How To Review Guest Who Took all Snacks And Drinks

[Patricia3334]

I allow 1 night stays and I just had a guest (one night) take all the complimentary drinks from the fridge (between 6 to 8. I didn't count.) and all the snacks and fruit. They were all more than he could eat and drink in a night unless he was literally starving and had nothing else to eat and drink. I find it rude and tacky. That is not what they are there for. They are complimentary!

Can I refuse to host him again? Should I say something in the review?

I know this is not a big theft monetarily but I do not put out snacks and drinks for 1 guest to take all of them home. I spend a lot of money on coffee, a nice tea selection, International delight creamers, hot cocoa selection, a selection of snack bars and fresh fruit as well as sodas in the fridge and some guests leave drinks themselves. 

I do not want him back for fear he'll steal something more next time. Also, it's tacky and rude.  

I don't want to get a bad review from him but I want other hosts to know what to expect.

[Patricia3334]

I have been working at a hummingbird/butterfly garden for the last 4 years and it is a constant struggle in the clay soil here. I have started adding flowering bushes which are hardier. 

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Patricia3334 

There is nothing to rust on these feeders, and there is a handy "cup" on the top for putting water, which successfully keeps the ants out. I've not had any of these leak, unless a larger bird like a woodpecker gets on the feeder and unbalances it. Or a bear. Do know that hummingbirds are messy: there will be a sticky mess below the feeder.  That is what comes out the other end of the birds, quite constantly. You will want to clean it up, soap and water and a stiff broom or scrub brush is all that is needed.

[Patricia3334]

I had NO idea! lol Thanks for the info.

[Anonymous]

@Patricia3334   How do you communicate to your guests (especially the one-nighters) how much of your food and drink offerings they're welcome to consume? I can't tell from your listing or House Rules; is there any kind of signage on the fridge with instructions about that?

If there was, it's worth mentioning in the review that the guest did not follow your stated guidelines.

Otherwise, it's not something I would characterize as "stealing."  When people are paying rent for the whole space, there's not actually a material difference between "complimentary" and "inclusive" - a guest can legitimately see every item that's provided as a part of the package they paid for. I can imagine a person seeing that beautifully stocked fridge and earnestly believing that everything inside was put there just for them, unless you explicitly told them otherwise. 

It's very thoughtful of you to supply a range of "complimentary" items to suit different tastes. but if you frown upon a guest using all of them, I'd suggest a different approach. Decent guests will still be impressed by your thoughtfulness and generosity even if the goodies you offer aren't what they like. So just provide a range and amount that you're willing to let some portion of guests wipe out, without coming away thinking of them as rude and tacky thieves. 

[Patricia3334]

If I ever go to Berlin I'm staying at your Airbnb! Your replies are always so thoughtful and non-judgmental. Ummmm, I don't say anything about snack and drink quantities. Would this be tacky? 

"Welcome! We are so happy to have you in our home and hope you feel like it is your own. Please use what you need and leave the rest, for it may be helpful to the next guest."

[Anonymous]

@Patricia3334  As a guest I wouldn't find that message tacky at all. It's a reminder that the goods are for all of your guests and not just a welcome gift for one stay. But the subtlety will go over some heads, and you can still expect that some guests will just take everything. 

I've read a lot of articles and blogs about budget travel, and one of the most common pieces of advice for the frugal is to take maximum advantage of complimentary stuff whenever possible. You offer amazing value for all the space and amenities you have, so the budget-conscious traveler who thinks along these lines is going to be a part of your market. I don't think it makes them bad people, especially in such a troubled economy. Seen from another angle, it's just a sensible way to save money. So yes, it's OK to ask people to take only what they need, but then you have to honor their own judgment of how much they personally need, however excessive it seems.

[Huma0]

@Patricia3334 

I don't think that's tacky. 

You reminded me of a particular guest who did something I thought was very odd. In each of my guest rooms, I have a letter rack with lots of tourist leaflets, maps, discount vouchers, take out menus etc. basically stuff that some guests find very useful. This guest threw them all away before checking out.

I am not sure what she thought, but I guess she assumed that I toured the whole of London collecting these leaflets for each and every guest stay. It was annoying, but made me laugh at the same time.

I have found that a lot of guests think that the listing exists in some kind of magical la-la land where there are no guests before nor after them, hence why some of them think they can check in hours early or check out hours late. Sometimes it's good to gently remind them that this is not the case.

[Patricia3334]

SMH.

[John2406]

First class response!

Although I no longer do so (Covid, Old Age, and a more responsible Co-Host helped show me what I'd been doing for a few years) I used to provide a Welcome Pack that included more and more food and drink products as each year went past.

Even more, I always asked our Guests what they wanted by way of milk, butter, cheese, bacon, coffee, jam, chutney, marmalade, bread, ice-cream, yoghurt, plain or carbonated water, type of Ale, and many other items, so always had lots of happy Guests - many if whom used to take what they didn't use, home with them - for which I rejoiced!

Everything I provided was "free" to them, all were goods that were made in one part of the UK, and - at the time - not much of it was available elsewhere, BUT by their enjoying the items themselves, and taking back home with them other items, what this part of the UK made, usually ended up with either the Guests we'd had, wanting to return, or wanting to get some of the items sent to them, but also those who are or drank the gifts they received, often booked to stay with us.

Regrettably we no longer provide such a Welcome Pack, yet Guests' still love our place, and they still return, so obviously we're doing something right!

As to complimentary, I would prefer to use the similar sounding and written word, "complementary" and include the cost of the food/drink within your price, and ONLY provide to each guest the quantity that would mean they wouldn't abuse your kindliness.

Maybe you have local foods and/or drinks that could be left for your Guests, so that they too would like to have more in the future?

We are all on a journey in hospitality, so there isn't a right or a wrong way of doing anything, but maybe the person who took the lot really helped you more than you realise, for not only have many Hosts put their own spin on the topic, but I'm sure we've all learned something out of it!

Have a great future!

[Helen744]

@Patricia3334 It happens Patricia and can extend to toilet rolls and many people take the extra toiletries or containers or plates forks drink bottles etcetera . My advice to you is only leave enough for the guest that you have staying of these 'snacks'. I leave a chocolate pack and it is generally all gone . As it is complimentary . If they eat it then ,fine , but if they take it with them ,also fine .I provide microwave popcorn , some people eat it , no one ever takes it .I leave packet soups and drinking chocolate  , no one takes all of them but some people use them ,the same as tea and coffee, but people ,some people ,take all the coffee pods. Lately since we have a big shortage here , people take toilet paper. People are strange but like me with both toilet paper and coffee pods ,its best to leave enough but not too much.I average two people will use one toilet roll every two days , not four .so I leave one and a spare. every extra two people I leave 0ne more per day but in the storage cupboard or under the hand basin . I suggest that extra snacks are not put in the house or are placed as replacements in a cupboard or left in packaging so that it is clear that they are replacement supplies but some things I would never put extras in the house . These things are 'complimentary ' so the guest will assume that they are only for them . One thing about guests is they neither realise or want to realise that someone else may be coming after them or before them . That is the illusion we create . They probably think you and your house were lovely and provided 'lots of lovely snacks'. Do not put it in your review at all. Adjust your costs and do things differently. H

[Suzanne302]

@Patricia3334 

I can empathize with you because when I was a new host, I, too, took even the most minor indiscretion to heart as a personal offense! I've since learned, and I'm sure you will too.....let it go!

I have a lot of one night stays and I leave out a variety of snacks. No matter if it's one or two guests on the reservation I always leave out 2 bottles of water, and a mix of 6-8 snacks which are a variety of sweet, salty, and chocolate. Is it a bit tacky to take all of them? Maybe. But I don't have any expectations of them all being there after the guest(s) leave. Some guests take one or two, some guests take them all, and some guests don't take any. I also see no problem if a guest takes them for snacks on the road. They are there for the guest to enjoy however they please!

I get my water and snacks from Costco and it's very cost effective. Trader Joe's also has some nice cheap chocolate bars. Depending on the season and the availability, my nightly rate ranges from $62 - $90. If $5 in snacks is too much for you, maybe just raise your rate by $5? I doubt $5 would make a huge difference in your bookings.

Happy hosting!

[Patricia3334]

I am SO grateful to you all for talking me down and helping me see that in the overall scenario this is not a big deal. He left me a wonderful review as I did for him and he may stay again which is the goal. I have gotten some insight and learned from this.

I am going to put in a sign that says:

Welcome! We are so happy to have you in our home

and hope you feel like it is your own.

Please use what you need and leave the rest,

for it may be helpful to the next guest! 

For all I know he was traveling across country and wouldn't have time to stop for food and drinks.

Thank you all for taking your time to discuss. What a great bunch of people!

P

[Patricia3334]

I never did put up the sign. It's not a big deal to me anymore. lol

[Stephanie365]

Guests typically feel that if the snack or drink is there, it is inclusive in the price.  I had a similar situation once where  I had an overnight guest take all of my teabags. Like 25 of them! While I felt it was tacky and rude, it didn't bother me so much because I was trying to get rid of them as I'd had them for a bit and needed to replace with fresher stock. (does tea ever go bad?) But the principle did irk me a bit.

From that point forward, I limited what I put out to a quantity that I would not find offensive if my guests took everything. Overnight guest? 2 k-cups per person (and 2 mini moos per K-cup), 2 teabags per person, 1 bottled water per person. If everything I put out disappears, so be it. I put out quantities that a reasonable person could be expected to use in an overnight stay.

[Anthony1585]

I am a one night stay, many rooms of the house, 3 mini kitchenettes. We are 5 minutes from the airport, and beyond the definition of perfect. It is completely budget, but much more given in person than promised in the listing.

What you are having happen to you, has occurred here too, and through over, and under reacting, I think my advice is sound.

firstly, it is going to happen. Frequency will determine what you do.

You need to figure it into your budget.  We have easily near 200 individuals a months come through in one night intervals, and nearly no one ever cleaned us out totally, but a lot of folks push it.

We promise continental breakfast, and our short instructions hang in front of the best snacks or fridge and say a suggested mix and match - and we have a professional donation box, quite small, but with a lock, and the option if someone is particularly hungry to please leave us what they can. There are twice as many people who "tip" us, especially when we can afford small orange juices than selfish takers.

Contact in the airbnb thread (NOT text or phone call, you want a paper trail) - contact the guest, soften a little what you said to us, and ask if they would please respond to a $5 request - now this is almost not worth the time as busy hosts, but, as you might say - "its the principle of the thing".  Expect them to kick up a little sand, and not pay - and then let it go - BUT MENTION IT IN THE REVIEW. You tried to avoid it. 

We also take a photo of a "setup kinda stocked" starting point - we also use that for our help staff to have a template of what it should look like. The finest housecleaners are dramatically resistant to helping us restock - but they have to as part of a turnover. 

We POST the color photo taped to the fridge or wall - with NO COMMENTARY.  It nearly stopped the steal entirely.