How to keep a guest happy?

[Daniel7512]

Airbnb Fam,

 I have a long term guest ( 28+ days ) who is staying at a vacation property of mine that I make available part-time.

 The guest had several complaints, and made accommodations to make them happy, because I want my guests comfortable, and have spent upwards of 1k to accommodate their requests, but I feel like I'm being taken advantage of. 

 I use the house for myself, and I've had other long term and short term guests who very much enjoyed the space. 

Thoughts?

Help!

[Sarah977]

@Daniel7512 You can keep a nice, appreciative guest happy by doing little things they have politely asked if it would be possible to have. 

But you can't keep a demanding, entitled guest happy no matter what you do.

This guest is horrid and you need to stop acting like her doting daddy to buy her whatever she wants.

[Ute42]

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@Daniel7512   

As  @Jennifer1897 stated You need to get comfortable with saying NO. Here's a little NO-tutorial that I have developed for my fellow hosts:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Need-advice-dealing-with-Airbnb-and-Destructive-Guest/m-...

Do some practising and You'll have a better hosting life.

[Colleen253]

@Ute42Perfect! Your NO! tutorial was the first thing that came to mind when I read @Daniel7512 's post. So good.

[Melodie-And-John0]

I know that Drill Sgt "No" too well @Ute42 , back in 1980 when I heard my first DS Negatory, it came with a few expletives as well, "F$@K No".   Your  "No"  sounds a lot like my moms ( the third Wilhelmina), its everything that my DS SFC Boseman would have put into it without the cursing!  Also consistent was if it was "No" the first time, don't ask a second time, it would be "No" with corrective actions!  Stay well, JR

[Helen350]

@Daniel7512  Remember how Airbnb started, with someone letting  Airbeds in their living room. Then he thought other people could let spaces in their own homes too, the guest gets a cheap bed, the host gets some pocket money, and both get a cultural exchange,it is to be hoped, and the sense that each has benefited the other, via the 'sharing economy'.

So, with this view, Airbnb is not like other rental businesses, and certainly not like hotels. The guest bears responsibility to make enquiries about the unique space they are booking, accept it as it is, and  not book if a space does not meet their needs. Or leave, if they've arrived & found they've made a mistake.

With this outlook, keeping the customer satisfied is no longer such a 'must do'?

Regarding the glasses, we in the UK can buy a pack of 4x 360ml glasses for £2.50 = $3.45 - Job done!

[Laura2592]

I can't believe I am reading this. You ordered NEW FURNITURE for a guest??

First, I always caution against long term guests because they can be problematic. Bad match and its not a few days of dealing with personality issues-- its a month or two. Plus Airbnb does not guarantee paymet beyond the first 15 days so you better hope your guest is honest. But this is so far beyond the pale I have a hard time believing its true.

You are doing your fellow hosts a disservice by undermining the terms of a booking. In a booking your job is to show your space accurately and your guest's job is to select the space which matches their criteria. If a guet fails to do their job and says "you know, I prefer different furnishings" there is no ground to accommodate that because you provided exactly what you showed the guest you would. If you then GO OUT AND BUY A DINING TABLE despite the tacit agreement that there was none when the guest booked, you have given the guest free reign to break all the other pieces of the agreement any time they feel like your place doesn't match their Airbnb fantasy. Once a guest has this in their head, what kind of expectation will they have of hosts who follow the regular old rules and don't provide them with a new king bed, hot tub or renovate the bathrooms to their standards during their stay? I mean, where does it end?

Just stop now. I would say this to your guests:

"I am sorry that I gave you the impression that I would make changes to the space based on your preferences. I was trying to be a good host and went overboard. I can't provide any additional items, furnishings or amenities beyond what is stated in the listing. I know you will have a comfortable and enjoyable remainder of your stay. Please let me know if you have additional questions about the space or how to use any of the items provided. I cannot reimburse any purchases beyond what we have already agreed. I am sure you understand. Have a great day!"

And then that's it. No more glasses or tables. Refer to house rules. Answer questions promptly and politely but for the love of all that's holy, put up some boundaries. If not for yourself and your own aggravation level, for the rest of us. Because if I get this guest, there is no way I am spending $1000 to retrofit my space to their decor preferences and they should not have the expectation that anyone would.

[Daniel7512]

At this point, I'm not sure what to do.. everyday is something new.

At this point, I would like her to leave. 

[Elisabeth40]

I had to tell in the past some guests that I cannot host them, I just tell them, I am sorry, I do not feel comfortable hosting you, it's not personal, it just doesn't suits well, can  you please alter your reservation, so you get a refund for the rest of the days and I would love kindly ask you to leave my home tomorrow. when they alter their reservation, the price automatically adjusts and you don't need to deal with refunding them. If it comes to a place where she cancels and asks for a refund, pls let it perform by airbnb. once they ask for a refund, it will take them longer to get the money, as when they just alter the reservation. It happens, you cannot be friends with everyone. But it's important that you feel good too, because it's your personal space. I always picture it like that, when you work at a hotel, you exit, go home, close your door and you are private and safe and yourself. With airbnb you do not have privacy, it's important to draw the line. People can consume each other. Plus it's a bigger sacrifice, you get put out there in front of the entire world with reviews about your personality and your personal space, even if the product you sell is a room and not yourself.  

[Daniel7512]

Can you elaborate on 15 days of payment, and if the guest leaves. What does that mean?

[Laura2592]

@Daniel7512  you need to call Airbnb Support and find out what your options are. You are a brand new host without many ratings. Guests like yours target new hosts-- our first two guests were awful compared to the 100 plus we have had since and we had no clue because we had nothing to compare it to.  Bad guests know this and use new hosts. 

You are in California, arguably the most tenant-friendly state in the US and have entered into a relationship with this person who after 28 days is a TENANT not a guest. I would suspect you have no lease and thus no protection when she decides to stay on and squat.  Just do a google search of "Airbnb Squatter CA" and you will see what you are in for.  Very bad idea to let yourself get into a long term situation without the legal protection of a lease. Airbnb will not help you, nor pay for your court fees. 

Guests pay up until day 15 and after that ABB stops guaranteeing you will get payments. Read the TOU...

When will I get my payout? - Airbnb Help Center

https://airbnb.com › help › article › when-will-i-get-my...

Airbnb typically releases your payout about 24 hours after your guest's ... If your guest is staying for 28 or more nights, payouts for that reservation are released monthly.

ABB is supposed to collect the first month deposit, but as many guests can split payments, a long term host is often left holding the bag when only the first half of the first month is collected before check in. A guest can refuse to pay the rest on many grounds and it sounds like yours may be gearing up for that.

So RUN to customer support and ask that they cancel this reservation. Have them deal with the guest. Take the feedback hit. Delete your account and start over after you have had some time to recover and actually read the tenancy laws in your state as well as the ABB terms. Best of luck. 

ETA-- you aren't in CA-- sorry I saw that house and thought "San Diego." But the rest of my well-intentioned rant still applies 🙂

[Helen350]

@Laura2592  - Daniel is not actually a brand new host - he has 31 reviews for other previous listings! 🙂

[Laura2592]

@Helen350  I missed that! Even more important that he get up to speed 

[Elisabeth40]

@Daniel7512 

make her alter the reservation. the price adjusts automatically. it's easy and done in 30 seconds. you can even alter her reservation from your app, she will need to confirm that on her end.  

[Sarah977]

@Daniel7512 The tough love you'll often get from other hosts here is really a gut reaction of disgust at guests who behave so poorly. I know it often comes across as harsh towards the host, but it's never intended that way. We just hate seeing another host being taken advantage of and since we can't slap the offending guest upside the head, we advise you how to 🙂

And as Laura pointed out, scurrying around to meet a guest's demands sets up expectations in the guest that they will bring to their next booking, which isn't fair to our fellow hosts.

[Laura2592]

@Sarah977 true, but in this case the host needs to understand how setting this precedent can affect those who come after. We have a troublesome guest who, instead of being told a polite but firm "no" now has the experience where someone will spend significant sums on their whims. What happens to the next host who encounters this person? Will that poor review be deserved when that host doesn't give this guest everything they want?

@Daniel7512 is part of a community. What one person does affects others. That is why we get so frustrated at bad guests. But in this case the host needs to hold the line for their own sanity as well as the rest of us who may run into this person.