he snuck a dog in.  (I lived abroad and didn't personally enter the house for two years). It's been five years now and I'm STILL vacumming the occasional Buddy hair after they wiggle loose from nooks and crannies behind appliances etc.  When I first returned, the first thing I did was pull out the appliances and vaccume under and behind.  I could have crafted a new dog from the amount of fur under there.  And that house had JUST been cleaned by professional cleaners... and appeared clean to the casual observer.  I'm lucky - my house doesnt' have duct work - because that will NEVER get truly cleaned out.  

[David2189]

Willow, thank you for the feedback and I get your point of view. Under our house rules it says that we are a pet friendly house.

With the heightened rules imposed on Airbnb I’m well aware of cleanliness and make sure everything is cleaned. I had a buddy who his house needed cleaned and I know what you mean by hair mounds but we really do keep the house clean. 

So so what would you do? Give the customer a full refund?

[David2189]

You say no where does it say anything about the place being pet friendly but it does actually right in the summary.  It also says it in the House rules

[Rebecca160]

I thought it was clear in your ad that pets were allowed. And at least one guest mentioned having her lab there. Perhaps mention that you are a PET FRIENDLY place?

The guests really should have been more thorough in their research and queried you first, if pet allergies are such a severe problem.

What am I thinking? Of course, they will not research it better. I mention pets several times, include photos of my pets on the property and have had great feedback from guest who brought dogs and mentioned their dogs in the review. Makes you wonder how people actually choose a place.

[David2189]

Thanks for the feedback. Would you not refund the customer? If not, then a bad review is coming. 

Thanks,

Dave

[Willow3]

@David2189 - I stand corrected - I missed the "view all listings" on my first go round and only saw the Henry in Fremont listing... that was what I based my statements on. I could find no mention of it being pet friendly.  Now going back and seeing all listings, I do see your other listing DOES mention pet friendly.  

It's very possible your guests did the same thing I did... read the whole of the first listing, and then booked the second, assuming it would be similar.  If that's the case, the error is on them, just as my error is on me.  I would NOT refund.  But if your other listings are pet friendly, I would make sure they are as clear and obvious as possible.  

[David2189]

If I'm booking a listing I'm usually reading the listing I'm booking 🙂 Our other listings don't allow pets as the allow/not allow has become basically a numbers game - More people book who don't have pets than people with pets. Yes, I love dogs but I know a lot of people who don't and I respect that and we clean the house as if no dogs have ever visited (Hair & Odor). 

Where else in the listing would I put inside again that its pet friendly besides the summary and house rules? 

[David2189]

Willow, would you refund or keep the money this time of season. Have I know a bad review is coming and I don’t think Airbnb removes bad reviews if they are false. 

Thanks

[Christine615]

I'm seeing five listing, and several I clicked on don't say pet friendly. I did see this in one listing:

Love Dogs & Nature - as super hosts we offer clean, fun and unique places to stay. We seek only professional and friendly people. Thank you!

So it is vague. Love dogs implies you might welcome guests with them but doesn't say you own them. And the "clean" may have implied that is mitigated. Still, if you had a dog in  your photos I wouldn't have booked a place for a kid with allergies.

Very odd indeed, but I'm curious to see which listing they booked. We could give more advice from there.

[David2189]

Private and Relaxing home in Fremont - is the listing.

a level 10 responded that No Where is it listed.

please read the summary and host rules and let me know what you think.

thanks

[Letti0]

I agree it is clearly stated that dogs are welcome in both summary and rules.  

[David2189]

I get a bad review they get a bad review I lose superhost status. Ugh 🙂

[David126]

@David2189

They cancel, they are refunded according to you cancellation conditions.

If they go over the top on their review hopefully AirBnB will remove it.