Just a vent.

[Laura2592]

 A general vent. I am about emotionally labored out.

This past weekend was my birthday. I have a day job which is stressful but I took the week off to travel to our New Orleans place/stay at our ABB after work was completed. I have an online business selling antique fine jewelry as a hobby (pretty well established at this point) and we have the cottage/deal with guests as all of you do too.

Online jewelry business had a message up that I would not be as responsive as I was traveling, and shipping would be delayed until a certain day. OF COURSE I had someone with a complete meltdown. She bought a relatively expensive 100 year old piece without reading the description. Then she proceeded to message me 5-10 times a day with various questions and concerns about the item-- things that were either fully disclosed in the description she didn't read, or imaginary issues she thought she could see from poring over the pictures and video. I finally canceled the sale and refunded her money with a polite message, knowing that this was likely to end up with even more drama, and frankly not wanting to ruin my free time answering her copious bizarre questions. She thanked me at first,  but then spent the next several days sending me rambling messages at 3am her time that I "stole" the item from her, that she had "financed it and you knew that! I won't get my money back for WEEKS" (I have no control whatsoever over this) and that I "ruined her life." Oy. Asked her not to contact me again, sent her to spam where she likely continues these diatribes.

Over the weekend when I was celebrating with family I had an inquiry for booking dates at our cottage which are not available; booked to someone else ages ago. The guest sent the following:

"Hi- I see you have X dates blocked and I am wondering if you would be open to asking those individuals if they would trade with me. I have an event I forgot about in the area and can't find a place to stay. I am willing to pay them double for the inconvenience. Can you share their contact info? Thank you!"

I explained nicely that I can't give out guest info (especially to someone who seems to have just joined ABB and does not have a fully filled in profile) and wished them luck finding something else in the area. I even went so far as to search and locate a few other hosts who had opening for their days. They responded:

"I don't think you understood me. I want to stay at your cottage on those days. Make it happen. As I said I am happy to pay double."

Again, this is a much needed vacation week for me. I don't have time for this nonsense. So I just said "I am sorry I can't help with this. I wish you luck finding something else." To which this person said "Thanks for nothing. This ruins my entire month." 

What on earth has happened to people? I am so burnt out with them. And apparently ruining their lives left and right!

[Mark116]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  Ha. I am actually tempted to start using Airbnb speak with prospective guests who ask crazy questions......send them a 2 or 3 paragraph barrage of new-age-compassion-empathetic-i-feel-your-pain gibberish along with some random links that will leave them so totally confused they give up on whatever it is they wanted.  It works for Airbnb.

[Sarah977]

@Mark116  Laugh of the day. Perfect. 

[Laura2592]

@Mark116 this is genius!

Guest: I want your space on a day its booked. Make it happen.

Host: "Dear Guest- Did you know you can Live Anywhere and be a citizen of the world through Airbnb? We are so pleased to get to know all of your preferences and experiences through this platform! Someone will be getting back to you shortly about your request. You are a special being, an explorer and a member of our unique human family! We support you!"

Decline.

[Stephanie1933]

@Laura2592 has this world gone insane? Hope you actually got some down time on your holiday. 

[Elaine701]

@Laura2592 

Happy birthday🎂

You sure get more than your fair share of these. I usually find your sagas entertaining, but this one is just going too far. I don't know why you attract them, but something's off, me thinks. 

We get our share of odd ones, but you're a trophy holder! May your successful career in weird guest magnetism end in well deserved peace! 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Laura2592Happy birthday 🙂

You are a magnet for crazy people, maybe it's Feng Shui, I would look at that 😄

And, the American mantra " Customer is always right" doesn't help either.

[Amanda660]

I’m so sad for you, and for everyone else who is just doing the very best they can just now.

My husband and I have  a Martial Arts School of approx 300 students.  Whilst he and the coaches teach I do everything else from admin, photography, social media, finance, payments, registrations, peopling, etc. 

Prior to Covid everyone jogged along nicely, chipped in when help was needed

and were  generally  interested, engaged and switched on.  

Whilst the adult students are still switched on the younger students’  parents have completely lost it.   I’m on my knees exhausted, the PMs are relentless, 24 hours a day about things they already know the answer to.  Everyone is in a panic, tetchy, worried they or their child misses out and completely oblivious of what’s appropriate or inappropriate in respect of what time to send messages or how often.  No one wants to work it out themselves, read the info on our Parent  FB or ask in person - it’s just a tirade of messages. 

I sat at the kitchen table and cried this weekend as I just can’t cope with everyone’s demands.  My husband is a very laid back kind of guy but even he’s had enough.

I have no idea if or when folks will become kinder, happier or more considerate.   I don’t know how we get there.

[Michelle53]

@Amanda660    I run a bookkeeping business. Many of my clients were in-office before Covid, but then went "remote".   For a while, they had no boundaries -  they needed to learn that just being a remote office doesn't mean 24 x 7 availability.   I had to shut a guy down that texted me at 9pm on a Saturday night. That would never have happened in an in-office situation.    People have become un-tethered from certain basic societal norms.  People have to be re-trained. 

[Sarah977]

@Michelle53  Way before Covid, I had an upholstery client who texted me at 6:45 AM on Saturday morning to see if I could make him curtains. 

Of course it woke me up, I turned off my ringer and went back to sleep. When I woke up a couple hours later, I saw that he had resent the text 7 times between 6:45 and 7:15.

[Michelle53]

@Sarah977  And then, there are the folks who never had any boundaries to begin with 😉

[Stephanie365]

@Sarah977   You too?  My "real" job is teaching horseback riding, coaching at shows and training. One night, at 10:45 pm my phone rang. Didn't know the number so I hit ignore. It rang again 20 seconds later, same number. I hit ignore again and turned off my ringer. I was in bed and watching TV. Done for the night.

Between 10:45 and 11:30, this person called 17 times and never left a voice message.
7:30 AM, they started calling again. After an additional 12 calls, they FINALLY left a message. 

They wanted to come ride my ponies today. Not lessons, just wanted to come ride for free.

I don't think so!

Because of this person, I set "Do Not Disturb" hours on my phone so that no one except my immediate family will chime or ring on my phone after 9 pm until 9 am. I will still get the messages or voice mails; I just won't get the chimes that disturb me.

[John2406]

@Michelle53  My background was in business (wholesaling) where work was almost 24/7, 7days a week - and that was like that some 27years ago!

Whilst "office hours" are usually frenetic, to be able to sit down and get things sorted out more rationally in the evening is good, for one is able to speak on a topic that - if necessary, the other person can look at the following day.

In that sense I don't think that life has changed that much, but what has changed is that "patience" seems to have flown out if the window!

Wanting something yesterday isn't anything new, but the way many people speak to others suggests that "respect" has along the way, been totally lost.

Personally I don't think that people need to be retrained, but they do need the benefit of "anger-management classes" to discover that speaking to people the way that many now do, isn't going to get them anywhere.

Courtesy to others never cost anyone anything, and if anyone ever wants to ring me at 9pm or 10pm they'll get exactly the same attention from me as they would at any other time (and ditto over weekends as well)

[Michelle53]

@John2406  My point isn't about whether it's better to work office hours or 24 x 7 hours. There are plenty of occupations where one can work 24 x 7 if one chooses to do so.    I've done that before - I choose not to be doing it now. 

My point is that "office hours" used to be recognized as such when people actually worked in offices. Then everyone went remote, suddenly found themselves working out of a home office instead of a physical office, where one would come in at a certain time and leave at a certain time, more or less. 

People don't know how to work remote - I've worked in a hybrid in-office/remote environment for 15-plus years. Everyone I've worked remotely with prior to Covid keeps regular hours and knows how to open the "office door" in the morning and close it at the end of the workday.   They know how to allow for family time, vacation and weekends. 

That doesn't mean they necessarily stick precisely to 9 - 5. They often work the hours that best suit them, in order to get the job done.  But they still know how to "close the door" at the end of the day. 

Newbies to the remote environment have to learn how to do this successfully if they want to survive long-term, and not burn themselves out, and everyone else, too. 

The most fundamental place for remote work to start is with an actual room designated as the "home office", with an actual door one can open at the beginning of the workday, and close at the end of the workday.   This idea of running one's office on a laptop on the kitchen table is a figment of a marketing person's imagination. 

The reality is that many people don't adapt at all well to a remote environment - they need structure, the physical cameraderie of the break room or water cooler, or the organization of the conference room. 

[Dora486]

After a long and thankfully busy summer, now time to relax.  We’ve taken our Airbnb off for a a few months just so we can chill and switch off.  Off to Porto to try out someone else’s Airbnb and to have some “me” time. Sometimes its just got to be done.

[Sarah977]

@Laura2592  Maybe you guys look too nice in your profile photo- sweet couple who would  never say no.  

Consider changing the profile photo? I'm serious. It would be an interesting experiment. You don't have to go as far as appearing in camo with an AK47,  but try not to look so sweet.