I made a rookie mistake

[Ann72]

I allowed someone to break the no-children rule at a 2-person listing and bring a toddler, and it's about to blow up in my face.  Big time.

Since booking in March this guest has made 15 separate requests.  I finally took a look at her reviews of other hosts.  (So TWO rookie mistakes - didn't do that before.)  She has found fault with almost every place she's stayed, except the first one or two.

A real Karen has been unloosed on hosts everywhere.

Today, I asked if she would submit her certificate of compliance, which Maine requires of every visitor except those from 5 exempt states.  This message stemmed the endless tide of requests from her.  But the eerie silence following means she's plotting something.  She is 100% the kind of guest who will comb through the listing, compare the amenities to exactly what's in place, and make complaints in addition to demanding refunds.

So the golden summer of 2020 is coming to a close.  Watch this space.  And in the meantime - don't get too specific about those amenities.  Karens are roaming the land.

[Ute42]

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@Ann72 

I've just decided to take a little wall preaching break.

[Ann72]

@Ute42 😂😂😂

That's good, because while the wall wasn't listening, the rest of us were!

[Sarah977]

@Ute42  I don't think it's necessarily that hosts don't believe you when you say Superhost has no bearing on anything, the "but still" has more to do with somehow feeling good about seeing that Superhost badge pasted over your photo.

It's like people who rush around cleaning and tidying the house because a friend is coming over to visit. Even if that friend couldn't care less if your house is a mess, and certainly won't think any less of you if it was, it's important somehow that the house is clean. It has to do with one's personal image of themselves, not whether that image is important to others.

[Kelly149]

@Ann72 Good job all around that you handled her with diplomacy to not sour her on you AND that you let others know that she was more difficult to host than most 

[Ann72]

@Kelly149  Thank you!  And thank you for showing me how to incorporate "Bless your heart" into my arsenal of hosting skills 🙂

[Mark116]

@Ann72  It's interesting that she doesn't seem to realize how how high maintenance she is, I mean, who needs WAX PAPER for a cabin getaway [from a previous review], or would feel the need to pretty much complain about every kitchen she has visited not having the proper stuff.  Oy.  

[Ann72]

@Mark116  I'm glad you saw those other reviews - I felt so bad for the hosts because it was clear she blind-sided them! 

[Kelly149]

@Mark116  her stated intention in those reviews was to improve conditions for future guests, and in their responses the hosts were gracious and said roughly, yes, of course, we'll get right on that... so as a learned behaviour she thinks she's done something good for the world.

Now, tables are turned and @Ann72 has written a review with a mind to improve conditions for future hosts and I think the entitled, 'well, no we didn't and you're wrong' response will be more off-putting than the review itself. So, will Molly have learned a lesson?

Ann's probably not going to agree to a toddler again, so at least there's that

[Ann72]

@Kelly149  So well said about Molly's learned behavior.  I think she believes she's helping, too, and that she really can't help herself.

So yes, it looks like I'm the only one who's learned a lesson here - no toddlers ever again 🙂  In addition to all the drama with the mama, the fingerprint situation was apparently dire.